Roses & More is no more

Years ago, Tucson had three Roses & More stores, each with a mural by Chris Andrews. The first two closed years ago, but the location at the northeast corner of Speedway & Craycroft stayed open for years more. The Speedway side looked like this:

Chris texted me yesterday (March 3rd) to say that the building had been reduced to rubble. I drove right over, hoping to catch some photos before the rubble was gone.

The only part of the murals I could see was the end of a wall:

The store is re-opening soon in a shopping center at 6170 East Speedway. I'm guessing that there's no room for murals.

Update: BG Boyd Photo kindly sent aerial photos of the building before it was destroyed:

The mural also appears at 2:42 into BG's aerial mural video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aQmAt-FuzU&t=162s

Kon Tiki

Yes, that Kon Tiki restaurant. When I met Chris Andrews to get copies of his mural photos for this blog, I realized how many murals he's painted in this town.

You'll be seeing more of them from time to time on this blog in the next few months. Thanks, Chris.

Murals being made, part 49: Lost Barrio Gallery

Back in February, I spotted a mural that seemed to be in progress on the back (west) side of the buildings along the west side of Park Avenue. I snapped some photos, then went looking for someone who could tell me more about the mural. It turned out to be on the Lost Barrio Gallery. I'm hoping to stay in touch with the owner, Gerardo Olmedo, and have more photos soon.

In the meantime, Gerardo sent photos of muralist Chris Andrews painting a mural based on the gallery's logo, which you can see on its sign. The sign is to the right of the door, which is a bright blue. (I took the photo of the sign.)

Let's watch as Chris paints the mural.

Here he is tracing the mural, using an image projected on the door. Gerardo sent this photo on April 13th around 9 pm; I'm guessing that Chris was working that evening.

Gerardo sent this on the 15th. It looked as if Chris might be nearly done, so I decided to stop by the next day.

No, that wasn't all. Later on the 16th, Gerardo sent a photo of Chris painting more.

And, on May 6th, two more from Gerardo. I think this is it!

Thanks much for keeping us all in touch, Gerardo and Chris.

More Roses & More photos from Chris Andrews

I met with muralist Chris Andrews in February. He's been painting murals in Tucson for quite a while, but this blog didn't have photos of many. Chris gave me copies of quite a few more. I'm aiming to post some of those once a week or so.

He painted murals on all three locations of Roses & More. Now only one location is open. Let's start with it:

5501 East Speedway

This blog's entry, Blooming with murals, shows the building and its sign on August 18, 2010. (You can click there to see it; use your browser's "Back" button to come back.) Here's a photo of the west side from Chris. The photo showed a bit of the roof along the wouth side of the building. The hidden camera data shows that it was taken on June 16, 2003 … though sometimes camera clocks aren't set correctly; Chris suspects that he painted it around 2008):

380 West Grant

This blog has some faded photos taken February 22, 2011 in the entry (More) Roses & More. These two from Chris have a lot more color. The first shows the whole building from the intersection with Oracle; the camera data says that it was taken September 16, 2016, but I wonder if the actual date is a lot earlier? The next shows the west end of the south wall, date unknown:

2510 East Broadway

By the times I snapped photos of this building — the north wall posted May 30, 2009 (I didn't write the photo date) and the west wall snapped on August 28, 2011 — the murals were faded and most of the paint had come off of the roof. This photo from Chris, camera-dated December 3, 2002, shows the north side in bright color:

Here's the first of many thank-yous to Chris for helping to bring back the past.

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!

Gemstone Mineral Interiors

Back on July 23, I wondered about this building at 1202 N. Main — wrapped in magnificent murals with no business sign. Google Maps says the building houses Gemstone Mineral Interiors. Though I'm still catching up on the backlog of murals to post — six months to go — at least I'm right on time for the Gem Show!

The photo above is from the northwest, on Main Avenue, and the photo below shows the south side, along Helen Street.


Update (February 15, 2012): I just noticed that Randy found these murals four years ago. His photos are in our September 8, 2008 post Drive-by Dinosaurs.

(More) Roses & More

Certain Tucson organizations really support murals (and muralists) — for instance, schools & pre-schools; body piercing and tattoo places — almost any business in the City of South Tucson — as well as chains like Mariscos Chihuahua and Roses & More.

Here are three photos of one of the Roses & More locations: 380 W. Grant (at the corner of Oracle).

The sign out front, at the southwest corner of their lot (the other side is typically as nice, though I didn't snap it):

The southwest corner of their building (I think the roof used to be part of the mural... does anyone remember what the image was... maybe the sky? By the way, I took these photos on February 22, 2011):

And a detail from the southeast corner:


Update (May 7, 2019): For more color, see today's entry More Roses & More photos from Chris Andrews.

Blooming with murals

As you've seen here on the Tucson Murals Project, some Tucson businesses brighten their streets for customers and passersby. (If you love murals, please stop by and thank them by being a customer.) At the end of 2010, for instance, we covered the murals that cover Mariscos Chihuahua restaurants.

Another company that gives Tucson a lot of color (and not just with their murals!) is Roses & More. Mid-2009, we showed a sunny scene on the store at Broadway & Tucson. Here are the spectacular murals on their location at 5501 East Speedway (at Craycroft) last August 18th:

There'll be more Roses & More. Stay tuned.

Update (May 7, 2019): For more color, see today's entry More Roses & More photos from Chris Andrews

Update (March 4, 2021): The store is being torn down.

Sunset at sunrise

Early summer mornings are a great time to go mural-hunting: the streets are quiet, the air is cool, and there's no one behind you honking as you slow down to gawk. (Even better, go on your bicycle!)

Somehow this mural — on the west side of the Roses & More building, Tucson Blvd. at Broadway — seems to me like a sunset view. The sun was rising as I snapped this photo.


Chris Andrews painted the mural.

Update (May 7, 2019): For more color, see today's entry More Roses & More photos from Chris Andrews.

Drive-by Dinosaurs

It's close to the road so be careful.   

You wouldn't want "Jurassic" to get run over!

Find this prehistoric mural on the northeast corner

of Main & Helen.

Update (May 5, 2019): The artist was Chris Andrews.

Chris sent the following close-up. It shows the left side of the second photo above:

There are more photos on this blog's January 27, 2012 entry, Gemstone Mineral Interiors.