TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — There have been numerous signs of a re-opening of the Lisa Frank factory, from the official social media pages to the activity seen outside the building.
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Still, fans are awaiting official confirmation. At the El Pais Motel and Campground, the owners all consider themselves fans. That's why they wanted to make the theme for one of their rooms "Brutally Frank."
“And so how do you do Lisa Frank, but vintage?” Jade Josey, one of the co-owners, coordinated the vision of the room and the motel. Artist Gabby Barreda made the vision come to life with the assistance of Josey. Josey wanted to be consistent with the mid-century, brutalist design them and incorporate something that could best represent Tucson.
Josey said,"We are trying to honor the 1948 texture of the place… but we were also trying to educate a bit through design and experience the local culture and so we thought what better local celebrity local star that is globally known than Lisa Frank?”
Co-owner Topher Hatton is also a fan of the franchise. He helped his sister Jade Josey design the room based on the experiences he had growing up during the Lisa Frank era.
“Her art and her designs, leaving everything else out and off the table, is magical and Tucson’s this magical place and there’s all this interconnection between our art community and this famous pop artist. And I’m excited to see that come back and I’m excited to see a resurgence of that,” said Hatton.
The room isn't intended for regular stays, but the owners are excited for the space to be used by local artists and events while fans await future announcements from Lisa Frank.
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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.
