OUR MISSION
Everyone knows what Love is. Love comes in different forms. Sometimes we need to be reminded to Love, whether it be to Love ourselves or to Love others. Spray the Love is a series of community art projects delivering the reminding message that despite the hate and hurt in the world, there is still Love. The projects create public art by and for the community, where every participant’s contribution builds upon the next, ultimately constructing one large message of “LOVE”. . .
Since 2016 we have held seven Spray the Love Events and that number is growing!
May 10th, 2018 students at Aspen Valley High School and Middle School come together and create a Spray the Love Project
In August 2017 we were asked to share our story with all of Academy School District 20's Administration, where our school leaders got their hands dirty and Sprayed the Love on panels that now decorate their main office at 1110 Chapel Hills Drive, Colorado Springs.
JOIN OUR MOVEMENT
These do not have to be the only Spray the Love art projects! When it comes to the places a Spray the Love event can be held, the possibilities are endless. If you would like to hold your own Spray the Love event, please click the "Get in touch with us" button above and shoot us an email! We would be honored if you would continue adding to our movement.
The fence remained as a community landmark for over a year, but due to the harsh Colorado winters, and the age of the fence, we needed to find a safe home for it. The administration at Discovery Canyon High School, especially from Mr. King has been amazing. Their unwavering commitment to the students and families of our community are to be commended as the best possible.
The fence will live on, protected and constantly reminding the students of the Discovery Canyon Campus that they are LOVED.
THANK YOU!
Thank you Ace Hardware for your fantastic support and for providing all of our paint supplies. Thank you to the gracious people at Higher Grounds Fencing, here in Colorado Springs, who donated almost 100 feet of fence for our event at the 2016 What If Festival in downtown Colorado Springs! Photos to come soon.
Thank you to the 300+ family, friends, strangers, neighbors, visitors, and pets that joined us July 4th, 5th, and 6th on the corner of Struthers Road and Falcons Nest Loop to #SpraytheLoveCO - We had toddlers to teenagers, sixth graders to senior citizens, men and women of all backgrounds and beliefs from across the United States, stop and spray paint flowers of love on our fence as a visual reminder that despite the hurt and hate in the world, we all can still find Love.
Special thanks to the many people that donated drinks, ice cream, cupcakes, donuts, and sandwiches to our crew. That sign of loved kept us fueled the three non-stop days.
The message is clear, and since we started this project the current events have magnified our message even more. We need to Love one another. We need to Love ourselves. We need to remember that despite all of the darkness in the world, whether it be within our borders or within our bedroom walls, WE ARE LOVED.
Since we finished, we have many more people visiting and taking photos of our fence. We encourage you to visit and do the same. Share it with the world. We would love to see them shared everywhere! Keep this message alive, and please show us through Instagram and Twitter through our #SpraytheLoveCO hashtag and @SpraytheLoveCO usernames.
NEWS STORIES & ARTICLES
We had the local TV station, KOAA interview and broadcast from our yard.
The Tri-Lake Tribune and Colorado Springs Gazette newspapers also wrote articles about our message.
DAY ONE: July 4, 2016
DAY TWO: July 5, 2016
DAY THREE: JULY 6, 2016
Getting Ready
There was a wide variety of tools used to make this project work. We have documented all that took for us to complete these projects here.
Please "Spray the Love" and the word to all of your friends and family on Instagram, and Twitter (follow us for all of our updates too @SpraytheLoveCO on each). Then, come take a few minutes this holiday weekend to contribute your talents (we will have stencils so it will be easy and fun) and "Spray the Love".
Special thanks to Ace Hardware Circle and Stetson Hills locations in Colorado Springs, Colorado for donating all of our paints. They are fantastic people and they have all your hardware needs.
Not in Colorado Springs?
That doesn't mean you can't "Spray the Love". We encourage everyone, everywhere that may be disheartened, saddened, or feel that there is no hope left in the world to look around you and find anything that reminds you of the greatness of life and love. Take a picture, write the words, hug your loved-ones, and help remind others to #SpraytheLoveCO.
“Why Are You Doing This?”
El Paso county, where we currently live has the highest rate of teenage suicides in the nation. Colorado Springs and Denver are two cities in the “top 15” for highest rates of suicide for all ages.
We aren’t alone and unfortunately, some of my most loved friends and family live in the other areas also on that list including Mesa, Phoenix, and Tucson, Arizona; Sacramento, California; Oklahoma; Florida; and Las Vegas, Nevada tops the list.
Our Veterans are fighting battles for America and coming home and committing suicide.
Our “Spray the Love” campaign and community art project grows from the sadness and helplessness we have for the loss of five amazing high school classmates at Emma’s school just in the past six months.
We are discovering that every high school in this area has seen at least one this past year.
With so much hurt and hate in the world, we are choosing LOVE. We invite you to join our mission and #SpraytheLoveCO - Make good. When you see goodness and love or something that reminds you of your loves, please photograph it and tag us or use our hashtag in this post. Thank you!
If you or someone you love needs help, here are some resources you can go to:
Pikes Peak United Way 211 connects families and individuals to social and community resources best suited to meet their need. Simply dial 211
Mayfield Counseling and Alpine Connection Counseling have been aware of our recent tragedies and have responded with great concern to support many DCC students.
Second Wind Foundation (303-988-2645) Second Wind Fund offers treatment services to at-risk children and youth.
Crisis Text Line students can text “START” to 741-741 to initiate support from a trained counselor 24/7.
Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Travis Gudenrath (719-482-4160) has reached out to the DCC community.
Colorado Crisis Services 1-844-493-8255 Provide confidential help for any mental health, substance abuse, or emotional crisis.
Peak View Behavioral Health Local behavioral health hospital. A good contact if a student is in need of further evaluation.
Safe2Tell Anonymous reporting system answered 24/7 by an emergency call center that can help dispatch emergency responders. Also informs the school administration.
Credits:
The House of Weien