Faded at 12th and Park

December 21st, I was taking one of my favorite bicycle shortcuts from the west side of the Park Avenue “freeway” (south of Broadway) to the east side. As I rode along 12th Street, I spotted a faded mural on the northwest corner of Rustica, just west of Park Avenue:

Here's a closer view:

I didn't have time to go inside and ask if they know the story. If you know, please leave a comment below! (You can stay anonymous, if you'd like.)

Howling At The Moon

This mural first appeared in the Tucson Murals Project on June 16, 2011 as the Wildcat School from Warren V.  It next appeared in the Tucson Daily Photo on May 6, 2014 as the Sad piece of Tucson history. It had been completely covered by a chain link fence.  The fence is now gone.  The mural is on the west wall of the Pepe Barron Academy.  It is best viewed from behind the Eegees at Stone & Drachman.  I took this photo on Jan. 17, 2016.

Click on the photo for a larger (and sharper) view.

Mexico City is mural heaven!

Many thanks to David Aber for taking over while I spent most of February in Mexico. Since I'd only barely crossed the border in the past years to visit my dentist in Nogales (if you want a good dentist, just ask! :) my trip into central Mexico amazed me. There's street art (and other kinds of art) everywhere.

As I write from time to time: This is the Tucson Murals Project, but once in a while (such as Randy's post from Baghdad) we like to spread stories of murals around the world. Here's one from my time in Mexico — at the Garibaldi Metro (subway) stop, I think:

It shows Metro riders. The mural has more visual art around its edges, and urban/rap-type music (in Spanish, of course) plays in the background. It's typical of what I came to discover in the Mexican cities I visited: what seemed like much more appreciation for the Arts than in some places. (Let's please pull for even more Tucson art… and cooperation between artist groups and government… OK, off of my soapbox. :)

Next time, back to another of David's mural photos! I'll continue in March with an incredible number of murals at a high school I spotted while I was searching for my way out of a dead-end street.

P.S. I hope you enjoy your extra day (February 29th). How about some mural-watching? By the way, Dave is busy updating the mural map. It's one of the links you'll find on the TucsonArt.info murals page.

Natural World

Tile murals by Robin Riley (I think) and the students of Santa Clara Elementary.  I took these photos on 12/11/2015.

Click on any photo for a slide show of larger photos.
Another mural from the Santa Clara School was posted on 12/26/2011.

Conserve To Enhance

I was wandering the neighborhood on Dec. 24, 2015 looking at Christmas decorations and found this at Anna Henry Elementary School:

The school's mascot is a Gila Monster and it's painted on a 3,000 gal. rainwater recovery tank.
Click on any photo for a slide show of larger images.

Chicanos

Alley behind Tierra y Libertad Organization (TYLO), a Tucson-based grassroots neighborhood organization in Barrio Wakefield.  The alley is located in the 3600 block between South 6th and 7th Avenues.  Photo was taken on Oct. 28, 2015.

Click on the photo for a larger image.

That's actually only the left end of a long and exquisitely-painted mural. I stitched together a panorama.

There are more murals — not as long or polished as this one, but still impresssive — at IncrediblAlley.

Hummingbird Mural

The South side of a building at S. 12th Ave. and W. Lerdo Rd.  Photo taken on Dec. 11, 2015.

Click on the photo for a larger view.

Midtown Bar & Grill

Here are three photos of a mural painted on the front and side of the Midtown Bar & Grill:

Photos were taken on Dec. 11, 2015.
Click on any photo for a larger size.
NOTE:  By July 30, 2016 all of the murals have been painted over. What a shame.

Trash container murals revealed

The graffiti-abatement test program — of painting murals on five dumpsters — showed off its work Friday, February 5th in the parking lot behind the old Chicago store location (across the street from the new, much smaller location). Here's a wrapup from KVOA-TV News 4:

First 5 'dumpster art' containers completed Friday

New at Mexicayotl Academy

Around the corner from the other murals at Mexicayotl Academy (which are mostly faded now)I spotted a new mural November 20th. Here are two views: