Art - Park Place

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Park Place Mall has a new mural.

Park Place Mall’s Mural Art Project

We are excited to announce Jessica Gonzales is the artist chosen for our exterior mural project. Her design reflects the vibrancy and Southwestern culture of Park Place Mall. We invite the community to come see the latest work of art.

Vision:

For this mural there are three things that I wanted to include in the overall vision—the first is a sense of liveliness and vibrancy that mirrors the energy of both the patrons of Park Place mall and the culture within our Tucson community. I have chosen to express this energy through vibrant color, movement, and a design that keeps the viewer engaged. Secondly, I wanted to capture the essence of our desert landscape by incorporating southern Arizona’s most iconic inhabitant and recognizable shape—the saguaro cactus. Not only are they a classic Sonoran symbol, the shape of the arms and striping of the ribs create a lot of natural movement and flow throughout the design. Lastly, I wanted to make sure that the mural made an impact from a distance where the viewers can take it in as a whole, but also incorporate visual interest when viewed at closer range.

Location:

A 26,400 sq. ft. (~450 ft wide by 62 ft tall) section of the exterior wall located near Cinemark Century Theaters. Photos of the the mural in progress are below.

Artist:

Jessica Gonzales is a Tucson-based artist whose work occupies the space at the intersection of human experience, public engagement, and contemporary art. She has been painting murals professionally since 2016, having created over 150 pieces across southern Arizona, and in Albuquerque, Austin, and Chicago. In 2016 Jessica contributed to the City of Tucson Mural Arts Program. She continued to take on mural work and was able to pursue her art career full time in April of 2019. She has been creating murals for local Tucson businesses and residents ever since.

Jessica’s specialty is in expressive portraiture, bold color & pattern, and engagement with viewers. Her painting style incorporates vibrant abstractions of texture and shape, while also creating recognizable form that is familiar to the audience. Her pieces often encourage viewers to be involved in the work both from a distance and close up, incorporating intricate details, optical illusion, vantage points that alter the viewing experience, and expressions that are engaging and inspire reaction. She holds great value in creating work that evokes a sense of joy, peace, and restfulness of mind and spirit. Jessica’s personal philosophy is that public works should be timeless and that creating an interactive relationship between the art and the viewer is a powerful way to accomplish that.
jessicagonzalesart.com