Phoenix has a wonderful culture of mostly-Mexican-inspired urban murals. They are all over the city, often tucked away so you have to wander to find them. This list is long but it isn’t close to comprehensive. I didn’t do any South Phoenix, North Phoenix, or West Phoenix, or any of the surrounding cities. I’m sure they all have examples.
〰 UPTOWN 〰
This is my part of town so these are all special to me.
❤️ Uptown #1: My girlfriend
I drove by this one every weekday for years taking my kids to school. My wife calls her my girlfriend and I do think she is very pretty. But she’s probably a diva.
Uptown #2: This whale sign for a sign store
I think this was done by the sign company that operates in the building. It isn’t my favorite but it is neat. My daughter used to love it when she was small.
❤️ Uptown #3: This truly outrageous hair salon
My wife calls this Gem and sings the song from the 80s cartoon every time we pass it.
Uptown #4: This phoenix of the Phoenix recession
This is the sign for a defunct coffee shop built in the former rental office of an abandoned high-rise apartment project. It has relief, being made of cut and painted plywood.
Uptown #5: This thinly-veiled drug reference
This is on the side of what I think is a bar or something.
Uptown #6: This alien
Not my favorite but worthy of note. This is a few blocks down the street from my house.
〰 ARTS DISTRICT 〰
The Phoenix arts district is centered south of Roosevelt and east of Central, on the north end of the ASU downtown campus. There are murals all over this area and it is fun to walk it when the weather’s nice and find what you can find.
❤️ Arts District #1: This wonderful cyclist
I absolutely adore this one at 3rd street and Roosevelt. It says it is a tribute to Margaret Killagen but I don’t know who that is. Someday I will investigate.
Arts District #2: The Angel’s Trumpet Ale House
A lovely mural on this ASU bar. Also, I’m pretty sure Angel’s Trumpet is a play on words meant to sound like Angel Strumpet but that may just be me.
Arts District #3: The Film Bar
This mural continues on the back and is very intricate.
Arts District #4: Film Bar Parking
This is the half wall around the Film Bar parking lot.
Arts District #5: This beautiful mess
This is in the underdeveloped end of things. A messy and amateurish mural. I’m not sure what the building is.
❤️ Arts District #6: This creepy structured thinker
In my family we debate this person’s gender.
Arts District #7: This celebration of music
Not my favorite but nice in its way. On the side of a record store with a very well done portrait.
Arts District #8: This psychedelic lady
Not sure what this is but it is neat.
Arts District #9: This burning heart
You see a lot of human hearts in Latino-American art. My art historian sister who is an expert in post-colonial Mexican art could probably tell me why.
❤️ Arts District #10: This floating skull
I love everything about this one.
Arts District #11: This wall of imagery
I don’t know what this place is but its wall sure is cool.
❤️ Arts District #12: The Velo coffee shop
A beautiful and interesting bit of signage.
Arts District #13: Telephone poles I guess
Not very pretty and I don’t get it. But maybe it means something.
Arts District #14: The Head Shop (south side)
This place is I dunno like a marijuana enthusiasts store or something. They have big and quite lovely murals on three sides.
❤️ Arts District #15: The Head Shop (north side)
This is my favorite side and one of my favorite murals in Phoenix.
Arts District #16: The Head Shop (east side)
This is the back of the building which is on a run down side street.
Arts District #17: The rear entrance to this gallery.
Pretty neat texture and full of emotion in person. Hard to see it well here.
Arts District #18: These secret sunflowers
These are on the back side of the MonOrchid building, a side with nothing going on, so you’d be unlikely to see them if you didn’t go looking.
Arts District #19: This intricate wall
This mural is on the back side of a block wall by the sunflowers, against an empty lot.
Arts District Bonus #1: This cute little planter
Arts District Bonus #2: This Aztec-inspired planter
〰 16TH STREET BARRIO 〰
These are situated around the Barrio Cafe at 16th Street and Thomas. Pictured here is the parking entrance sign for the Cafe.
❤️ 16th Street Barrio #1: This awesome Phoenix lettering
This is a collaboration of several local artists where each one filled a different letter. Obviously this is on postcards.
16th Street Barrio #2: This well known work
This is one you see in a lot of pictures. It is very intricate and very large.
❤️ 16th Street Barrio #3: This back wall beauty
The back alley of the Barrio Cafe building has this incredible multipart mural with portraits of significant Latino figures.
❤️ 16th Street Barrio #4: Frida Kahlo detail from the above mural
Beautiful.
16th Street Barrio #5: This chica bonita
This one is also exceptionally beautiful. The blue is striking.
16th Street Barrio #6: This residential block wall on the alley side
This one stands out stylistically. You’d never see these next few if you didn’t go back behind the restaurant and into the garbage access alleys.
16th Street Barrio #7: Another alley wall
16th Street Barrio #8: And another
16th Street Barrio #9: The back wall of this detached garage
16th Street Barrio #10: The back of this building
The entire building housing the Barrio Cafe and connected shops is covered all around with murals like this.
❤️ 16th Street Barrio #11: This cool guy
This is the side visible from the busy 16th street northbound and is therefor very well known to locals.
16th Street Barrio #12: This Native American beauty
This is the south half of the street side of the building.
16th Street Barrio #13: This Santa Maria
And here’s the other half.
16th Street Barrio #14: This very old mural
I think this one’s been there since I moved here 20 years ago. Or close to it. One of the old originals.
16th Street Barrio #15: This lovely scene across the street
Back side of the building north of Barrio Cafe.
16th Street Barrio #16: This charming half wall of birds
You’ll see another clearly by the same artist when we get downtown. I love these dopey birds.
❤️ 16th Street Barrio #17: Detail of the above, a very nice message
16th Street Barrio #18: The 16th Street sign
Calle 16, Spanish for 16th Street.
〰 DOWNTOWN 〰
Things get more eclectic when we move downtown. This covers a big area from 7th Street and McDowell south and west to 1500 Grand Avenue.
❤️ Downtown #1: This homage to Phoenix children’s television icons Wallace and Ladmo
I’m not Phoenix native but everybody who is remembers these guys and their kid’s show in the 70s and 80s.
Downtown #2: This celebration of weird in a Jack In The Box parking lot
Another prominent mural visible from a busy street.
Downtown #3: This portrait in the Garfield Gallery
On McDowell and around 5th Avenue. There are several other murals tucked away here.
Downtown #4: This (I assume) memorial
I don’t know what it says or who it is.
Downtown #5: This celebration of the desert on the Valley Youth Theater building
Part of the ASU downtown campus construction seems to be this tree-lined walking area that has unfortunately made it hard to get a picture. But in person it is easy to take in.
Downtown #6: This taqueria
This is the street side. There’s another mural on the north side.
Downtown #7: This wall in the Coronado neighborhood
I’m not sure what the building is but the wall has murals like this all along the block.
Downtown #8: This oldie-but-goodie
Another that’s been there as long as I can remember. A mix of very skilled and very amateur with lots of idealistic aphorisms.
Downtown #9: This dingy Mexican restaurant
I’ve never eaten here but I kind of want to try it.
Downtown #10: This rundown apartment building
Mexican muertos and a memorial to a fallen soldier.
Downtown #11: This Phoenix with muscle cars
Not sure what this place is. This is the back wall.
Downtown #12: This dollar store
It really is a dollar store. Never been there but they also have a beautiful hand-lettered sign on the wall.
❤️ Downtown #13: This nerdy troll
Another favorite. She has snot pooling in her nose.
Downtown #14: This “kooky” craft store
This mural has rhinestones embedded in the art so it sparkles in places.
Downtown #15: This art studio
The heart of the downtown art studio district.
Downtown #16: This delightful party
Another art studio.
Downtown #17: These sneetches
The parking lot of the above studio.
Downtown #18: These conjoined lovebirds
This is too sweet and charming for words.
Downtown #19: This creep-factory
These carnivorous plants continue around the corner and all down the front side of the building.
Downtown #20: This sliced orange by the Five Guys
If I’m remembering right, my daughter’s classmate’s father painted this.
❤️ Downtown #21: This handsome couple at the coffee shop
Also in the Five Guys parking lot. I’ve always loved this one.
