"Street muralist Gamma Acosta portrays Peyton Manning in spray paint
By Ryan Parker
An enormous image of Peyton Manning now watches over traffic that drives down Platte Street in downtown Denver.
Well-known street artist Gamma Acosta, also known as Gamma Gallery, took two days to work on his canvas, which is the side of the Monkey Barrel bar at 1611 Platte St.
Finishing up his freehand spray-painted work Wednesday afternoon, Acosta said the image will last long after the Super Bowl game Sunday between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.
"It's not going anywhere," he said.
Owner Jimmy Nigg said the artwork has drawn attention to his 3-month-old bar.
Peyton Manning Mural
Gamma Gallery works on the Peyton Manning mural. (Patrick Traylor, The Denver Post)
"People have definitely taken notice of us and even thanked us for the piece," Nigg said. "The neighborhood has been super supportive and is super happy with the piece."
When Acosta asked if he could paint the likeness of the Broncos' quarterback on the side of the bar, Nigg said he didn't hesitate.
"I didn't even need to consider it," Nigg said. "I said, 'Yes. Absolutely.' "
Acosta, who describes himself as Denver born, Longmont raised and "Denver Broncos fan through and through," has done a second tribute mural on the Cooper Building at 21st and Arapahoe streets in downtown Denver that features the faces of Manning, John Elway, Champ Bailey and Knowshon Moreno. In September, he finished an installation at Ninth Avenue and Main Street in Longmont of Manning making a play call.
Acosta is a traveling muralist who has done numerous paintings in Denver. But much of his work has been on the canvas of a vacant gas station at Third Avenue and Lashley Street in Longmont that changes to reflect events of the period.
His work there included an installation to mark the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. Two years ago, he did a massive installation at the Longmont Museum and Cultural Center called "Overflow" that was part of the city's Art in Public Places program."
from The Denver Post (
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The mural is on the Monkey Barrel Bar building. (
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