Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Brandi Fenton Memorial Park

Sunday (the 24th) I saw a notice in the Arizona Daily Star's In Memoriam section for Brandi Michelle Fenton. She was born on that day in 1989. I remembered that I had photos of the wonderful little park near the Rillito, dedicated to her, filled with mosaic murals. The photos (which I took on December 8, 2011) were just coming up in my long backlog of mural photos... so, here they are!

As the park's Pima County web page says, “Brandi Fenton Memorial Park is the result of a unique partnership between public and private sectors. The Fenton family initiated a public-private partnership to help fund and develop the park, in memory of their daughter.” Even if you aren't a mural lover, this place is worth the trip to see. Let's start with the plaque showing Brandi and the park's story:


Near the entrance to the garden area is a mural with safe driving tips. (Brandi lost her life in a car accident during March 2003.)


The garden entrance:



The "Tree of Life" wall on one side of the fountain:


A bench with a mosaic mural on the top dedicated to Jose Luis “Guapo” Rincon, and the mosaic on one end for Herb Carson...


...and the other end, with several names:


Tne top of another bench, a memorial to Casey Allyn Gosnell:

Mosaic murals on bench back, memorials to Casey Allyn Gosnell
And two thank-you murals for contributors:


You can read more about the park on the JewishTucson.org website, Pima County park memorializing Jewish teen is community-wide effort. And here's a map.

By the way, for some reason, the official address of the park is on River Road (it's at the bottom of this page), and Google Maps will show you the middle of the park if you click on that address. But the park actually stretches from the southwest corner of Alvernon and Dodge, and the clubhouse is near that corner.

Update (March 5, 2018): For photos of the rest of the Community Garden, visit the Tucson's Pocket Parks blog and see the entry Brandi Fenton Memorial Park.

Update (May 25, 2018): There are more murals on the AKS Kickin’ It Clubhouse.

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