Painted intersection near Corbett's

Just northeast of Corbett's Beer Garden (you can click there to see murals) is the intersection of 5th Avenue and 7th Street. BG Boyd Photography took this aerial photo:

The data hidden in that photo file says the drone took it on February 18, 2024.

I took photos of two corners from the ground on March 29, 2024. First, the northeast corner:

And the northwest corner:

Rialto Theatre new & old, part 2 of 2

Last time, in Rialto Theatre new & old, part 1 of 2, we looked at the new(ish) mural on the south wall at the southeast corner of the Rialto Theatre. Jessica Gonzales and Dakin Martin made that mural, which was also the cover art for a new album. And we mentioned old murals; they're on the east wall at the southeast corner. This photo, which I took on February 6, 2024, shows the new mural and one of the three old murals:

The other two murals are behind the stairs at the right edge of that photo.

First mural

All three of these murals are by long-time Tucson artist Salvador Duran. The closest mural has faded some since we showed it last — December 25, 2008 — in our post Rialto Theatre backstage door:

If you'd like to see a closeup of the explanatory sign to the right of the mural, click on the link above the photo to open the December 2008 post.

The mural looked like this in February, 2024:

As always, you can click on a photo to get a slideshow of larger views. Below are some closeups:

Second mural

A bit farther north, directly underneath the stairs to the second floor, is a smaller mural:

Third mural

Just to the right (north) of the second mural is the third mural:

Walk a bit farther north. There's:

1. a mural by Jessica Gonzales for Love Block Partners. Keep walking to see:
2. a memorial mural to the singer Prince; Joe Pagac painted it in April, 2016: Prince tributes from Tucson artists (and stencil-ists).
3. at the northeast corner (at Congress St.), are Jessica Gonzales’ always-changing show murals. There's info in our previous post Rialto Theatre new & old, part 1 of 2.

Halfway around the building from there, far up on the southwest corner, is La Guitarrista. Our February 9, 2024 post Guitarist tops the Rialto shows it, but I think it's best to see in person. (To look at the intricate detail, bring binoculars.)

Rialto Theatre new & old, part 1 of 2

Jessica Gonzales does a lot of painting outside the Rialto Theatre downtown. On the northeast corner, she — assisted by Dakin Martin — paints murals for upcoming shows there. Here's one example from her Instagram: the May 17 and May 21, 2024 murals. (She wrote “I love that these show murals allow me to experiment and learn new things in the process.”)

Her March 24, 2024 Instagram post shows her book of Show Murals from 2019-2023. To see her latest show murals, go to her Instagram front page @jessicagonzalesart and scroll down.

From here, walk south along the alley (formerly Herbert Avenue). You'll pass murals that we'll see in part 2 of this series. At the south end, turn around to see this mural on the south wall:

Their signature is at bottom right:

This sign, painted to the right of the mural, says the mural is Album cover art for Gabriella Pietrangelo’s “Back to the Heart” and first single “Tucson”.

The music video, on YouTube, shows Gabriella singing in front of the mural as Jessica and Dakin paint it. This clip starts at 1 minute, 3 seconds:



Here's a link directly to the YouTube video, starting from the beginning: Gabrielle Pietrangelo – Tucson (Official Music Video). There's more in the Arizona Daily Star story on December 12, 2023, Veteran singer-songwriter finds inspiration in Tucson hometown.

In the photo above, of the east wall along the alley, you can see one of the old Salvador Duran murals that we'll show in detail next time.

Tucson's smallest mural?

Over the past years, you've seen announcements of "Tucson's Biggest Mural" more than once. When I saw this gate on May 8th, I thought just the opposite: what's Tucson's smallest mural?

The guidelines on this blog are just that: guidelines. (Artists are too creative to fit just one definition.) Generally, the mural needs to: #1) Be more or less flat, though it can curve around corners and posts… #2) Either be painted directly on a wall or on something like masonite that's designed to be attached to a wall… #3) whatever 😁. What do you think of the “mural” below?

I call this a small mural that was painted on a board attached to the wall -- probably because it's hard to make paint stick to galvanized steel. (In case the scene isn't familiar, this is from the album cover on the Beatles' record “Abbey Road”.)

I crossed Jones Blvd. (without a crosswalk) to snap these May 8, 2024.

Spray paint villains :)

A bit west from 1st Avenue, not far north of Grant, is the fun mural I found on February 6, 2024. It is (or was) along the back side of the building that has (or had) High Level Smoke Shop. At the far end of the first photo is the Santa mural from our previous post, High Level murals. I'm not sure if either mural is still there.

At the bottom right of the last two photos, you can see the artist's signature: stenz.co.uk. (Click there to visit the website in the United Kingdom.)

Flag Day (every day!) on Randolph Parkway

An Arizona flag mural and a US flag make this home (a garage or storage shed, I think) perfect for Flag Day:

Just south of this is the home with its own TUCSON mural:

I took these photos from S. Randolph Parkway, not far south of Reid Park Zoo, at the corner of E. 26th Street, on April 24th, 2024.

High Level murals

I took photos of these murals at High Level Smoke Shop, 1st just north of Grant, on February 6, 2024. When I wrote this post on May 15, I couldn't much online about it. Have they closed? I did find a location far south, 4990 South Campbell.

Have the folks on 1st spaced out? I don't know, but I do have these photos. These weedy people are/were on the north side…

…and Stoner Santa is/was on the south:

Farther west (farther from 1st Avenue), on the same building, is a long mural we'll see in Spray paint villains :).

A helping hand at Parent Aid (Murals being made, part 79)

Last time, we saw a mural downtown by Germaine A Pesqueria, New at English Salon & Spa. He started another mural in January 2024 at Parent Aid — on 22nd Street just east of Tucson Boulevard. I stopped by on January 28th to see the mural in progress:

He posted this nighttime photo to his Facebook that evening:

(He hadn't finished the left hand yet.)

A few months later — May 9, 2024 — I stopped by near sunset to see the finished mural:

The right edge of the mural, around and beyond the fence, is darkness (and also in the late afternoon shade here). Germaine wrote me that the mural is “a visual narrative of transformation and hope, depicting a young soul leaving behind the shadows of sadness to step into a radiant future filled with possibilities.”

Two closeups:

He's painted shadows of plants on the mural; there are also real shadows.

His signature:

New at English Salon & Spa

On November 19, 2021 we showed a mural by on the roll-up shutter of English Salon & Spa, downtown. On April 7, 2024, I noticed this new mural:

It's Audrey Hepburn.

Here's the signature from the lower right corner:

The artist, Germaine A Pesquiera, has painted murals in Tucson for decades. He sent the photos below. (Thanks!)

(I enlarged those photos 2x using Upscale from https://www.stickermule.com/upscale/. It's currently free to use a limited amount each day.)

Next time, we'll see another new mural of Germaine's at Parent Aid.

TRIAL: This blog's 2,000th post: Guess the Mural!

Hi. Thanks for having a look at this test blog post. I'm hoping to get feedback from people like you before I publish this for everyone to see — probably mid-July.

I've never made a “quiz” post like this one where readers jump back and forth. So I'm not sure it's easy to understand and use. If you have any suggestions, please let me know… you'll be helping people who see the final version. Please use the Contact Us form in the right (medium-green colored) column or email info@TucsonArt.info. Thanks!

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Want to test your knowledge of Tucson murals — or just look and maybe get a surprise? Here's an example of what's coming:

Almost twenty years of murals

Popular 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 and sometimes none. (Here's more About this blog.)

The blog template is old and hard to change. On a phone, you might want to turn your phone on its side and stretch the view wider with your fingers so this (dark green) main column of text and photos fills the screen.

Here goes!

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The game

This 2,000th post is a mural quiz. The first half has sections titled “Where is mural #N?”. It has “thumbnail” photos of small parts of murals. Decide which mural the thumbnail came from, then click the link underneath it to see the whole mural (in a section named “Mural #N is…”).

After checking your answer, click the link to jump backwards to the next question. Repeat until you've seen all the NNN murals or you need a coffee break 😉.

Most of the murals are near downtown Tucson. (Mural #1 isn't.)

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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?

(There's no mural #3 yet. Please scroll down to “Where is mural #19?”.)


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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 that street. Where is the mural?

Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #20.

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Mural #1 is…

Joe Pagac painted this mural in 2019. Tusconans immediately 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?”.

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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?”.

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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 **NOT ONLINE UNTIL JUNE 26** 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?”.

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Mural #20 is…

This Joe Pagac mural covers most of the north side of 8th Street — the south side of the Goodwill store. 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.)

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Thanks for playing! Please send me any feedback — especially things that were unclear or technical problems — at one of the following places:

• the Contact Us form in the right (medium-green colored) column on this page
• email to info@TucsonArt.info
• a comment on the Facebook or X post where you found this game.