The other side of Mike Haggerty Plaza, closer

Last time — June 2nd, 2023 — we showed an aerial view of the south wall of Mike Haggerty Plaza on 4th Avenue. Just after sunrise on Sunday, June 4th, I stopped by to see if I could get close-up photos with my zoom lens. It turned out to be easy because there wasn't as much stuff in front of the mural as there was on my last visit.

The mural has rich detail. (As always, you can click on a photo to see larger views of all the photos.) I zoomed in on different parts of the mural. Here are the photos, roughly from left to right. (The second photo is a cropped and enlarged version of the first photo.)

From Winsett Park to Mike Haggerty Plaza

The former Winsett Park was re-dedicated as Mike Haggerty Plaza on March 17, 2013. “The Mike” was also called The Mayor of 4th Avenue. He and his wife Mimi Haggerty (and maybe daughter Shannon Haggerty?) ran a jewelry shop called Piney Hollow on 4th Avenue for decades. (You can read more in the April 5, 2012 Tucson Weekly article The Mayor of Fourth Avenue: Remembering the life of businessman, politician, Irishman and bohemian Mike Haggerty.)

The last time we showed this spot on the blog was on May 5, 2012, in Winsett Park mural (before) being restored. That post said that the mural would soon be restored. Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos for years. Google Maps Street View has photos of the north side, though.

There's a tree near the middle of the wall that makes complete photos difficult. Here is Google's photo of the north side during May 2015:



By August 2016, the north wall had been repainted. Most of the design had changed, but you can see that the skateboarder was still there, now in color. Here's a photo from August 2022:



I went back earlier this month: May 12, 2023. Although the gates were closed (as usual), I found that I could take a photo from near the ground, looking up — and the tree wouldn't block much of the mural:

(Sorry if that makes you a bit seasick!) I also zoomed in to catch the far (right) side:

Next time, the south wall.

Ironic, isn't it?

This 1997 mural, titled "Don't Waste the Scenic Santa Ritas", is on Queen Avenue between 4th & 5th Streets. When I stopped by a few days ago, the mural and the credits to the Tucson Arts Brigade were partly covered by barbed wire and old junk.