TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Construction is already underway at the Casino Del Sol Vahi Taa'am, just off Grant Road north of downtown, where a newly installed 28,000‑pound copper dome will soon house a massive new work of public art.
Local artist Joe Pagac will lead a crew to paint 24,000 square feet of the casino's ceiling, including the interior of the dome, beginning in February, transforming it into an Arizona desert sky. Pagac said the plan is straightforward: "It's my job to get a crew of people in there, and we're gonna paint the entire thing to look like an Arizona desert sky."
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The artist described the work as largely painting white clouds on a blue background while casino technicians handle programmable lighting. "So my job is just to paint white clouds on a blue background, and then their lighting technicians will actually go in there in ways to make it change color if they need to," Pagac said, noting the plan is for the lighting to allow the dome to shift from daylight to sunset hues.
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Pagac called the project unusually large for him. He said the dome's surface is "over three times his largest project" (his recent mural completed at 5th and Alvernon was approx. 9,000 sq. ft.), and he compared its scale to a previous mural: "It's going to be almost as big as the mural that Jessica Gonzalez did on the side of the Park Place Mall, but actually tipped up." That mural, 'Sonoran Skylines,' is approximately 26,000 square feet.
Painters will work both on the ground with mock‑ups and aloft to cover the dome's curved interior. Pagac expects the painting portion of the job to be completed within seven weeks. The casino is slated to open in 2027, and the development is projected to create roughly 500 new jobs for the community.
Organizers say the dome mural will be a signature visual element for Casino Del Sol Vahi Taa'am, combining large‑scale public art with programmable lighting to create a changing, immersive landmark.
