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A New Mural Comes to Downtown Tempe

Tag: Blog • Arts & Culture

Get ready, Tempe!

Something special is coming to our vibrant downtown—a new mural that will not only beautify our city but also celebrate a perhaps lesser-known piece of Tempe’s history— the rich cultural heritage of the O’odham people.

This collaborative mural project, funded with the support of the City of Tempe and designed by the talented artists from Hekiu, an Indigenous Artist Continuum, promises to be a breathtaking addition to our community. You can read our visionary lead artists’ full bios, but what we love most about Thomas Breeze Marcus and Dwayne Manuel is the way in which they speak about their art, the pride they have in their heritage and community, and the passion they have in their storytelling. It makes us incredibly thrilled and honored to collaborate with them on this project.

Before There Even Was A “Tempe”

This mural will give us a look through time to The O’odham, comprising the Tohono O’odham (Desert People) and the Akimel O’odham (River People), who have lived in the Sonoran Desert region for thousands of years (for context, Tempe has been around for less than 160 years, and Spanish settlers for only around 330 years.). The mural will also include hints to additional neighboring Indigenous tribes such as the Piipaash (also known as the Maricopa, who first came to the area from western Arizona near the Colorado river a few centuries ago), as well as the Yaqui or Yoeme who came here in the early 1900s and are the reason the town of Guadalupe exists today.

Dive into The O’odham

For our SparkNotes lovers, some important O’odham takeaways for this mural are:

  • O’odham are known for their deep spiritual connection to the land, which is reflected in their agricultural practices, crafts and oral traditions.
  • They are renowned for their intricate basket weaving, pottery and storytelling, which have greatly helped to preserve their rich cultural heritage for thousands of years.
  • O’odham ancestry ties back to the "Huhugam/Those who've gone on", or "Hohokam" who are known for being master farmers who skillfully managed the desert’s scarce resources and built advanced canal systems through hundreds of miles of desert. Some ancient routes are still used today in Arizona’s major canal systems.
  • O'odham are still known for a deep understanding of the environment that has allowed them to thrive in the desert.
  • O’odham’s spiritual beliefs are closely tied to natural elements, with many of their stories and ceremonies centered around the cycles of nature and the cosmos.
  • Interestingly, they perform many of their regular activities in a counterclockwise direction!
  • Modern O'odham exist within (and outside of) contemporary communities of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community, Gila River Community, Ak-Chin, Tohono O’odham Nation, San Xavier (Tucson), San Lucy (Gila Bend) and Hia-Ced O’odham. 

The Tempe Ash Garage Mural

This mural will be located on the south facing wall of the S. 201 Ash St. Parking Garage facing Third Street and in perfect line with the Metro. It is more than just a visual feast; it's a 218-foot-long storytelling masterpiece that artists will use to touch on most all of those notes from above, and a bit more. As per O’odham tradition, the mural is designed to be viewed from east to west (or right to left for those less in tune with the land like me), and it will unfold across six sections, each dripping (no wet paint pun intended) with symbolism and history.

Feast Your Eyes – Mural Concept Design

Feast Your Mind – Mural Concept Description

Follow The Progress

Here’s a sneak peek at the tentative timeline for the mural's progress:

  • Project Kickoff: [December 2023]
  • Painting Begins: [Mid August]
  • Mural Completion: [Fall 2024]

Stay tuned on our social media for more updates as this exciting project unfolds. We cannot be happier to bring this beautiful piece of art to the streets of Downtown Tempe, celebrating both our community's rich history and its vibrant present.

Thank you to the City of Tempe for supporting the project, Cousin’s Properties for providing such a long wall to paint, and to the artists who have been and will be working to bring this project to fruition.

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201 S Ash Garage - ParkiT
201 S Ash Ave
Tempe, AZ 85281

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