The Loop Art Map

Extreme Batty Biker - 1

Kory Laos Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Stephen Fairfield; Installed: 2017
This playful steel sculpture of a bat on a mountain bike is the third in a series showcasing the role of roosting bats under the bridges along The Loop.

Agave Walls - 2

LaCholla Blvd. at Rillito River Bridge / Google Maps location
Artist: Vicki Scuri; Installed: 2011
Stair-stepped shapes paired with an agave cactus form create a wave motion on this 400-foot bridge, providing continuity with the wave theme found on related projects along the corridor.

La Puerta - 3

Curtis Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Rebecca Thompson; Installed: 2007
The large rammed earth doorway is made from local soil and Portland cement. The two bronze key panels that grace the top of the structure were created by 200 youth from Flowing Wells Jr. High and High School.

Sun Circle - 4

North bank of Rillito east of LaCholla / Google Maps location
Artists: Paul T. Edwards, Susan Holman, Chris Tanz; Installed: 1994
This circular structure built of concrete block and flagstone features eight interrupted curving walls create a kiva-like circle. Six of the walls have small ports oriented toward sunrise and sunset at the summer and winter solstices, and the spring and fall equinoxes.

Magic Carpet - 5

Children’s Memorial Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Nicholas Burke; Installed: Unknown
Commissioned by the Thomason Family, this sculpture is the centerpiece of an expanded memorial wall and garden.

Omni Primo - 6

Children’s Memorial Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Joe Ventura; Installed: 1978
The Pima County/Tucson Parks and Recreation Civic Arts Project brought together 765 children from the community to create each component of this sculpture under the guidance of Joe Ventura. Funding was provided through the Federal Recreation Summer Program.

Hard Times - 7

Rillito Regional Park / Google Maps location
Artist: David Flynn; Installed: 2007
A large steel bench in the form of a horseshoe is painted the color of aluminum. Anchors in the shape of giant horseshoe nails serve to anchor the bench to the ground.

People Play - 8

Rillito Regional Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Thomas Bredlow; Installed: 1981
A tower of open steel parabolic arches narrows from its circular base to its top. Sixteen steel cut-out figures play and climb among the arches from the base to the top of the tower.

Sun Columns - 9

Rillito Regional Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Nina Borgia-Aberle; Installed: 2000
Powder-coated yellow poles feature bright yellow metal circles at the top. Varied colored handmade ceramic tile bands encircle the lower portion of the poles, representing activities that take place in the Park.

Subaerial Embrace - 10

Rillito Regional Park
Artists: Zach Lihtash and Troy Neiman; Installed: 2021
Artists were inspired by hoodoos and rock formations near Windy Point in the Catalina Mountains. The sculpture, that you can move through, is made of steel and concrete stucco and provides protection for a bike/pedestrian counter. 

Nature of Movement - 11

Rillito Regional Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Joshua Wiener; Installed: 2015
The sculpture is created in aluminum and steel that has been submerged in concrete. The sculpture is powder-coated and cold connected.

Rillito Hawks - 12

South bank of Rillito at Mountain Ave. / Google Maps location
Artist: Joseph Lupiani; Installed: 2011
Three life-size hawk sculptures with an incised feather pattern are mounted to angled steel poles.

Gateway Arch - 13

South bank of Rillito at Mountain Ave. / Google Maps location
Artist: Eric Lee Cooper; Installed: 1997
The metal railing and gateway bridge include angled tops in mountain-like forms. Various small shapes are welded into the fencing including leaves, flowers, wrenches, and ratchets.

Batty Biker Family - 14

South bank of Rillito at Campbell Ave. / Google Maps location
Artist: Stephen Fairfield; Installed: 2016
This whimsical steel sculpture of bats on bikes pays tribute to the Campbell Avenue bridge where bats roost.

A Gneiss Bench to Sit On - 15

Rio Vista Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Chris Tanz; Installed: 2009
Catalina gneiss, a distinctive mixture of two colors of granite, was used to create these benches constructed of several boulders fitted together and two additional boulders that define a larger seating area. The benches face north to capture the view of the Catalinas.

Over There - 16

North bank of Rillito, west of Brandi Fenton Park
Artist: Al Glann; Installed: 2021
This stainless steel horse was donated by Bill and Roberta Witchger through Sculpture Tucson "Sculpture in the Street" program. The artist created the metal equine less than one mile from this location.

Shindigger Blue - 17

Brandi Fenton Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Mark Wallis; Installed: 2018
The Shindigger Blue name was inspired by the Shindigger cactus, whose name amused the artist, a native of Indiana. The sculpture addresses aesthetic concerns that deal with balance, composition, kinetics, spatial relationships and a sense of spirited life.

Boy and Girl on Horse - 18

Brandi Fenton Park / Google Maps location
Artist: The Large Art Company; Installed: Unknown
Two young children are perched upon the back of a grazing horse. The boy seems to be totally into the moment, while the young girl is taking it in stride.
 

Gonzo - 19

Brandi Fenton Park / Google Maps location
Artists: Gail Roberts and Colleen Conlin; Installed: 2019
“Gonzo,” the beloved family pet of the Fenton family for whom the park is named, is immortalized in this playful pose.

Two Kids on a Bench - 20

Brandi Fenton Park / Google Maps location
Artist: The Large Art Company; Installed: Unknown
Two life-size children (boy and girl) read a book together on a small park bench in this high-quality American bronze.

Memorial Butterfly Garden - 21

Brandi Fenton Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Unknown; Installed: 2006
This metal sculpture pays tribute to the park’s namesake and her love of butterflies.

The Ant's Picnic - 22

Brandi Fenton Park
Artist: Steve Kimble; Installed: 2019
Each aluminum ant weighs about 60 pounds An anonymous donor purchased the ants to be placed in a public park. The artist worked with Pima County to install the ants on the roof of a ramada where people enjoy picnics.

Children & Tortoise - 23

Brandi Fenton Park
Artist: Sculptura; Installed: Unknown
Two young children cavort atop the back of a friendly tortoise in this charming sculpture. 

Towers of a Martian Odyssey - 24

The Dodge Bridge at Brandi Fenton Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Art Neptune; Installed: 2018
Inspired by the movie "2001, A Space Odyssey" 8 steel tubes sized from 8 feet to 17.5 feet tall are spaced serendipitously along the bike path. All but one has plasma cut holes of different designs, leaving the meaning open to the viewers’ interpretation.

Alvernon Way Bridge - 25

Fort Lowell to River Road / Google Maps location
Artist: Barbara Grygutis; Installed: 2007
The bridge design is influenced by the artist’s work, allowing the bridge form to appear to grow out of the wash.

Recliners and Chess Tables - 26

South bank of Rillito, east of Alvernon / Google Maps location
Artist: Rebecca Thompson; Installed: 2008
Four chaise lounge chairs composed of steel and polished cast concrete include a cast concrete table with either a game board top or cast objects (coffee cup, newspaper, towel, drinking glass) of concrete or bronze.

Midsummer Night's Dream - 27

George Mehl Family Foothills Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Rebecca Thompson; Installed: 2010
A restful 30′ x 25′ garden with Palo Verde trees, plants, stone seating, bronze and stainless steel sculpture.

Marble Waters - 28

Alamo Wash bridge, south bank of Rillito east of Swan / Google Maps location
Artist: Robin Riley; Installed: 2008
This combination of cascading rain and raindrops shows the abstract movement of water using 2,000 iridescent glass marbles and broken tile. The raindrops are circles of broken tile with marbles inside.

Reflections - 29

North bank of Rillito at Craycroft / Google Maps location
Artist: David Flynn; Installed: 2009
Hand-forged steel bars in the shape of a Y are anchored in reinforced concrete. One of three natural boulders features a hand-forged steel relief of agave and dome.

Color Wash Pedestrian Bridge - 30

Rose Hill Wash, south of Glenn/Sahuara / Google Maps location
Artists: Joe O’Connell, Blessing Hancock, Creative Machines; Installed: 2017
CNC—routed curvilinear panels in two subtle shades of blue appear as a flowing stream of water, adding vivid color to the already-sculptural form of this arched bridge.

Postcards of the Past, Present and Future - 31

Pantano River at Lowe's, south of Speedway / Google Maps location
Artist: Jennifer Furrier; Installed: Unknown
Students from Desert Christian High School, St. Cyril School and Dodge Middle School came together to create this work.

Spoked Cathedral - 32

Pantano south of Speedway / Google Maps location
Artist: Joseph Lupiani; Installed: 2015
The design is reminiscent of a cathedral window, with a vegetative pattern on the lower section tying into the natural world. The star shape is based on the Arizona flag.

Batty Biker - 33

Pantano north of Broadway / Google Maps location
Artist: Stephen Fairfield; Installed: 2015
This bat on a bike pays tribute not only to the Broadway bridge where bats roost but also to the thousands of cyclists who pedal along The Loop every week.

Michael A. Perry Memorial Park Corner Market - 34

Michael Perry Park / Google Maps location
Artists: Jason Butler, Hiro Tashima and youth; Installed: 2011
Realistic -- albeit very large -- animals and abstract/geometric stacked shapes share space. All of the pieces accomplish their purpose in providing signage and attracting attention to the park. 

Memorial Tree Park and Children's Memorial - 35

Michael Perry Park / Google Maps location
Artists: Justin Dykstra, Olsson & Associates; Installed: 2011
The Memorial Tree Park is divided into seven gardens, each with its own map depicting where a memorial tree may be found. The Children’s Memorial is a semi-circle of panels with the “tree of seasons” shown.

Joining Hands - 36

One mile east of Roy Schoonover Trailhead / Google Maps location
Artist: Chris Tanz; Installed: 2011
A sculptural arch spans the path, with two sculptural “greeting” figures, drawn from Hohokam pottery, on either side of the path near Kolb. The project tells a story that unfolds as walkers and bikers move through the scenery, a story of people coming together in a joint enterprise.

Julian Wash West and East - 37

Valencia Road / Google Maps location
Artists: Darryl Lewis and Las Artes Arts & Education Center; Installed: Unknown
Desert flowers and mountains grace this tiled piece along the Julian Wash in the midst of our own desert landscape.

Violin Player - 38

Carmelin Castro Ítom Usím Children’s Park / Google Maps location
Artists: Alex Garza and Las Artes Arts & Education Center; Installed: 2015
A violin player, a mother and children and other cultural symbols of life in South Tucson come together in this tiled piece in the area’s first neighborhood park named for Carmelin Castro, who proudly served his Yaqui community.

Desert Dwellers - 39

Carmelin Castro Ítom Usím Children’s Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Las Artes Arts & Education Center; Installed: 2011
Animals and reptiles of the desert are depicted in these small tiled pillars along the Julian Wash.

Carmelin Castro - 40

Carmelin Castro Ítom Usím Children’s Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Las Artes Arts & Education Center; Installed: 2011
Students at Pima County’s Las Artes Arts and Education Center crafted this mural to pay tribute to the park’s namesake, a dedicated participant and leader of Yaqui religious and cultural ceremonies and a revered elder of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe.

Children's Sun Plaza - 41

Carmelin Castro Ítom Usim Children’s Park/ Google Maps location
Artists: Rebeca Field and Sandra Bolduc; Installed: 2011
Metal embellishments on handrails and pavement design honor the importance of the sun in both the Yaqui and Mexican-American cultures.

Julian Wash Cultural History Walk Ramada - 42

12th Avenue and 39th Street / Google Maps location
Artist: John E. Barker, landscape architect; Installed: 2007
The ramada serves as the beginning point for the Julian Wash Cultural History Walk, a timeline representing the many cultures that have occupied that particular site in the ancient and recent past. 

Ajo/Irvington Bridge - 43

Santa Cruz between Ajo and Irvington / Google Maps location
Artist: Vicki Scuri; Installed: 1992
Intaglio designs used for the form liners of the concrete retaining walls were taken from the tire tracks left in the riverbed. A pattern of oblique angles and wide “V” shapes are repeated in the patterns that vary from 2 feet to 12 feet in height.

Puddles the Great Plains Toad - 44

Paseo de las Iglesias / Google Maps location
Artists: City High School students; Installed: 2016
Rescued from a County storage facility, this vintage 1950s concrete frog was given an updated coat of paint to look like a native Great Plains Toad, a species which is found onsite at Paseo de las Iglesias.

Entry Ramada - 45

Paseo de las Iglesias / Google Maps location
Artist: Andy Dufford, Chevo Studios; Installed: 2015
This custom gable to a pre-fabricated ramada that showcases native birds and plants in layers of cut and powder coated steel.

Entry Monument - 46

Paseo de las Iglesias / Google Maps location
Artist: Andy Dufford, Chevo Studios; Installed: 2015
The piece is a concrete etched entry monument with inset sandstone carvings of native animals and plants along with haikus on the reverse.  An LED coopers hawk luminaria sits atop the monument.

Anza and the Kino Tile Mural - 47

Paseo de las Iglesias / Google Maps location
Artist: Las Artes Arts and Education Center; Installed: 2015
This piece is a three-panel tile mural created by Las Artes students, which is themed with imagery of Spanish Explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and Padre Eusebio Kino.

Tumamoc and the River of Life - 48

West bank of Santa Cruz, 1204 W. Silverlake Road / Google Maps location
Artists: Linda Haworth, John Lovegrove, Les Wallach; Installed: 1993
Images come from archeological digs through time. Reproductions of Hohokam village artifacts appear on the lower wall. Memorials and message tiles were made during community workshops.

Be Kind - 49

East bank of Santa Cruz, south of Cushing Street / Google Maps location
Artists: various; Installed: various
Leaves, dragonflies and the many users of the Loop are depicted in several mosaic murals. All are part of the Ben’s Bells effort, a program dedicated to promoting community kindness.

Luis G. Gutierrez Bridge - 50

Cushing Street / Google Maps location
Artist: Structural Grace Inc.; Installed: 2014
The rich verdant land of the Santa Cruz River drew people to settle and farm here millennia ago. The integration of artistic themes on the bridge gives due reverence to this once perennial river that sustained and nourished countless generations before rapid population growth.

Sentinel Plaza - 51

West bank of Santa Cruz at Congress / Google Maps location
Artists: Joy Fox, Andrew Rush, Chuck Sternberg, Judith Stewart, Bob Vint; Installed: 2004
The dominant feature of the plaza is four rammed earth sculptural monoliths that face toward the black volcanic mountain now called Sentinel Peak. Design elements include a ‘spirit’ line, plaza, and seating.

Garden of Gethsemane - 52

West bank of Santa Cruz at Congress / Google Maps location
Artist: Felix Lucero; Installed: 1945
The depiction of the Last Supper features statues all made of concrete, sand, and debris recovered from the Santa Cruz River. The piece was moved to its current location in 1982 as a part of the Santa Cruz River flood control improvements.

Mesquite Garden Archway - 53

West bank of Santa Cruz at Congress / Google Maps location
Artist: Barbara Grygutis; Installed: 1990
This archway was originally part of three garden installations completed in 2000: Acacia, Willow and Mesquite. In 2016, due to land settling, the tiled archway was moved to its current location.

Santa Cruz Gateway - 54

West bank of Santa Cruz between St. Mary's and Speedway / Google Maps location
Artist: Susan Gamble; Installed: 1992
The entry mural sits in an elevated arch of used brick. Low concrete walls run the length of the park in seven separate sections. Ceramic tiles create a narrative of historical events in the nearby barrios. 

Columbus Park Entryway - 55

Columbus Park / Google Maps location
Artist: Greg Schoon; Installed: 2011
The design was sketched onto the concrete and then incised lightly into the existing pavement of the plaza next to the baseball fields. The shapes were cut by hand using diamond cutting wheels and an angle grinder. 

Desert Bloom - 56

Santa Cruz at Sunset Road Bridge / Google Maps location
Artist: Daniel Martin Diaz; Installed: 2017
The bridge railing encompasses the past, present and future of the Santa Cruz River by featuring desert blooms, flowing water, people from past, present and future communities, cottonwoods, snakes and birds that once populated the area.

Children Reading - 57

Christina-Taylor Green Park / Google Maps location
Artist: All Classics Ltd.; Installed: 2017
The bronze sculpture features a boy and girl reading on a log that’s emblazoned with the words “hope” and “love.” The butterflies pay tribute to Christina-Taylor Green’s love of butterflies.

Quail Mural and Tiles - 58

Christina-Taylor Green Park / Google Maps location
Artists: Barbara McKee, City High School students, Laurel Inman, Ama's Mosaic; Installed: 2017
Students painted two quail flying over a mountain landscape. A large steel butterfly perched on top is from Christina-Taylor Green’s last drawing.

Mountain Lion - 59

Oracle Road, north of Pusch View Lane / Google Maps location
Artist: Bill Moomey; Installed: 2008
A bronze mountain lion sits atop a rock-like platform with ceramic tile mural.

Wildlife Inspiration Station - 60

Steam Pump Ranch, south in the Butterfly Garden / Google Maps location
Artist: Girl Scout Troop 2164; Installed: 2014
To create greater awareness and appreciation of wildlife issues, this Troop designed, built, and installed this monument, featuring inspirational quotes, metal animal silhouettes, rebar frame, river rock fill, and a registry where visitors can leave messages about wildlife.

Family Ride - 61

Steam Pump Ranch / Google Maps location
Artist: Angela Mia De La Vega; Installed: 2006
Early pioneer children make their slow journey across plains and through fields. In a world of fast travel and too many conveniences, Family Ride expresses a gentle slowing of pace and a patient acceptance and understanding of the beauty of waiting.

Spirit of Oro Valley - 62

Holiday Inn, Oracle Road, north of First Ave. / Google Maps location
Artist: Matthew Moutafis; Installed: 2004
Steam Pump Ranch was an important way station for those traveling on horseback from the Florence/Eloy/Casa Grande roadway area into the Tucson Basin. This piece is meant to carry on Oro Valley’s goal of offering hospitality to all.

Moonflower - 63

Oro Valley Marketplace / Google Maps location
Artist: Caryl Clement; Installed: 2008
Originally a cattle ranch, the site for this piece features metal leaves, stems and flowers designed in a ‘tooled’ leather fashion harkening back to the ranching days. Each of the five sculptures depicts various growth stages of the datura plant from early flower buds to fruiting structures.