Sports

R.I.P.: Denver Bronco turned artist Ernie Barnes

Ernie Barnes, who died yesterday, is a former Denver Bronco -- but his days on the gridiron constitute one of the less interesting aspects of his career. After his playing days were done, he became a successful artist, creating canvases that drew upon sport and life with vibrancy and élan...
By Michael Roberts
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

Ernie Barnes, who died yesterday, is a former Denver Bronco — but his days on the gridiron constitute one of the less interesting aspects of his career. After his playing days were done, he became a successful artist, creating canvases that drew upon sport and life with vibrancy and élan. His personal website, ErnieBarnes.com, which opens with the somber yet cool image seen above, offers a wonderful gallery of his work. Click “Continue” to see a sampling, and then visit his site, to see why his artistic accomplishments will be remembered for longer than his exploits on the football field.

When news happens, Westword is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.

We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.

Contribute Now
$50,000

GET MORE COVERAGE LIKE THIS

Sign up for the This Week’s Top Stories newsletter to get the latest stories delivered to your inbox

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword‘s news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor’s degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master’s degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

michaelrobertscolo@gmail.com
News Editor Thomas Mitchell If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of essential stories and to investigate issues that matter.
Support Today

Loading latest posts...