Local Artist Joe Palec Unveils Mural at Native Roots Dispensary

Local artist Joe Palec's newest mural, a groovy ode to Colorado and cannabis culture unveiled on August 8, is a multi-colored beacon for those passing the Native Roots Dispensary at 7050 Tower Road.

Palec was commissioned for the project in February, after Claudio Natale, the visual merchandising manager at Native Roots, decided the dispensary needed a pop of color.

"I had the idea of having something that screams 'Colorado' outside our airport store," Natale says. "That's obviously a store that for most of our customers is the first time they see us. So it's their first-impression store, and I wanted to really root the mural in Colorado with our brand colors."

Palec began digitally sketching the mural in April after weeks of brainstorming, drawing references and discussing what the piece should include with other Denverites. The Tower Road store, one of the closest dispensaries to Denver International Airport, had plenty of inspiration nearby.

"I wanted to throw in all those conspiracy theories about Denver International Airport, lizard people, Blucifer, those kinds of things," Palec says. "Something really magical that the store manager told me is that the people coming to that store, it's not only their first experience at a dispensary, but it's usually their first stop when they come into Colorado.

"I wanted to make sure I put those vibes in there," he adds. "Blending the lines between getting off the plane and heading into Colorado, whether that be going to Red Rocks or going to the mountains or just hanging out in the city."

The mural depicts snippets of Colorado, such as the Denver skyline and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, intermingled with familiar scenes from the airport and crossed with scenarios from a cannabis dispensary. Palec, who wanted to give the piece a cool vibe, references lava lamps throughout the mural and selected a color palette of vivid orange, green and blue.

He even included some feline friends that are references to Natale's cats. "Without sounding trite, I always equate cats with stonerism," Palec says. "Some of my favorite people who love to sit around and smoke also have cats. So I threw those in there."

It took Palec around 24 hours to draw the design, which was blown up and turned into a 38x14-foot vinyl. The piece was installed on a wall inside the dispensary on August 7 and covered with a drop cloth until the reveal party on August 8.

"I was expecting to go to this party, grab a drink and eat some food and shake some hands," Palec says. "But this turned into a whole production. I really felt like I made it. I was so proud of myself, and I don't get those feelings often. It felt genuine that everybody was excited to see my piece, as well."

It was a full-circle moment for Palec, who spun signs for Native Roots's now-closed dispensary on the 16th Street Mall from 2011 to 2012, when only medical marijuana sales were legal in Colorado.

"The store was actually on the eighth floor of this building, and it's where I used to shop," Palec says. "One day they said, 'Hey, do you want to be a sign spinner for us?' And I said, 'Hell, yeah.' So I was sign-spinning at that Native Roots."

Natale hopes to showcase more local art inside the Tower Road dispensary and use the space to foster community.

"Cannabis is a very interesting world. It's not the classic retail experience. It's really like your own little sommelier, in a way," Natale says. "In a cannabis store, you create a relationship with the budtenders, and at the end of the day, they will know what you like. It's a relationship between the customer and the budtender."

According to Palec, the desire to support local artists isn't unique to Native Roots; it's an ethos reflected throughout the cannabis industry. Along with Native Roots, popular THC vaping brand O.pen has employed Palec and commissioned his work, printing his drawings on a vape pen battery last October.

"All dispensaries and cannabis companies have been so nice to us local artists. They have been giving us that apple box to stand on and showcase our work," he adds. "I can't think of another industry that does this. I've known Native Roots since I moved to Colorado thirteen years ago, so it's been a full-circle experience, and I really appreciate them. And again, I'm honored they picked me."

Native Roots Tower - Airport, 7050 Tower Road, is open from 8 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. daily.