Allen Tupper True was born in Colorado Springs in 1881. He was a prolific artist specializing in Western and Native American themes. True began his artistic studies at the University of Denver, however he moved onto the Cororan School of Art in Washington D.C., and later worked with British muralist Frank Brangwyn.

True's ultimate calling was as a muralists and his works decorated public and private buildings throughout the United States. In 1917 True was selected to create a series of murals for Wyoming State Capitol, his largest project to date. Shortly thereafter True was commissioned to paint four pieces for the Denver Civic Center; two large ones, The Trapper and The Prospector, for the theater and two lunettes, Bison and Elk, for the memorial. True's next big assignment was fifteen smaller murals and one larger one for The Colorado National Bank, he worked on these form 1921-1923. True was then summoned by his mentor Brangwyn for assistance with the large scale project at the Missouri State Capitol. He helped with Brangwyn's installations and created four smaller ones himself.

In 1928, Allen True became a founding member of the Denver Artist's Guild.

In 1930's True began work on two murals for the Brown Palace commissioned by Charles Boettcher, and eight murals for the Colorado State Capitol titled History of Water in the West. He also restored the murals and decorations in the Central City Opera House, which reopened on July 16, 1932. In 1934, True was asked by Secretary of State of Wyoming Lester C. Hunt to undertake the job of designing the familiar symbol of the bucking horse and rider which is still used on Wyoming's vehicle license plates.

True completed a mural of a Native American eagle dance for the University of Colorado Student Union Building in Boulder, which is now owned by the Koshare Indian Kiva Museum in La Junta, Colorado. Allen Tupper True died in Denver Colorado in 1955.

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