Before our trip to Sahuarita, I looked for some things to do there. I found that there were several murals at the local parks. I wanted to go see them all. I thought that it would be a great day activity It turned into a bigger project than I originally thought. It took a couple of weekends to view all the murals. I loved finding these murals throughout Sahuarita. We definitely know more about Sahuarita and that parks are an important part of city. There are at least 7 parks with murals and more without. Here is a list of the paintings that I found throughout Sahuarita.
"The Cosmos and Community" - Artist: Ghazal Ghazi
October 2019 200 sq. feet, painted metal
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| Cosmos |
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| Community |
Artist Statement: This mural takes inspiration from local flora, cosmos, and community. It depicts a woman that is radiant, smiling, exuding vibrant colors in celebration of Sahuarita’s diverse and changing community. Surrealism plays with her hair and clothes, which are full of leaves and flowers from Sahuarita’s local ecosystem – such as plants that are found in the Santa Ritas, Madera Canyon, and the Sonoran Desert. Behind her are the starry cosmos, representative not only of the starry nights that can be seen in Sahuarita, but also of the importance of astronomy in local activity, such as the Whipple Observatory. The reverse side of the box includes key agricultural foods produced in Sahuarita
Life, Land and Ecology" - Artist: Ghazal Ghazi
October 2019 - 133 square feet, painted metal
A prickly pear plant; the blue background represents sky, water, and the relationship of desert plants to water
Artist Statement: The main themes of this mural are life, land, ecology. It features a very colorful and vibrant depiction of a prickly pear plant. The blue background represents not only the sky, but also water and vital role that it plays in the Sonoran Desert ecosystem. It reflects too on the relationship that desert plants have to water, even though this vital resource is so scarce here. The main goal of this design is to celebrate one of the most iconic and common plants of the local system, something that we are surrounded by. It is meant to show something that we encounter on a daily basis in a new light, highlighting its uniqueness and vibrancy.
"Saguaro Blooms" Artist: Ignacio Garcia
November 2019 400 square feet, painted metal
Taking inspiration from Sahuarita’s namesake (roughly translating to “little Saguaro”), this mural features eye-catching, realistic looking Saguaro flowers in a large format.
"Sahuarita and Astronomy" - Artist: Wesley Fawcett Creigh
November 2019 - 350 square feet, painted metal
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| Whipple Observatory |
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| Galaxies |
"Sahuarita Pecans" - Artist: Wesley Fawcett Creigh
November 2019 - 200 square feet, painted metal
Hand-painted pecan themed mural wrapping the entire box featuring a pecan orchard and pecans in trees.
"Laura's Horny Toad" - Artist: Isaac Caruso
April 2020 52 square feet, painted metal
Desert Horned Lizard (horny toad) and Saguaro Flowers
"The Birds of Sahuarita" - Artist: Alonso Delgadillo
May 2020 - 198 square feet, painted stucco
Mural Theme: Migratory Birds in an abstract style and colors observed around the Sahuarita Lake Park.
"Colibri" - Artist: Ignacio Garcia
May 2020 - Painted metal
Mural Theme: Colorful Hummingbird and Peacock Flowers
“Sahuarita Treasures” - Artist: Alejandra Trujillo
May 2020 -103 square feet, painted metal
Mural Theme: Sahuarita Selfie Spot with Monarch Butterflies, Desert Tortoise, Pecan Grove, and Quail Family
“Te-Gila Sunrise” - Artist: Alexandra (Alex) Jimenez
May 2020 - 214 sq. feet, painted metal
Mural Theme: Gila Monster in two different styles and sunset colors observed on the Santa Rita Mountains,
"The Land Rests" - Artist: Wagon Burn
er Arts (Sawaki, Ricky Bush, Carlos Valencia,
Maira Escalante) October 2020 145 square feet, painted cinder block
Theme: Dark Sky Inspired Mural Depicting the Phases of the Moon
Artist Statement: This concept takes inspiration from the land(s) surrounding the Sahuarita community. The lack of light pollution in Sahuarita allows for the dark nights. Layers of silhouettes depict the landscape of local vegetation. It was suiting that this was highlighted. The moon phases in this piece is a representation of the changes we all face on a daily basis
“Lunar Moth Selfie Wall” -Artist: Wagon Burner Arts
October 2020 - 200 square feet, painted cinder block
Theme: Interactive Selfie Wall with Lunar Moth and Wild Cacti Flowers
Artist Statement: We are living in the days of selfies, as we all know. We wanted to create an interactive wall for selfies while staying close to the environment of the surrounding area. The flowers depicted are found locally growing on wild cacti. These beautiful flowers however are all protected by sharp rigid thorns of the cactus. These thorns are known to the native community as ‘Indigenous land protectors
“The Messenger” - Artist: Wagon Burner Arts
October 2020 - 200 square feet, painted cinder block
Theme: Hummingbirds (Semalulukut) are considered special messengers to the Yaqui people
Artist Statement: The Inspiration behind this piece was to remember where you come from and the lessons taught to you. Semalulukut is the Yaqui word for hummingbird, which are known to be messengers. We have all seen them flying at some point or another. To a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, seeing one of these amazing birds is a magical sight. Don't ever take the small things in life for granted.
“Sonoran Sunset” - Artist: Wagon Burner Arts
October 2020 - 103 square feet, painted cinder block
Theme: Mandala influenced design surrounding a bright Sonoran Sunset
Artist Statement: From all around these sunsets are well known for the beautiful display of colors. It was important that this sunset was the center for this wall. The intricate mandala influence design as a border for this mural is added to complement the landscape.
1-"Desert Wonderland" - Artist: Victor Navarro
November 2020 - 133 square feet, painted metal
Mural Theme: Dreamlike Desert Wildlife and Landscape seen near Sahuarita in Southwestern Colors
Artist Statement: Inspired in the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert, this mural is a dreamlike interpretation of the harmony that the desert shares. Vivid and candied oranges and pinks; warm up the scene mirroring the unique sunsets that are unique to our environment. Nature aspects are introduced with a variety of cacti and desert critters giving life to the abstracted landscape.
“Sam and Sara Page 22” - Artist: Issac Caruso
November 2020 - 108 sq. feet, painted wood paneling
One page of a whimsical 43 page children's book illustrated entirely with street art. Murals depicting all of the book's illustrations are located throughout Arizona
Artist Statement: “Sam and Sara” is an ambitious 43 page children's book created by muralist Isaac Caruso and illustrated entirely with street art. The murals, spanning walls across Arizona, collectively tell a story of the power of imagination to transport viewers and readers to a magical place of wonder, reflected in the fact that the more than 40 murals are located in more than 30 different cities and towns. Viewers are encouraged to fill in the story, and visit as many as they can. Caruso’s murals and art have been displayed at Coachella, the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. and around the world, from the barrios of Uruguay, to the icey fjords of Svalbard in the Arctic Ocean.
“Wind Rhythm” - Artist: Wagon Burner Arts (Sawaki, Ricky Bush, Carlos Valencia, Maira Escalante) - November 2020 420 square feet, painted stucco
Theme: Colorful Animals and Flowers native to the lands of Pascua Yaqui and Tohono O'odham tribes and Sahuarita
Artist Statement: Wind Rhythm is rooted to the lands of the people. The animals included in this seating wall are a coyote, hummingbird, tortoise, javelina and a quail. All are native to the land of the Pascua Yaqui & Tohono O'odham tribes including Sahuarita and the surrounding geographic location. The flowers in this piece are all also found locally. The background filigree design is a representation of the winds of the desert. The wind encompasses everything and everyone. These are indigenous lessons passed down to us by our elders.
“Chiricahua Leopard Frog Life Cycle in the Sonoran Wetlands” - Artist: Alexandra Jimenez
December 2020 - 133 square feet, painted stucco
Theme: 360 degree wraparound mural depicting the life cycle of the endangered Chiricahua Leopard Frog
Artist Statement: This mural features a water scene detailing the life cycle of an endangered amphibian, the Chiricahua Leopard Frog. The frog has a striking appearance, featuring bold greens and black spots, and is found in riparian areas in the Southwest and locally in the San Pedro River Basin riparian area. Their habitat is continually under threat as they need permanent water sources to thrive and reproduce, a scarcity as water is siphoned away. It is fitting that a mural depicting a water dwelling animal would surround the lavatories because we use water with each flush. As co-inhabitants of the desert, it is important that we all consider our impact and public parks allow us to interact with our environments in meaningful ways. I hope this mural will inform the public about the Chiricahua Leopard Frog and educate people on the metamorphic life cycles. The mural takes advantage of the circular nature of the bathroom building as the painted water will flow around the building with frogs leaping in and out of the water.
"Woven Bonds We've Grown Upon" - Artist: Jessica Gonzales - January 2021
230 sq. feet, painted recycled metal street signs
Artist Statement: "Woven Bonds We've Grown Upon" is a representation of the relationships between land, agriculture, and indigenous peoples, and how these relationships connect historic Sahuarita to modern times. This idea is presented visually by references to each of these elements, and conceptually by creating an interactive puzzle mural that merges together and links each piece to one another, creating a cohesive image that represents the land, history, and culture of this region. The piece features the Santa Rita mountains, water pattern to reference the Santa Cruz river, corn, agave, sahuaros, a pecan branch, and native bird feathers. The subject of the mural, Lydia Jennings, who is enrolled Yaqui and Huichol, is an outdoor advocate and a soil microbiologist studying ways to reclaim or heal the Sonoran Desert, while learning about Indigenous food systems. "
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