The exhibition 'Experiments in Public Art: A Boulder Future' opens June 8, 2026, at the Canyon Gallery in Boulder's Main Library, running through July 26. It showcases artist-led public art projects that were integrated into the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update, including works by Cal Brackin, Becky Wareing Steele, Shannon Geis, Chris Carruth, and Android Jones. The projects used creative methods like Playback Theater, a children's book, participatory photography, and a mural to engage the community in long-term planning.
This exhibition matters because it marks the first formal integration of creative practices into a Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update, demonstrating how art can broaden civic participation and make policy more accessible. By blending data, emotion, and lived experience, the initiative offers a replicable model for human-centered urban planning that elevates community voices beyond traditional outreach methods.