Pat Milbery

Milbery’s art has carved out a place of its own on the streets of Denver. Local businesses welcome his murals, and his “Love This City” series draws eyes and attention to his favorite spots in town.

Like most true artists who express themselves on the street, Pat Milbery has strong feelings about the word “graffiti.” He says, “There’s a fine line around that word. The roots of street art are graffiti. But the term graffiti to a business owner is like vandalism. The beauty in street art is about finding the right place.”

Milbery’s art has carved out a place of its own on the streets of Denver. Local businesses welcome his murals, and his “Love This City” series draws eyes and attention to his favorite spots in town. When asked about his inspiration, he just looks around saying, “The landscape speaks for itself. There’s always new areas to explore.”

Denver residents also have a major impact on Milbery’s work. “The general attitude is super laid back. There’s something to be said about the freedom of expression and encouragement for art around Denver.” He notes, “As entrepreneurs move into the city and the more organized art and culture become, more opportunities pop up for artists and more things happen with public art as a landscape.”

The Minnesota native, who’s shared snowboard-contest podiums with the likes of Shaun White and Travis Rice, fell in love with Colorado initially because of the mountains. Besides being a self-taught artist and street muralist, Milbery is known for the entertaining photo and video shoots he did as a professional snowboarder.

He’s also the co-owner of So-Gnar, an umbrella collective that’s responsible for Snowboard Camp Tour (a freestyle riding camp founded to inspire children), the Shredded Beats hip-hop concert series, and a line of wearable art that includes hats, beanies, shirts, hoodies, jackets, gloves and more. “We take pride in our unique designs and encourage others to express themselves and be different,” Milbery says. “The mission is to empower people of all ages to follow their dreams and be creative every day.”

If you want to find Milbery, look for his van loaded with snowboard gear and spray paint cans. It’ll be either parked on a city corner like 7^th and Sante Fe as he creates his latest work of art or heading for the numerous peaks surrounding Denver and beyond. The mural at 7th and Santa Fe represented the kickoff of the “Love this City” public art project in tandem with the 10th anniversary of Denver Arts Week in November 2016. It also included two additional murals by Milbery and fellow So-Gnar artists and friends Jason Graves, Pat McKinney, Rem Robinson and Andre Rodriquez. One is in the Golden Triangle Creative District at 12th and Bannock, and the other in the River North Art District (RiNo) at Broadway and Arapahoe.

So what does Milbery love about Denver? The sunshine lifts his spirit on a daily basis. He also appreciates the collaboration found within the creative community, having mountains close by, delicious green chile dishes, and strong government and business support for public art. He adds, “The music scene here is contagious, and all the young energy makes the city feel alive and well.”

You also can find his artistic manifestations on the walls of boutiques, breweries, bars and other businesses, whether it’s the Douglas Apartments in Lower Downtown (LoDo), Declaration Brewing in south Denver or the Buffalo Exchange boutique in the Capitol Hill area. Milbery also has worked on major art installations for Ford Motor Company, X Games and Pabst Blue Ribbon, among other large brands.

While in Denver, be sure to grab a photo of your group in front of one of these colorful and meaningful expressions of being true to oneself.