Hotel Arizona - Tucson, AZ
Posted by: 
beagle39z
N 32° 13.282 W 110° 58.439
12S E 502451 N 3564973
Location: Downtown at Hotel Arizona, 181 W. Broadway, in front of Hotel Arizona.
It's on the east side of the entrance to Hotel Arizona, just at the place where Broadway and Congress merge.
Waymark Code: WM7W2R
Location: Arizona, United States
Date Posted: 12/11/2009
Views: 12
Anyone who has eaten in a restaurant on North Grande Avenue, stayed in a hotel downtown or just driven down South 12th Avenue has seen Luis Mena's murals. His gallery is the walls of local businesses, restaurants, car washes and, most recently, the side of Miller's Surplus, a military supply store.
His latest collection, an ode to American Indian and Hispanic soldiers who have fought and died in the many wars of the Americas, from pre-Columbian conflicts to the war in Iraq. He hopes his war series will shed light on the sometimes forgotten heroes.
"Chicanos and Native Americans have always been there," Mena said. "Everyone thinks it's just been Anglos who have participated. You have to give them all respect because they fight for our freedom, no matter what ethnic background they're from."
Although this mural is not about the war in Iraq, Mena thinks of it as a tribute to all the Latinos who have died there. Some of the other pieces that he hopes to add to this collection will be done on mural-sized canvases, the smallest about 4 feet by 6 feet, which he hopes will be displayed in local galleries.
Mena has done smaller works, but said he has always been drawn to muralism because of the way murals connect to people on the street.
Since the 1970s, Mena has brought his visions to the South Side to "do something monumental that will educate people and help them to remember," he said.
"Muralism is a manifestation of the mind and the divine spirit," he said. "It's what comes out of our minds. It's an expression of our souls."
Many of his older works have been painted over, but the remaining murals can be viewed at several locations around town. Some focus on the plight of Hispanics and native peoples, others are cultural statements.
City: Tucson
Location Name: Building
Artist: Luis Gustavo Mena
Date: 2000
Media: Paint on concrete wall
Relevant Web Site: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and description of your visit. One original photo of the mural must also be submitted. GPSr photo NOT required.