Tucson's Public Art

Title: Javelina, by Mark Rossi

Location: Entryway to Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Details: Bronze

He Said:

These are out a bit from town, but I included them anyway. Strictly speaking they are free to view, since they are before the entrance to ASDM. There are a number of other bronze sculptures right around that area that you can see, too: horned lizards, chuckwalla, other javelinas, including one that's a giant "piggy bank." All of them are well done, with the creatures in naturalistic poses and looking realistic in shape and size.

She Said:

These bronze javelinas are really very good. Mark Rossi, the sculptor, creates wonderful images of wildlife, many of which can be found in and around Tucson. In this particular grouping, there are several of the animals, a situation that's fairly typical of javelinas in the wild (or in your backyard, as far as that goes!). The figures are quite realistic and more or less life size, depicting these collared peccaries in faithful detail. You can easily imagine them chomping on cactus pads, or chowing down on your petunias! I especially like the figures of the small "reds" - the baby javelinas, so named for their coloration at birth. Hats off to Mark Rossi for his sensitivity to nature and to his creativity. And kudos to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum for supporting such a talent.