Día de Los Muertos on Grant Road

The "Day of the Dead" is an opportunity to remember and celebrate the lives of departed loved ones. It is often celebrated on Nov. 1 to remember children who are deceased and Nov. 2 to honor the adults who have passed.

The artists are Monty Ses Esposito, Retro, Sketch 71/Rickey A Bush and Sal Sawaki; all working with Wagon Burner Arts.

Found at the SW intersection of N. Martin Ave. and E. Grant Rd., Tucson, AZ

La Calavera Catrina ("Elegant Skull") on the left next to "Sugar Skulls". Sugar Skulls are made of sugar and are placed on graves and altars in honor of deceased loved ones.
(Update: See the note farther below.)

La Calavera Catrina (the "Elegant Skull").  Also known as Mexico's Lady of the Dead.

 

Mariachis (a street band in Mexico)

La Calavera Catrinas
Note the dog and cat.

 

Update: KGUN9 TV interviewed muralist Monty Ses Esposito, one of four artists who painted the mural.

Update:  The Sugar Skulls panel — the right side of the second photo in this post — was replaced in Jan. of 2022. The “sugar skulls” were “chuckleheads” — the four artists who painted the mural. Left to right, they were: Ses, Sketch 71, Retro and Sal. Below is what replaced the panel:

Update: To give you an idea of how big the mural is, here's an aerial view from BG Boyd Photography (thanks!):

Click on any photo for a slideshow of larger images.

Dia de los Muertos on the UA Mall

I saw a video on Instagram of this very temporary mural being made, so I drove over near sunrise the next day (October 21st). Because it was on the ground, it was hard to get a photo that showed the whole thing. This is the best I could do:

Luckily, mural photographer extraordinaire BG Boyd got last-minute permission to fly his drone overhead the next day, just after sunrise:

Thanks as always, BG!

Update (October 27, 2021): BG Boyd sent information about this style of floral mural (below). I found examples by searching online for Alfombristas Mexicanos (click there to run a search with DuckDuckGo, which is much more private than Google). The page alfombristasmexicanos.org has lots of photos. Here's what BG sent:

Alfombrismo (flower art carpet) is a collective cultural expression of ephemeral art originating in the community of Huamantla, Tlaxcala, Mexico. This art expression arises from the pre-Hispanic worldview of offering to nature and the close relationship with the Matlalcuéyetl mountain from whom the community obtains resources to survive. After the process of miscegenation, veneration and gratitude are directed to the Christian divinity that they identify with the benefits of the Matlalcuéyetl as The Virgin Mary who assumes the generosity of nature and mercy for those who need it most, for which she is named Virgin of Charity.

Alfombristas Mexicanos (Mexican Carpet Makers) is a civil and collective group based on the carpets of Huamantla. This group develops cultural projects, to develop collective spaces as possibilities of coexistence, exchange, appreciation, and imagination.

Alfombristas Mexicanos develops carpeting projects as an inclusive cultural expression in which diverse individuals can contribute and be integrated from the creative process to the artistic culmination of the work. This artistic expression is a current dynamic in a constant transformation and innovation that adapts the form and resources from a local community which is giving time, materials and contributes to a visible purpose to a transcendental expression.

La Esquina

The mural on the north wall of Taqueria La Esquina is based on the Mexican holiday "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead).

Artistry by Wagon Burner Arts

 

 

Click on the photo for a larger and sharper image.