House of Neighborly Service: extreme makeover :)

It was almost ten years ago, in 2012, that I visited the House of Neighborly Service. The blog entry House of Neighborly Service, front gate shows a mural near the street and has links to other murals.

I went back 0n November 8, 2020. The place was locked up — for the pandemic, I guess. So I took a few photos, then returned the next day with a zoom lens that let me get closeups from outside the perimeter. Here are the November 8th photos:

On the east wall, outside of the patio:

On the south wall of the patio:

The west wall of the patio:

Two murals, next to each other, on the west wall next to the street:

Next, November 9 — starting with a mural near an entrance and the artists' signatures. There's only a faint outline of the “Martinez” after “Isaac”; I don't know what that's about:

A mural along the west wall of the patio, starting from the entrance above:

Last, the murals on the south wall of the patio:

Ignacio Garcia nominated for 2021 Governor's Arts Awards

You've seen Ignacio's murals (and chalk art) around Tucson and here on the blog. If you'd like to see all of the blog entries, here's a search. Now his announcement on Facebook (I hope this works!):



If that doesn't work, or you'd like to see it full page, here's his announcement.

Here's info from Arizona Citizens for the Arts: Governor’s Arts Awards.

Congratulations, Ignacio!

Tribute To Elizabeth Taylor

Found at the Old Town Apartments on 12/28/2020.

By Sean John Cannon

Click on the photo for a larger and sharper image.

Update (December 17, 2021): The muralist wrote on his Instagram @seanjohncannon (you can click there to see the post; you currently don't need an account):

My art mentor is Andy Warhol and his process involved silk screening multiple layers. My application is a lot different as I do everything by hand to create the illusion of silk screening. paint, markers, and a wet sponge is all I need but it is incredibly painstaking! I’ve always been fascinated with repetition and if done correctly, the viewers eye will always be drawn in towards it. I see Pop Art as being timeless as it never becomes “outdated” as aestheticism and whimsical coloring defines its genre. I love how it never takes itself too seriously and so far it has always perfectly reflected the zeitgeist of our times.

La Capilla Neighborhood Garden

This mosaic mural is an easy trip if you're in the city of South Tucson:

It's in a parklet with a couple of benches. Here's the entry in the Tucson's Pocket Parks blog: La Capilla Neighborhood Garden.

Vaquero

East Wall (facing N. Campbell Ave.) of a Mexican restaurant called MOMO's.

By Danny Martin

Photographed on Dec. 27, 2020.  Click for a larger and sharper image.

Creative Machines

Tucson has more and more large murals. Which one is biggest? Someday I could get one of the gadgets that lets you measure lengths from a distance. In the meantime, here are two of the largest — at Creative Machines on Irvington. It's probably closed today, New Year's Day, but you should be able to look at the murals from outside the fence. Or stop by during business hours — when you can be right next to them.

There are two murals. The one at the left (farther north) is by Jessica Gonzales and friends; the other is by Nadia Hagen and friends:

The west side and then the south side of Jessica's mural, followed by the signature at the bottom right corner:

Nadia's mural — which is quite a bit wider than Jessica's, so next are a few close-ups:

I took the first photo on November 8, 2020, from outside the fence and the rest from inside the fence on November 9.

Still High Dreams, closer

Here's a weird conicidence: Two separate businesses at the same address, 4010 South 12th Avenue. Last time, we saw Arizona Palms Tinting, closer: close-ups of the same mural posted here a few years ago. Today, let's do the same for the combination flower and tobacco shop, Still High Dreams. (Click there to see the overall photos from May 11, 2018.) I really ought to go inside and check out this unique business!

They've added a mural to the left (south) side that runs along the back edge of the parking lot. The other mural, on the building, hasn't changed:

(Click on the photo for a larger view.)

In the photo above, I didn't catch the small part of the mural off the left edge:

Here's the rest of that wall:

And the north side of the parking lot:

Finally, the front (east side) of the store, then closeups of the three words in the name:

I was there November 8, 2020.

Arizona Palms Tinting, closer

We've shown the murals on the front and the left side of this auto glass tinting shop twice before, most recently on May 18, 2018 in Arizona Palms updated. I'll admit that I didn't know exactly what these murals had to do with each other — or to do with any theme — but they're interesting anyway (?). So here's the front again, then close-ups of the murals from left to right:

I pulled over (and scratched my head) on November 8, 2020.

Delivery Man

Here's a man delivering pastries on his bicycle. It's on the north side of La Estrella Bakery.

By Melo Dominguez

Photographed on Dec. 11, 2020. Click on the photo for a larger and sharper image.

Update (April 12, 2022): There's another mural on the south side of the building. See today's post.

MEAT me at Los Amigos, friends

This blog's founder, Randy Garsee, had a terrible sense of humor. :) One of his early entries was titled MEAT Me in Tucson! — about the cattle murals at the former Farmer John's plant. I've waited 13 years to be able to post another entry for a meat market. On November 8, 2020, fate gave me my chance:

(I don't need to tell you that Los Amigos means “the friends,” do I?)

Hahahahahaha… :( :)

"Desert Cactus Garden Party"

A splash of color can be seen on S. Meyer Ave. at Lash Factor Studio.  It's a small wall filled with cacti and flowers.

By J. Keegan Rider

Photographed on Dec. 11, 2020.  Click on the photo for a larger and sharper image.

Murals being made, part 58: Arizona Arts Live

What you knew as UA Presents, the University of Arizona's performing arts presenter, now has a new name: Arizona Arts Live. During the first part of November, 2020, Mel "Melo" Dominguez painted a mural on the south wall of the Wheels & More location on 12th Avenue just north of Irvington. These first two photos came from Facebook:

I stopped by on November 8 to say hi and snap more photos of the mural in progress. It's next to a popular Sonoran Hot Dog spot with a full parking lot:

On November 9th, I stopped by while they weren't painting (Mel/Melo prefers “they” and “them”):

On November 18th, the mural looked finished:

It's a fun combination of modern and ancient:

The Olmec were an early people who lived in what's now southern Mexico. And llanta is the Spanish word for tire — a nod to Wheels & More, which is hosting the mural.

Long-time contributor Mark Fleming stopped by the mural on December 27th. The mural had two finishing touches since my last visit — near the bottom left and bottom right corners:

Mark also took other close-ups:

Thanks much, Mark!