Members of the Fort Collins community gathered in the Lory Student Center’s Grand Ballroom Jan. 19th. Joining together with the Fort Collins Mural Project, the community worked together to paint a mural inspired by the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The mural was one of the engagement activities in the MLK Day Celebration, designed around the 2026 celebrations theme: “Mission Possible II: Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way.”

“Today is more than a moment of remembrance; it is an opportunity to reflect and reevaluate our responsibilities to our communities,” said Rickey Frierson, CSU assistant vice president for strategic student success initiatives. “Dr. King challenged us to see one another not as strangers, but as neighbors, bound together by shared hopes for dignity, opportunity and understanding.”

The mural features multiple hands of various skin colors holding hearts, against mountainous scenery and the words “We Still Dream” in stylized fonts.

“The big theme is the words ‘We Still Dream,’” said Boudieny Titus, mural artist. “MLK had his famous ‘I Had a Dream’ speech, and my favorite thing is that the dreams still continue. There’s still work to be done. It’s a good representation of everything that’s going on within society.”

Titus is the artist who created this year’s MLK Day Celebration mural. Having moved to Colorado in 2017, Titus designed the mural to connect his new home to the feeling of unity, which he said is important in his life.

“I’m originally from Florida; I moved out here in 2017 and fell in love with being in the mountains,” Titus said. “It was something for me where bringing those two themes together was super important.”

The mural was organized by the Fort Collins Mural Project, a local nonprofit organized to promote contemporary art in public spaces and provide opportunities for Colorado’s underrepresented and emerging artists.

“We have a strong core value of getting creative freedom to the artists and making sure we’re paying a livable wage to our artists as well,” said Jess Bean, Fort Collins Mural Project executive director. “When they partner with us, CSU and Poudre Libraries aren’t scared of the idea of giving the artist creative freedom, and they’re always happy to pay the artist exactly what we ask them to, which is lovely.”

The mural was a returning activity from last year’s MLK Day Celebration. The main draw was not the mural itself but giving the community the opportunity to paint the colors onto the mural.

“It was important to involve the public, give them the opportunity to come in and work on some of the project themselves,” Titus said. “I love seeing all the kids out here coming in and putting in their fortunes as well. To me, the arts are super important. That’s really how you show your creativity. It’s important that I pass this on.”

The Fort Collins Mural Project partners with Colorado State University and Poudre School District for murals and events such as the MLK Day mural. The collaboration exists to provide opportunities to make art for CSU and PSD students, and to provide each, as well with the rest of the Fort Collins community, with local art.

The mural, as well as the community’s involvement in helping complete it, is not only meant to embody King’s legacy but to unite Fort Collins’ communities.

“We call upon all residents to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and to recommit ourselves to each other through service, belonging and shared vision for a stronger future for the community uniting Fort Collins,” said Emily Francis, mayor of Fort Collins.

Reach Robert Sides at entertainment@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.