Friday, August 30, 2019

79th Floor

"The 79th Floor is a smoke shop and lounge that specializes in heady glass and CBD products."  Heady glass is a moniker used to distinguish high-quality blown glass pieces such as dab rigs, dabbers, hand pipes, and bongs used for cannabis consumption.  CBD (Cannabidiol) is an oil derived from the cannabis plant.

Photographed on April 22, 2019
Viewed from E. Pima St.
Painted by Ivan and viewed from the store's parking lot on N. Alvernon Way
Click on either photo for larger and sharper images.

Update (June 26, 2020): As you can see in today's entry, the mural on the north wall (the first photo above) has changed and there's a mural on the east wall.

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Seeds of Change

I found this mural on May 10, 2019 at the Steve Daru Boys and Girls Club next to Joaquin Murrieta Park.
Painted by Jonny Balesteros, aka Jonny Bubonik
Click on the photo for a larger and sharper image.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Outside Davis Bilingual Elementary

Davis Bilingual Elementary School has lots of art inside and out. The outside art is concentrated on the south side of the building near the main entrance; most of these have been repainted in the past couple of years. Others are spread around the grounds.

I've been coming here for years. I found two murals on May 12, 2018, near the northeast corner of the building, that I hadn't seen before:


On my last visit, May 15, 2019, I photographed the repainted murals outside. The first six are snapshots of Tucson through the centuries.


Before the late 1600s


Late 1600s - Mid 1700s


Late 1700s to Early 1800s



Early 1900s


Late 1900s

(If you want a lot of flexibility and control over photos with your cell phone camera, try the OpenCamera app. I think it only works on Android. Look through its Settings menu and the “...” menu on the desktop to see all the choices you have.)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Inside Davis Bilingual Elementary

This blog has lots of photos of the art at Davis Bilingual Elementary School. (To see more, click on the “Search this blog” link in the right column, then type Davis Elementary.) A lot of the murals were painted by students. Others are by Luis Gustavo Mena, a Tucson muralist who does a lot to help the school. I stopped by on May 15th to see his mural in the cafeteria. The helpful people in the school office pointed out other murals inside.

Cafeteria

The mural and three closeups:

Hallways

Alongside some of the murals — which, I think, students painted — is some of what looks like their classroom artwork.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Dwayne Manuel painting Landslice murals at TMA

Last week's TMA-list newsletter, dated August 12 (you can click there to see it), includes some info and a video of Dwayne Manuel — of the On’k Akimel Oʼodham/Salt River-Maricopa Indian Community — working on the installation Landslice: a series of murals.

TMA will post weekly videos to show his progress. I try to tweet each week's TMA-list issue from @TucsonArt on Twitter; you can click there to see them, even if you don't have a Twitter account. Or you can subscribe to the newsletter.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Selena

Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was a pop culture icon killed in 1995.  A film was made about her life and career starring Jennifer Lopez.  Jonny Ballesteros (aka Jonny Bubonik) painted this image of Selena on a wall of the American Eat Co. and Market.  Photographed on April 22, 2019.
Click on the photo for a larger and sharper image.

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Murals in Montevideo

I like to travel, and I like murals. Since you're reading this, you probably like murals too — even if they aren't in Tucson. So here's a look at a few murals in the creative city of Montevideo, Uruguay. The streets have a lot of graffiti; some of it I'd call urban art and others, well, tagging…


A wise owl next to the entrance of
Centro Residentes de Artigas, San Jose 885


Ostriches, I think, along Juan Carlos Gómez
seen from the corner of Piedras


A Cutcsa bus


Recycling bins painted in the style of
the late Uruguayan artist José Gurvich

Tango dancers, what else? (Tango started here.)

I took the photos July 25th.

Friday, August 09, 2019

Pescaderia y Taqueria Yami

The mural at this Mexican seafood restaurant on South Fourth Avenue was painted by Jilmar Alaniz.  Photographed on May 27, 2019.

Cowboy Riding a Swordfish
Here's a closer view.
I believe the cowboy is a self-portrait of the artist.

Click on either photo for larger and sharper views.

Tuesday, August 06, 2019

Quick Rialto mural tour

Before the downtown construction boom of the past few years, it used to be easy to see the ever-changing concert murals on the east side of the Rialto Theatre. Since a building went up close to the murals, now there's just an alley. To see the murals from a car, you really need to get out and walk. In case you haven't been there, here's a quick tour.

I snagged this photo while I was stopped in traffic on Congress January 19th:

Once you're on foot, you'll see the Prince mural that's on the wall permanently — as well as the latest concert mural(s):

Joe Pagac's little man and monkey are at the right edge of the photo above.

Friday, August 02, 2019

Wildlife on Country Club

This mural is in front of a home at the corner of Arroyo Chico — a place you're likely to see wildlife:

A couple of details:

I was there on April 14th.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Back of the Lost Barrio

The Lost Barrio is a shopping area along Park Avenue south of Broadway. If you come in on 12th Street from Euclid or Tyndall, you'll see the back side of the buildings. It's a funky scene: a dirt parking lot with a bunch of old doors and a couple of murals (maybe more, or others, by the time you see this).

If you'd like a Google satellite map with a pin in front of the wall, click there.

Here's the door at the right end of the first photo above… photos of the mural are next:

The first, second, third and fifth photos above are from January 2, 2019. Photos 4 and 6 are from January 19.

Gerardo Olmedo, the owner of Lost Barrio Gallery — the store behind the mural — sent me this photo on April 16th of Salvador Duran in front of his mural:

Friday, July 26, 2019

Danny Martin Art

Danny Martin has two small murals near downtown Tucson that have not appeared in this blog.  Both were photographed on 3/14/2019.  Here they are:

South side of Etherton Gallery (of photography)
at 135 South Sixth Ave.
Camera Lady

25 West Simpson St.
Must be viewed from Stone Ave. down an alley.
"Peggy Sue"
Click on either photo for larger and sharper images.