Local and national street-artists dominated Denver in a big way for Colorado Crush 2013, covering over three blocks and thousands of feet of fence and concrete. The pieces had been worked on intermittently throughout the week leading up to the event and were finished last Saturday in the end of summer heat. Every artist that came out did unbelievable work. Before you see this public art in person, here are some of my favorite new murals painted in this years Colorado Crush 2013.

The “graffuturistic” murals by Like Minded Productions & Nanook

Like Minded Productions Colorado Crush Mural 2013

This beautiful, three-dimensional mural is by local graffiti team Like Minded Productions, and is still a work in progress. Like Minded Productions is a Denver based design, graphics, printing, and digital media artists collective founded by Michael Ortiz and Jonathan Lamb, who are the masterminds behind the mural. The clean lines and perfectionist style of Ortiz and Lamb’s graffuturistic mural makes the passerby feel they could walk right in to the painting. It displaces our expectations of normal city walls and proves the artists ability to add another dimension to the world, or change the way we see it entirely.

The piece below was painted by Nanook and kept with the same color palette as it wraps boldly around the side of the Denver B-Cycle building on Larimer and in the alley facing it.

Nanook mural Colorado Crush 2013

 Nanook is known for amazing portraits and the juxtaposition of an old-style portrait with futuristic and unexpected colors that jump off the wall. He has painted unbelievable murals as well as collaborations with artist Gaia all over the world. Check out more of Nanooks mural in our Colorado Crush 2013 gallery.

Phetus88’s decked-out Denver mural

Phetus88 Mural, Colorado Crush 2013

The Long Island born street-artist Phetus88 made an appearance at Colorado Crush 2013. He completed two unique Elmo-on-acid-esque walls behind the Motorsports Gallery. Phetus is known for his cartoon aesthetic, one that has been carefully crafted since 1988. Phetus is not limited to concrete and instead expresses himself in every format possible. Phetus paints beer bottles, like those featured in his praised NYC solo art show “Demons from the Bottle” earlier this year, to bass guitars, to 80 foot buildings. Some murals take hours, others take several days of work. In his own words:

[I’m a] “graffiti artist, street artist, all around artist—everything but a bullshit artist.” — Phetus

Stunning portrait work by Gamma and Sintex

Gamma and Sintex completed mural, Colorado Crush 2013

After coming back to the completed collaborative piece by Sintex and Gamma Acosta, I was blown away. Both are masters at freehand portraiture and use spray paint better than most artists can use a pencil. Gamma boasts another beautiful piece down the street, a menacing and terrifying mad-scientist. He is a local artist who paints all over the state in hopes to share the Gamma gallery with the world. Other pieces include a heart breaking tribute (or reactive piece) to the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut which was painted in Longmont. A private art collector went through great lengths to preserve it by having the entire wall cut out. Gamma also was commissioned for a Broncos piece in Longmont, completed just this week. This Bronco fan homage is truly a site to behold.

Gamma Gallery Collaboration down the alleyway

Gamma Gallery Bronco Tribute, Longmont Colorado

The Denver Bronco mural may be my new Colorado pride favorite, and this photo is courtesy of Gamma’s Instagram. Follow @GammaGallery to see more amazing work from the upcoming Denver muralist.

Beautiful Feminine mural by Deity Art

Deity Art, Colorado Crush 2013

I loved this feminine and whimsical portrait by Deity art. The wall has been reborn, and she demands attention. In a male-dominated profession, street-artists like Deity and Bunny M are true badasses. They are paving the way for female artists and doing so without compromising their own style of artistic expression. The alleyway had to make room for all of the new Colorado Crush pieces of 2013. It is easy to see how much time, effort, and true talent went into all of the pieces. Spray paint still soaks the ground, as if the pieces have yet to finish drying. Deity Art’s mural proves there is something beautiful about starting over.

Local artist Miky Mpek’s fresh new piece

Mpek's mural for Colorado Crush 2013

As I caught the finished product of local artist Mpek’s piece for Colorado Crush 2013, the light scattered and highlighted the beautiful complexities of his work. Tiki man meets robot meets modern cartoon. Among his pieces, Mpek paints a lot of robots, neo-victorian industrialist scenes, fish, animals, and adds his own creative touch to each. I am so happy that among the huge international and national graffiti stars at the event, all of the local artists truly shined. There are too many great pieces to count, and too many I loved to limit, so go to the gallery and see all of the amazing art now!

 Follow @303Magazine on Instagram and search the hashtag #303Graffiti for more colorful Denver murals.

Colorado Crush 2013