Arts and Culture
Must-See Murals in Tempe, Arizona
November 15, 2024
Your guide to Tempe’s vibrant collection of murals and artists.
We seek out art for different reasons, to inspire us, to make us laugh, to give us a new perspective, or just to help us appreciate the beauty that exists all around us. Tempe is a city that showcases the arts, from live theatre to concerts to museum exhibitions. It’s also a place where art shows up in unexpected places. Check out the City of Tempe’s public art collection and you’ll be amazed at the creativity all around the city.
Discover murals all over the city and get to know the talented Arizona local artists behind each masterpiece. You will find murals around every corner in Tempe, often tucked away in neighborhoods, so a bike or car ride is the best way to see all of them.
“Get Together Tempe” by Morgan Delaney (@____morganic)
Location: Northeast corner of McClintock and University drives
“Get Together Tempe” is rally cry that applies to brunch, happy hour, business and pleasure. As such, this piece of art by Morgan Delaney could not have amore appropriate home than its location on the west wall of Social Hall, a local favorite for cocktails and American/Southwestern fare. The vision for the mural was to turn a big, empty wall into a landmark.
“A lot of people told us we needed a sign out front so that people would know we existed,” said Mike Kenney, Owner/Operator of Social Hall. “[W]e felt that turning it into a big piece of artwork would be more appreciated by the community and could still serve the purpose of letting people know we exist.” The mural was designed for us by AWE Collective, a marketing company based in Tempe. “We presented the design to Morgan, as she was also local and worked at Four Peaks in Tempe, and she agreed to take on the project.” A match made in mural heaven.
“Our Tempe” by Kyllan Maney (@kyllanmaney)
Location: Southwest corner Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway
Tempe Tourism and Downtown Tempe Authority (DTA) partnered to create a new public artwork in downtown: large letters that spell out TEMPE. This new downtown landmark and work of art, titled “Our Tempe,” is located at Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway, next to the historic Hayden House. Local artist and educator Kyllan Maney painted a colorful design on the letters, symbolizing people from all walks of life converging in Tempe.
“I saw city signs that naturally became photo spots in other cities and I really wanted to have one in Tempe,” said Michael Martin President & CEO of Tempe Tourism. “We’re thrilled to be able to support an art project in Tempe, which will act as a point of pride for the community.” According to DTA, “For years we had been trying to find a space to have a TEMPE sign … we knew that having it in front of an iconic building was the perfect spot. We are thankful to Tempe Tourism for helping to make this possible.” The letters were installed by Merestone, a local event production company.
Tempe Timeline mural by Thomas “Breeze” Marcus (@breeze1phx) and Dwayne Manuel (@dwaynemanuelstudio)
Location: Ash Garage’s south side (201 Ash St.) facing the Valley Metro Station
This collaborative mural project, funded with the support of the City of Tempe and designed by the talented artists from Hekiu — an Indigenous Artist Continuum, is more than just a visual feast. It’s a 218-foot-long storytelling canvas that offers a look through time to The O’odham, comprising the Tohono O’odham (Desert People) and the Akimel O’odham (River People), who have lived in the Sonoran Desert region for thousands of years.
The mural also include hints to additional neighboring Indigenous tribes such as the Piipaash (also known as the Maricopa, who first came to the area from western Arizona near the Colorado river a few centuries ago), as well as the Yaqui or Yoeme who came here in the early 1900s and are the reason the town of Guadalupe exists today.
As per O’odham tradition, the mural is designed to be viewed from east to west (right to left) as it unfolds across six sections, each with its own specific symbolism and history.
“Meet Me at Daley Park” by Jake Early (@jakeearly)
Location: On College Avenue, between Broadway Road and Apache Boulevard
Painted in 2018, Jake Early’s tribute to Tempe, “Meet Me at Daley Park,” showcases the city’s history at 400 feet. When designing this mural, Early’s connected with the neighborhood adjacent to the park, which inspired the mural’s name. His goal was to “create a digital history [timeline] of this neighborhood.” A notable part of the mural is the Arizona flag bookended by Pecan trees which would have been in the area. “Roughly 100 years ago, Arizona had just come into statehood, so my placement of the Arizona flag is a nod to that,” he said. Because the piece is so big and features many vignettes, the photo opportunities are endless. Fun fact: it was the City of Tempe’s second public mural commission.
“Amazed Baby” by Lucretia Torva
Location: Yucca Taproom, 29 W. Southern Ave, Tempe, AZ 85282
“Amazed Baby” is one of the many featured murals in Danelle Plaza. It’s located on a vacant building that was destined for tear down. When approached by the committee commissioning the artists, they asked Lucretia Torva if she could paint a street view of Mill Avenue. But, she decided to propose this piece with a baby, and the rest is history. The artist was thrilled to combine her love of pop art, comic art, bright colors and appropriately random words, like “WOW!” Torva has also painted a utility box in Tempe, on the northeast corner of Rio Salado Parkway. Her work has also been featured on Tempe Public Library cards.
“AMERICA. AMERICAN. AMERICANS.” by Jake Early (@jakeearly)
Location: Mill Avenue between 13th Street and Broadway, across from Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital
After learning that the couple who owns this property weren’t a fan of the previous mural, Jake Early set out to create a piece more to their liking. With creative freedom, and only a request requested that he made it “provocative,” Jake challenged himself with concepts prompted by a photo from the White House. “It was a photo of a group of 40 men in suits and woman sitting with her feet up on the couch … in the Oval Office,” he shared. This initial thought being, “my friends and family don’t look like this.” So, he create a mural that spoke to the un/underrepresented. The result: three diverse individuals: his bi-racial nephew, his friend who is a Native American woman born in Arizona and his Indian American friend who was born in Los Angeles. He loves this mural and hopes you’ll continue to capture photos of it and tag him on Instagram @jakeearly. He also unveiled a mural at Broadmor Elementary School that he’d love for you to check out as well.
“Don’t Wake the Dreamer” by Lauren Lee (@mslaurenlee)
Location: Hardy Drive and 5th Street, next to Jaycee Park
The artist of this piece, Lauren Lee, is sought out by businesses owners and city entities alike for her signature take on nature and animals. “Don’t Wake the Dreamer” is a 153-foot-long mural, where you’ll find a sweet trend of beautiful birds and whimsical pink blooms among a beautiful Dreamer. What’s lovely about this piece is how many ways you can capture it. We recommend taking Hardy Drive north from University Drive to see it on your right-hand side. Fun fact: this piece was the City of Tempe’s first public mural commission.
“Dreams on Pause” by Clyde Thompson (@clyde_0000)
Location: 3400 S. Mill Ave., Tempe, AZ 85282
Clyde Thompson explains that “Dreams on Pause” was painted during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Though everyone was in a panic, I wanted to paint something that suggested that these times are an opportunity to reflect and reset,” he shared. Describing the mural, he Thompson added, “I painted this man laid out in a relaxed state using his basketball as a pillow. You’ll see an arrow shot through the basketball, signifying his love for the game. He had been grinding for a long time to achieve his dream of being a professional basketball player. However, now he gets an opportunity to sit back and smell the flowers.” Measuring 65 by 20 feet, this mural is best spotted as you are driving east along Southern Avenue. It’s on the south side of the road near the car wash, west of Mill Avenue.
“Rangoli Sunrise” by Kyllan Maney
Location: The Dhaba, 1827 E. Apache Blvd., Tempe, AZ 85281
At The Dhaba, an excellent restaurant serving incredible Indian food, you’ll find Kyllan Maney’s “Rangoli Sunrise.” The restaurant’s owner, Raveen Arora, hired Maney to paint Rangolis near the restaurant’s entrance, and he also found funding for the beautiful mural on the west exterior wall of the building. He even gave her a book about Rangolis so she could find a design and meaning that she thought would resonate. Maney said the base of the Rangoli she chose means truth and knowledge. Measuring 20 by 60 feet, this was Maney’s biggest mural to date, and she enjoyed the challenge of painting such a large and intricate piece of work. However, her signature style is easily recognized and can be spotted throughout the city.
The Tempest Murals by Erik Rennick & Paige Reesor (@paige.reesor.art)
Location: The Tempest Hotel, on University Drive between Dorsey Lane and McClintock Drive
With its last round of renovations, The Tempest Hotel Tempe at ASU set out to add additional personality to the property with the addition of two murals. Local artist Erik Rennick partnered with the owners of The Tempest for concept that was “so Arizona,” and a welcome piece as guests enter the lobby. We love catching all the little details in this mural (like native Arizona animals and the iconic Hole-in-the-Rock Trail). Fast forward, and local artist Paige Reesor added a vibey city tribute that can be found on the patio. In the quest to incorporated iconic Tempe visuals, she paired fiery reds and the soothing cyans to depict the Mill Avenue Bridge, “A” Mountain and palm trees under the Tempe marquee in the hotel’s signature font.
“Valley Rockstar Memorial” by Gina Ribaudo
Location: 1992 E. Richards Drive, Tempe, AZ 85283
Gina Ribaudo created the “Valley Rockstar Memorial” in Tempe in the summer of 2020. This mural was commissioned by the homeowner, Tommy Gwinn, who wanted to create a tribute to artists who left an imprint on rock music and had a connection to the Phoenix area. This 55-foot mural features portraits of local legends Vince Welnick of the The Grateful Dead, Glen Buxton of the Alice Cooper Band, Doug Hopkins of the Gin Blossoms, Chester Bennington from Linkin Park, and Mike Condello, who was a local musician and appeared on “The Wallace and Ladmo Show.”
While out painting in this South Tempe neighborhood, the artist said she really “enjoyed the time spent painting this mural and getting to meet the locals,” who would talk to her as they passed on a walk or bike ride. “I always find the people of Tempe to be so kind and down to earth,” she added.
“Woman in a Dream” by Clyde Thompson (@clyde_0000)
Location: Mill Avenue and 9th Street, on the back side of University Inn & Suites
Clyde Thompson has become known for producing large scale murals featuring dreamy women and using shades of teal and turquoise. We chatted with Clyde and got the scoop on this beautiful piece — the first in his “Woman in a Dream” series. “That was my first two-story mural … the owner of the University Inn … also hired me to paint a mural for one of his restaurants, which is how I began doing commissioned murals and pursuing art as a career.” Woman in a Dream, he added, ”was “painted in one day, which is why it may come off as unfinished.” We think it’s incredible. Clyde also mentioned that he does do a lot of commissioned work (which you can see on his website). He has also had several pieces located at the Danelle Plaza at Mill and Southern avenues.
“Woman in a Dream III” by Clyde Thompson (@clyde_0000)
Location: 1700 S. College Ave., Tempe, AZ 85281
“Woman in a Dream III” was Clyde Thompson’s first commissioned Woman in a Dream mural. The previous two had been street art installations. Thompson was “on a mission” to show his hometown city the potential of murals. Dream III was the first mural he spent more than one day on, showcasing how impactful large-scale artwork can be. “My ultimate goal is to get these murals up to 10 stories tall,” he shared. We’re rooting for you, Clyde. Woman in a Dream III was completed in 2017 on the Montage Apartments, painted with retro-vibrant colors that true to Thompson’s recognizable color scheme.
“You Are Amazing,” a series by Jayarr (@jayarr.art)
Location: Beck Avenue, south of University Drive, at Laird Street (pink wall)
Location: Across from Sun Devil Marketplace, 660 S. College Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281 (cactus wall)
This campaign of vibrant murals has one important message: “You Are Amazing.” Tempe artist Jayarr is best known for putting this message on colorful triangles found in several locations all over the valley, including Daily Jam and the ground floor of ōLiv Tempe Apartments. What a lovely message to see all over the city!
