Silver City: Murals and fun

This blog hasn't been updated for a few months while I got some much-needed rest; co-editor David Aber took a break too. We're back! You've probably seen David's post three days ago, Apex Predators Take Over.

I've spent two of the months away from Tucson… I'll be home for a month or two before I leave for some more art-hunting out of town. 😎 Although this is the Tucson Murals Project blog, from time to time I like to write a post with murals from another place. Today I'm in Silver City, New Mexico. It's an old mining town, with a very fun downtown full of history, art, and kitsch, surrounded by a big variety of scenery. There's a lot of murals, especially downtown. Just wander the streets — maybe especially the streets north of downtown toward College Avenue (which connects to Western New Mexico University and its Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art).

Here's one of the easiest murals to find—in a place most people probably visit, at the corner of Broadway & Bullard:

(As always, click or tap on any photo for a set of views you can click/tap to enlarge.)

A youth mural project created another detail-filled mural. This one is an old neighborhood scene. The mural is along Bullard at Spring Street:

Some details:

(Above, note the artists' names along the border in ceramic tiles)

I want to visit some art galleries now. So, to save time, I'll only lightly edit the photos below.

The back of The Murray Hotel, in a style sort of like Mondrian:

Next, an underwater mural along 6th Street east of Texas Street. (Yes, the curbs are that high so water can run along them without flooding — the same way that some residential streets in Tucson are designed, mostly without the curbs. Around 100 years ago, so much water ran along the former Main Street that it became a huge ditch… now called the Big Ditch Park!)

A mural showing two sides of a bicycle race. The second and third photos show the route for a challenging mountain race. Don't miss the upside-down bicyclist in the second photo:

Last, another very detailed youth mural along Bullard Street between 6th and 7th:

I'll finish by recommending a route from Tucson to Silver City and back. I can't find a way to share a Google Map from my laptop, so I'll include a screenshot and directions. As before, you can click/tap for a larger view:

I suggest starting by driving to Safford and east from there. This route includes a paved but steep and narrow road. If there's been a thunderstorm in the past few days, the road may be closed at Mule Creek, New Mexico:

1. Drive I-10 and US 191 to Safford, AZ
2. Drive US-191/US-70, US-191, AZ-78, NM-78 to Mule Creek, NM (see notes above!)
3. Drive NM-78, then US-180 to Silver City
4. Drive NM-90 to Lordsburg, NM, then I-10 to Tucson

If you want even more adventure along the way, I suggest taking this detour through Clifton, AZ (a mostly steep and narrow road):

1. Don't turn onto AZ-78 (at the intersection called Three Way). Instead:
2. Stay on US-191 north through Clifton, AZ
3. Along US-191 around Morenci, AZ, stay right at the fork toward "Mine entrance" and continue up the side of the mountains along narrow US-191. You'll pass miles of mines, then suddenly be in high country with amazing views.
4. Either turn around or continue north on US-191 to Alpine, AZ, where you can take US-180 south to Silver City. This is a long, remote, slow remote road. Bring water, warm clothes, etc.

Last, if you aren't used to driving on steep, narrow roads:

• If you don't know how to down-shift your engine so you aren't constantly pressing your brakes going downhill, read your car owner's manual to learn the maximum safe speeds in each gear — and ask a friend / auto mechanic who understands how transmissions work.
• A courtesy tip: Watch your rear-view mirror. If there's someone trying to pass you, make a brief pull-over at the first opportunity. It will cost you a few seconds but can save the other driver lots of time following a slow “flatland” driver.