Explore Maricopa’s Artistic Treasures: Your Ultimate Guide to Local Art Hotspots

Wild Sonoran by Maria Pour is located at 41600 W. Smith Enke Road. With art springing up across the city, it’s challenging to follow the latest installations.

The artistic movement began with a 60-foot-tall mural on a water tower along Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway in 2020. This vibrant artwork signaled the onset of a colorful transformation.

A year later, local artists were commissioned to create ten horse statues as part of the city’s inaugural arts initiative, Maricopa Wild Horses. The project expanded in 2022 with the unveiling of nine additional horse statues installed throughout the city.

Also in 2021, the city installed its first two wrapped traffic boxes. By summer 2023, artists, including Veronika Leshchinskaya from Senita, began decorating these boxes. Techniques ranged from digital art wraps to hand-painted designs under the sun.

To date, 20 traffic boxes have been transformed, and some remain in progress. An interactive map will continue to document the additions.

Artist Mauriel “Mory” Morejon, based in Casa Grande, was commissioned in 2023 to create a mural for the Maricopa Museum and Visitor Center. He returned the following spring to paint two more landscape murals, one near Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway and another at Pacana Park.

Last month, Morejon completed a second mural at Pacana Park featuring a native Gila monster. One remarkable piece is a sculpture made of brass and copper, representing a pecan tree, located at City Hall. This artwork, titled “Agrarian Roots,” was commissioned from Surprise-based artist Joe Tyler.

Tyler has installed similar pieces in various cities, such as the “Grace Tree” at Grand Canyon University and “The Learning Tree” outside Oro Valley’s public library. The city continues to showcase various forms of public art.

For those who want to explore further, an interactive map highlights the locations of all visible artworks. If you have information on additional public art pieces, please email [email protected].