Art on the Street Awards for Sculptors

Every year three awards are presented to Art on the Street sculptors.

  1. $1,000 Jean Mellblom Award 
    • The Jean Mellblom Award winner is selected by the Public Art Committee to recognize exceptional craft, impact, and concept.
  2. $500 People's Choice Award
    • The People's Choice winner is determined by a vote of the people who attend the annual Art on the Street, See & Respond! Meet the Artists Reception at the Lafayette Public Library each October.
  3. $500 Most Inspiring! Award
    • The Most Inspiring! Award honors the Art on the Street sculptor whose sculpture garners the most responses in the annual See & Respond! exhibit.

Winners of Jean Mellblom, People's Choice, and Most Inspiring! Awards

The Jean Mellblom Story

Jean MellblomJean Mellblom lived in Lafayette for nearly 10 years in the 1990s. She brought the concept of publicly funded art to town. Jean was a persistent, feisty, and very friendly person, all of which helped her convince City officials that public art was necessary for Lafayette.

Jean started her campaign at the same time the new library building was being designed. She saw a large, eventually windowless wall on Baseline Rd. as a potential canvas. 

After developing an idea for the Lafayette Miner's Mural with a local artist, she spent several years raising funds for the project. She asked for donations, convinced City Council to contribute matching money, and organized a program selling mural tiles to donors. The mural project was completed in 1998, and Jean raised so much enthusiasm for outdoor art that City Council approved a public art fee for new developments. 

Many people have been involved since then, but it all started with Jean and her vision for Lafayette. Because of her dedication and vision and to honor her memory, a piece in Art on the Street is selected each year for the “Jean Mellblom Award."

Jean Mellblom passed away in January 2013. The Lafayette Public Art Committee would like to acknowledge that one of Jean Mellblom’s enduring legacies is the role she played in establishing Lafayette’s public art program. With the help of the Jean Mellblom Memorial fund, Jean’s family purchased The Strollers, a sculpture installed in Old Town Lafayette, to honor her memory. 

Donations for Public Art may be written to: ARTS!Lafayette; PO Box 704; Lafayette, Colorado 80026. Write Public Art in the Memo line. Donations are tax-deductible.

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