The Magic Fun Store

There must be about a million places to get tattooed in Tucson. Many of them have murals on their outside walls. The Magic Fun Store, at 739 N. 4th, goes farther: a mural on the ceiling above the store entrance. I photographed the left (south) end of the ceiling — the photo below — lying on my back on the pavement.

Sistine Chapel, anyone?

I was there August 28th.

Paradise on Kolb

The west side of the Chuy's location at 22nd & Kolb (7101 E. 22nd) has ocean scenes below its palm trees.

On the other side of the building, at the southeast corner, are this downspout painted to look like a palm tree and an adventure map of Mexico.

I took the first photo on July 19th and the last two on September 26th.

Update (January 28, 2024): Germaine A Pesqueria (who's been painting since the 1990s) painted murals at all Chuy's locations.

Dino joined Joe in July

From time to time I stop by the east side of the Rialto Theatre to see what's new on their chunk of wall with murals advertising upcoming (and past) concerts. The murals are usually by Joe Pagac. When I was there on July 19, Dino Chilton's name was on three of the four panels. The first photo is from the north, and the second from the south:

And again in August (the 22nd):

If you'd like to see earlier murals in the same spot, go to the “downtown” section of the table of murals and scroll down to 318 E. Congress.

Feel the power of murals

The block of 4th Street between 11th and Queen Avenues is filled with an electric substation. The corners along 4th have murals, though. We posted the mural at 4th & 11th back in 2009. Here's the corner of 4th & Queen:

I took the photo on June 12th, 2012.

Two sides of Borderlands Brewing Co.

The building at 119 East Toole that used to have big trash bins in front of a mural has been completely remade into Borderlands Brewing Company. That mural is gone, but there are two just across 7th Avenue and two more on the sides of this building.

This one's on the northwest side:

And this is on the northeast side, next to the railroad tracks. I'd like to re-shoot it without the dark shadow (from a sign nearby).

I was there on June 6th.

Update (January 1, 2013): Both murals have changed. Today's post shows photos.

Skrappys and friends, May-July 2012

Skrappys (a.k.a. the Tucson Youth Cooperative), and other artists and designers, occupy the inside of the building at 191-197 E. Toole. If you've driven by, or read this blog for a while, you'll know that they cover the outside with a lot of art. And it keeps changing; I have a hard time keeping up with the latest, but it's fun to try!

East wall, May 21st

These views are from the southeast corner, at 6th & Toole:

Southwest wall, June 6th

I'll start at the south end and work north to the front of Skrappys:

A few details of Skrappys’ front (this has to be one of the most fun murals in Tucson):

Northwest wall, July 19th

One of my favorite Tucson murals used to look like this:

That was May 17, 2009. Fast-forward to this summer:

Though the mural has some fun additions — like the sheriff pointing at what I think might be the El Tiradito shrine — overall, there's too much for me. But maybe you love the new version! (As always, you can click on a photo for a larger view.) Murals are always changing...

Little mural on the porch

The people living at 1701 E. 10th see this little mural each time they go in or out their front door. I took the photo (from the street, with a zoom lens) on March 30th.

While in traffic on Toole...

Through the summer, as you've detoured along Toole Avenue to bypass the streetcar construction on Congress Street, you may have passed this five-paneled mural north of 6th Avenue. It's been on the right side, just north of Skrappys:

BLX

I found this mural on May 28, 2012 at the north corner of 7th & Toole, on the side of BLX. I roll by that corner pretty often, so I think the mural was painted not long before. (The dark bar near the left edge is an early-morning shadow.)

Update (December 30, 2012): The mural on this corner has changed (at least) twice since May 28. You can see the new murals in today's post.

Camacho Chiropractic

The front of the building, at 426 W. President (a bit southeast of 12th & Ajo), is covered with plants (painted and real) and a bird:

Sunset Villa Neighborhood revisited

Back on December 1, 2011, I posted a photo of a triptych (three-panel) mural just south of Pueblo High School along 12th Avenue. It was one of a series of five triptych murals by Gail T. Roberts Studio around this southern Tucson neighborhood. On April 29 of this year, I hunted for the others.

Fiesta

This mural, titled “Fiesta,” is at the southwest corner of 10th Avenue and 41st Street. The close-up shows the right (west) end.
The end panels are similar on all four triptychs, so I won't show close-ups of the others.

Familia

The “Family” mural is at the northeast corner of 12th Avenue & 44th Street.

Mercado

The last of the four, “Market,” is at the northeast corner of
16th Avenue & Ajo Way.

Murals being unmade: Chicago Store

The Chicago music store, downtown at 130 E. Congress, has been surrounded by murals for years. The outside walls are being renovated, though, and the murals are gone — for now, at least.

The south wall used to look like this and this. On Friday the 28th, it looked like this and this:

Murals being made, part 9: TAB on Tucson Blvd.

The Tucson Arts Brigade is painting another overpass. Unlike the one at 29th & Columbus, though, the mural is under the overpass.

I took these photos yesterday. You can see the "paint-by-number" design, with a number (1, 2, etc.) for each color. This is how TAB makes it easy for people to join in the painting.

The location is north of the airport on Tucson Boulevard, south of Irvington, just south of Bantam Road.

Update (December 18, 2012): The school just west of the overpass has a number of murals. The December 16 post shows the north part of the campus, and today's entry shows the spectacular David Tineo mural on the south end.

More Creative Ventures

Back on October 26, 2010, we posted a photo of the front of Creative Ventures at 522 N. 4th. Here are two more photos from the south end.

Glossy entrance on Fourth Avenue

Early-morning sun was shining from this doorway on March 27th. It's between 429 and 431 N. 4th:

(Don't miss the little mural at the bottom right.)