Monday, February 17, 2014

Our 900th post: BICAS!

As their website says, “BICAS (Bicycle Inter-Community Art and Salvage) is a non-profit bike repair and recycling collective in Tucson, Arizona.” They do a lot of good for the community by helping people use bicycles.

BICAS is also full of art: murals and sculpture (and whatever else they dream up!). Some of the art there has likely changed since I took these photos on March 26, 2013, but they'll give you a good idea...

Click on any photo for a larger view.

The Tucson Murals Project has come a long way since Randy Garsee started the blog in 2006. We've had 900 posts since July 12, 2006, but a number of them (like this one) show more than 1 mural. So, I'm guessing we have over 1,000 murals online here. If you haven't taken a look back recently, check the Archives in the right-hand column of any page. And thanks for coming along!

Update (September 22, 2020): Sarah Herr emailed a photo she took September 20, a close-up of the mural in the first photo above from a different angle. Thank you, Sarah! Because people at Citizens Warehouse have been evicted due to the Downtown Links road project, I was glad to see that this mural is still there:

Friday, February 14, 2014

Rolling hearts...

...and a lot more, on the unique Mathbus. Mentioning the heart was my sneaky try at making this a Valentine's Day blog entry.

Here's the left side, which is more fun than others (as always, you can click for a larger view):

I found photos of the first painting work (but not the last!) on the Physics Factory blog. I also read that the bus is powered by recycled eegee's french fry oil, provided by Grecycle.

I took these photos on June 12th.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Stop by another day

Today's entry on the Tucson Mailbox Art blog shows a bright, handpainted mailbox. (You can click there to see it.)

The reason I'm writing about a mailbox here on the murals blog is that... you guessed it... there's also a mural here at 2702 E. Edison (which, for some reason, wouldn't show up in the “Location” box at the end of this entry):

I stopped by on May 20th, 2013. If you'd like to see more of the mural, find out what day of the week those big bins will be out at the curb for collection!

Monday, February 10, 2014

Tank's for the art!

Tank's Green Stuff hauls compost to gardens and other spots around Tucson. A while ago, I got a tip from a friend of Chris Andrews (the Tucson airbrush painter extraordinaire who also did —among others — the Roses & More store at Broadway & Tucson that was just painted over recently to become an urgent care facility). The friend told me that Chris had painted a semi trailer and that I'd see it around town from time to time... though not long in one place!

Somehow, on March 23, 2013, I caught it at the Ina Road Land Reclamation Facility, just west of I-10. Here are the left and back sides:

And the right:

Chris' website is ChrisAndrewsArt.com. When I checked it recently, there was nothing but a link to contact Chris. Too bad: I'd love to see more of his work in one place!

Friday, February 07, 2014

Fits the spot...

A Corvette, cactus, and mountains with the moon behind. I found this mural... perfect for an auto repair place... on March 22, 2013 at Roy Metcalfe Automotive:

Update (September 18, 2020): The mural has been repainted.

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Murals being made, part 21: Toole at 6th

On January 1, I posted a lot of photos of new murals along Toole Avenue. The second photo, of a Rosie-the-Riviter woman, was completed at that point.

Before that — on March 18th, 2013 — I caught the mural partly-painted:

Friday, January 31, 2014

Next door to Dale's Doors

On Kino Parkway south of Broadway, Dale's Doors has had murals by Jos Vilabrille for years. On March 6th of last year, I snapped a photo of the front of the next store(s) south: Desert Diva's Boutique (and Photos by Shana, and Red's Patch Sewing and Alterations):

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Two sides on Toole

On March 3, 2013, I took these photos of a two-part mural on the east side (next to the 6th Avenue underpass) of the building at the north corner of 6th, Alameda and Toole:

It's two sides of the US fence on the border with Mexico.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Guadalajara Grill

These murals are in classic Joe Pagac style. I especially like the second one, with kids in front of a window:

You can see (much) more of Joe's work by typing his name into the search box (or, better, the link) at the right side of this blog.

I took the photos on February 3, 2013.

Update (January 28, 2017): As I was writing the upcoming entry showing the Guadalajara Grill on Prince, I looked for our other Guadalajara Grill entries. When I saw this one, I realized that it doesn't mention the fire on July 26, 2014, that closed the restaurant. I found a December 5, 2014 article in the Arizona Daily Star, Guadalajara Fiesta Grill to rise from the ashes, with hopeful news. (I haven't been back to see what murals might be there now, but the restaurant is open.)

Update (March 6, 2020): I found four more photos of tile murals by an artist named Miranda on David Aber's Flickr account. You can see them in today's entry.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

There and gone

This mural was painted not long before I spotted it on February 22, 2013:


It's gone now.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Mr. Tineo, I presume?

On October 25, Mark Fleming sent three photos of the entrance to a home in Barrio Anita (along with lots of other photos that I've been posting... thanks, Mark!). The style reminds me a lot of David Tineo... but, unlike most of his works that I've seen, they aren't signed... not on the front, at least. What do you think?

Friday, January 24, 2014

Hohokam Lizard Pier

The Wrightstown underpass under Tanque Verde has a ceramic mural that caught my eye everytime I zoomed by. On January 22, 2013, I pulled over (down the street) and came back to catch a shot of a work of art that most people get only a few seconds to appreciate as they roll by:

The plaque nearby gives credit:

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Maybe a mural, part 54: Simple home with heartfelt mural

Some of my favorite murals aren't intricately painted... they're simple things that make a big change in what the wall would look like without them. Here's one of those — on the wall of a home being remodeled:

Nothing fancy, but what a difference from a blank wall! I found this on January 21st, 2013. The house didn't have a number, but it was across the street from 2949 E. Silvosa Street.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Maybe a mural, part 53: Our Lady Queen of All Saints

In January of last year, I ran across lots of artworks that were flat, but that you might not call “a mural.” The work is nice, anyway. So here are another two “maybe” murals:

That's the entrance to Our Lady Queen of All Saints Roman Catholic church. Closer to the building, a memorial to Robert Antonio Solomon:

I took the photos on January 21st, 2013.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Found the Owl & Pussycat

On December 29, 2008, Randy posted a photo contributed by Davis Dominguez Gallery of a mural “In the Ash & Toole Street area.” I'd hunted around to find it, but somehow missed it — until January 20, 2013. It's on the east side of what I think is the Zee Mansion carriage house:

Google Street View tells me the address is 286 North Ash Alley.

Update (November 12, 2014): Today's post has the story of the mural and some close-up photos.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Ride on, Tucson

This mosaic mural went in about a year ago, not long before I took the photo — just a year ago — on January 20, 2013:
Here are murals on two other sides of the same structure: one being made and another one finished.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Maybe a mural, part 52: Handsome home

On a New Year's Day ride a year ago, at the start of 2013, I found this decorated home south of Broadway, near the walkway that becomes Treat Avenue.

(See the Location link below. Click on the photo for more detail.)

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Maybe a mural, part 51: Paintings off-Broadway

Sometimes I spot art on a wall that isn't a traditional “mural” — like these paintings, under clear plastic, on two walls of the Arabian Oasis Cultural Center. (There's a “Location:” box below.) The last “maybe” mural was two days ago.

First, the west wall:

(As always, you can click for a larger view.)

A close-up from the east end of the north wall — with the background reflected in the plastic cover:

And at the west end of the north wall:

Unlike most murals, they were signed. The artist was Miguel Grijalva.

They weren't in great condition when I took these photos near sunset on December 29, 2012. I haven't checked on them since. (If you have, please leave a comment below.)

Friday, January 17, 2014

Soft landing for Howenstine Hawks

When I rode down Tucson Blvd. on December 29, 2012, I spotted this mural on the side of a building at Howenstine High School — and snapped it with the great zoom lens on my mural-hunting camera:

The school, now closed, was to become home to an school for autistic children. I'll try to ride by and check on the mural. (If you know, please leave a comment below.)

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Maybe a mural, part 50: Tilted critters

On December 29, 2012, as I rode along East 17th Street, the wall in front of the home at 2138 was sinking — or falling sideways:

The desert animals and plants are mounted on metal, so the tilting only made them go a bit uphill — or downhill.

If you go by, please leave a comment below to let us know what's up (or down).