Horsin' Around at the Saloon

Frequent contributor Warren V. snapped this picture of a giant horse mural. It's located on the side of the Red Garter Saloon at 3143 E Speedway. Warren adds it's "hard not to to spot this one when driving eastbound on Speedway."

Our First Mural Movie

A walk along the mural at Marion Donaldson 

Elementary School in Tucson. It's located at

2040 W. Omar Drive. Here's the map link.

Sit Down!

At least that's the English version of sientese: sit down.

So, when you find yourself at the Bates Mansion, 283 N. Stone in Tucson, then sit down and take in this awesome mural.

Pics submitted by Warren V.

Update (January 22, 2013): An Arizona Daily Star article by Ernesto Portillo says that the mural was painted by Mexican artist Salvador Corona. We've added a photo of the mural over the north entrance (mentioned by the Star article) in today's post.

To Catch the Eye...

...paint a mural!

That's what Solar Culture Gallery must have intended at it's downtown Tucson location on

31 E. Toole.

Pic submitted by dedicated contributor Warren V.

A Nod to Bisbee, Arizona

Yes, I know, I know. It's the Tucson Murals Project. I just wanted to show a little love (and artistic appreciation) for Bisbee. The number of murals in Bisbee is unknown to me, but I couldn't help but take a few snaps of this one on the side of the Jonquil Motel. It's a mural based on a poem. Read the artist's signature below for more information.

A Little Fruity?

"Hi Randy,
This mural is from the side of a business at the

northwest corner of 6th Avenue & Pennsylvania.

Not sure who the artist is.

cheers,
Warren V."

Update from Jerry Peek (September 17, 2012): I accidentally re-posted a photo from December 23, 2010, as Pueblo Income Tax. Today the mural is gone.

Dunbar/Spring Monster Mural

Actually, folks, it's not a mural of monsters... it's a very large mural. Artist Susan Kay Johnson (who also founded Tucson's All Souls Procession, along with many other artistic feats) painted this ginormous mural along an entire block on 9th Avenue, south of University Blvd., in the Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood. The mural has a procession of scenes; walk along the block (yes, it's at least a block long!) and enjoy it all. My cell phone camera couldn't capture more than small pieces of the whole thing. Maybe this is the excuse I need to finally buy a wide-angle lens for my other camera. ;-)


Update (April 18, 2013): I've just posted a photo of a recent addition above the mural.

Update (October 1, 2014): A photo of artist Sue Johnson just as the mural had been painted is in the Tucson Citizen archives on April 20, 2007 at Mural honors neighborhood.

Update (May 14, 2015): The mural has been tagged at the north end.

Northwest Center

Tucson Parks & Recreation's Northwest Center

located at 2160 N. 6th Avenue.

A close-up:

Out of This World

Explore an otherworldly mural on the wall of the

University of Arizona's

Phoenix Mars Mission Science Operations Center in Tucson.

Here's an article from the UA about the mural as it was being painted.

It's located on the corner of 6th Avenue and Drachman. The address is 1415 N. 6th Ave.

Hmm.. Date's not right on pic above. It was actually snapped by my daughter, Isabelle, in March, 2008. (The staring goofball on the sidewalk is me). Crazy Cameras. Funny story though: Isabelle told me about this mural, but didn't know where it was. So we were driving around, looking for murals, and I turned at 6th & Drachman. Bam! Nearly ran right into Mars!

Update (October 1, 2014): Here's an article from the Tucson Citizen archive from December 16, 2006: UA’s Mars mural will be city’s largest.

Update (January 29, 2015): There's a new space mural around the corner.

Update (June 19, 2022): We've added an aerial view of this mural to the entry for the new space mural (click above).

That's Chicago!

"I shot this mural in the alley behind the

Chicago Music Store in downtown Tucson."
Warren V.

Silverbell Wildlife

"Here are some really nice murals located at 351 N Silverbell (South of St Mary's Hospital)."

Warren V.

Update (July 21, 2024): Google Maps Street View shows the murals still here in August 2023. They face Silverbell, behind a SunTran bus stop.

Taquerias Lupitas

Not Your Father's Grafitti

If you merely glance at the north side of Taquerias Lupitas on Stone Avenue, you may think some really talented grafitti artist attacked the building.

However, on closer inspection, you can see this is a work of art. Its location is unfortunate because there is not easy access to it, but if you park in the lot next door at The Coffee Vein, you can walk over for a closer look.

Update (September 3, 2012): The mural is gone.

Update (July 20, 2024): The building is at 1535 N. Stone Avenue. It looks the same as the second photo above, but now it houses Hookaholics, “Hookah Lounge & More.”

El Rio by Tineo

"These pictures were taken at the El Rio Neighborhood Center located at 1390 W Speedway.
cheers,
Warren V."

And as you'll be able to see from Warren's pictures is the signature of the amazing muralist and artist David Tineo. Tineo suffers from macular degeneration, but his vision of art will always stay with Southern Arizona... and the Tucson Murals Project.

(Update by Jerry Peek: An Arizona Daily Star article on December 3, 2005, Opinion by Ernesto Portillo Jr.: World darkens for muralist says that Tineo painted his first mural in 1975, two years out of high school, here at the El Rio Neighborhood Center. In 2005, at 50 years old, David Tineo was losing his eyesight.

In another article, on January 22, 2006, As the light fades, Tom Beal wrote that Tineo started the El Rio murals in 1974 and restored them in the spring of 2005. He was losing his vision and "found himself losing balance atop the scaffold. He had to abandon the job and give up teaching at Pima Community College."

To find more about David Tineo and his murals, type his name into the search box near the top right corner of this blog.)

Update (January 23, 2012): There are more photos on the post El Rio revisited.

In The News: Tucson Murals Project

The Tucson Murals Project was in the Thursday, May 1st edition of the Arizona Daily Star. Here's the link: https://www.azstarnet.com/sn/caliente/236642.php.

Update (July 20, 2024): The link above is broken. The story, “Former anchor's site documents city murals,” is at: https://tucson.com/entertainment/former-anchors-site-documents-city-murals/article_f2f6f86f-a279-5806-8905-b35386c6e1e8.html

You Aorta Have Some Coffee

The Coffee Vein

I don't know if an exploding heart is a good way to advertise your coffee shop, but it certainly seems to work for The Coffee Vein. Besides, I'm a bleeding heart for good coffee. You can find this caffeinated hot spot at 1545 North Stone Avenue.

The Artist's Signature:

Update (June 19, 2016): Look closely at that signature and you'll see CyFi one, a.k.a. Rock Martinez. I spotted this while updating our article Rock Martinez in the Tucson Citizen, 2008.

Update (July 20, 2024): I compared the second photo above — the one with MOTORCYCLES ONLY — to Google Maps Street View. The photo is taken from the southeast corner of the building, facing north. It looks like the whole building has been replaced with a new one that now holds Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Bookmans: Grant & Campbell

The Bookmans on the southeast corner of Grant & Campbell has an extensive mural covering the east side of the store. The artists' names, Skidd Rockwell and Pete Young, are pictured at the bottom.

Mariscos Mural

This mural comes to the Tucson Murals Project from Warren V. He writes:

I enjoy your Tucson street murals blog and pictures. Here is one for your consideration with a picture I took today that you can use (I did a very slight photoshop removal of some grafitti on one side of it).
The mural is located at the SW corner of 1st and Swan, no idea who the artist is.
Cheers,
Warren V.

The Legacy of Cesar Chavez

One not easily found, because it is in an industrial area off Benson Highway, is the PPEP mural that honors Cesar Chavez and also depicts the original 1957 Chevy bus “La Tortuga” (tortoise) that was used when PPEP started in 1967. The artist is Luis Mena.

Submitted by Neil Amstutz

Update (September 9, 2012): Thanks to Google and an article about the PPEP Farmworker Hall of Fame, I (Jerry) found the mural. It's at 802 E. 46th Street.

Update (July 18, 2024): Google Maps Street View shows that the mural was still there during April, 2022:

A"maze"ing Mural

Directly across Ajo from Hollinger Elementary (133 W. Ajo) is this office building with a silhouette of a Native American gathering fruit from the top of a saguaro cactus. There is also a Native American and a bird and the Tohono O’odham “man in the maze”. Artist unknown. Submitted by Neil Amstutz

Update (September 16, 2012): The mural has been painted over in bright green (to match other buildings nearby) and this is now a T-Mobile store.

Update (July 18, 2024): Since 2012 (according to Google Maps Street View), the wall has either been a solid red color or had advertising signs.

It's Elementary, My Dear Hollinger.

Submitted by Neil Amstutz:

"At Hollinger Elementary near 6th and Ajo

is this mural that appears weathered by

our desert sun. An Arizona flag appears

with smaller flags of America and Mexico

overlaid on it. There is also a saguaro

cactus, a palm tree and some depictions

of desert creatures. Artist(s) unknown."