Join us for a walking/rolling tour of the recently completed Speedway Corridor Mural project. We'll meet at the Poetry Center at 5pm, for brief remarks; ice cream (with vegan options) will be served. Participants will then be able to head out for a self-paced walking/rolling tour of the murals along Speedway Blvd, before returning to the the Poetry Center. Travel distance to all six murals and back to the Poetry Center is estimated at one mile; plan to wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water.
The project was organized by artists affiliated with Alley Cat Murals, who worked together to propose the mural concepts to the City of Tucson and completed design reviews and permissions. The Poetry Center worked to support the artists and fund the murals with support from the Southwestern Foundation for Education and Historical Preservation.
The artist's took inspiration from the work of poets who have a connection to Tucson and the Sonoran Desert. The muralists include Allison Miller, Jenna Tomasello, Monique Laraway, Jodie Lewers Chertudi, Sasha Lewis, and Alex Fass. The inspiring poets include the work of Madison June, Leslie Marmon Silko, TC Tolbert, Logan Phillips, Brenda Hillman, and Marcus Ox Williams.
Join us to help celebrate these wonderful new additions to the Tucson's mural landscape!
Read the poems that inspired each mural:
Allison Miller's mural is a collaborative depiction of Madison June’s haiku, inspired by a bike trip through South America. The haiku reads: “On the open road/ Revolutionary love/ turns wheels into wings.”
Jenna Tomasello’s mural is a reiteration of Silko’s ‘Snake Mural’ (1987-1997), no longer located at 930 N. Stone Ave. Silko painted the mural while writing the manuscript, Almanac of the Dead.
Monique Laraway created an homage to transportation and mobility justice, inspired by the haikus of T.C. Tolbert; advocating for safer spaces that are accessible and programs that grow community.
Jodie Lewers Chertudi’s mural is an exploration of Phillips’ poem, “Reckon” that aims to reflect the calloused beauty of growing up in a wild west tourist town through iconic imagery from Tombstone
Sasha Lewis depicted an interpretation of Hillman’s poem, ‘Saguaro,” about a family admiring saguaros and in a moment of silliness, taking their form and shape for a family photograph.
Alex Fass’s mural is an interpretation of Williams’ lyrics in the song, “Crush Velvet Amulets.” Williams, a Tucson-based hip-hop artist, writes about struggles artists face coming up in today’s society.