Written By Ashley Sinclair
The art murals in Downtown Phoenix became a project before the city became popular. Before the Chase Field Stadium and commercial buildings were bulit. R.J. Price, the Chief Growth Officer of Downtown Phoenix Inc., said that in the 1990’s there was a small group of local community art members who made the city their home. He said that there isn’t a specific time when murals became popular or when the first mural was created in Downtown Phoenix. He said that it was a gradual increase over time, from the 90s to the 21th century, that pushed murals to what it is today. Price continued to say that due to the city’s expansion, artists and people had to migrate to Grand Ave, areas around Roosevelt, Garfield, Francis Quarles Story, and others and that this migration of creatives, is what has kept the arts consistent as well as being something that Downtown Phoenix Inc. leverages on an economic development level. He said that art is something that gives back to the community and it’s also a way to fit in.
James Ritter, from the Arts and Culture from City Phoenix, said, “The Phoenix Office of Arts + Culture (POAC) helps to produce public art projects; however, it is rare that POAC is involved in the commissioning of murals as part of our public art programs. Most of the public art projects that POAC commissions take shape in the form of structural elements that are generally integrated into larger-scale construction projects.” He continued, stating that, “Nearly all the murals being produced in the Downtown Phoenix area are done so on private property, with private funding. Though we are thrilled to see the private investment in these works, we are not involved in their creation and do privately funded art projects.” The question is, with art being such a strong part of the community of Downtown Phoenix, how many murals have been created since 2019? Ritter said there is no historic record of when the first mural was created, but said that an exception was the “The Welcome to Phoenix” mural that is on Adams St. near the Convention Center. He said it was commissioned with the help of AZ Super Bowl Host Committee, DTPHX and Artlink, to welcome visitors for the Super Bowl in February 2023.
There is more to murals than their colors, there is sometimes a story behind it, but not all projects are approved. In 2020, the city of Phoenix denied, the president of the Shining Light Foundation, Gizette Knight’s proposal for the creation of “Black Lives Matter” Murals. Ashley Loose, a ABC 15 writer, wrote that the reasoning behind it was in a letter from Ed Zuercher, Managing Executive Director of Maricopa Association of Governments, ‘“…based on existing regulations governing allowable marking in the street, as well as overriding concerns with safety, risks, and federal guidelines for marking on streets, the City of Phoenix cannot accommodate your request.”’ Kini Knudson, Director of Street Transportation in Phoenix, shared with Cronkite News that the Transportation of Phoenix has authorized that a street mural doesn’t follow the guidelines sine it may cause traffic issues, such as being a distraction for drivers.
This didn’t stop Knight. She insisted that it be done to further the conversation about Black History. She commissioned to paint 28 murals in 28 days for Black History Month. There were many attempts to speak with Knight about this push to action, but there was no response. Although, she spoke to ABC 15 writer, Ashley Loose who said, “Knight said she is still pursuing the mural.” “‘Black Lives Matter' painted on the streets is a step forward. It is not the answer to uprooting inequality. We have to build on those words, paint our streets."’ The commission still hasn’t been accepted, but in January of 2021 she planned to complete her goal.
The murals in Downtown Phoenix range in size. Many are on areas that would have some think, do they have restrictions? Price said that a mural doesn’t have any surface area restrictions but square footage does however play a role. He said that dtphx.com price murals out by the square foot, with the current industry standard being $25/square foot.
According to AZ Family, the Phoenix City Council approved a $20 Million public art plan. The city of Phoenix’s Article XXII states that each year based on the most recent Capital Improvement Program that every City department responsible for capital programs shall reserve one percent of its eligible capital project funds to the arts to, “…enhance the design of public buildings, infrastructure and spaces. In the past 34 years, it has created more than 200 major projects and become a national leader in developing unique collaborations with artists and other design professionals to build a better Phoenix. The projects range from new airport facilities, parks, community centers and canal trails, to bridges, streetscapes, overpasses, transit centers, recycling centers, and other key infrastructure.”
References:
Alam, A. (2020, September 12). Phoenix City manager rejects black lives matter street mural near Arena. Cronkite News.
Loose, A. (2020, September 15). City of Phoenix denies black lives matter mural request in Downtown Area. ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV). https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/city-of-phoenix-denies-black-lives-matter-mural-request-in-downtown-area
Lockhart, E. (2023, July 6). Phoenix City Council approves $20 million for art projects. https://www.azfamily.com.
O’Dowd, P., & Locke, A. (2022, February 18). After Phoenix said “no” to one black lives matter mural, artists paint 28 to amplify black history. Here & Now.
2-700 percent for art funding. Phoenix City Code. (n.d.).
Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture. FY 2020-25 public art plan. (n.d.-a).
R.J. Price. Chief Growth Officer. Downtown Phoenix Inc. rjprice@dtphx.org.
Jame Ritter. Communications Office. Phoenix Office of Arts + Culture. james.ritter@phoenix.gov
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