To wish Arizona a happy 106th birthday, Why I Love Where I Live gifted Tucson with three new murals.
The local business commissioned artist Danny Martin to add some artwork to the Reproductions, Inc. building, 234 E. Sixth St. Stroll east down Sixth Street toward Fifth Avenue and you'll catch pops of orange and red — the two murals completed so far.
Pedestrians stroll by a mural by artist Danny Martin, commissioned by the Why I Love Where I Live brand, on the northern wall of Reproductions, Inc., 234 E. 6th St. on Feb. 14, 2018, in Tucson, Ariz. The murals were commissioned for Valentine's Day and the 106th anniversary of Arizona's statehood.
The first mural pays tribute to Kristin Tovar's own journey to loving where she lived. Now a co-founder of Why I Love Where I Live, Tovar grew to love Tucson by snapping photos of her city. Slowly she began to see the beauty — and the people — that make Tucson worth loving.
The girl in the first mural holds a camera, ready to highlight whoever stands in front of the mural — the frame of the photo she's about to take.
"It's the people who make us love where we live!" Tovar wrote while we chatted on Facebook messenger. "So in essence, it's a big 'thank you' to the community. The spotlight is rightly on whomever stands in front of her lens."
This mural pays homage to Tucson's diversity. "There are different cultures and connections all playing off one another and creating something beautiful and unique," Kristin Tovar said.
Martin completed the red mural this week. This one is of a girl listening to an album by Los Apson, a Mexican rock band. It's also a reference to Martin's beloved taco shop Tacos Apson, 3501 S. 12th Ave., Tovar said. The mural also represents the cultural depth and diversity in Tucson.
She added that the third mural should be done in the next few weeks.
Why I Love Where I Live commissioned these murals by Danny Martin on the Reproductions, Inc. building partially as a birthday gift for Arizona.
They hope that the murals are "ultimately a gift that hopefully makes others love where they live when they see streets full of colorful art, artists being compensated for their work and the talent of artists we have in Tucson highlighted."
