Honoring a Legacy. Inspiring the Future.
The Makepeace Foundation is dedicated to memorializing and celebrating the women whose leadership, service, and civic engagement have shaped the Pikes Peak Region. Through permanent memorials, educational initiatives, and public art, we celebrate the powerful contributions of women in our history, ensuring their impact is recognized, remembered, and continues to inspire future generations.
Our inaugural project – a life-size bronze statue of Mary Lou Makepeace – will serve as the starting point of the Women’s Walk, a landmark initiative that over the next five to ten years will weave women’s stories into the fabric of our area’s history. A publication, The Women Who Made Colorado Springs, will tell the stories of those whose determination, intelligence, and pure grit built our communities and helped them prosper and shine a beacon for the future.
Through this statue, the Women’s Walk, and the book project, this Foundation will cement the legacy of powerful women who have shaped our community, ensuring their stories are known, celebrated, and serve as a call to action for future generations.
Honoring Mary Lou Makepeace
Women’s contributions to history are often underrepresented and overlooked. In Colorado Springs, Mary Lou Makepeace changed that by making a bold, compassionate, and diverse mark as the first, and so far ONLY, female Mayor of Colorado Springs. Mary Lou Makepeace broke down walls so that the community as a whole can thrive, by becoming
- The first female mayor of Colorado Springs, serving two impactful terms
- A catalyst for inclusion and equity, fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, women’s leadership across civic and private fields, and community engagement
- A champion of public service, leading initiatives like the Springs Community Improvement Project, Ten Minutes with the Mayor, and the Mayor’s One Hundred Teens Project
- A champion of downtown and city development, leading projects like the Uncle Wilbur Fountain, development of the new airport terminal, and promoting America the Beautiful Park
- A promoter and developer of community leaders, from appointing the first women judges in El Paso County, to educating future citizens by teaching at University of Colorado Colorado Springs, to advancing women and equal treatment for all citizens through Leadership Pikes Peak, Artemis, The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado, and Pikes Peak Women.
Next Steps: The Impact Continues
The Mary Lou Makepeace Statue is just the beginning. This Foundation will launch the Women’s Walk, a planned several-mile pathway connecting the Pioneers Museum and the Legacy Parks to America the Beautiful Park and beyond.
- A Public Tribute – The Walk is being designed to feature a mix of historical plaques, art installations, and new statues, each telling the story of a remarkable woman who helped share our city
- A Cultural and Educational Experience – The Walk will invite residents and visitors to explore women’s history through engaging storytelling, public art, and insightful publications, including the planned book The Women Who Made Colorado Springs
- A Lasting Impact –We will create a lasting tribute that not only preserves history but also ignites the next generation of women leaders, fostering a community of equity, inclusion, and shared progress.
JOIN US IN BUILDING THIS LEGACY
Your donation will be more than a financial gift: it will be an investment in history, equity, and inspiration for generations to come, from the statue of Mary Lou Makepeace through the talents and dedication of the hundreds of other women whose stories will contribute to the inspiration for the future of our region.
Go to the DONATE page to see how your donation can make a difference.