Street Pianos to take over Mesa

Starting in late February, the city of Mesa will be home to some colorful, vibrant looking pianos.

It’s part of the “Play Me, I’m Yours” experience, also known as Street Pianos. About 24 pianos will be placed in public areas throughout the city for anyone to play.

Artists will have the chance to work with community and school groups to paint different colors and backgrounds on each piano. Many of the pianos will be in the downtown area, and Cindy Ornstein with the Mesa Arts Center hopes visitors will walk through the exhibit.

“Everything downtown will be walkable,” said Ornstein. “You’ll be able to walk to see the entire exhibit from piano to piano, or play from piano to piano.”

Ornstein hopes the community will enjoy and take advantage of the experience.

“We view it as a way to really bring the community together to activate the urban landscape with a form of activity that anyone can get involved in,” said Ornstein.

The Street Pianos experience begins February 27 and runs through April 9. The exhibit, created by British artist Luke Jerram, has visited 47 cities across the world, reaching over eight million people. This is the first time it has visited Arizona.

If you’re an artist interested in painting a piano visit Mesa Arts Center for more information. If you have a piano you would like to donate, send an email to streetpianos@mesaartscenter.com.