City Extends Deadline for Stunning Mural Submissions

A view of Pacana Park’s fitness court overlayed with artist Mecca Hunter’s vision of what the mural wrap could look like.

Artists who missed the deadline to submit their designs for a new mural at Pacana Park have a bit of extra time to throw their paintbrush into the ring. The 200-square-foot wall around the fitness court will be wrapped with the winning artist’s piece after the city selects one. Applications for the project originally closed June 17, but the deadline has been extended to September 5, according to city spokesperson Monica Williams.

“We did not receive as many submissions as we hoped for during the initial call to artists’ period,” she said. Local artist Mecca Hunter, who also serves on the city’s Cultural Affairs and Arts Committee, submitted two concept renderings before the initial deadline but neither went over well with the city nor the public.

When the mural is complete in September, it will be the second art installation at Pacana Park. Casa Grande artist Mauriel “Mory” Morejon in May painted a lake-themed mural in the park’s ramada.

Brian became part of the InMaricopa team in October 2020, starting as a multimedia intern with a focus on various multimedia tasks. His responsibilities included file organization and capturing photos of events and incidents. After graduating from Maricopa High School in the class of 2021, his internship seamlessly transitioned into a full-fledged job. Initially serving as a dedicated photographer, Brian’s role evolved in October 2021 when he took on a new beat as a writer. He is currently pursuing his studies at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Brian’s primary focus lies in covering public safety-related stories. In his free time, Brian finds joy in spending quality time with his family and embarking on adventures to explore the landscapes around him.