The site of the former Dunbar School, for African Americans only until 1987, is now Dunbar Pavilion: An African American Art & Culture Center. I also saw it called Dunbar Pavilion Community Center. Along with two murals outside, along 2nd Street…
…you can also “Discover Community in the Borderlands through Augmented Reality Experiences throughout Tucson.” This sign points to the website dcb.arizona.edu:
When I stopped by on July 8th, 2024, it was hard to see my phone screen in the bright sunlight. (Stopping by earlier or later in the day might have helped.) See https://dcb.arizona.edu/DunbarPavilion for the story of Dunbar School.
Friday, September 06, 2024
Wednesday, September 04, 2024
The other side of Anita Street Market
This neighborhood market is known for tortillas and food — especially its burros. Their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/AnitasStMarket/. (Both the phone number and website currently listed on that page don't work. They ask you to send a Facebook message to order tortillas ahead of time.) The sign on the front of the store says Anita St. Market, but Facebook has Anita’s Street Market… whatever.
They've had some financial troubles, so there's a chance you'll find it closed. This June 24, 2024 #ThisIsTucson article has that story and a lot of history: Tucson survivors: Anita's Street Market is known for their beloved burritos and decades-long history.
It's had murals on the north side since at least 2009. This is on July 8, 2024: There are closeup photos from 2019 here: Murals being (re-)made, part 52: Anita Market.
On the south side is a shaded seating area with murals on two walls: I zoomed in on the west wall: It was painted in 2021: Next, the south wall: Julian came back to paint it in 2024: A Google Maps Street View from January 2023 shows a different mural on the south wall:
I took all the photos on July 8, 2024.
They've had some financial troubles, so there's a chance you'll find it closed. This June 24, 2024 #ThisIsTucson article has that story and a lot of history: Tucson survivors: Anita's Street Market is known for their beloved burritos and decades-long history.
It's had murals on the north side since at least 2009. This is on July 8, 2024: There are closeup photos from 2019 here: Murals being (re-)made, part 52: Anita Market.
On the south side is a shaded seating area with murals on two walls: I zoomed in on the west wall: It was painted in 2021: Next, the south wall: Julian came back to paint it in 2024: A Google Maps Street View from January 2023 shows a different mural on the south wall:
I took all the photos on July 8, 2024.
Monday, September 02, 2024
Steinfeld Warehouse workers
Yesterday (September 1) I realized that we needed a good Labor Day post. I thought of this mural right away. We posted a poor photo in 2010, Mighty mural at 6th & Perry, and a better one in 2014, Steinfeld Warehouse revisited (and re-energized). But none were really good. So I drove over, into the construction zone, and snapped a lot. It's on the west end of the warehouse:
Closeups from left to right. First, at a table saw: Carrying lumber: At a drill press: The three faces from left to right:
The artists’ names are at the bottom right: (If you're being careful about the address, Google Maps has changed it from 101 West 6th Street to 480 North Perry Avenue. I'll bet this is because the Downtown Links road project has broken 6th Street into pieces, and 6th Street doesn't run along the north side of the the warehouse anymore. An address on Perry makes more sense now.)
Closeups from left to right. First, at a table saw: Carrying lumber: At a drill press: The three faces from left to right:
The artists’ names are at the bottom right: (If you're being careful about the address, Google Maps has changed it from 101 West 6th Street to 480 North Perry Avenue. I'll bet this is because the Downtown Links road project has broken 6th Street into pieces, and 6th Street doesn't run along the north side of the the warehouse anymore. An address on Perry makes more sense now.)
Friday, August 30, 2024
CUKSON: Like TUCSON murals: designs in letters
This CUKSON mural, seen through the gate at Splinter Collective…
… is similar to TUCSON murals with faces and other designs inside the letters, like these:
Here's the overall photo above, cropped to show people in the “CU” at the left side:
Lucky Salway messaged me on Facebook May 27, 2023 that he and Sal of Wagon Burner Arts painted it.
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Great idea: mural in a window
Have a window people can see in that you want to keep dark? Instead of buying blackout curtains or blinds, try a mural on something like a board!
I found these on the west side of Arizona Avenue, just south of Broadway, on April 7th. I think they might be for the bar named Prohibición.
Monday, August 12, 2024
Dirty T Tamarindo on St. Marys
The Tucson Foodie article 'Dirty T Tamarindo' to open a brick-and-mortar on the west side tells about the candy — based on recipes from Hermosillo, Sonora — and how it's spread from locations around Tucson to a store on St. Marys Road. Here's the store on December 16, 2023:
That day, I was so interested in the goodies inside that I forgot to take photos of other murals surrounding the little building. So I came back on May 26, 2024 for more goodies and more photos:
(“Dirty T” is a name for Tucson.)
Google Maps didn't want to show the address 1211 W. Saint Marys Road in the box below, at the end of this post; it changes that to Menlo Plaza Shopping Center. The link in that sentence is to Bing Maps.
(“Dirty T” is a name for Tucson.)
Google Maps didn't want to show the address 1211 W. Saint Marys Road in the box below, at the end of this post; it changes that to Menlo Plaza Shopping Center. The link in that sentence is to Bing Maps.
Wednesday, August 07, 2024
1702 - It was the address
On July 21, as I was photographing the six new murals along Speedway (the photos are coming soon!), I noticed a mural painted on what looked like a weathered piece of plywood on the west side of the building two blocks west of Campbell, on the south side of Speedway:
A sign along the sidewalk near the mural had the business name at top:
Google Maps Street View shows the store open in April, 2022 — and an AVAILABLE sign on the empty storefront during April, 2023. Here's the storefront last month:
Since at least 2022, the sign has said “1702 - It’s The Address”.
Monday, August 05, 2024
La protección
The owner of & Gallery, Go Off Tiger — her Instagram, @go.off.tiger, says she's also called Cynthia Irasema (Naugle) — had this art on the front of the gallery while it was still on 4th Avenue April 7, 2024:
(As always, you can click on an image for a slideshow of larger views.)
The gallery has since moved to 834 South 6th Avenue.
(As always, you can click on an image for a slideshow of larger views.)
The gallery has since moved to 834 South 6th Avenue.
Friday, August 02, 2024
Oralia Coffee+Kitchen: See it while you can
Oralia Coffee+Kitchen, at the northwest corner of 6th Street & 6th Avenue, had this burning bush mural on the north side of their lot when I stopped by on December 16, 2023:
The business closed. I've been watching to see if they re-open. But, as of July 2024, there's a For Lease sign. If the new owners don't keep the mural, and you'd like to see it in person, go soon!
The artist doesn't give his name on his Instagram page, @antoniotheartist_art. It looks like he travels to paint and teach; his page says “14 yrs experience in leading & utilizing creative mediums to expose people to a Living God.” His small signature is at the top right corner of the mural:
The artist doesn't give his name on his Instagram page, @antoniotheartist_art. It looks like he travels to paint and teach; his page says “14 yrs experience in leading & utilizing creative mediums to expose people to a Living God.” His small signature is at the top right corner of the mural:
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Maybe a mural, part 84: An even smaller "mural"?
Last time — July 29, 2024 — we saw a small mural on a gate in Tucson's smallest mural? Not long after I wrote that post, early in July, I saw a post from BG Boyd in the Facebook group Tucson Murals and Street Art. He emailed me the coordinates and this larger view from Google Maps. It's along The Loop at Ft. Lowell Park:
That's so small that you might call it a doodle instead of a mural. That's up to you! On this blog, we have a series named “Maybe a mural” for cases like this.
The "mural" coordinates are: 32°15'54.55"N, 110°52'14.07"W.
Here's a link you can use to open your own Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PsUunk1PSX2gviWJ9
The "mural" coordinates are: 32°15'54.55"N, 110°52'14.07"W.
Here's a link you can use to open your own Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PsUunk1PSX2gviWJ9
Monday, July 29, 2024
Tucson's smallest mural?
In the past five or ten years, I've heard one mural after another being called “Tucson’s largest.” Just south of Reid Park, on the Jones Blvd. side of 3371 East 27th Street, is the opposite:
It's from the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album cover. I crossed Jones Blvd. (without a crosswalk) to snap these May 8, 2024.
Is a painting on a board a “mural”? At the top of every blog page, we define a mural as flat art. Even if you don't think this is a mural, it's fun 😎, isn't it?
Speaking of fun, I found a Google search page with various versions of the Abbey Road cover from Flickr.
It's from the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album cover. I crossed Jones Blvd. (without a crosswalk) to snap these May 8, 2024.
Is a painting on a board a “mural”? At the top of every blog page, we define a mural as flat art. Even if you don't think this is a mural, it's fun 😎, isn't it?
Speaking of fun, I found a Google search page with various versions of the Abbey Road cover from Flickr.
Friday, July 26, 2024
Carniceria Don Juan II una vez más
Our post Adios, Carniceria Don Juan II showed the former meat market's mural on December 27, 2023. I'm guessing that some day between then and the day that it closed — February 5, 2024 — someone added a mural to the right of the existing mural. I found the new mural when I drove by on July 18, 2024.
Now the whole west side of the former store has murals. The tortilla banner we saw last time is gone. So here's the entire west wall (“Carniceria Don Juan II one more time”). The new mural shows the Tucson Rodeo. The building also had a For Sale sign… so if you want to see this wall in person, stop by soon!
Now the whole west side of the former store has murals. The tortilla banner we saw last time is gone. So here's the entire west wall (“Carniceria Don Juan II one more time”). The new mural shows the Tucson Rodeo. The building also had a For Sale sign… so if you want to see this wall in person, stop by soon!
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
This blog's 2,000th post: Guess the Mural!
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.
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.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #1.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #2.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #3.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #4.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #5.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #6.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #7.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #8.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #9.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #10.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #11.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #12.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #13.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #14.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #15.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #16.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #17.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #18.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #19.
Ready? Click here to jump to the answer for mural #20.
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #2?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #3?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #4?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #5?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #6?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #7?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #8?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #9?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #10?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #11?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #12?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #13?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #14?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #15?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #16?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #17?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #18?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #19?”
Click here to jump back to “Where is mural #20?”
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/
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.
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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