The beige brick wall behind Bailey’s Fabric and Supply stands tall and plain with trees dressing up the sandy area in front of it. But soon the wall will be covered in art that tells the community’s story. And the artist needs the community to share their stories and favorite memories with her.
The building itself has remained a staple in the community since the 1980s. The family owned company has almost three generations working in the company. So while their company grew, the watched the area evolve too.
“We’ve noticed throughout the time we’ve been in this building so much change in the area,” Sue Sheppard, the owner and daughter of the founder, said.
In 2018, the City of Tucson’s Thrive in the 05 program entered the area. The program aims to address the needs of the community and improve the area from adding public art to helping people find housing.
“We have a community garden now and I feel that it’s attracted some good people in the community,” Sheppard said.
The public art part of the program is where Penial Macias comes into the picture. She’s the artist that will design and paint the mural that is fully based off the community’s stories.
“What stories do you want to tell?” she said. “I’m going to use that to build out the whole design.”
For her, creating this mural is about putting heart into the art.
“There’s an element of it that comes from your soul,” she said..
The mural is next to a park, community garden and soon, a small free library.
“We’re really using this project to draw the community together,” Macias said.
The project is set to be completed by the end of the year, but first she needs the community’s input. If you have a story to tell, you can tell Macias through this form.