Meet Jennifer Ramsey. A local lover of street art with a pretty famous Instagram account. She’s the latest Denverite to be featured on denver vibe, and we were psyched to ask her to share her take on Denver’s supportive arts environment and her obsession with alleyways and street art. Check out her amazing photos and follow her on instagram @art_in_the_streets5280.

What neighborhood do you live in?

I do not live within the city currently. I am in the process of selling my house in order to move to Denver. I love the Santa Fe Art District. If I could live anywhere- It would be there..Or close to there.

Why did you choose that neighborhood?

I spend approx. 3-4 hours in that area on a weekly basis. I find that the street art is always changing and I want to make sure I capture the latest and greatest. I also like to go during the day hours as well as night.

What are your favorite local places?

Santa Fe, Capitol Hill/ Colfax and Five Points

What do you love about Denver? 

I love that I can do my own thing w/o standing out like a sore thumb. I can frequent the alleyways and not draw a lot of attention. That is how I prefer it. I need to focus on what’s around me and not so much the people around me. I am always seeking out the newest ‘street art’ on a regular basis. People just tend to get in the way.

Are you from CO?

If not where did you move from? I am a CO Native! Very proud of that.

How would you describe the personality or “vibe” of Denver? 

Denver has changed so much over the recent years. Describing the personality of a city can be very complicated. I prefer the back alleys of Santa Fe vs. the 16th St Mall area. I would take Five Points on a Wednesday morning vs. Lodo on the weekends. I think it all depends on who you are and what speaks to you as an individual. I like the quieter side of the city vs. her sometimes ‘over the top’ nightlife. I love the character of the older neighborhoods vs. the newly constructed areas. Maybe not the answer you were seeking but, that is how I view Denver.

How would you describe your personality? Who would have thought this would be so difficult to answer?. I am a very independent person. I prefer to do things on my own vs. not. When I go out for a daily photo ‘adventure’ I rarely invite anyone along. If I do, I am very selective about who it is. I like things simple. To add to that- I am not a girlie girl. I can break a nail and not think twice. I crawl through tunnels, hangout under bridges and climb up and down muddy hills..I’ve walked up and down alleyways in 90 degree heat for hours at a time.. I am not special- I am dedicated. The greatest finds are the hidden finds. Not all ‘street art’ is sitting pretty in the middle of the city.

I love your photos of Denver street art. Are all your photos in Denver or do you travel and shoot street art all over? When & how did photography & street art become a passion of yours? 

Thank you. No, not all of my photos are in Denver. I have traveled to different locations throughout the state in order to seek out graffiti, murals, etc. that I feel would appeal to my IG followers, friends and family.

I started taking pictures as an on again, off again hobby. The majority of my pictures were Denver landmarks, Nature settings and the random selfie. It was approx. 1 year ago that I started to take things a bit more seriously. I expanded my locations and found that there was a lot more out there than I had allowed myself to realize in the past. I recall the first time I stumbled upon the Rino district. It was just under a year ago and the vibrancy of the street murals blew my mind. I had not seen anything like it. I remember running up and down the alleyways taking pictures of everything. I must have flicked at least 100 shots that day. I was so excited to share them! I remember putting them on Facebook and the response was lukewarm. I started an IG account and found that the response was much greater and much more positive than I ever thought possible. It was invigorating. I’ve not stopped since. I’ve become much more selective about what I post. I’ve been gaining new IG followers every day. It feels great to know that so many people are enjoying what I am putting out there as much as I am. I love Denver. I have an entirely new respect for the city now that I’ve been able to look ‘behind the scenes’. I have as much interest and find as much beauty in a street tag as I do a public mural. I love all of it.