PRESS CONTACT
John Eding, Manager of Communications and PR
303-594-2133 | john.eding@state.co.us

Featuring the commemoration anthem, “You Shape History Every Time You Vote,” the wallscape is the latest high-profile example of several creative partnerships feeding a grassroots effort led by History Colorado and the Colorado Women’s Vote Centennial Commission.

The anthem featured in the wallscape is inspired by Colorado’s unique leadership role in the movement that culminated in the adoption of the 19th Amendment 100 years ago this summer. More than 25 years prior to that, in the fall of 1893, voters in the Centennial State passed constitutional amendment HB 118, prohibiting discrimination against women in voting laws throughout the state. It was the first time that a US state’s voters elected to extend voting rights beyond men.

When a highly visible window display became available at Denver Pavilions, ownership was pleased to offer the space for the Women’s Vote Centennial’s powerful message to reach thousands of people. Denver Pavilions features more than 40 stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues at the heart of the iconic 16th Street Mall designed by I.M. Pei. The 16th Street Mall has been the most visited destination in Denver for more than 30 years. More than one million people per month visit the mall according to the Downtown Denver Partnership.

“This centennial offers an exceptional opportunity to commemorate this critically important political victory for our country and for women in particular. Denver Pavilions is honored to host this informative and dynamic wallscape that pays tribute to those leaders and to the great cause to which they were dedicated,” said Mark Sidell, president of Gart Properties.

“We want this work to live on and to create a buzz within every Colorado community. It is only through partnerships and collaboration that we can reach individuals statewide with messages, programs, and experiences that explore the journey and struggle to achieve voting rights,” said Dawn DiPrince, chief operating officer of History Colorado. “We want to provide educational touchpoints and help tell the untold stories that bridge history with modern-day Colorado.”

The brand and wallscape graphics for this initiative were created pro bono by Launch, an all-women Denver marketing firm that specializes in social and environmental causes, cultural arts, and health and women’s issues, among other categories. 

History Colorado, the state agency leading the Women’s Vote Centennial Colorado, invites interested organizations and individuals across the state to collaborate together to create space and events for civic engagement, commemoration, impact and support. Statewide partnerships between local businesses, museums, libraries, clubs, schools, arts organizations and individuals in communities provide settings for suffrage-related events and dialog.

For more information about ways that businesses can get involved and participate, visit COWomensCentennial.org, call 303-620-4933, or email HC_COWomensHistory@state.co.us.

About the Women’s Vote Centennial | COwomenscentennial.org
The Women’s Vote Centennial Colorado gives multi-generational audiences the opportunity to learn about the journey and struggle to achieve voting rights, understand the contributions of women in Colorado history, and underscore the value of each of our voices with the right to vote.

As an effort that empowers Coloradans to see themselves making an impact in their communities, the Women’s Vote Centennial Colorado mirrors several ongoing initiatives at History Colorado. They include What’s Your Story?, a new core exhibit opened October 19 that introduces visitors to 101 passionate Coloradans, and guides guests to their own powers for positive change; the Year of La Chicana, a community partnership that connects the core issues of the Chicano movement with present day issues of social justice, identity, and inclusion; and American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith, a public-engagement initiative developed in partnership with the Smithsonian, coming to the History Colorado Center during the next presidential election in the fall of 2020.

About Denver Pavilions
Denver Pavilions is a one-of-a-kind retail, dining and entertainment center located in the heart of downtown Denver on the 16th Street Mall, providing a critical mass of more than 40 retail tenants, restaurants and entertainment venues. The open-air Denver Pavilions features three-story buildings on a two-block development that is linked by "The Great Wall," an exterior structure featuring the word "DENVER," now coined as the #BestViewOfDenver, has become a favorite photo opportunities for locals and visitors alike. Denver Pavilions has become a destination for the metropolitan region, with such marquee tenants as the first-in-market Uniqlo, Sephora, H&M, Banana Republic and Express.  Entertainment venues include the first-in-market video arcade FTW (For the Win), Lucky Strike Lanes, a 15-screen United Artists Theatre with state-of-the-art, full recliner seating, and an in-theater bar, and the only 4DX "movies in action" theater in the state, and live music at @Live@Jacks. For more information, visit DenverPavilions.com

About History Colorado
Inclusive, values-driven, and intentional, History Colorado has become a force for finding new ways to serve people in Colorado. In 2018 History Colorado provided programs to more than 18,000 students in their own schools, and assisted more than 40 schools with bus funds, to expand efforts that now serve more than 85,000 students annually. Its all-day Hands-On History program at El Pueblo History Museum responds to the four-day school week that is now administered by 61% of Colorado school districts.

History Colorado’s mission is to create a better future for Colorado by inspiring wonder in our past. We serve as the state’s memory, preserving and sharing the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through educational programs, historic preservation grants, collecting, outreach to Colorado communities, the History Colorado Center and Stephen H. Hart Research Center in Denver, and nine other museums and historic attractions statewide. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information.

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