CUKSON: Like TUCSON murals: designs in letters

This CUKSON mural, seen through the gate at Splinter Collective…

… is similar to TUCSON murals with faces and other designs inside the letters, like these:

• Greetings
• Murals being made, part 77: TUCSON is back

Here's the overall photo above, cropped to show people in the “CU” at the left side:

Lucky Salway messaged me on Facebook May 27, 2023 that he and Sal of Wagon Burner Arts painted it.

Thrive in the 05 by Salvador Sahuaqui

On January 24, The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona — which, among other things, adminsters government-funded public art — announced a new mural in the 85705 zip code: Community unites to celebrate new mural at Old Pascua Community Center. (If you'd like to see the announcement and photos, click there.) The area is named Thrive in the 05; you can read more at thriveinthe05.tucsonaz.gov and thriveinthe05.com.

Here's the mural, photographed on January 27:

Our previous post, Thrive in the 05 by The Desert Pen, showed another mural in the area and hadinformation about three artworks being created as part of the project. KGUN 9 TV reported January 8th: Thrive in the 05 brings community-based artwork to 85705 area.

Another painted intersection in South Tucson

There are several painted intersections in the city of South Tucson. Two are along 8th Avenue: at 25th Street and at 36th Street. Now there's another one — although it's fading quickly, so see it while you can!

Our last post, "Mask Up! Vax Up!", showed a mural at the corner of 4th Avenue and 28th Street in South Tucson. Before the mural was painted, the intersection had been painted; there was a celebration that day.

A video from KGUN9 TV on February 24th, New project in City of South Tucson combines art with street safety, introduced the intersection project. Avenidas Inc. (on Instagram, @avenidasinc) posted the video below on February 21st. Drone photographer Ernesto Somoza (his Instagram account, @easomoza, is private) made the video. If you look at the top edge of the video, you can see the mural being painted. Below the video is the caption that Avenidas Inc. added when they posted it:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jerry Peek (@tucson.art) by permission from @avenidasinc

Every third Sunday, we, @avenidasinc host a Community Re:Investment Day! These days are all about giving back and showing our love for South 4th Avenue; to our local causes and businesses through monetary giving, volunteering and socializing.

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Yesterday, our focus was on public art and COVID-19 awareness, information and resources. We hope these murals will serve as a space for gathering, reflection, healing and an accessible way to experience local art and community. We appreciate everyone who spent time with us, painted, collaborated and sent positive energy. Keep sharing and posting with others. Thank you.

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Crosswalks: Sal Sawaki, from Wagon Burner Arts / Funded by Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona

@wagon_burner_arts
@artsfoundtucson

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@atrujillo_art
@droopydave
@luckysalway
@saguaro_fruit
@yiselaart

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Mural (on wall): Mel Dominguez, from Galeria Mitotera / Funded by Sunnyside Foundation

@melodominguez
@galeriamitotera
@sunnyside.foundation

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@roguetucsonart
@emgk77
@patoaguilarart

Footage by: @easomoza

There's lots of painted pavement around the US by now. Here's an example: the City-County building in Denver, across from Civic Center Park:

(What makes the paint last, I think, is painting streets where vehicles don't go.)

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.

State Farm colors

The east side of Campbell between Grant and Glenn is a little mural art gallery. Besides the murals on Plaza Liquors and Blue Willow, Dan Kalm's State Farm insurance office has bright murals covering most of its north wall:

I hope that, after today's election, we can all find a way to get along together:

I was there June 17th.

Butterfly Lady

By Sawaki and Wagon Burner Arts.  Photographed on Aug. 30, 2020.

The first photo below had to be taken at an angle due to the tight space and a chain-link fence.  The second photo is the result of perspective correction and cropping.

Click on either photo for larger and sharper images.

"Safe Shift"

Painted by Sal Sawaki, Sketch 71/Rickey A Bush & James.  Sponsored by Wagon Burner Arts at 2801 E. Grant Rd. and viewed from N. Treat Ave.

Click on any photo for a slideshow of larger and sharper images.

Photographed on Aug. 6, 2020.

Update from Jerry Peek (February 4, 2024): Today I was going through some photos I'd taken for this blog to see if I'd missed any murals. I found photos of the day Sketch (Rickey Bush) took me to see this mural, May 29, 2023. The mural is on the west side of the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation's shop called Safe Shift Estate Resale, which helps to support GTFF's endowment. Among other things on the front door were “Taking care of those who take care of us”. The website TucsonFireFoundation.org has two sentences I'll repeat here: “In 2019, the number of firefighters who took their own life was greater than the number killed fighting fires. We’re here to provide our firefighters and their families with the physical and mental health support they need.” The GTFF's endowment is explained at https://www.tucsonfirefoundation.org/endowment/.

Two closeups I took of the mural:

The woman in the second closeup is Patty Vallance. A quick web search showed that she volunteered for a number of causes. Among other things, she helped to create the Fire Foundation. She died suddenly at age 62 on June 3, 2020 — two months before David Aber took the first three photos here. The Arizona Daily Star article Patty Vallance, businesswoman, author, was key supporter of Tucson Fire Foundation tells more.