Vibrant upward view of Aspen Light’s kinetic canopy, with colorful acrylic leaves shimmering above downtown Denver buildings.
Crowds walking along Denver’s 16th Street past Aspen Light, a glowing large-scale kinetic public art installation with shimmering acrylic leaves.

Large-Scale Kinetic Public Art

ASPEN LIGHT

created by Poetic Kinetics

Aspen Light: A Permanent Large-Scale Kinetic Public Art Installation

Aspen Light is a permanent large-scale kinetic public art installation by artist Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, commissioned for Denver’s reimagined 16th Street corridor. Anchoring Glenarm Plaza at the intersection of 16th Street and Glenarm Place, this immersive work transforms a key downtown node into a shimmering, wind-driven aspen grove.

A cluster of three, stainless-steel “trees” rises from the plaza, their crowns filled with thousands of individually cut leaves mounted on tiny pivots. As the breeze passes through the urban canyon, the leaves spin and flicker, creating a living canopy of motion and light. From a distance, the sculpture reads as a luminous stand of aspens against the city skyline; up close, it reveals a detailed choreography of movement.

Commissioned as part of the Denver Public Art collection in partnership with Denver Arts & Venues, Aspen Light functions as both a civic landmark and an everyday companion to the life of the street.

Location & Visiting

 

Where:
16th Street & Glenarm Place, Denver, Colorado
(Set within Glenarm Plaza on the 16th Street pedestrian corridor.)

Access:
Aspen Light is part of Denver’s public realm and can be experienced free of charge, year-round, simply by walking through the plaza. The work is visible from the street, from surrounding sidewalks, and from nearby upper levels, making it a continuous presence in downtown daily life.

The Experience

Aspen Light brings the spirit of the high country into the urban core. Inspired by Colorado’s iconic aspen groves—trees that are individually delicate yet collectively resilient—this large-scale kinetic public art installation transforms Glenarm Plaza into a place of wonder and connection.

Anchoring the intersection of 16th Street and Glenarm Place, the artwork operates as a living landscape. By day, the stainless-steel trunks and colorful leaves catch the high-altitude sun, casting rippling shadows across the paving. By night, the sculpture becomes a luminous lantern, reflecting the ambient glow of storefronts and streetlights. Whether you are walking directly beneath the canopy or viewing it from an upper-story window, the “trees” preserve the familiar, soothing motion of nature in the center of the city.

We invite you to visit this permanent addition to the Denver Public Art collection. Accessible year-round and free to the public, Aspen Light offers a moment to pause, look up, and breathe in the midst of downtown life.

A Word From the Artist

“Born and raised in Colorado, I’ve spent a lifetime mesmerized by the way light dances through an aspen grove. It was deeply personal to create Aspen Light right here, from our local studio, and plant that specific mountain memory in the center of the city. I wanted to capture the choreography we all know so well and make it a permanent part of the skyline for the community I call home.” — Patrick Shearn

The Experience

Aspen Light brings the spirit of the high country into the urban core. Inspired by Colorado’s iconic aspen groves—trees that are individually delicate yet collectively resilient—this large-scale kinetic public art installation transforms Glenarm Plaza into a place of wonder and connection.

Anchoring the intersection of 16th Street and Glenarm Place, the artwork operates as a living landscape. By day, the stainless-steel trunks and colorful leaves catch the high-altitude sun, casting rippling shadows across the paving. By night, the sculpture becomes a luminous lantern, reflecting the ambient glow of storefronts and streetlights. Whether you are walking directly beneath the canopy or viewing it from an upper-story window, the “trees” preserve the familiar, soothing motion of nature in the center of the city.

We invite you to visit this permanent addition to the Denver Public Art collection. Accessible year-round and free to the public, Aspen Light offers a moment to pause, look up, and breathe in the midst of downtown life.

A Word From the Artist

Artist Patrick Shearn watches Off the Beaten Path canopy ripple above and reflect on Gazebo Lake, Green Mountain Falls.

“Born and raised in Colorado, I’ve spent a lifetime mesmerized by the way light dances through an aspen grove. It was deeply personal to create Aspen Light right here, from our local studio, and plant that specific mountain memory in the center of the city. I wanted to capture the choreography that we all know so well and make it a permanent part of the skyline for the community I call home.” — Patrick Shearn

Art & Engineering: Designed for Permanence

Creating a permanent kinetic installation that looks fragile but withstands Denver’s climate requires a rigorous fusion of art and structural engineering. Aspen Light is built to be an enduring part of the city’s infrastructure.

The sculpture features a cluster of three slender structural “trees” fabricated from durable stainless steel, designed to echo the vertical rhythm of aspen bark while resisting corrosion and heavy weather. The tree canopy is composed of thousands of precision-cut leaves, each mounted on a custom pivot mechanism that allows for unrestricted movement.

This combination of heavy industry and delicate mechanics allows the work to respond to the slightest breeze without compromising durability. As a signature piece of large-scale kinetic public art by Poetic Kinetics, the work is integrated directly into the urban fabric—its scale designed in dialogue with the plaza to create a truly immersive public space.

Project Credits

Work With Poetic Kinetics

Aspen Light demonstrates the comprehensive, full-service capabilities of Poetic Kinetics. We are more than a design studio; we are a one-stop shop for large-scale kinetic public art, managing every phase of the project in-house.

From initial concept to precision fabrication and final installation, our team controls the entire process. This “concept-to-creation” approach ensures quality control and direct communication with the team creating the artwork.

Activate your public space, we would love to connect.

Inquire about a Commission →

Aspen Light: Large-Scale Kinetic Public Art on Denver’s 16th Street 

Aspen Light: Large-Scale Kinetic Public Art on Denver’s 16th Street 

Aspen Light: Large-Scale Kinetic Public Art on Denver’s 16th Street 

Aspen Light: Large-Scale Kinetic Public Art on Denver’s 16th Street 

Aspen Light: Large-Scale Kinetic Public Art on Denver’s 16th Street 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1
1