Public art is all around us. Sculptures, murals, architectural components - even elements like landscaping can be public art. Public art provides a vehicle for a community to express it's identity, a business to electrify it's brand or simply be something beautiful / provocative for the public to experience. While many pieces of public art are funded by municipal agencies or private foundations, many artists drive the process by generating funding themselves. Crowdfunding the Tommy’s Thai Restaurant Mural in Denver, Colorado by Mural artist Tom Ward

Denver, Colorado has had a strong public art movement for years. However, funding is never easy, even in an art haven like Denver. In 2018 Denver muralist Tom Ward, submitted a mural project to a Denver public art program for consideration. Tom's design just missed the cut for the selection committee. "The committee liked the project design but only had so many slots available. I could have waited and resubmitted the following year. But I was really inspired by the idea and the location. I didn't want to wait."


Mural artist Tom loved the building and the business, a local favorite restaurant named Tommy's Thai Restaurant. It's a family run business with a distinctive coral exterior that inspired the concept and overall aesthetic of the mural. "Tommy's is a landmark on Colfax Avenue in Denver. It was important for me and the owners to make the design relevant to their Thai roots and have it work with the building at the same time. We wanted the actual wall and the surrounding area to be incorporated so it would feel as natural as possible to the landscape and architecture around it. After coming up with the design I just felt I had to paint it - even when I didn't make the cut."

Ultimately, Mural artist Tom Ward decided to try funding the project himself. His first attempt was a wake-up call. "I set up a GoFundMe account for the project and watched the donations not come in. It was a little disappointing to be honest. I had to abandon the first try." His second attempt yielded much better results. "I realized it isn't always as simple as just going to social media. At least is wasn't for me. After my first try didn't work out, I kind of went back to basics. I sat down and compiled a potential donor list - friends, people in my network, business contacts - who might consider funding me and help spread the word through their networks too. I also knocked on the doors of businesses in the area. I reached out to people personally before I launched my social media campaign online to ensure I had some interest and support ahead of time. I also developed more interesting videos for the online campaign."

This second attempt was much more successful. Over 150 individuals and businesses provided contributions that covered the funding of the project. His back to basics approach yielded other results as well, sparking in-kind donations from local business in the form of gift cards, materials and good vibes. "I received so many positive responses about the project while I was looking for funding. It sounds corny, but it really helps to hear people getting excited about your project."

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