Tucson is now home to Arizona’s largest outdoor mural and it’s as beautiful as you could have guessed.
The mural, painted by local artist Jessica Gonzales, spans 26,000 square feet and was confirmed by the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance (SAACA) to be the largest outdoor mural in the state.
The vibrant desert-themed mural, dubbed “Sonoran Skylines,” was painted at Park Place Mall, 5870 E. Broadway, on the west side of the movie theater. Gonzales was selected to create the mural after Park Place Mall launched a call-to-artists, asking local muralists to submit their designs.
Jessica Gonzales gets into her safety harness to work from a boom lift on her mural, Sonoran Skylines, on the southwest wall of the Park Place Mall on Sept. 25. Dakin Martin rolls a coat of green on a lower portion of the piece.
“I wanted the artwork to convey the impact of standing before a majestic saguaro,” Gonzales said in a press release. “Tucson is a renowned destination for mural art and I’m honored to contribute a piece that showcases our desert’s beauty on such a large scale.”
Art has always been part of Gonzales’ life, from drawing as a kid to taking advanced art classes in high school to studying art at the University of Arizona. She started her mural journey in 2016 and became a full-time muralist in 2019. It’s very likely that you’ve seen her work splashed across The Loft Cinema, The Tuxon, Antigone Books and many other buildings across our favorite desert city.
Artist Jessica Gonzales sketches outlines with spray paint for her mural, Sonoran Skylines, on the southwest wall of the Park Place Mall on Sept. 25, 2024.
“The challenge of creating something small — a design in a small format and then getting that image up on a large wall — there's a sort of problem-solving to that with such a big payoff,” Gonzales told #ThisIsTucson in 2021. “I kinda like the technical side of it. I like figuring out how to create something that fits well with its environment.”
The mural was officially unveiled on Saturday, Nov. 2 during SAACA’s inaugural Park Place Street Art Festival that included a community ofrenda, face painting, live music and interactive chalk art installations.
“We’re excited to support our local art community in a meaningful way and enhance the beauty of our center with this incredible piece,” Brighid Dawson, Park Place’s general manager, said in the press release. “This mural is a testament to the talent and creativity of our community and will be a wonderful addition to Tucson’s cultural landscape.”
Jessica Gonzales has to lean through the rails on a boom lift to get to the hard-to-reach places on her mural, Sonoran Skylines, on the southwest wall of the Park Place Mall, Tucson, Ariz., September 25, 2024.
