The dusty, vacant lot between Taylor Place and the Valley Youth Theatre on First Street and Fillmore Avenue became significantly brighter after a 2,500-square-foot mural was unveiled during the May First Fridays art walk.
Thanks to collaboration between the Black Mesa Water Coalition and the Estria Foundation, Phoenix was selected to be one of 10 cities featured in Water Writes, a global mural series to raise awareness about local water issues. Several of the murals are in California, while others are in countries such as Palestine, El Salvador and South Africa.
“What we’re trying to do is push something positive,” said Wahleah Johns of the Black Mesa Water Coalition. “We want to be a part of the change and see hope in our community and bring attention to these issues of justice and equality.”
Johns, the environmental justice coordinator for the coalition, said that in addition to addressing water issues such as drought and climate change, her mission is to encourage Arizona to strengthen water conservation policies.
One of the coalition’s leading concerns is the Navajo Generating Station in the Black Mesa region of northern Arizona. NGS uses coal mined from the same area to supply electricity for canal pumps that transport Colorado River water to central and southern Arizona.
The mural was painted on the south wall of the theater. Its central focus is a woman carrying twins in her womb.
“She represents mother earth, and we are her children,” Johns said.
A depiction of the coal mine and its emissions, as well as alternative energy options, were painted using brush and spray paint on either side of the woman.
“We wanted to use graffiti in more of a positive way rather than continue with its negative connotation,” local artist Jeff Slim said.
Slim helped sketch the design and supervised a team of 15 other local artists as they worked on the mural every day for a week. He said he feels this mural is an effective way to inform the downtown Phoenix community about the source of their water and electricity.
“It’s more so to educate everyone here to be thankful for what is given to them and for those that are still struggling,” Slim said. “Here everyone has the luxury of it, but I don’t really feel like a lot of people actually know where their electricity is coming from and how people are still living without it.”
The mural’s unveiling also served as a kick-off event for the Downtown Phoenix Partnership’s new project called “The Space Between.” This effort relies on community input to determine what will best fill the vacant lot between the theater and residential towers.
“It’s really important to do infill projects, something the community will love and use,” said Anna Consie of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership.
The partnership is looking for temporary ideas that can be easily removed, such as a bocce ball court or an outdoor gallery. Because the lot may be developed into ASU residential facilities, the partnership cannot pursue any ideas that could prohibit further development of the land.
“It’s up in the air at the moment,” Consie said.
For now, the partnership aims to create an “active, alive and vibrant” place for the community to enjoy, and according to Consie, the mural is a great first step.
“It’s nice to look at,” said Sakkara Payne, a Phoenix College student who stopped by the mural unveiling on First Friday. “We need some color in this dry state we live in.”
Contact the reporter at Kimberly.Garbacz@asu.edu
