Twice now, I’ve seen the name Allen Tupper True mentioned in
the media alongside photos of some quite spectacular murals and it’s caught my
attention. True was a local artist, born
in Colorado Springs, and painted a number of murals in the area, but the latest
of interest are the works of art located in what once was the Colorado National
Bank building downtown. This structure
has been transformed into the new Renaissance Denver Downtown City Center Hotel
and is due to open in February. Much of
the original architecture and bank vaults have been preserved, along with 16
original murals painted by True.
According to Wikipedia, Allen True was born in 1881, lived
in Texas and Mexico before he moved to Denver.
He graduated from Manual High School, then went on to Denver
University. Studying at Pyle School, he
learned the art of illustration along with alumni such as N.C. Wyeth. In addition to the Colorado National Bank
building murals, he also painted in many other locations in Colorado, such as
the Colorado State Capitol, South High School, the Qwest building and Greek
Theatre. He became know as an authority
of Native American costume and artifacts.
The series of 16 murals in the new Renaissance Hotel include 5 triptychs
of different aspects of native life, titled “Indian Memories”. These depict the days of Indians before
contact with the white race. Allen
Tupper True died in 1955, but his murals live on. The hotel is located at 918 17th
St in Denver, and includes the restaurant, Range, offering local, Rocky
Mountain-inspired fare, according to Denver Life Magazine.
photos from wikipedia
