Want to test your knowledge of Tucson murals — or just look and maybe get a surprise? Here's an example of what's coming:
The question: What mural does this little section come from?
The answer: The mural below.
If you haven't seen the mural before, there'll be a link to click to see our blog post about it.
Introduction
Almost twenty years of murals
Popular TV newscaster Randy Garsee started this blog eighteen years ago: July 12, 2006. We publish around eight posts per month. Posts are usually about one mural, though sometimes more. Occasionally there are news items or announcements. (Here's more
About this blog.)
The blog template is from the days before many people looked at online photos with a phone; it's really hard to change at this point. On a phone, please use your fingers to stretch the view wider so this (dark green) main column of text and photos fills the screen.
How to play the game
This 2,000th post is a mural quiz. Here's how it works:
- The first half — with sections titled “Where is mural #N?” — shows a series of details of (usually) well-known murals. Your job is to decide which mural the little photo came from — then click the link to check your answer.
- That link jumps to the second half — with sections named “Mural #N is…” After checking your answer, click a link there to jump back to the next question in the first half.
- Repeat until you've seen them all.
Most of the murals are near downtown Tucson. (Mural #1 isn't.)
The questions
The game starts here.
Where is mural #1?
Let's start easy. This is from a large 2019 mural by a popular Tucson muralist who paints lots of animals and bicycles. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #1.
Where is mural #2?
This is another large mural. The face is a woman, but it's not a traditional portrait. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #2.
Where is mural #3?
These murals are made from thousands of faces. Where are the murals?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #3.
Where is mural #4?
This woman is playing a musical instrument. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #4.
Where is mural #5?
More flying whales, same artist as mural #1. Where is this mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #5.
Where is mural #6?
This fun mural is on the second floor of a building along an alley. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #6.
Where is mural #7?
This striking mural is on the side of a long-ago hotel. You can't miss it as you drive through downtown. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #7.
Where is mural #8?
Like mural #6, mural #8 is high on a building in a narrow space. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #8.
Where is mural #9?
A Tucsonan who's become famous. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #9.
Where is mural #10?
Don't drive too fast along this one-way street through downtown… you are being watched. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #10.
Where is mural #11?
The traveling muralists who painted the mural knew about this infamous man. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #11.
Where is mural #12?
This mural is along 4th Avenue. (That narrows it down to maybe 25 or 50 murals. 😉) Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #12.
Where is mural #13?
This is the last face I'll ask you to guess. She's in one of several murals showing people enjoying themselves outdoors. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #13.
Where is mural #14?
This small portrait of a woman is part of a wall-sized mural full of portraits. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #14.
Where is mural #15?
This mural has been downtown seemingly forever. It's high on a building. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #15.
Where is mural #16?
Why is this coyote upside-down? (Hint: The building has something to do with water.) Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #16.
Where is mural #17?
(Hint about the artist: The jackalope is riding on the handlebars of a bicycle.) Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #17.
Where is mural #18?
Yet another mural high on a building. You can see it from a one-way street through downtown. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #18.
Where is mural #19?
The mural has been here for around 20 years. Many well-known groups of people walk near it. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #19.
Where is mural #20?
This mural fills most of a city block near 4th Avenue, but you might not notice it unless you walk along the avenue. Where is the mural?
Ready?
Click here to jump to the answer for mural #20.
The answers
If you've been clicking the links in the questions above, your browser should jump ahead to the corresponding answer below.
Mural #1 is…
Joe Pagac painted this mural in 2019. Tusconans started believing that whales can fly. It's at the busy corner of Campbell and Glenn — currently partly obscured by a new Starbuck’s location 😞. The original post is
Sky Islands (Whale Mural): Banner mural #2 of 5. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #2?”
Mural #2 is…
Cyfi (Rock Martinez) painted this mural as part of the 2016 Downtown Murals Project. It became one of the most popular in town — partly because it's along busy 6th Street between 6th and Stone Avenues. The original post is
(Downtown) Murals being made, part 34: Rock Martinez. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #3?”
Mural #3 is…
The Tucson Portrait Project planned to take photos of thousands of Tucsonans and line the 4th Avenue underpass (near the Hotel Congress) with panels of photos. The project ran out of money, but some of the panels are there. The original post is
6,000 Tucsonans in the 4th Avenue underpass. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #4?”
Mural #4 is…
This is the second mural Ignacio Garcia painted high on the Rialto Theatre. It replaced his first mural of Bill Walton riding a jackalope. The original post is
Guitarist tops the Rialto. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #5?”
Mural #5 is…
Joe Pagac painted this mural in 2023 in the middle of a bunch of murals along 6th Street — at the corner with 6th Avenue. The original post is
Volcano. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #6?”
Mural #6 is…
Ignacio Garcia recreated a childhood nightmare about being chased by piñatas, but the boy in the mural is actually taken from a photo of his son. The original post is
2019 Downtown Murals Project, 1 of 4: Danger! ¡Piñatas!. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #7?”
Mural #7 is…
Irish artist Fin DAC painted this mural, titled “Vergiss,” as he traveled around the US. At the top left corner, you can see the old Hotel Lewis sign. The original post is
Old Hotel Lewis mural updated (a lot!). (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #8?”
Mural #8 is…
Muralist Isaac Caruso painted this juicy mural as part of the 2016 Downtown Murals Project. It's high above Scott Avenue. The original post is
(Downtown) Murals being made, part 32: Issac Caruso. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #9?”
Mural #9 is…
Muralist JEKS ONE traveled to Tucson to make this mural of Linda Ronstadt for the first Rock the Spot painting weekend in October 2022. The mural is in the middle of the original post
This Spot (was) Rocked. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #10?”
Mural #10 is…
Congress Street passes Tierra Antigua Realty — where Ignacio Garcia painted this mural. The original post is
You're being watched on Congress Street…. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #11?”
Mural #11 is…
Bank robber John Dillinger's face is on one of the TUCSON murals around town. His face is under the Hotel Congress; he and his gang had been staying there when a fire broke out, and that eventually led to his arrest. The original post is
Greetings. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #12?”
Mural #12 is…
The mural fills one side of the parking lot at Antigone Books. If you haven't seen it before, clicking the photo above will let you see the rich detail. The original post is
Books coming alive. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #13?”
Mural #13 is…
This is one of three murals showing activities people can enjoy through the Lohse Family YMCA. Joe Pagac painted them. The original post is
Lohse Family YMCA. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #14?”
Mural #14 is…
For decades, Hippie Gypsy has been covered with (mostly hippies?) on both of its outside walls. This is Janis Joplin. The original post is
Hippie Gypsy reborn. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #15?”
Mural #15 is…
This mosaic mural is on the west side of One North Fifth apartments, along Congress. I took this from the Ronstadt Transit Center. The original post is
Look up!. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #16?”
Mural #16 is…
This is the second of two murals Rock "Cyfi" Martinez has painted on the east side of the Tucson Water building. The original post is
Art near Tucson Museum of Art. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #17?”
Mural #17 is…
Joe Pagac painted this mural in 2017 on 6th Street at Stone. The original post is
Closeups of Epic Rides mural. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #18?”
Mural #18 is…
Igncio Garcia has painted a lot of murals downtown, so he has several in the quiz. This is “La Mujer Empoderada,” The Empowered Woman. The original post is
Murals being made, part 66: La Mujer Empoderada. It's just north of Congress on 5th Avenue. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #19?”
Mural #19 is…
This is one of three murals by Salvador Duran near the southeast corner of the Rialto Theatre downtown. This mural surrounds the stage door. It shows quite a performance going on! The original post is
Rialto Theatre new & old, part 2 of 2. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #20?”
Mural #20 is…
This Joe Pagac mural covers most of the north side of 8th Street. The top left shows stages of a butterfly being born. The rest has some normal butterflies and Joe-style surprises like people/insects riding butterflies. The original post is
Long lost (by me :) Joe Pagac butterfly mural. (It opens in a new window or tab. Close that and you'll be back here.)
That's all!
Thanks to David Aber for photos #5, #11, #13, and #18. Thanks also to Mark Fleming for photo #7. I took the rest.
I hope you enjoyed the game! Stay tuned to this blog for our next 2,000 murals.
—Jerry Peek
Update (August 30, 2024): #STEMAZing has a webpage from 2022 or so that's like this quiz with a twist. It's a Tucson “No Spoilers” Mural Guide and tour. Murals are purposely covered so you can experience them for the first time in person... or just guess. So, instead of the areas in this quiz outlined in red, there are big white spaces.
https://stemazing.org/mural-quest/
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