On November 22, 2019, I was the lead artists and teamed up with Living Streets Alliance for the Block Painting Party with families and neighbors of Ochoa Community School and the John Valenzuela Youth Center in South Tucson. t, working with students to design symbols and imagery that would fill the intersection mural. I’ve worked with Ochoa students for several years now. One of the inspiring things about this school is that I hear the teachers address the students as ‘scholars.’ What a confidence boost! Knowledge is power, which is why the mural includes images of books and children reading. I wanted to incorporate that sentiment into art and remind students of that every time they cross the street. Other images like the school’s desert tortoise (Rosie), and symbols of Aztec mythology like the Tree of Life and the Rabbit in the Moon fill the mural and liven up the street.
An estimated 200 students, family members and neighbors worked to enhance their school crossing with a traffic circle mural, making it beautiful and safer for kids crossing on foot and bicycle. During the block party, little feet filled the intersection of 8th Avenue and 25th Street, and with paint brushes in hand, students were excited to paint their mark on the intersection mural. With cumbia beats amplifying the festivities, adults and kids alike took to hula hooping, jump roping, and exploring the bicycle rodeo course.
