Nederland’s history as a haven for musical expression and creativity is immortalized in the many classic albums recorded at the iconic Caribou Ranch recording studio. These artists and their albums have inspired new generations of influential, Colorado-born musicians, who themselves are being respected in a beautiful new art piece on display in Nederland’s downtown.

The influence of artistic expression comes full circle with a mural by Colorado artist Julia Williams (aka The Designosaur). The mural exhibits Nederland’s musical past by depicting local jam-band legends Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon and Bill Nershi of The String Cheese Incident. The bright and creatively inspiring piece is located on the “Poe Wall,” under the boardwalk between The Deli and Busey Brews. It is most striking when seen while walking the trails along the south side of the creek.

Williams grew up in Arvada and has a love for art which she has nurtured from a young age. Williams’ professional background in graphic design has enabled her to create over 40 murals, commissioned by the cities of Boulder, Thornton, Lyons, and Golden. Williams has been living in Boulder for the last eight years and applied to be the Poe Wall mural artist due to her love of Nederland and its beautiful natural surroundings.

Vince Herman is a founding member of the bluegrass-infused jam band Leftover Salmon, who formed in Boulder in 1989 and were major players in the development of the early jam band scene. Bill Nershi is a founding member of The String Cheese Incident, which originated out of Crested Butte in 1993 and became one of the most influential and recognized names in the jam band scene.

Both Herman and Nershi are considered jam band legends and have graced many festival stages with their performances, including on the Nedfest stage for several years.

The Poe Wall mural was commissioned by the Nederland Downtown Development Authority as part of public art expansion projects spearheaded by Danielle Crouse, head of the Public Arts Committee.

For more information on artist Julia Williams, including more examples of her “colorful and otherworldly” artistic style, please visit: https://www.thedesignosaur.com.

For more information on the Nederland Downtown Development Authority and their many projects, including for Public Arts, please go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/ government/boards-and-commissions/ downtown-development-authority.