This alley is very busy, as far as art goes, and has a lot going on. It is almost overwhelming…read more Murals runs the full length of the alley and is very vibrant and colorful. It spans between 1st and 2nd Streets and Adams and Washington Streets. A large portion of the alley pays tribute to Latino icons. This was a herculean effort led by the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center (ALAC), with help from the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, Phoenix Convention Center, and Latinos Now. When they say that it takes a village, that it an understatement when it comes to this area. The alley features work from many local artist including Jose Andres Giron, Roman P. Reyes, Carlos Rivas, Ramon Aguirre, Edgar Fernandez, Elizabeth Toledo, Alfred Bilducia, Noreen Ayonayon, Tavo Barrios, Angel Diaz, Karlito Espinosa, Ivan Garcia, Luis Munoz, Edgar Munoz, Raul Rodriquez, Rey Lugo and Catyana Falsetti. This alley really grabs you and draws you in. The mural is on the backside of a parking garage and faces the back of some local business and has a good view of their dumpsters. Some notable images that I saw in the alley were the Virgin Mary, a rose, a portrait of U.S. Army Private First Class Silvestre Santana Herrera, who was presented the Medal of Honor during World War II, there arew a bunch of flowers, R2D2, Lalo Guerrero, American guitarist, singer and farm labor activist, a phoenix, a horse head, Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, in Uniform and Carlos Santana, That is just a fraction of the images of art in the alley. It is something that you just have to see. You will notice the different styles of murals that make up the collection and also different skill levels of the artist. Most of the work is pretty good, but some of them are notable better than others. There is metered street parking and commercial parking garages within a reasonable walking distance from the alley if you want to park, get out and take a closer look. This is definitely not a destination stop, so I would highly recommend combining this with other stops or making this part of a larger itinerary.

Over the years, I have visited the ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus and Civic Space Park on a regular…read morebasis. While there have been different people, different roles, and even different buildings, one consistency has been the "Her Secret is Patience" sculpture in the park. In fact, almost 13 years ago, I even did a photo shoot under the sculpture. The sculpture is in the Civic Space Park, where there is a nice, grassy area, some tables, and chairs right next to the US Post Office and ASU Student Center. I have seen groups of students and even community members holding events in the park either in front of the Student Center entrance at the tables and chairs (gatherings by students or staff), on the grassy lawn area (community members playing soccer, frisbee, or having a picnic), or even on the south side of the walkway (though the lighting wasn't very good in the evening in that area). "Her Secret Is Patience" is a public art sculpture commission designed by artist Janet Echelman for the City of Phoenix. The sculpture consists of painted, galvanized steel, polyester twine netting, and colored lights. It is 145 feet tall and suspended as an aerial sculpture. It is monumental yet soft, fixed in place but constantly in motion. It dances gently in the air, choreographed by the flux of desert winds. During the day, the sculpture hovers high above heads, treetops, and buildings. The sculpture creates what the artist calls "shadow drawings," which she says are inspired by Phoenix's cloud shadows that captivated her from the first site visit. At night, the illumination changes color gradually through the seasons. The goal in selecting the colors is to provide residents some small climate relief through color, adding cool hues in summer, and warm tones in winter. The lighting design also changes what portion of the sculpture is illuminated, leaving parts obscured in mystery, much like the phases of the moon. I've heard students and staff at ASU discussing how the artist was supposedly inspired by monsoon cloud formations and the shadows they cast, in addition to forms found in desert flora. Now that I work only a short walk away from the sculpture, I see it almost every day at work!

This is one of the most eye-catching pieces of public art that I have had the pleasure of seeing…read more It is located in the Civic Space Park and is the work of artist Janet Echelman who made the piece in 2009. Echelman got the name of the piece from a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is constructed of painted, galvanized steel, polyester twine netting, and an assortment of ground mounted colored lights that give the nets its color. The piece is not cheap though and costed $2.5 million. The massive piece starts at 38 feet off the ground and extends to 100 feet in the air. To give it more perspective, the piece's largest ring is about 100 feet wide. The piece is intended to resemble a cumulus clouds. However, I see a tornado or jelly fish when I looked at it. It was given the title of Best Public Art by the Phoenix New Times. The wonderful mix of blue, orange and purple just draws you in like a moth to a flame. It is cool to visit during the day, but is amazing at night. The color of the piece changes constantly with the seasons throughout the year. The piece is not without its critics. Many people question the cost of the piece and whether that money could have been used elsewhere. Additionally, the piece's nets and lighting has to be replaced every five years, which makes this piece a gift that keeps on costing. It is unknown how much this periodic maintenance costs the city. This piece has metered street parking located within a reasonable walking distance, as well as commercial parking lots. There is also a train stop right in front of the piece, if you are plan on taking public transportation to get there. I really like this piece. It is a marvel, but I too am a critic of the price tag and reassuring maintenance fee. This piece can rally become the face of the city and one of its iconic images. It is very picturesque and Instagramable. Anyway, as with most public art that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 10 minutes. So, you may want to consider making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. You can start with Civic Space park, where the piece is located.

This is some pretty neat street art to find in the middle of Phoenix. You can actually see some of…read morethe murals from the street when driving by. Very colorful and a retro vibe. A great place to take pictures. 5/5 stars.

The artist who created these murals has amazing talent! She did them several years ago and…read morerefreshed them a few years later. It really speaks to her talent though that even the taggers who seem to mark every wall in the area pretty much leave these alone for the most part. It's really nice to see such amazing art in the middle of downtown Phoenix. If you're a David Bowie fan this is certainly worth checking out.

This is a nice vibrant mural that is the work of Hugo Medina and Darrin Armijo-Wardle. It was…read morepainted in May 2017 and measures 70 feet high and 50 feet wide. You will find the mural on the side of the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel overlooking a narrow alleyway. The colorful mural has a two-fold meaning. The Adams hotel, which is the predecessor of the Renaissance, burned down in 1910. You can see the image of the Adams hotel in the mural You will also see the image of a woman. That woman is rumored to be Malinda "Malindy" Curtis, (hence the mural's title). Curtis was a local favorite reportedly the madam of a nearby brothel and lived quite a colorful life (hence the mural's colors). I like the color usage in the mural the rainbow hair and accent is awesome. The detail of the hotel is also very good. I really like it. The image of Curtis looks very powerful and determined. I am not sure how I fell about the artwork though. There is metered street parking and commercial parking garages within a reasonable walking distance if you want to get out and take a closer look.. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This spot should definitely be on your radar if you are an art lover and happen to be in Phoenix!…read moreTouring the spot Is as easy as driving your car down the alley! If you wanna get out and take some hot photos with some really dope backgrounds, that's a choice too but keep it cute because you are literally in someone's alley! I'm not sure of the story behind these installations but whoever owns these properties have to be cool AF and I tip my hat to them for allowing such an amazing situation to happen!

This mural is the work of a local Navajo artist named Jesse Yazzie. It is painted on the side of…read morethe Alutra apartment building among a few other murals. He has another one on this wall titled Girl. This mural was painted in early 2022. It depicts the head of a roaring grizzly bear set against a wood line. The bear appears to have blood running down its face and neck like it just devoured something. I can almost feel the powerful roar of this mighty beast. Sadly, this piece, along with the others on the wall, is rumored to be demolished with a building very soon. I sure hope it does not happen. The mural is not uber detailed, or will not be mistaken for a photo, but it is nice art work all the same. Yazzie is very talented.The mural works for me though. The wall that the mural is painted on is brick and the mural is painted directly on the brick, which i like the texture that it gives. There is metered street parking in front of and within a very short walk of the mural. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This is my new favorite mural. This is the best prince mural I have ever seen, and I have toured…read morePaisly Park. This is a creative piece and very detailed it looks almost like a photo. You will find this mural on the side of the Rodriguez Boxing Club, and is the work of Maggie Keane. It was painted in 2019 and measures 18 feet high and measures 47 feet wide The building was selected because it had a purple wall. The building owner did not pay for the mural though. It was funded by crowdsourcing, raising nearly $1,400. The mural depicts Prince during 5 stages of his life including images from his 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon, his 2004 Musicology tour, and the 3rdEyeGirl band he performed with during the final years of his life. You will also see his trademark doves and the symbol that he changed his name too during his dispute with his record company. I love, love, love how Keane incorporated concave mirrors in the center image of Prince and make them look like his sunglasses. I think the image When Doves Cry. It is very detailed. I felt as if the Purple One was actually looking at me. Also, Keane incorporates part of the sidewalk into the mural. It is perfectly blended in. You will see some small portraits of famous people next to the mural including music greats such as Michael Jackson, John Lennon, Elvis Presly. I do not think they are associated with the mural, and know that they were added later, but they are still nice. If you are in phoenix, I highly recommend checking this mural out for yourself. If I could give it 5 more stars I would. Like I said, it is one of the best murals that I have seen. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 10 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This colorful mural is relatively new and was completed in May of 2022. It is the work of Ashley…read moreMacias and you will find it on the west side of the X Phoenix apartment complex. It is an abstract and very interesting piece, that at first glance to me appeared to dog with two ducks around his neck area with their bills wide open. But it is so much deeper than that, if you look closely, you can see a woman looking to her left with the ducks as her shoulders. Yes, it is an optical illusion along the lines of the classic, do you see and old woman or young lady picture. Macias interpretation of the piece is that it is "a divine connection to nature and mankind (us), our psychological layers and the overlapping constructs of reality and the metaphysical." I will be honest, I thought that the art work was good, but was not really feeling it until I saw the hidden image in the mural. It was a game changer for me. There may even be more. Macias is very talented and the little sample of work that I have seen of hers has been amazing. Her signature style is colorful, abstract pieces that are formed by bringing together random shapes and objects. I like it. Great job and a wonderful addition to the downtown area. Parking to get a closer look of this mural is simple. There is metered street parking in front of and within a very short walk of this mural. It was easy peasy. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This mural is the work of a local Navajo artist named Jesse Yazzie. It is painted on the side of…read morethe Alutra apartment building among a few other murals (he also painted the Bea It was painted in early 2022. It is in Yazzie's signature style and depicts the portrait of a hip-looking woman with a ball cap on against a colorful background. It is eye catching. Sadly, this piece, along with the others, is rumored to be demolished with a building very soon. The mural is not uber detailed, or will not be mistaken for a photo, but it is nice art work all the same. It works for me. The wall that the mural is painted on is brick and the mural is painted directly on the brick. This mural is intended to represents powerful native women that are now coming into mainstream media. The multicolored background represents the complexity of their mind and vision. She is an encouragement to always raise the bar. There is metered street parking in front of and within a very short walk of the mural. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.