Downtown Colorado Springs - Come Tour an Outdoor Art Gallery

As we came spilling out of Tony's Bar in downtown Colorado Springs, a group of drunken revelers and staggering gigglers, there he was, just sitting there, that damn smirk on his face. Either we hadn't noticed him before, or nobody remembered him, but I think I'd have remembered him. Damn, that is Humpty Dumpty, sitting there on Tejon St., some 20 feet north of Tony's. Humpty (or H.D., as I'm sure his agent calls him) was a perfect catalyst, sending our group into fits of laughter as we made our way up the street. I visit him often now, always mindful of our first, drunken meeting. He's smaller than I envisioned. The books always drew H.D. so big, about as big as the pumpkin on Cinderella's carriage. But it seems that Humpty is only about as big as an egg-shaped exercise ball, and bronze, which is preposterous, even for a giant, talking egg. And if we had retraced our steps a few feet, there in the flowerbed, it's Chester the Jester, clumsily dropping cups and saucers. No wonder you're still a jester, Chester, instead of, say, the guy that gets to raise and lower the drawbridge over the moat.

Humpty and Chester are just a couple of the sculptures one can see while walking around downtown Colorado Springs. Some of the art, such as the Platte Ave. statue of General William Palmer, city founder, have seemingly been around forever. However, other artwork changes annually, as part of Art on the Streets, an art project now in its 9^th year. Art on the Streets provides local and national artists a yearlong, outdoor venue to showcase work, all the while enhancing the downtown Colorado Springs experience. A walking art tour of the downtown area can become quite a nice little workout, and allows the art lover to view art of both a contemporary and historical nature.