Arizona Artists Set to Bring New Public Art to Sahuarita, AZ as part of Town's25th Anniversary

The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA), in collaboration with the Town of Sahuarita Parks and Recreation Department are bringing a variety of new public art installations to town parks, in honor of the town’s 25th Anniversary. These temporary public art pieces will be painted on five different electrical boxes in order to enhance the visual landscape and quality of life for residents and visitors to Sahuarita Parks. The murals are expected to be completed by November 2019.

The new murals celebrate themes of Sahuarita culture, economy, and landscape. Three southern Arizona artists – Ignacio Garcia, Wesley Fawcett Creigh and Ghazal Ghazi - were chosen from a competitive field of applicants to design and implement the murals.
 
This Public Art Installation is one of many upcoming community events including a Chalk Art Festival on November 2 at Sahuarita Lake Park set to debut in the town thanks to an exciting new partnership between the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance and the Town of Sahuarita. From public art installations to community art festivals to culinary and music celebrations, the partnership will bring the arts center stage throughout Sahuarita.

SAACA murals will be featured at the following locations in Sahuarita:

Anamax Park
17501 S. Camino De Las Quintas
Sahuarita, AZ 85629

Quail Creek-Veterans Municipal Park
1905 N. Old Nogales Highway
Sahuarita, AZ 85629
 
Ghazal Ghazi October 2 — 4 (First week of October)
Artist Ghazal Ghazi will paint two murals connecting cosmos, the Sahuarita people, and local ecology. Ghazi’s mural in Anamax Park will feature a stunning portrait surrounded by a dreamy starscape on one side, and imagery inspired by the community garden on the other. At North Santa Cruz Park, Ghazi will paint a prickly pear inspired mural. Ghazi is a multidisciplinary visual and literary artist who works with the intention of promoting community and dialogue. She has created large scale 2D and 3D works of public art and exhibited her work both nationally and internationally, from Mexico, to Chile to Oklahoma, exploring themes of sustainability, memory, language, community, healing, and ecology.
 
Wesley Fawcett Creigh October 14 — 18 (Third week of October)
Two murals by public artist Wesley Fawcett Creigh will be going up in Anamax Park in early October. Creigh’s murals will pay tribute to two key aspects of Sahuarita’s local economy and offerings: the Whipple observatory, located just south of town, and the pecan orchards. A graduate of Prescott College with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Art with an Emphasis on Social Impact, Creigh’s artistic resume includes public works created in partnership with many notable community organizations including the Santa Fe Art Institute, Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona, Springboard for the Arts, Pima Community College, and the Center for Global Justice. Creigh has been featured in galleries throughout Arizona, Mexico, and Minnesota and is, in addition to being an accomplished muralist, an in-demand scenic designer for Arizona theaters. 
 
Ignacio Garcia October 28 – 31 (Last week of October)
In late October, Ignacio Garcia will paint a large Saguaro flower mural on the electrical boxes at Quail Creek - Veterans Municipal. Taking inspiration from Sahuarita’s namesake (roughly translating to “little Saguaro”), there will be nothing little about his eye-catching, realistic looking flowers. Garcia is well known throughout Arizona and California for his 3D chalk murals and large, colorful photo-realistic murals that often play on whimsical, playful pop art ideas. His mural of Bill Walton riding a Jackalope on the side of Rialto Theater in Tucson is one of the most photographed images of the downtown corridor. Garcia is an artistic studies graduate of the East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa, AZ and the Gnoman Workshop in Hollywood, CA.

Note to Media: Photos Available

Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance
The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) is a not-for-profit organization that exists to promote engagement in arts and culture, helping our communities produce strong, inspired citizens. SAACA enlists artists, businesses, governments, and individuals to expand artistic and cultural opportunities in their respective communities. To enhance access to the arts and to promote cultural awareness in the communities it serves, SAACA presents large-scale festivals, events and other programs. The Alliance also promotes educational opportunities in the arts and culture for all ages.

Town of Sahuarita
The Town of Sahuarita is the 6th youngest incorporated town in the State of Arizona, and will celebrate its 25th birthday on September 20, 2019. Sahuarita is a regional partner with other municipalities, educational institutions, non-profits, and business leaders in Southern Arizona, and recognizes the importance of arts and culture in creating and sustaining well-rounded communities. For more information on the public art partnership between the Town of Sahuarita and SAACA, please visit www.sahuaritaaz.gov/parks.