Tagged Out
Tuesday, May 8th, 2012Inside the Overpass Mural Unveiling:
When: Wednesday 5.9.2012 3:30-6:30 pm
Where: 29th St/Columbus Ave
Where others might see only blight, Tucson Arts Brigade saw potential.
The non-profit group, along with members of the Jim and Vicki Click Boys and Girls Club Clubhouse, have transformed the overpass formerly covered with graffiti into a vibrant testament to the power of art, kids, and community involvement.
A gigantic mural comprised of self-portraits by Clubhouse kids — not a tangle of spray paint — now greets motorists and pedestrians on the corner of 29th Street and Columbus Boulevard.
The Inside the Overpass unveiling is the culmination of a two-year project, and part of TAB’s countywide “Beautify and Unify” initiative.
TAB, a non-profit community arts and education organization, “employs arts-based solutions to civic and social issues.” The overpass project focused on the issue of bullying — more often associated with tagging culture than many adults realize.
The 22nd/Columbus location was chosen because of its heavy vandalization. Boys and Girls Club volunteers cleared more than 80 pounds of trash, and removed hundreds of graffiti “tags” before beginning their mural.
TAB hopes that beautifying the area will not only decrease graffiti, but also restore a sense of pride to the area and build confidence and unity where despair and discord once flourished.
Several other giant works of TAB art grace walls around town — part of their Tucson Mural Arts Program. The Barrio Centro Lucky Wishbone parking lot is sporting the first completed TMAP piece, a kaleidescope of local symbolism.
Another TMAP project, titled “Together We Thrive,” will restore an existing mural in Winsett Park on north 4th Avenue. New elements will also be added to the piece.
TAB is currently recruiting community members for dialogue-based design workshops to develop a community plan for transforming the Winsett Park mural.
For more information on TAB’s “Beautify and Unify” initiative, which includes Neighborhood Arts Workshops, Mural Workshops for Youth, Community Paint Days or to request a mural on your property, contact Tucson Art Brigade.
520.791.9359
info@TucsonArtsBrigade.org
*”Share The Bounty” detail photo (immediately above) courtesy of Tucson Arts Brigade website.
All other photos by Amy Glor 2012
