Posts Tagged ‘Murals’

Nomojoe and Tequilya

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

NoMoJoe and Tequilya. If you live in the Phoenix area, you know what that means and who these calaveras represent.

This mural on Roosevelt Row is by Lalo Cota, who I wrote about~again~a few days ago and his sometime collaborator, Thomas Breeze Marcus. I’ve photographed this building in the alley of the 400 block of East Roosevelt between Eye Lounge and Modified Arts before. This is what it looked like a year ago:

You can see that some of the roses and part of the background remain the same.

Over to the left, under the billboard, this is the mural on the side of Eye Lounge this month.

This mural changes every First Friday (except in the summer) and is always done by Joe Pagac, who you can watch paint amidst the crowds. This is what it looked like about a year ago:

And below is what it looked like about 6 months ago. This performance wall is commissioned by Stateside Presents, a concert and event promoter. So it’s a good gig for Joe Pagac.

Check it out this coming First Friday and see what changes are in store…

Tags: downtown, downtown phoenix, downtown phx, First Friday, Joe Pagac, Lalo Cota, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art, Roosevelt Row, things to do
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Mas Calaveras

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

The other day as we were driving over to see the Valley of the Sunflowers field, my companion said, “There’s a new mural.” I knew right away that it was done by Lalo Cota since it features his unmistakable calaveras which I have blogged about before. Here’s a collage I did last year featuring several of them, scattered about the Downtown Phoenix area.

Sometimes Lalo collaborates with Thomas Breeze and/or Pablo Luna. I was excited to see a new one on the front of Tacos de Juarez (authentic Mexican food at 1017 N. 7th Street) and I know there are a couple more around town, too, that I will blog about soon. It’s great to be photographing a few more murals again and we’re coming up on the best time of year to be walking around colorful Downtown Phoenix with a camera.

I didn’t see any signatures so I’m not sure if he did the rooster, too.

Stay tuned for some new and updated murals…

Tags: downtown, downtown phoenix, downtown phoenix restaurants, downtown phx, Lalo Cota, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art, things to do
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RoRo Mural Update

Sunday, March 20th, 2011

Despite the fact that I live in central Phoenix, not far from Downtown, it had been awhile since I’ve been there in the daytime, with a camera. And, just a short trip around Roosevelt Row (“RoRo”), the heart of the Downtown Arts District, showed many changes in the area’s murals.

This wall, at 3rd Street and Roosevelt, used to display one of the commercial Pabst Blue Ribbon murals that I wrote about a few months ago. You don’t have to look too closely to see parts of the old mural under the red paint. Hopefully, a new (non-commercial) mural will pop up here soon.

Practically next door is this new geometric mural on the side of MonOrchid Gallery at 214 E. Roosevelt:

You probably don’t remember but this is the front and other side of MonOrchid as I photographed it awhile back.

And right next to this building is this new mural:

Across the street, on the side of eye lounge, at 419 E. Roosevelt, I saw this month’s mural by Joe Pagac.

Pagac paints a new mural on this wall every month on First Friday. Yeah, it would be cool if I went down and photographed him doing that but I would need to use a tripod to do it at night and there are literally at least 10,000 people who attend First Friday every month and most of them congregate right here. But I really should at least document every month’s mural. Another one I photographed last summer can be seen here. Same annoying billboard obstructing the mural but I guess that’s part of the installation. This performance wall promotes the Marquee Theatre (Stateside Presents) in Tempe. You can see another of the monthly murals and read an amusing interview with Pagac here.

There were a few other changes. On the side of what was formerly Conspire, 901 N. 5th Street, a coffeehouse and store, those in charge of its new iteration as Imagine painted over one of Lalo Cota’s murals. I guess part of being a muralista is knowing that your work may be transitory, tagged, or overpainted. At least there’s photography to preserve the memories.

At any rate, just this small area had so many changes that I guess it’s time to take my camera and go for a longer walk Downtown to see what else has changed. Check it out the mural changes next time you’re Downtown.

Tags: downtown, downtown phoenix, downtown phx, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art
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Murals with a Message

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

The above messages can be found in the parking lot and on the buildings around Zao Gallery and Universal Hair Salon at 925 Grand Avenue. Artists Francisco Garcia, Alban Fernandez, Francisco Guerrero, Averian Chee, Edgar Fernandez, and Jeff Slim have been filling up the blank walls. When the mural is done, the group hopes it will show solidarity between cultures and against current cultural and political conflicts. You can see more photos on the mural’s progress here.

The above mural is by Elmac (El Mac), who I have mentioned in some other posts. Check out this work in progress next time you’re on Grand Avenue.

Tags: downtown phoenix, downtown phx, Elmac, Grand Avenue, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art
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Neverending Murals

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

This mural and the one below are both located between 3rd and 4th streets on McKinley. Everytime I think I’m getting close to the end of my Downtown Phoenix mural photography project, I see or hear about another one (or several). Originally I thought today’s post was going to be one of the last ones for awhile but now I know where there are at least five more murals. Murals are now a big thing in Downtown Phoenix and someone is constantly working on a new one. There is even a fledgling mural organization program called Mural Match, organized by Roosevelt Row.

The murals in today’s post all have one thing in common: I don’t know anything about them nor who painted them.

According to one of the shop owners that I spoke to in this strip of galleries, this mural is slated to be painted over with a new one soon.

There is a controversy brewing now where some street artists have been tagging murals that other artists were commissioned to do. The street artists feel that murals should have a message, basically their message, and that they have a right to vandalize commissioned murals. Of course, the business owners and muralists whose works are defaced do not agree.

This mural is located at Fresh Gourmet To Go, 110 E. Roosevelt Street.

So this may be the project that never ends and that is a good thing because it means Downtown Phoenix will just keep getting more colorful and more animated.

Tags: downtown, downtown phoenix, downtown phoenix restaurants, downtown phx, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art, phoenix restaurants
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Winged Flight

Monday, November 15th, 2010

This is MonOrchid, a beautiful gallery and event space at 214 E. Roosevelt in Downtown Phoenix.

Kinda reminds me of Twitter. The painter is local artist Brian Boner. You can see the painting that inspired the mural on his web site.

This is what he said the birds represent to him, “It is something about the instinctual way they rely on each other, working together making constant progress. The migration of the flock and the unison, not of one bird but the entire group.” It reminds him of the growing community of artists in Downtown Phoenix who have been working together. You can see the progress and it is not based on one individual, but the collection of many (from blendercreative, where you can also see some photos of Brian painting the mural if you scroll down to the Feb. 2, 2009 post).

Tags: downtown phoenix, downtown phx, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art
Posted in Arts & Culture, Community Commentary, Featured | 2 Comments »

Phoenix Public Market Mural

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

Downtown Phoenix has a public market every Saturday morning and Wednesday evening where you can find a lot of local produce, food items, and arts and crafts. They also have their own mural on a building that faces the parking lot (the back of the Southwestern Litho building at 710 North 1st Street).

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a signature and I don’t know anything about it. The mural seems to stress the sense of community which is what the Public Market is all about.

The Downtown Phoenix Public Market is a program of Community Food Connections, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. “The Market marks the spot where community revitalization, economic development and a showcase for local small-scale agriculture and local artists and crafters intersect in the heart of the city…”

The Downtown Phoenix Public Market is at 721 North Central Avenue on the southeast corner of Central and McKinley Street. Look for the mural next time you’re there and check out the lizard.

Tags: downtown, downtown phoenix, downtown phoenix events, downtown phx, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art, phoenix events, phoenix public market, things to do
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Roy and Revolver Records

Monday, November 1st, 2010

It’s too bad the dumpster and car are there but this is an urban area where it can be hard to get an unobstructed daytime view. Roy Sproule, who I wrote about in my last mural post, completed this mural at Revolver Records at 918 N. 2nd Street (right by many of the other murals I’ve written about) in August 2010. He was scheduled to be deployed to Korea with the U.S. Air Force shortly thereafter but I’m not certain that has occurred.

There are some great photos of Roy painting the mural which, once again, he is donating, here.

These are the words Billie Holiday is singing…

I hope Roy is able to do more murals in Downtown Phoenix because he is certainly making it a brighter place.

Tags: downtown, downtown phoenix, downtown phx, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art, revolver records, Roy Sproule
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Big Mural at Valley Youth Theatre

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Another huge mural graces Downtown Phoenix, on the Valley Youth Theater’s corporate office at 807 N. 3rd Street. Roy Frank Sproule III, an avionics technician with the U.S. Air Force, stationed at Luke AFB, west of Phoenix, came upon the 69 x 11 foot wall during one of Phoenix’ famous First Fridays in 2007. He had never painted a large-scale mural on his own but, after spending six months putting a portfolio together, he approached the staff at the theater and his idea was met with enthusiasm.

He began painting in March 2008 and spent 17 months working on the mural, all while working at his full-time job in the Air Force. He donated his time (2,000 hours) and his own money to the project in order to build his profile.

Roy was given 20 years of photographs of the Valley Youth Theatre’s productions and, from these, he made a collage of over 50 photographs to fill the 759-square-foot wall. He then outlined the shapes with charcoal dust, a technique used by fresco painters during the Renaissance, using perforated patterns created in Photoshop. Interesting that his technique used technologies spanning centuries.

I’m embarrassed to say that I only recognize a few of the productions represented as theater is not my main cultural interest. Can you identify them?

There are several articles on this project, including Roy’s views of what a mural should mean to a community–he thinks the community should benefit by it–and the artist’s role in creating it. Here is another and at this site is a list of several more.

Roy has another large mural in Downtown Phoenix, finished just this last August, that I’ll write about in my next mural post.

Tags: downtown, downtown phoenix, downtown phoenix events, downtown phx, First Friday, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art, phoenix events, Roy Sproule, Valley Youth Theater
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Riding that Train…

Tuesday, October 19th, 2010

…high on coffee.

I saw this mural months ago when I didn’t have my camera with me. I couldn’t remember where it was but Friday, while out driving, I saw it again on Central Avenue in mid-town Phoenix. It’s right by where the METRO Light Rail runs, covering an abandoned building. It’s interesting because it’s 3-dimensional.

I heard it’s from a coffee advertisement. Do you recognize it?

Next time you’re on the Light Rail heading Downtown, look on the east side of Central at Columbus Avenue, and check this out. And, when you get Downtown, stop for some coffee at Fair Trade Cafe at 1020 N. Central Avenue, behind Trinity church, or Fair Trade at Civic Space Park at 424 N. Central Avenue. Fair Trade offers “Coffee with a Conscience.”

Tags: downtown, downtown phoenix, downtown phoenix dining, downtown phoenix restaurants, Fair Trade Cafe, METRO light rail, Murals, phoenix, phoenix art, rail
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