'I wanted this piece to be interactive.' Mural of Josh Allen hurdling a hit with Bills fans

Robert Bell, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
·2 min read
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When you enter Rochester's Public Market, you cannot help but notice a mural of Buffalo Bills Quarterback Josh Allen hurdling, provided by one of the city's prominent artists, Mike Dellaria.

"I wanted this piece to be interactive," Dellaria said. "Normally, I do stuff on the street. It's there, and it's gone. With this one, I wanted people to be able to stop and take pictures. I wanted to make it a community thing."

Since 2014, Dellaria has used Rochester's concrete as a canvas for eye-catching, colorful public art displaying public figures and pop culture icons.

His signature technique features wheat paste gels printed on thin paper. That unique style was cultivated through "trial and error," according to Dellaria.

You can find the artwork on the side of Dellaria's Public Market shop, Dellarious, which sells prints and keepsakes featuring his art over the years.

His work has depicted everyone from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Muhammad Ali and Sonic the Hedgehog.

The Josh Allen piece has become immediately popular, with people eager to share their photos of the Bills star hurdling over them on social media.

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Print sales supports children's hospital

People flooded Dellarious over the weekend to get their hands on a print of the Josh Allen image. $10 from every print sold will be donated to The Patricia Allen Fund at Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

"I wanted to do something special with this piece," Dellaria said while checking out customers at his shop.

After the Bills defeated the Seattle Seahawks on November 8, 2020, fans discovered that Josh Allen played the game after losing his grandmother, Patricia Allen.

In support, people began donating in $17 increments to Oishei Children's Hospital. Soon after, the Patricia Allen Fund was established to provide ongoing support to the pediatric critical care team.

When it comes to the fate of the Bills this season, Dellaria is full of confidence.

"They're going all the way to the Super Bowl."

Contact Robert Bell at: rlbell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @byrobbell & Instagram: @byrobbell. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Josh Allen hurdle becomes a mural at Rochester Public Market