It seems like almost every Tucson wall tells a story.
Here’s a selection of some of our favorite murals seen around town. P.S. — We try to update this gallery as frequently as local artists continue to grace us with their beautiful work.
Want to see a mural map? Click here!
“La Guitarista”
After seven years, muralist Ignacio Garcia painted over his original mural of basketball legend Bill Walton riding a mythical jackalope. Garcia says the Walton mural didn’t fully reflect downtown Tucson and he has embraced a style of art that represents the Sonoran culture and empowerment of women. The mural is slated to be done the week of Jan. 15.
Location: 47 S. Fifth Ave.
Thrive in the 05
The Desert Pen, aka Pen Macias, worked on this mural in collaboration with Thrive in the 05 and the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona, asking community members what they’d want to see on the mural. Every part of the mural pays homage to someone’s story, with ties to family, nature and local landmarks.
Location: Bailey’s Fabric and Supply, 1401 N. Bailey Lane
Rosa’s Resistance
Ignacio Garcia created this gem, which he calls Rosa’s Resistance. “In the forge of perseverance, Rosa toils, a symphony of sparks, where metal coils. Passion ablaze, her craft she adorns, a tapestry of strength, where resilience is born.” Read the rest on Garcia’s Instagram.
Location: 219 N. Third Ave.
El Tour de Tucson
This colorful downtown mural, by Joe Pagac, celebrates El Tour de Tucson’s 40th anniversary in 2023.
Location: Southeast corner of Broadway and Sixth Avenue.
Al Foul
This mural by Jessica Gonzales honors local musician Al Foul, who died in 2022. In a career spanning 30 years, Al left his mark as a musician but it’s his legacy as a “remarkable human being” that his friends remember most.
Location: 2231 S. Fourth Ave.
Twice As Nice
Meet Valentina — a sassy and strong wildcat pictured in this east-side mural by Pato Aguilar.
Location: Twice As Nice, 7333 E. Broadway
“The Three Sisters”
Dubbed The Three Sisters, this mural was inspired by the Indigenous planting method of corn, beans and squash. “The Three Sisters method also has cultural significance as it represents a way of life that is in harmony with nature and respects the interconnectedness of all living things,” says mural designer Ruben Moreno. The artist team includes Tony Plak, Edward Hyde Aug and Mel Melo Dominguez.
Location: 61 E. Congress St.
Tucson mural
Six different artists — Kati Astraeir, Donovan White, Coda One, Ruben Moreno, Salvador Duran and Johanna Martinez — took on a letter of the word “Tucson” for this mural in midtown.
Location: 1122 N. Stone Ave.
The Downtown Dispensary
Joe Pagac created this piece at The Downtown Dispensary. It’s partially inspired by a trip that Pagac to look to Hawaii.
Location: The Downtown Dispensary, 221 E. Sixth St.
“Sam & Sara”
Arizona artist Isaac Caruso created a children’s book dubbed “Sam & Sara,” illustrated entirely with murals across the state, including this one in Tucson.
Location: 2560 E. River Road, to the east of the apartments as you’re headed to The Loop.
Tanna’s Botannas
Find this dreamy mural at candy shop Tanna’s Botannas. Created by Camila on Canvas, the mural features a red house on the right which is actually owner Tanna Cole’s fiancé Alberto’s abuela’s house in Guadalajara (and where inspiration first stirred to create the Tanna’s Botannas business).
Location: Tanna’s Botannas, 4426 S. Sixth Ave. (Another Tanna’s location at 954 W. Prince Road also has a mural.)
Lohse Family YMCA
This mural, by Joe Pagac, highlights different aspects of YMCA offerings including basketball, swimming and horseback riding. The mural is part of the full remodeling of The YMCA’s downtown location. The project is funded by the Connie Hillman Family Foundation.
Location: Lohse Family YMCA, 60 W. Alameda St.
Corbett’s
Eatery and pickleball destination Corbett’s features several murals including this one by Joe Pagac. Another is of Twelve Tribes’ late owner Dennis “Papa Ranger” Francis, painted by Ignacio Garcia.
Location: Corbett’s, 340 N. Sixth Ave.
First Responders
This mural by Joe Pagac features a Border Patrol agent, a police officer, a firefighter and a paramedic. The mural is 75 feet wide and 16 feet tall. The unveiling coincided with the 49th annual National EMS Week, which celebrates the first responder workforce.
Location: Banner-University Medical Center Emergency Department Bay area, East Adams Street
“Tracks and Trails”
This 4,000-square-foot piece features fauna and flora of the Sonoran Desert. It was created by Jessica Gonzales and Rock Martinez.
Location: Rio Vista Natural Resource Park, 3974 N. Tucson Blvd.
Agave at Twenty Two Apartments
Erixaart created this gem and says her experience creating this mural — apartment residents showed her lots of love — reminded her how important community is and “how little acts of kindness mean the world.”
Location: Agave at Twenty Two Apartments, 8485 E. 22nd St.
“Even In Death”
Called “Even In Death,” this piece was created by @waddup.native as part of the Fronteridades project between Galeria Mitotera, Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry and the Mellon Foundation.
Location: South Fourth Avenue and East 30th Street
Turtle’s Soup
You may have seen local artist Turtle’s Soup’s artwork wrapped around the Sun Link streetcar, or maybe you’ve seen their stickers in the checkout area of Bookmans. Now you can admire their bubbly art along a wall at toy shop Mildred & Dildred.
Location: Mildred & Dildred, 1725 N. Swan Road
Seven Cups
This mural comes to LIFE. It might be Tucson’s first augmented reality mural and it was created by Jodie Lewers Chertudi. Through a QR code on the mural at Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas, visitors can access the AR experience to see a virtual teacup, parts of the historic “7 Cups” poem, the Chinese symbol for prosperity and plenty of clouds and raindrops to walk through. Read more here.
Location: Seven Cups Fine Chinese Teas, 2510 E. Fort Lowell Road
Southwest Native Trading Post
Near the end of 2022, nonprofit Native Music Coalition opened Southwest Native Trading Post where you can find Indigenous pieces including clothing, kachinas, jewelry and more. The mural on the building was created by Lucinda Y. Hinojos “La Morena,” Kayla Bellerose and Jay Lopez.
Location: Southwest Native Trading Post, 301 W. Ajo Way
Zine mural
This mural, located in the center’s children’s and teen area of the University of Arizona Poetry Center, is a colorful homage to the world of zines. The mural was created by artist Ana Santos Acinas of Alley Cat Murals. She was inspired by her own zine-making years in the ‘90s.
Location: UA Poetry Center, 1508 E. Helen St.
Southwest Strings
There’s now a colorful mural at Southwest Strings, created by Jessica Gonzales. She said on Instagram: “So excited to add some color to the area and give the community a peek into what goes on inside this super cool business.”
Location: Southwest Strings, 1721 S. Cherrybell Stravenue
El Tour de Tucson
Ahead of El Tour de Tucson 2022, Joe Pagac created this mural at The Monica. He says it was inspired by French cycling posters from the 1900s.
Location: The Monica, 40 E. Congress St.
Jackalope
This mural was created by Danny Martin. On Instagram, he wrote: “Big fan of jackalopes.”
Location: 1250 E. Manlove St.
Rock The Spot
A parking area on Congress Street is now home to SEVERAL murals, thanks to local and national artists as part of Rock The Spot‘s three-day graffiti jam.
Location: Parking area along Congress Street, between Scott and Stone avenues.
I Am You 360
The Museum of Contemporary Art’s Minor Mutiny Teen Council created this mural at I Am You 360, a nonprofit working to create a tiny home community for vulnerable youth.
Location: I Am You 360, 1131 S Van Buren Ave.
Katherine Joyce mural
You’re out of this world, Tucson! Find this mural along Speedway, by Katherine Joyce.
Location: 5731 E. Speedway
“Yoeme Unidos”
This mural was commissioned by Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area, aiming to focus on “empowering Indigenous youth to take the expressive traditions passed down from their communities and their own artistic style to paint their understanding of traditional stories, cultural figures, and epic histories.” It was created by Anitra “Yukue” Molina, Ignacio Garcia and seven youth from the Pascua Yaqui Clubhouse of the Boys and Girls Club of Tucson.
Location: Sonoran Stitch Factory, 625 W. Rillito St.
Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition
This Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition mural was created by The Desert Pen, aka Pen Macias. She said, “I hoped to create a piece of art you could interact with… Take pictures lost in a cactus forest or feeding larger-than-life desert birds. More than anything I hoped to contribute beauty to the most magical avenue in Tucson.”
Location: Wooden Tooth Records, 426 E. Seventh St.
Tucson Appliance Company
This mural features drawings of appliances amid desert scenery, created by Erixa Art. The mural took about six weeks to complete and features 24 colors.
Location: Tucson Appliance Company, 4229 E. Speedway
Roskruge K-8
Originally created by Martin Moreno, this huge mural wraps around part of Roskruge K-8. It was revitalized in 2022 by Alley Cat Murals, who surveyed the community and asked for design ideas from the students. The project was kickstarted with a handful of paint-by-number events with help from community volunteers.
Location: Roskruge K-8, 501 E. Sixth St.
Noodies
Restaurant Noodies is home to this “birth of Venus” mural, created by Jenna Tomasello. “Jenna presented us with the idea of this comical, graphic version of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus with Venus holding a soft serve cone and angels feeding her pasta and we knew it would be perfect,” Noodies wrote on Instagram.
Location: Noodies, 1730 E. Speedway
The Folk Shop
This adorable mushroom mural was created by Ameira Al-Rudhan, Katie Levya and Bryce J. Rogers.
Location: The Folk Shop, 2525 N. Campbell Ave.
Minor Mutiny
This mural at The Drawing Studio was created by the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Minor Mutiny Teen Council.
Location: The Drawing Studio, 2760 N. Tucson Blvd.
Tierra Antigua Realty
Created by Ignacio Garcia is this mural that adds a pop of color to Tierra Antigua Realty’s entrance.
Location: 216 E. Congress St.
The Tuxon
Jessica Gonzales created two murals at The Tuxon, which she says were “inspired by a lifestyle that embraces elements of both the city and the desert, while also creating an inviting and inclusive space where guests at The Tuxon can feel invigorated and welcomed by what Tucson has to offer.”
Location: The Tuxon, 960 S. Freeway
The Boxyard
This mural by Jerry Wagner Jr. sits outside of The Boxyard on Fourth Avenue. He said he’s “really honored” to have a piece on the avenue.
Location: The Boxyard, 238 N. Fourth Ave.
IBTs
Created by Nolan Patterson with the help of Dixie Vonne, this mural sits atop IBT’s and celebrates pride.
Location: IBT’s, 616 N. Fourth Ave.
Zion City Church
Joe Pagac’s largest mural to date — 6,700 square feet — is located at Zion City Church. Stephanie Pagac Garcia, Sue Kagel, Mary Beth Caccitolo, Ana Santos Acinas and Hanna Moreno also worked on the mural.
Location: Zion City Church, 2561 W. Ruthrauff Road
Goodwill mural
Here’s what Rock Martinez had to say about this javelina mural: “This piece represents our desert community and the importance of our voyage from place to place. The experiences we encounter and the people we meet within our community creating their own paths. It is also a reminder to support local programs that change local lives.”
Location: Goodwill donation center, 1770 S. Cherrybell Stravenue
“La Mujer Empoderada”
This tall mural by Ignacio Garcia is called “La Mujer Empoderada” or “The Empowered Woman.” Garcia says the piece represents “strength, leadership and the beauty of boldness.”
Location: 1 N. Fifth Ave.
Amphitheater Middle School
This bright mural is inspired by Amphitheater Middle School’s mascot, the pirate. It was done by Joe Pagac, Katherine Joyce, Ana Santos Acinas, Stephanie Pagac Garcia and Arielle Alelunas.
Location: Amphitheater Middle School, 315 E. Prince Road
The Desert Pen mural
Created by Pen Macias, aka The Desert Pen, is this beauty found at a local residence. It can be seen from Alvernon Way, across from Randolph Rec Center, and was inspired by sunset colors, geometric patterns and the Southwest’s plant life.
Location: Along Alvernon Way, south of Broadway, across from Randolph Recreation Center, 200 S. Alvernon Way
Aretha Franklin
Find this Aretha Franklin mural in a community space at Hotel McCoy, created by Alley Cat Murals. Hotel McCoy is home to nearly 70 different murals around its grounds.
Location: Hotel McCoy, 720 W. Silverlake Road
Looney Tunes
Tucked into a downtown alley is this playful Looney Tunes mural by national artist Nina Palomba. It celebrates 80 years of Tweety!
Location: Near 27 N. Scott Ave.
Wagon Burner Arts mural
This stunning mural can be found across from American Eat Co. and was done by Wagon Burner Arts!
Location: Across from American Eat Co., 1439 S. Fourth Ave.
Sunshine Mile
This Sunshine Mile mural by Porter McDonald shows javelinas against a bright-colored backdrop. The buildings on the javelinas represent the seven historic bungalows that were moved and saved from destruction during Broadway’s widening project. “What an amazing project this has been,” McDonald said on Instagram. “Huge shout out to everyone who came to help paint or just to keep me company.”
Location: Northwest corner of North Tucson Boulevard and East Broadway
Tucson Dental Studio
Pop over to Tucson Dental Studio to see this very Tucson mural by muralist and tattoo artist Jonny Bubonik.
Location: Tucson Dental Studio, 1331 N. Swan Road
Hello Bicycle mural
This adorable mural welcomes guests to bicycle shop Hello Bicycle. It was created by artist Sasha Aliza, who also made stickers for the shop!
Location: Hello Bicycle, 3702 E. Hardy Dr.
Greetings from Arizona
This beauty was created by Wagon Burner Arts, who said on Instagram: “Such an amazing time with amazing local artists who (are) bringing their artistic talent to the great communities of Tucson!”
Location: 5807 E. 22nd St.
Wagon Burner Arts mural
Another mural made by Wagon Burner Arts is this extra-long gem at a midtown residence. On Instagram, Wagon Burner Arts said: “A collection of references was gathered and over the course of three days, here is the outcome of a team of 4. Mind you, no one paid for this. Samual [the property owner] was kind enough to fund a portion of paint supplies. We paint because we are passionate. We give back when we can.”
Location: 1746 E. Grant Road
Stone Avenue mural
This mural, created by Pasqualina Azzarello and other artists, is located on a 630-foot-long wall that curves around Stone Avenue. It was created more than two decades ago and was most recently restored in the end of 2021. Read more about the mural and the restoration project here!
Location: Stone Avenue between Roger Road and Limberlost Drive
How Sweet It Was
Artist YuYu Shiratori says of the above mural: “We are each our own solar systems, holding different ideas and spaces, having to coexist. I think it’s important to acknowledge that as individuals and a society, we are going to get things wrong, we don’t know everything and we have more unpacking to do to create a harmonious society for everyone to exist in. I hope this image can serve as a reminder to be receptive of the environment and people around us, and open to the changes we will see in the future.”
Location: How Sweet It Was, 424 E. Sixth St.
Himmel Park mural
This mural at Himmel Park took muralist Joe Pagac three years of planning, which included meeting with a neighborhood group to gather ideas. Part of the mural features a lizard and a Gila monster reading books, in honor of the Himmel Park Library.
Location: Himmel Park near the pool, 950 N. Tucson Blvd.
Monsoon in a bottle
When posting on Instagram about this mural, artist Ignacio Garcia described monsoons passing quickly, with its “euphoric” scent, “as if cutting open a watermelon.” Garcia’s mural shows “monsoon in a bottle” with hints of a pink sunset. See the mural in motion here!
Location: 290 W. Fort Lowell Road
Welcome to Oro Valley
This colorful mural by Pen Macias, aka The Desert Pen, welcomes visitors to Oro Valley. “It was an honor to create this mural for this beautiful town,” Macias said on Instagram.
Location: Oro Valley Marketplace, 12155 N. Oracle Road
Sunshine Mile mural
Created by Alicia Ramirez, this mural is a tribute to the Sunshine Mile, featuring historic icons like Lerua’s, Hirsh’s Shoes and Bob’s Big Boy.
Location: Caps and More Embroidery, 198 S. Tucson Blvd.
Star Wars mural
Located on the building that was once home to Tallboys and later Pop’s Hot Chicken is this Star Wars mural created by Jenna Tomasello and Alley Cat Murals.
Location: 600 N. Fourth Ave.
Amazing Discoveries
This goes without saying, but this Jessica Gonzales mural is colorful and eye-popping. She says it’s a mesh between a Gila monster and a Quetzalcoatl dragon.
Location: Amazing Discoveries, 238 S. Tucson Blvd.
Samantha Silverman tribute
The above mural was created by Danny Martin as a tribute to CrossFit athlete Samantha Silverman. It’s located at the Two Forty Four gym, which said on Instagram: “Big shoutout to (Danny Martin) for taking on this project. It’s safe to say he nailed this (Samantha Silverman) tribute piece. We couldn’t be happier with it!”
Location: Two Forty Four, 244 S. Tucson Blvd.
Desert Museum mural
Find this “Protecting Pollinators” mural, for TEP and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, along the I-10 frontage road. It was created by Alley Cat Murals!
Location: 898 W. Simpson St.
Colorful Tucson, AZ mural
This mural, near Antigone Books and ShopUp Tucson, was created by several artists as part of The Living Mural project nearby.
Location: ShopUp Tucson, 329 E. Seventh St.
Kirk-Bear Canyon
This mural seems like it goes on forever — so long that we couldn’t get all of it (or even half of it) in one photo. The mural was created by Joe Pagac, Katherine Joyce, Megan Nemeth and Brady Fellows.
Location: Kirk-Bear Canyon Library, 8959 E. Tanque Verde Road
Gastronomy mural
This mural was created by Ashley White, who says she came up with the idea for the mural when attending a conference about Tucson’s designation as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. “I love this city. Even though I did not grow up here, I call it home. This designation is just one reason why I’m a proud Tucsonan, but it’s one I like to celebrate hard,” she said on her Instagram.
Location: Zio Peppe, 6502 E. Tanque Verde Road
T-Bees
Created by Ignacio Garcia, the above mural shows flying TVs, aka “T-Bees.” Decades ago, the building where this mural is located was home to Flash TV & Appliances. At the time, color TVs were all the rage. Garcia says the owner of the appliance shop ran commercials where he literally threw TVs off the roof to promote the new color ones. When thinking of a mural for this wall, Garcia had a few ideas but none seemed like the right fit. Then he said: “Let’s do flying TVs.”
Location: The Flash Tucson, 834 S. 6th Ave.
El Tour de Tucson
Joe Pagac, with the help of Katherine Joyce Lester, Arielle Pagac-Alelunas and Brady Fellows, created this El Tour de Tucson mural, sponsored by Tucson Medical Center. “It’s so wonderful to have people and companies that value putting art into the community,” Pagac said on Instagram.
Location: West side of the Transamerica parking structure, 177 N. Church Ave.
Tucson Medical Center
Joe Pagac, Katherine Joyce Lester and Arielle Pagac-Alelunas completed this mural that incorporates colorful flowers and depictions of healthcare workers in March 2021 at Tucson Medical Center. “It honors all those who have sacrificed for our community through the pandemic this past year,” Pagac wrote on Instagram.
Location: On the northeast corner of Tucson Medical Center, opposite the Catalina Parking Garage, 5301 E. Grant Road
Community Foundation Campus
This towering mural by Ignacio Garcia, completed in March 2021, wraps around one of the corners of the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona campus building and is dedicated to former CEO Clint Mabie.
Location: 5049 E. Broadway
Benjamin Franklin financial mural
Another colorful mural by prolific muralist Ignacio Garcia features Ben Franklin and lots of hidden financial details like a bear and a bull.
Location: Frey Financial, 2329 N. Tucson Blvd.
“What We Do in the Shadows”
If you’re a fan of the TV show “What We Do in the Shadows,” you’ll recognize this scene. Created by Danny Martin, this mural shows character Jackie Daytona, who is from Tucson, “Arizonia.”
Location: 191 Toole, 191 E. Toole Ave.
Barrio Santa Rosa
Located in Barrio Santa Rosa is this Johanna Martinez mural that serves as a nod to Arizona history.
Location: 117 W. 20th St.
Nosotros Academy mural
This mural, created by Alejandra Trujillo, honors Frank and Lupita Romero. Frank created Nostros Academy, where the mural is located. Frank Romero died in 2009.
Location: Nosotros Academy, 440 N. Grande Ave.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson mural
This mural was done by artist Pen Macias, also known as The Desert Pen. Before starting the mural, Macias spoke with kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson about what they love most about the organization, things they enjoyed doing and what imagery represents Tucson in their eyes.
Location: Holmes Tuttle Clubhouse, 2585 E. 36th St.
Rialto Theatre
Find this hidden mural, created by artist and musician Salvador Duran, tucked in the alley of the Rialto Theatre.
Location: Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St.
Arizona Arts Live mural
This mural was created by Robbie Lee Harris, in collaboration with Arizona Arts Live and BRINK Media. Harris says it’s a Día de los Muertos rendition of paintings “The Girl with a Pearl Earring” and “Bindo Altoviti.” Harris dedicated the project to his grandmother, who died as he was painting it, he said on Instagram.
Location: 702 S. Stone Ave.
Nopal mural
Zina “Phenx” Rubiner created this nopal mandala which can be found on the south wall of Cicli Noe bike shop.
Location: 1622 S. Sixth Ave.
University of Arizona School of Art
Karlito Miller Espinosa, also known as Mata Ruda, completed this massive mural on the north wall of the University of Arizona School of Art’s Joseph Gross Gallery in November 2020.
Location: The mural faces Speedway and is just east of Euclid Avenue
Pen Macias mural
Pen Macias, also known as The Desert Pen, worked on this commissioned mural in the spring of 2020. The mural honors the resiliency of mothers and nurses and their connection to their children and patients, especially amid the pandemic. Macias told the Arizona Daily Star the work represents her client, a single mother of four who is a nurse.
Location: On the south side of Broadway between Alvernon Way and Columbus Boulevard
Toole Avenue murals
This downtown building houses the Toole Shed artist studios, Studio ONE: A Space for Art and Activism, and other artist spaces and local businesses. The east wall features a collection of murals by several local artists and seems to be ever-evolving.
Location: 197 E. Toole Ave.
“Desert Soul”
Los Angeles-based artist El Mac (Miles MacGregor) was commissioned to create this mural on the east wall of Cobra Arcade at the beginning of 2020. “Tucson has been a special place for me ever since my first visit as a little kid when I caught a sunrise with my parents at nearby Mission San Xavier Del Bac — the same place where I would eventually marry my wife and baptize our son,” El Mac wrote in an Instagram post. “… I associate Tucson with a certain warm spirit of love and creativity, a tranquil Sonoran vitality, and I hope this mural can capture or transmit some of that desert soul.”
Location: Cobra Arcade, 63 E. Congress St.
Lash Factor Studio
This mural, located at Lash Factor Studio, was created by J. Keegan Rider. “It has been such a pleasure to add even more beauty and art to the historic Barrio Viejo neighborhood, and the support and excitement of the community has been absolutely amazing,” Rider said on Instagram.
Location: Lash Factor Studio, 415 S. Meyer Ave.
MotoSonora
This cute desert creatures mural by Joe Pagac can be seen in the parking lot of MotoSonora Brewing Co.
Location: MotoSonora Brewing Co., 1015 S. Park Ave.
“The Cactus Comet Rides Again”
Danny Martin created this mural, “The Cactus Comet Rides Again,” in September 2019. It honors Art Luppino, one of the University of Arizona’s best football players, who played with the team in the 1950s.
Location: Southeast corner of Arizona Stadium, 1 N. Championship Drive.
Sahara Apartments
Joe Pagac and Katherine Joyce created this absolutely dreamy bicycle mural featuring animals from the tiniest scarab beetle to a massive elephant cruising along a Saharan desert oasis. The mural is appropriately located at the Sahara Apartments.
Location: 919 N. Stone Ave.
Honoring Prince
This mural on the side of the Rialto Theatre honors Prince, who died in 2016. The mural was created by Joe Pagac.
Location: Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St.
Liz Taylor mural
A young Elizabeth Taylor is the star of this mural by Sean John Cannon painted on the wall of the Old Town Apartments in Armory Park.
Location: 720 S. Fifth Ave.
Earth Bound mural
Ignacio Garcia’s video game-inspired mural is out of this world.
Location: 5055 E. Speedway
La Suprema Works
This mural covers the entire north wall of La Suprema Works & Events in Barrio Viejo. Artist Isaac Caruso designed the artwork inspired by the culture and history of the building and neighborhood and it was painted with the help of community members to commemorate the 20th anniversary of United Way’s Days of Caring.
Location: 319 W. Simpson Street
Community Scholars
Artist Melo Dominguez created this mural depicting community leaders and the many forms of activism and knowledge everyone possesses as part of Arizona Arts Live’s Ready for a Renaissance campaign. As part of the project, local artists were commissioned to create murals showing what Tucson’s post-pandemic renaisssance might look like.
Location: Wheels and More, 4801 S. 12th Ave.
Danny Martin mural in Armory Park
Find these two murals (above and below) by Tucson’s king of black and white skeleton murals, Danny Martin, in Armory Park and by the UA. One features a woman taking a selfie and the other features a mustachioed man.
Location: Southeast corner of East 12th Street and South Arizona Avenue, across from Armory Park.
Danny Martin mural near the University of Arizona
You can’t miss this mural when driving down Campbell Avenue near Sixth Street!
Location: East wall of Momo’s, 1838 E. Sixth St.
Creative Machines
Muralist Jessica Gonzales created this massive mural spanning two walls at the headquarters of Creative Machines, a Tucson-based design and manufacturing firm known for its interactive public art installations, exhibits, sculptures and ball machines. Gonzales finished the mural in September 2020. Her partner Dakin Martin assisted with the mural.
Location: Creative Machines, 4141 E. Irvington Road
Creative Machines
Nadia Hagen of Flam Chen and All Souls Procession, painted this mural showing some of Creative Machines’ most beloved projects over the years. We bet you can find a few you know.
Location: Creative Machines, 4141 E. Irvington Road
The Loft Cinema
Jessica Gonzales turned this art she created for The Loft Cinema’s 2019 Film Fest into a mural on one of the theater’s external walls in September 2020.
Location: The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway
Wagon Burner Arts mural in Barrio Hollywood
This stunning mural by Wagon Burner Arts brightens up the west wall of Tucson Computer, a repair shop in the Barrio Hollywood neighborhood.
Location: 1016 W. St. Mary’s Road
Miracle Manor mural
This colorful mural welcomes guests to Miracle Manor and sits on the side of S K Market. It was created by Michael B. Schwartz!
Location: S K Market, 2520 N. 15th Ave.
Tucson Welcomes U
This rad Ignacio Garcia mural is giving us some serious ’80s-’90s vibes.
Location: 1010 E. Broadway
Safe Shift
Patty Vallance, a businesswoman and philanthropist who spent many years volunteering and raising funds for the Greater Tucson Fire Foundation, commissioned this mural by Wagon Burner Arts. “This mural shows the camaraderie of brotherhood among firefighters. The image in the middle pays respect to those that have fallen while on the job,” Wagon Burner Arts shared on Instagram. The mural also pays tribute to other first responders and to Vallance, who died before it was completed.
Location: Safe Shift, 2801 E. Grant Road
Jessica Gonzales Mural
Another stunning mural by Jessica Gonzales can be found in the Barrio Viejo neighborhood.
Location: In the area of Ninth Avenue and 17th Street
Cicli Noe Murals
Cicli Noe, a South Tucson bike repair shop, is home to two large murals themed around transportation and cycling created by Rock “Cyfi” Martinez. The first mural has a reminder to be aware of all those who share our streets including pedestrians and cyclists. The second mural features a large-scaled image of BMX competitor Kevin Peraza, who grew up in Tucson and is an X Games gold medalist.
Location: 1622 S. Sixth Ave.
Palo Verde Pool
This mural was created by muralist Isaac Caruso, with the help of four high school students: Alexis Hirth, Sarina Tusky, Jenna Linneman and Filomena Obono. Caruso says the mural represents “the legacy of community — how it carries on in present day and how even though things change, Tucson and the desert itself don’t.”
Location: Near the Palo Verde Pool in Palo Verde Park, 355 S. Mann Ave.
Stillness
This mural by Yu Yu Shiratori is one of several murals that can be seen at the MSA Annex.
Location: MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento
The Tuxon mural
Joe Pagac and FORS Architecture collaborated on this delightful mural that greets guests at The Tuxon Hotel.
Location: The Tuxon Hotel, 960 S. Freeway
Hope. Pass it on
A group of artists all contributed to this vibrant mural with a hopeful message. The artists are: Tommy Ohlrich, Sketch71, KT Held, Mel ‘Melo’ Dominguez, Lourdes Escalante, Sawaki, Koraima Lupian and Araceli G. The project was organized by Wagon Burner Arts.
Location: 2654 N. Campbell Ave.
Tucson Together
Jessica Gonzales painted this mural and each letter in the word “together” is done in the style of the logos of iconic local Tucson establishments.
Location: Playground Bar and Lounge, 278 E. Congress St.
Black Lives Matter mural
Camila Ibarra created this Black Lives Matter mural in 2020.
Location: Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St.
Wild for the Night
Chris Miller painted this mural in 2017, which includes a wildcat, saguaros, the mountains and a sunset.
Location: 2610 N. Stone Ave.
Whale mural
Find these floating whales it near the corner of Campbell Avenue and Grant Road. They’re painted by local artist Joe Pagac. He says the mural represents the idea of thriving even under the most challenging circumstances.
Location: 2320 N. Campbell Ave.
Goodwill mural
This mural, created by Joe Pagac, can be seen on the outside of the Goodwill location on Fourth Avenue.
Location: Goodwill, 300 N. Fourth Ave.
Desert Heart
If you needed proof that saguaros are the heart of the desert, look no further than this heart mural created by Phoenix artist Lalo Cota. Find this mural a couple buildings down from The Loft Cinema heading east on Speedway.
Location: 3443 E. Speedway
Fourth Avenue mural
If this artwork puts you at ease, lean into it — that was the intention behind this Ignacio Garcia mural, which can be found on Fourth Avenue.
Location: 246 N. Fourth Ave.
Desert lungs mural
Find this colorful gem by Lalo Cota near the corner of Oracle Road and Prince Road. Similar to another mural he created of the heart saguaro, the tree and lungs signify life.
Location: 3540 N. Oracle Road
Selena mural at American Eat Co.
Local artist Jonny Ballesteros spent about two weeks spray-painting this ’90s-inspired image of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez on an American Eat Co. wall.
Location: American Eat Co. and Market, 1439 S. Fourth Ave.
El Rio mural
Several El Rio Neighborhood Center murals painted in 1976 by Tucson artist David Tineo got a lot of sprucing up recently with the help from local artists and youth volunteers.
Location: El Rio Nighborhood Center, 1390 W. Speedway
Running of the Piñatas
You can find Ignacio Garcia’s mural of a boy running away from colorful piñatas near Sixth Avenue and Congress Street. The mural was inspired by Garcia’s own childhood memory of being chased by a bull in Redington, Arizona, on a family trip.
Location: 31 N. Sixth Ave.
The Little One
Find Jessica Gonzales’s vibrant mural on the north wall of the The Little One restaurant in downtown Tucson. Gonzales says this mural was inspired by the idea of exploration — in both the physical and emotional sense.
Location: The Little One, 151 N. Stone Ave.
Roadrunner mural
This 94-foot mural was created by Tucson artist Joe Pagac and can be spotted as you’re heading into downtown on Stone Avenue.
Location: Cirrus Visual building, 601 N. Stone Ave.
La Madre
Feel the desert come alive with this wonderful mural created by local artists Racheal Rios and Carlos Valenzuela. It’s part of the downtown mural project.
Location: 86 E. Alameda St.
La Encantada
Joe Pagac created this mural at the La Encantada shopping center.
Location: La Encantada, 2905 E. Skyline Dr.
Sonora
This mural was finished in 2018 by artist Karlito Miller Espinosa aka Mata Ruda and his two University of Arizona art students Analaura Villegas and Brisa Tzintzun.
Location: Historic Y building, 300 W. University Blvd.
Sugar Hill Neighborhood murals
Find these cool murals created by the Tucson Arts Brigade in the Sugar Hill Neighborhood. Sugar Hill is a historic neighborhood.
Location: Near the southeast corner of North Sixth Avenue and East Linden Street
MOCA
This mural “Spilt Screen” was created by artist Amir H. Fallah and can be found outside of MOCA: Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson.
Location: MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave.
The Talking Mural
Tierra Y Libertad worked with artists Alex Jimenez and Johanna Martinez on “The Talking Mural” on the Raspados Oasis building. La Doce Foodways Project engaged residents, business owners and students to learn about sustaining and strengthening the barrios along South 12th Avenue.
Location: Raspados Oasis, 4126 S. 12th Ave.
Cafe 54
This mural can be found on the west side of Cafe 54 downtown. It was created by Rachel Slick, Tim Schirack, and Alexandra Gjurasic.
Location: Cafe 54, 54 E. Pennington St.
Why I Love Where I Live
Two murals were commissioned by Why I Love Where I Live to help other people see Tucson’s beauty. Artist Danny Martin painted them. Kristin Tovar, co-founder of Why I Love Where I Live, said murals played a role in her own journey toward loving Tucson.
Location: 234 E. Sixth St.
Tucson greeting card
This mural was created by traveling artists Victor Ving Lisa Beggs as part of a cross-country mural project called the “Greetings Tour.”
Location: 406 N. Sixth Ave.
“Goddess of Agave”
This 40-foot creation is another mural by Rock Martinez. He also had assistance from artist Cristina Perez.
Location: 440 N. Seventh Ave.
“Crested Eclipse”
Rock Martinez created this mural of a crested saguaro lady on Fourth Avenue. Find it in the Sky Bar parking lot.
Location: Sky Bar Tucson, 536 N. Fourth Ave.
Epic Rides
In Tucson, bicycling plus murals equal perfection. That’s what local muralist Joe Pagac was counting on when he launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund this enormous mural at Sixth Street and Stone Avenue.
Location: 534 N. Stone Ave., facing Sixth Street
Finding Nemo
It’s hard to imagine finding mermaids and water in the Sonoran Desert. We found it — and Nemo. Muralist Joe Pagac made this one, but you wouldn’t know it because it’s not signed. “The concept is something perceived as ugly harboring something beautiful inside and protecting it,” Pagac said.
Location: 191 E. Toole Ave.
All Souls Procession
Artist Susan Kay Johnson’s crazy-long mural will remind you of the All Souls Procession because she painted it to depict the yearly event. The mural takes up a whole block on Ninth Avenue in the Dunbar Spring Neighborhood. Follow it and you’ll feel part of the procession again. (Johnson is actually the creator of the All Souls Procession.)
Location: Along Ninth Avenue, south of University Boulevard
Phoenix Mars Mission
This 1,200-square-foot creation was at one point Tucson’s biggest mural, according to the Tucson Citizen. The mural was painted in 2006 by a group of by University of Arizona art students for a class led by UA professor Alfred Quiroz as a way to highlight the UA’s contributions to the Phoenix Mars Mission.
Located: Michael J. Drake Building, 1415 N. Sixth Ave.
“Vergiss”
We couldn’t find a signature on the mural but after a few minutes of searching, we found out Irish artist Fin Dac painted this. Dac travels around the world and paints women of East Asian cultures with an intention to rewire stereotypes surrounding women in that culture.
Location: 178 E. Broadway
Blue quail and oranges
This is a 50-foot-wide by 50-foot-high mural located in an alley by 47 Scott. Phoenix-based artist Isaac Caruso painted the mural in just six days and he actually slept in the air on the lift so that he could work as late as possible. It features a blue quail and ripe oranges, which makes him think of Tucson.
Location: 9 N. Scott Ave.
Frida and Diego
The “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Menlo Park” mural lives south of the Mercado San Agustin on the wall of a residential home and features a dancing Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera in an afterlife celebration. The mural was completed by Rock Martinez in November 2016 for the All Souls Procession.
Location: South of Menlo Park
Cesar Chavez mural
Continuing south from downtown, you’ll see this sweeping mural of what looks like Indigenous deities perched next to the Aztec mother goddess Tonan. They’re actually historical figures like Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi and Chicano activist Cesar Chavez. The scene was painted by by muralist Melchor Ramirez in honor of Chavez.
Location: 760 S. Stone Ave.
Mission Manor mural
This mural was painted by Mission Manor Elementary School students during the 1990-1991 school year. If you look closely at the pillars you can see the names of all of the teachers who taught at Mission Manor that year.
Location: Mission Manor Elementary School, 600 W. Santa Rosa St.
La Pilita mural
Tucked back into a side street near the El Tiradito wishing shrine, this mural is one of Barrio Viejo’s greatest gems. It was originally painted in the ’80s by students under the supervision of muralist Martin Moreno, but was touched up by the artist in 2011. It depicts a Latino family at Gates Pass, with the Aztec feathered serpent deity Quetzalcoatl looking on.
Location: 420 S. Main Ave.
Parque de San Cosme mural
Just down Simpson Street from the La Pilita mural is this tour de fource by local muralist Luis Gustavo Mena. It’s a sprawling mural with depictions of various athletes, celebrities and even Jesus. Don’t miss the message, written in Spanish on the bottom right about “La Vida de nuestros Barrios Viejos.” Hint: it’s about music.
Location: On Simpson Street just west of Main Avenue
“Serape Sunrise”
You can find this one on the south side, at Desert Suds CarWash on South 12th Avenue. It’s painted by Rock “Cyfi” Martinez, the muralist behind the Agave Goddess on Sixth Street. (For this, he had the help of Fernando Leon.) If you look closely, you can see a UFO.
Location: Desert Suds CarWash at 4610 S. 12th Ave.
Barrio Centro
The Tucson Arts Brigade sponsored the Barrio Centro Community Mural Project called Beautify and Unify in 2011. The mural depicts stories and memories of Barrio Centro residents including social life, music, and the railroad. It stretches more than 170 feet long on a cement block wall in a Lucky Wishbone parking lot.
Location: On the wall next to the Lucky Wishbone at 2721 E. 22nd St.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.