TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Downtown’s new two-story Women’s History mural is just a few brush strokes away from being complete, with artists Pen Macias, Camila Ibarra and Jessica Gonzales adding finishing touches at a mural celebration this evening while neighbors, friends, local artists and Rio Nuevo officials came to support the trio. Funded by Rio Nuevo and created with community input and archival imagery, the piece blends sweeping portraits and intimate vignettes intended to honor everyday women and local memory.
VIDEO: Watch below highlights from my live stream of the event where I interview the three artists + supporter Ignacio Garcia. And hear from Rio Nuevo's Jannie Cox:
RELATED: Click here to see the complete live stream from the event on my FB
Pen Macias — pride and lasting friendship
Macias, who helped lead the project from concept through paint, spoke about the satisfaction of seeing weeks of work come together. “It feels so good. It feels so great to look at all this incredible hard work we did and just feel so proud of it,” she said, reflecting on the scale of the job and the long hours on lifts and scaffolding. She also emphasized the personal bonds formed during the project: “We’re lifetime partners... We are going to start a book club, because we just have so much fun together that we have to keep it going.” That comment captured how the collaboration doubled as a creative retreat — the artists say the social chemistry helped them keep momentum while fine-tuning the mural’s design.
Camila Ibarra — a personal vignette becomes her heart
Ibarra (pictured with me, above) pointed to a group of three women on horseback — inspired by small-format archival photos — as the emotional center of her contribution. “This is my heart,” she said, explaining that painting that scene allowed her to connect the mural to local memory and to elements of Tucson’s landscape (including a nearby vacant lot that still feels possible as a gathering place). She described the care she took with the smaller scenes: “Anytime I painted something, I was like, I have to make sure that's the best thing I've ever seen in my life.” Her attention to detail shows in the mural’s vignettes, where historical references (Mission Garden, traditional fibers, local crops) are given fine-art treatment on a public scale.
Jessica Gonzales — soaking up the moment for future reflection
Gonzales, who has executed large-scale works across Tucson (notably Arizona's largest mural "Sonoran Skylines" at Park Place Mall), compared the wall’s living textures to the flat mock-ups shown during planning. In response to my question about what she’ll think when she drives by this mural in 10 years, she said: “That's a really good question. I think when I hear questions like that, what it makes me think is that I want to fully absorb and take in this whole experience right now.” Jessica’s comment underlines a common theme from the artists: the project’s value is as much in the shared process, learning and memories as it is in the finished image.
Ignacio Garcia — a local artist’s support
Local muralist Ignacio Garcia — who wasn’t part of the three-person muralist team but came to the mural party to show support — praised the work as a perfect cultural fit for the neighborhood. “It's perfect for this community,” he said, noting the mural’s intimacy and storytelling. "The thing about this mural that I noticed immediately is it's very intimate," he added, "So it tells a story. And then, of course, three amazing artists. So what a great way to appreciate this mural."
Jannie Cox / Rio Nuevo — commissioning history, honoring everyday women
Jannie Cox, representing Rio Nuevo (the project’s funder), framed the mural as a deliberate celebration of local women and history. “The culture of our city is woven by the women,” she said, pointing out how the design includes a Tohono O'odham woman with devil’s claw, the Three Sisters crops, Mission Garden, an abuela teaching tamales and a hidden stork nodding to a 1930s birth center. Cox thanked building managers and nearby women-owned businesses for making the mural possible and stressed that the site — a historic corner — made the tribute especially resonant.
The mural team expects to finish final touchups by midweek. Spectators were welcome at this evening’s mural party, where the artists painted, answered questions and shared progress; final photos and the official reveal will be posted on the artists’ social media pages when the work is complete.
