Bronx Wash Mural Project

Beautify and Unify

2009-12-23T13:03:00.000-08:00

Here are some more images of the Northwest Neighborhood or "Sugar Hill" mural. You can click on any of the images to enlarge them.

The mural is located in the wash at the intersection of Lester and 4th Avenue. Our hope is that eventually the entire wash will be painted with images depicting neighborhood stories and history.

This first panel depicts early life in the neighborhood before the wash was paved over, and through the struggle to establish the Northwest Neighborhood Center.

We see a group of people organized to erase the redline that existed on Grant road. The group is near the annual gathering point (4th Ave and Seneca) for the Day After Thanksgiving march and celebration of our past present and future. A rainbow rises over the group to a map of the neighborhood, preparing the stage for the next chapter of neighborhood history.

Our Mural is Complete

2009-10-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Credits box of the mural, next to the restored mermaid.

With the coming of fall we have finished the Bronx Wash Mural Project. You can see some of the details of the mural here, located on the corner of Linden and Fourth Avenue, in the wash.

The NorthWest Neighborhood Association will be announcing the date of the mural unveiling celebration, and that information will be reposted here.

More images coming soon!

National day of Service and Remembrance

2009-09-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

On Friday September 11 2009 we participated in the first annual United We Serve National day of Service and Remembrance. Our act was to have a final neighborhood paint day for the Bronx Wash mural. Neighbors worked on the final details while sharing stories.

Kirsten Boele a participant on Friday created a recorded piece about the project for a journalism class at the University of Arizona. You can listen here.

The project has been so successful that everyone is excited about filling the entire wash with murals. Indeed there is much to do, gathering stories, developing new designs, historical research and mapping. Like many community development projects much of the work that goes into the final product is unseen, so it’s great to have a visual representation of neighborhood charisma.

Next up are final touches, then a protective top coat for the mural and finally a neighborhood wide unveiling.

Stay tuned to this blog for updates.

...

Final Neighborhood Paint Day

2009-09-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Final Neighborhood Paint Day
Friday, September 11, 4:00pm-sundown.
4th Ave. and Linden.

Join us for a National day of Service and Remembrance

We will be finishing the mermaid restoration, a decorative mural border, and our text panel on the mural, and celebrating how fantastic it looks! Dress for painting and bring sun protection and water.

Mural Follow-Up Meeting and Potluck
Wednesday, September 30, 6pm.
Leona and James' house, 315 E Elm St.

Michael will be available to answer questions about the process, lead us in a short project reflection process. We will also start planning for the mural unveiling celebration. Anyone who participated is welcome. Please bring a dish or drink to share, and we can dine while we discuss.

Updated Mural Images

2009-09-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few images of the nearly complete mural. They give you a feeling for the almost finished project. Images were taken at night so they are a little dark.

(you can click on images to see them in more detail - I'll post better ones soon)

Kids Paint Day

2009-07-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

Images from the neighborhood paint day for kids on Friday July 17.

A special thanks to Tucson Fire Department for the cool down!

Image of Final Design

2009-07-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

(click on image for detail)

Here is an image of the final mural design with changes.

Neighborhood Paint Day

2009-07-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday July 11, 2009 more than 25 Northwest Neighborhood residents in Tucson, AZ, participated in the Bronx Wash Mural community paint day. The event was facilitated by muralist Michael Schwartz of the TAB/Mural Arts Program in collaboration with the Northwest Neighborhood Association and funded by Pro Neighborhoods. Schwartz led a number of design workshops with neighborhood residents to arrive at the final design.

Participants shared food and stories as they painted with premixed paints. Susan Silverman rode her bike to the event and writes “watching the interaction of local residents many of whom didn't really know what was going on, but when they saw that a group of neighbors were coming together to beautify the barren arroyo, they were very pleased.” A neighbor and self-proclaimed "tagger" gave the mural a thorough review and after following the outline of the images, said: "I like it. I really like the message that the mural is giving to the neighborhood"

“I wanted to meet some of my neighbors and find painting generally relaxing” said one participant. It's the first time I've gotten to know other people in my neighborhood!” said Micaya. Bob who lives a few blocks from the mural “enjoyed watching “people's reactions and seeing the mural slowly appear”. Katherine brought out her hoola- hoops adding to the festive atmosphere.

“I was delighted by the number of neighbors who wandered by and got involved”, writes Judith Anderson a Senior Community Organizer PRO Neighborhoods. “Initially I came to support the grantee group but immediately was drawn into the pleasure of the art and the socializing.”

The lively painting continued in the heat of the late afternoon and into the evening. We were protected by the elements by tarps and ice cold drinks. We were treated to locally grown grapes and Pizza courtesy of Brooklyn Pizza. Our next paint day is with kids on Friday July 17. The mural will continue to be worked on for several weeks with a celebration scheduled for the fall.

The mural is part of the United We Serve campaign.

Neighborhood Paint Day

2009-07-09T23:07:00.001-07:00

First Draft of the Mural Design

2009-06-15T23:06:00.001-07:00

(click image to enlarge)

Here is the first draft of the mural design we discussed at tonights neighborhood meeting. We voted on several changes;

1) Put a Blue Palo Verde in place of the Saguaro Cactus.

2) Change person looking out the window to someone walking out the door.

3) Change the red line being erased to Grant Rd.

4) Change mountains under the rainbow to include browns, greens and more atmosphere, a crystal blue sky.

5) Exchange prickly pear flowers for Palo Verde Flowers and Seed pods.

I will be posting the new version in a few weeks.

Please continue to add your comments, ideas and suggestions.

Youth Mural Input Workshops

2009-06-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

These are images from two youth input workshops for the Bronx Wash Mural in the North West Neighborhood. The more than 30 participants ages 6-15 were asked to describe, through drawings and dialogue, their neighborhood, and what they would like to see in the mural.

This is what they described:

"In our neighborhood kids ride bikes, people eat dinner in their house, washing clothing, kids playing at a park, some are playing soccer. There are schools, houses, apple trees, mountains, playgrounds, dogs and cats, , snakes and dry leaves, swimming pools, cars , people, grass, backyards apartment houses and our beautiful desert."

Bronx Wash Notes from Community Input Session

2009-05-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

Bronx Wash Notes from Community Input Session 1.
May 21 2009

This is the first phase of the mural project. We are discussing the first 30 feet of the mural.

1. What are our ideas for our mural?

People waving, talking and smiling, dancing in the street, riding bikes, walking dogs, flying a kite in Mansfield Park, water, swimming,

A vision of the greenway, lighthearted, relates to kids, bright, colorful, homage to extinct and displaced animal/plant habitat.

Depict the character of the neighborhood:

- Perseverance
- Innovation
- Acceptance of Diversity
- Neighborliness

2. What do we love about our neighborhood?

Our houses, yards, porches, friendly people, smiling, children, the parks, ice cream truck, people talking over fences, neighbors, Ms. Mills house,

3. What do we know about Neighborhood History?

What flora and fauna used to be here? There are less lizards and horny toads, less open space, extinct and displaced native species,

No cement in the Wash, the building two stories or lower, University Heights Elementary School (was on Park and Helen), People got along after the war and through the 60’s, there was one fire, people kept their yards nice and were always outside working and socializing, looking out for each others kids, the elders,

Mansfield Heights built in the late 40’s. There were many backyard businesses, day care centers, people building things from pallets.

Area was ‘red lined”

Area was nicknamed Sugar Hill

4. What do we want to see more of ?

Interaction, communication, a bridge over Bronx wash as part of the greenway, mini dorms made out of adobe and buffelgrass walls, long term vision 2050 and beyond, curb and control your dogs, sidewalks and calmer streets, no more buildings over two stories.

Next Workshops:

We have three more input sessions the week of June 1
June 1, Elders Lunch
June 3, Teen Group
June 4, 5 - 12 year olds

Journal Images:

We need you

2009-05-08T15:06:00.000-07:00