A Colorado artist is painting a piano in drag in celebration of Pride Month. Kris Mendonça (he/him/his) is a Brazilian multimedia artist based in Fort Collins, CO. Mendonça has worked as an illustrator for 16 years and paints murals and creates comics and graphic novels with queer characters. He is a dance instructor, a movie maker and performs as Krisa Gonna (she/her/hers) in drag.
Mendonça will be painting the piano as both Kris and Krisa and says, “I’m excited to paint as myself and as Krisa in celebration of Pride Month. I have never heard of a drag queen who paints murals, so it will be fun to represent. Krisa channels a different part of my artistry.”
Connection to Community
Pianos About Town is a program that brings local art and spontaneous music to the streets of Fort Collins, Colorado. Community members watch as local artists transform donated pianos into public art. Mendonça is a first-time artist with the Pianos About Town program. Mendonça says the pianos were one of the first things he noticed when he moved to Fort Collins from Brazil.
“I feel connected to the initiative of the Pianos About Town project because art in public spaces is one of the ways you can make urban areas more community oriented,” said Mendonça. “At the same time, art can be visually appealing or thought provoking, being able to make people learn about our past or wonder about the future of society.” Mendonça uses a lighthearted colorful style, friendly characters and storytelling to explore a range of topics. He believes all his artistic endeavors are interconnected, channeling beauty, creativity and critical thinking.
Mendonça will paint “The Universe in a Piano Shell,” a concept that explores the human desire to explore the universe. Mendonça will use a comic-inspired style and narrative to depict Fort Collins and the universe.
Pianos About Town
Pianos About Town is a collaboration among Bohemian Foundation, the City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places and the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority. Community members watch as local artists transform donated pianos into public art. Placed across 20 locations across town in the summer, and six locations in the winter, the completed pianos offer surprise interruptions of color and music across Fort Collins.