Tucson's Public Art

Title: To Those Who've Come Before Us!

Location: 210 E. Broadway

Details: Mural on the wall of the Tucson Acadamy of Leadership & Arts

She Said:

As my partner intimates, singing and dancing skeletons figure prominently in Hispanic art, appearing regularly in murals and other artwork in Tucson. This painting, with its juxtaposition of fleshed out and skeletal figures, stormy sky and mountains, lizard and camera eye, combines imagery in a fascinating way, and gives us, the viewers, a unique look at the world. Though we may not always be comfortable admitting it or accepting it as such, death is a part of life; the title of this piece underscores that, as do the smiling skeletons.

He Said:

With the strong Hispanic influence in Tucson, murals can be found in many areas of town, livening up the street scene. Interestingly, these often have skellys as part of the design, and the skellys, as shown here, are often having fun, playing music, or dancing. This, I think, shows a significant difference between the Anglo culture where the dead are to be feared and treated with great trepidation, and the Hispanic culture, in which the dead are friends and relatives who have gone before us.