Photo gallery: Tucson metro freeway art
- Updated
Concrete walls and pillars along Tucson freeways serve as canvasses for local artists.
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Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
The support pillars of the southbound ramp onto I-19 from westbound I-10 sport stylized corn stalks designed by Wheat Scharf Associates, one of the more elaborate examples of the art decorating the bridges along I-10 in Tucson.
2
Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
Mosaic tile on eastbound I-10 at Miracle Mile in the form of the downtown skyline, one of six murals on this segment of freeway. Artist Gary Mackender hand-painted 18,000 tiles to create the murals.
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Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
Art on the fence at the Sixth Avenue bridge crossing I-10 honors activists Cesar Chavez (above) and Martin Luther King. Completed in ‘08, Alex Garza and Josh Sarantitis were the designers.
4
Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
Several panels of astronomical photos grace the Speedway underpass at I-10. The images of celestial objects are from the Steward Observatory on the UA campus and McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.
5
Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
A colored band stretching through the color spectrum, borders the top of the westbound off ramp, part of a tribute to the Gem and Mineral Show at Cushing Street. Designs were created by a team lead by Tucson architect Jim Greshman.
6
Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
State Rep. Steve Farley helped collect photos residents of Barrio Anita and Barrio Hollywood for the retaining walls at St. Mary's and I-10. Other photos were taken by David Sanders of the Daily Star.
7
Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
Gonzalo Espinoza created a "Super Barrio" mural in 140-feet of blank space on the walls of the 22nd Street underpass. Lasers cut the images into metal.
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Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
The support pillars of the southbound ramp onto I-19 from westbound I-10 sport stylized corn stalks designed by Wheat Scharf Associates, one of the more elaborate examples of the art decorating the bridges along I-10 in Tucson.
Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
Mosaic tile on eastbound I-10 at Miracle Mile in the form of the downtown skyline, one of six murals on this segment of freeway. Artist Gary Mackender hand-painted 18,000 tiles to create the murals.
Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
Several panels of astronomical photos grace the Speedway underpass at I-10. The images of celestial objects are from the Steward Observatory on the UA campus and McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory.
Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
A colored band stretching through the color spectrum, borders the top of the westbound off ramp, part of a tribute to the Gem and Mineral Show at Cushing Street. Designs were created by a team lead by Tucson architect Jim Greshman.
Tucson freeway art
- Kelly Presnell/Arizona Daily Star
State Rep. Steve Farley helped collect photos residents of Barrio Anita and Barrio Hollywood for the retaining walls at St. Mary's and I-10. Other photos were taken by David Sanders of the Daily Star.
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Call them drive-by art galleries. They are the concrete walls and bridges along Tucson's main interstate and have served as canvases for local artists.
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