Local Artists Paint with Purpose
By Sarah Conine
Phoenix is well known for the beautiful murals throughout the downtown area. Roosevelt Row is the most popular area to stop and look at what artists have left behind. However, a hidden mural is near Lacuna Kava Bar, located on Third Street. This mural is not just a work of art but something more. Six artists came together to protest injustice in the United States. Last summer there were some of the largest Black Lives Matter Protest. Our nation was rocked and people came together fighting for a change that should’ve come long ago. These 6 artists wanted to be a part of that fight.
Nyla Lee contributed on the wall with a portrait of a black man and woman embracing one another. She stated on her Instagram, “Our art is a form of protesting… As a public artist and muralist this is my platform and how I use my voice.” Lee is known for her stunning portraits and the one done on the wall really captures a beautiful scene. Her passion for art started in her hometown Las Vegas. She developed her skill with a number of different teachers and artists, Lee has now taken her skill and brought it to Arizona. Lee has been here for the past 3 years adding more and more to the streets of Phoenix. A section of the wall portrays a portrait of a black woman with blue highlights done on her face, making her skin seem as though it’s glowing. The artist that completed this painting is Clyde. He is an alumni from Arizona State University, graduating with a Bachelors in Art. Clyde discussed in a post on how the mural came to be, “The idea was simple. Six artists coming together to show our support to the black community, and to the people who have been standing up and showing out for the injustices. We didn’t expect this mural to become a collaborative process with the entire community”. The community of Phoenix was so proud of what these artists were creating, lots of businesses donated and helped as much as they could to make this mural happen. The community's support was important because it was a fight to get there. At first, the city did not allow for these BLM murals to be done but these artists wouldn't stand for it. Ashley Macias, an artist with other works around Downtown, stated on her Instagram, “We created this mural for our community to show solidarity in a time of cultural resistance.” Her influences come from human psychology, and surreal experiences. This passion she carries was presented in this art mural, as she painted a fist raised. This fist represents a known symbol for the BLM, really calling out for the injustices throughout our nation to be recognized. Macias is from Phoenix and continues to share her art here in Downtown. She has many exhibits not just here in Arizona but other areas such as New York, Colorado, California, Germany, and Texas. Just Dixon is such an inspiration to this piece as he started this passion for art much later in life. He ended his football career and started his life of art. After helping with this moral he stated in an Instagram post, “...my goal is to create as much black art in all the places I’ve lived in visited in the last 10 years so I can… possibly plant some seeds for the next generation”. Not only is he hoping to make a change with the government but for young kids directly. Dixon noticed the lack of black art and now travels adding some to each place he lives. Now residing in Los Angeles, California he has made a name for himself and continues to be such an inspiration to the communities he visits. Muta’s part on the mural included a young boy holding grains in his hand. It sends a powerful message of hope for growth. His contribution to the mural is so noteworthy as it is so unique. Muta is very creative with his art and knows how to capture the attention of those around. It is beautifully done and shows the extensive skill he carries. He has been creating art for the past 10 years and his hope for his work is to inspire those viewing. "My work focuses on capturing a moment in time, whether it's the way music and nature make you feel, or the immediate impact nature and emotions resonate within you”, as stated on Muta’s website. MadManArt, also known as MDMN, finished the mural with a comic book like art. It showcases a man’s lower half of his face, holding a flower. It is bold and eye catching, making for a great addition to the mural. The boldness of the art keeps it interesting when looking across the whole wall at what has been done by all 6 of these artists. MDMN is now working in Arizona. He was a great member of this team and even thanked them all in a post stating, “It took a lot of people to make this such an impact and thank you for being there, ALL LOVE”. Each piece individually is amazing but it all coming together created such a powerful message and protest within the community of Downtown Phoenix. These artists used their art and voices to tell such a beautiful message that impacted people so greatly. With donations and hard work and dedication this city will now get to be a part of the movement of change and equality. |
Piece by Ashley Macias
Piece by Clyde
Piece by Giovannie “Just” Dixon
Piece by John “MDMN” Moody
Piece by Muta
Piece by Nyla Lee
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Tempe Mural Shows We're All in this Together
By Ari Foshag
The “Get Together Tempe” mural is found on the west wall of Social Hall at the corners of McClintock and University Dr. in Tempe, Arizona. Social Hall is a restaurant and bar with free games for everyone to enjoy. The design was created by the marketing company, AWE Collective, based in Tempe and was finished on February 25th, 2019 by the artist Morgan Delaney (@____morganic). Recently, Morgan’s work got attention from Tempe Tourism in an article they wrote showcasing the street art around the city. The message in the mural is appreciated much more now than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a way, it is a reminder to the Tempe community that they are all in this together no matter what. The mural took approximately two weeks to complete. Mike Kenney, the owner of Social Hall, said the mural was designed as a means to draw attention to his business, since the building was in an unconventional location, hidden from view on the street. This art was also created in order to cover the blank wall in the front of the building, so in this case it serves two purposes- giving attention to the Social Hall and beautifying the city of Tempe. ASU students and tourists alike come take a look at this beautiful work of art. The hashtag “#ourtempe” has about 11.5 thousand posts on Instagram, with the “Get Together Tempe” mural being featured in a good portion of them.
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From artist Morgan Delaney
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