Time passed over it without mercy.
Bright colors faded. Sharp edges dulled. And slowly - measured to the beat of each setting sun - the Virgen de Guadalupe mural washed away.
It was a true Tucson thing, which is to say it was beautiful and unique. An icon of hope and prayer painted across the side of a video store. The mural brought a sense of style to Menlo Park Video, and in turn, a big display of faith to an old barrio. At an intersection, Congress and Grande, with dueling liquor stores, the mural was a bright counterpoint.
Over time, though, folks stopped coming to the rental store. Over time, the sun had its way. And when Menlo Park Video closed, the Virgen de Guadalupe was all but washed out. Still a shrine, just worn down.
But change is a constant of life, and the Virgen de Guadalupe is back. The video store is now a barbershop, Money Cutz, whose owner, Eddie Urias, decided to revive the mural.
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"Oh man, it got people snapping pictures," Urias said. "The priest came and blessed it along with the shop."
Urias is 24. His barbershop is a lot like him, which is to say, youthful and hip. Full of promise. Wildcat gear hangs on the walls. Hip-hop pumps through speakers. It's a place where the fade is an art.
Urias grew up in Menlo Park, so he knows what the mural means to the neighborhood. Bringing it back was as easy as a clipper cut.
Enter Raymon Marines and Jason Harper, two local artists Urias hired to breathe some life into the mural. The restoration work was paid for by the building’s owner, Mary Garcia.
"We've never done anything religious before," Marines said. "We just wanted to brighten it up."
But brightening turned into buffing and scraping. And buffing and scraping turned into concern. Some neighbors worried the mural would disappear for good. One man even prayed for the two artists. But they needn't have worried.
The new mural is bright and snappy. The Virgen de Guadalupe is taller, emerging from a bed of flowers before the peasant, Juan Diego.
And now the neighborhood is happy. An icon of hope and prayer painted across the side of a barbershop. It's a true Tucson thing.
"Really good reaction," Marines said. "From the nanas, to the tatas, to the kids."
Contact Josh Brodesky at 573-4242 or jbrodesky@azstarnet.com
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