Chelsea Romaniello comes from a long line of quilters; and her family’s quilt designs are taking on a new life as part of Pianos About Town, a program that brings local art and spontaneous music to the streets of Fort Collins.
Quilts
Chelsea will combine her family’s quilting legacy with her passion for art as one of 13 artists chosen to paint a piano for Fort Collins’ Pianos About Town program. Chelsea will paint a piano using her family’s quilt patterns that date back as far as the 1800’s.
“For this design, I was inspired by the patterns and colors of my family’s old quilts.” said Romaniello. “I look forward to honoring my family’s craft of quilting through this piece.”
Romaniello concept image:
Dandelions
Angel and Jose Gonzales are the first father-daughter duo to paint a piano for the Pianos About Town program. Angel learned to paint from her father, Jose.
“Since I was little, my father has shown me his passion for art, and we often created art together,” said Angel. “I am thankful I have been able to experience creating and growing as an artist with him in Fort Collins.”
Angel and Jose’s design is titled “Peaceful Songs,” and features dandelions, which signify hopes and dreams.
Gonzales concept image:
2023 Artists
Chelsea, Angel and Jose are part of a cohort of 13 artists or artist teams selected to paint pianos as part of the Pianos About Town program’s 2023 painting season.
Local artists selected to paint pianos in 2023 are Savannah Anderson, Anna Berman, Mallory Cash, Courtney Dore, Chelsea Ermer, Angel and Jose Gonzales, Katelynn Mai-Fusco, Jennie Mizrahi, Natalia Popham, Stacy Reynolds, Chelsea Romaniello, Willow Sedam and Julie Young.
VIEW ALL THE 2023 ARTIST CONCEPTS AT FCGOV.COM/ARTSPUBLIC/PIANOS
Outdoor summer painting starts May 3 at the Art in Action tent on the south side of Fort Collins’ Old Town Square.
About 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.