DENVER — The next time you drive by your favorite restaurant, you may see a mural in the window that's part of something bigger.
The marketing company Eclectic Activation, run by all women, came up with the idea for companies to sponsor small businesses, kick in a little financial support, and bring in artists to create inspirational murals. All the while, the small business can continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
They called it Window of Inspiration.
Not only does the program give small businesses some advertising, but the artist also gets some attention.
Truly Hard Seltzer decided to sponsor Sam's No. 3 off Curtis Street in downtown Denver. The company sponsored seven other area businesses as well.
"Truly shares Eclectic Activation's vision that now more than ever, our communities need positivity and inspiration," the company said in a statement. "Denver has always shown Truly so much love and Truly wanted to give back to a community that has supported us by sponsoring a program that brings hope and happiness.
Patrick Kane McGregor was chosen to create the mural for Sam's No. 3.
"It was a mutual serendipity decision," McGregor said.
He loves to paint animals. He asked Sam's No. 3 owner, Sam Armatas, if he had a dog.
"He said he did. His dog's name is Ozzy. So I said that we were going to paint Ozzy on the window," said McGregor.
Sam's No. 3 has become a Denver institution. It's been around for 93 years. Armatas says surviving the pandemic has been one of the hardest obstacles he's gone through.
"It's a horrible time. It's sad. It's frustrating," Armatas said. "You constantly feel like you're drinking water out of a fire hose."
Then Windows of Inspiration came knocking.
"We've had a lot of ups and downs and this is a huge down," said Armatas. "We can come out of this together. I am just so humbled that somebody would even think of Sam's as a place to place that inspirational message.
You can see the inspirational mural on the window of Sam's No.3 in downtown Denver off Curtis Street.
For more information about Windows of Inspiration, visit its website by clicking here.
