Exploring the Murals of Phoenix, Arizona

There's a new wave of wall art covering many buildings in Phoenix and its surrounding cities and it's been a long time coming, but now murals are everywhere, waiting to be discovered by those willing to walk around in the Phoenix heat. It may be hit or miss, but occasionally you may have to stop and marvel at elaborate works of art.

Our first stop is at the Barrio Cafe, on North 16th Street. The building and the neighborhood are peppered with various scenes of historic and futuristic-looking elements.

"Bienvenidos a Arizona" is a classic and it still retains its colors many years after its debut.

Here, even the backstreets have a social message to share.

Next stop is "Roosevelt Row", a.k.a. "RoRo", an area centered around Roosevelt Ave. in downtown Phoenix. Long neglected, it's now making a comeback with arts and cultural events, restaurants, galleries, live music and the murals are there to speak about it.

Portraits are a major theme of many murals and you can find them in so many places, like this one on a backstreet near Roosevelt Ave.

Closer to the heart of Phoenix you'll find happier faces at the First Studio.

A furtive peek through the locked gates of the McKinley Club on 1st Ave yields an unexpected ceiling mural.

The block at N 4th Street and Roosevelt extends murals to almost anything laying around, covering many empty buildings, dumpsters and whatever looks available.

Finally, a tribute to artist Margaret Leisha Kilgallen covers an entire wall at Roosevelt and N 2nd Street

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