Creativity Takes Flight on Ari on Fourth

Load Gallery

Tucson, Arizona, is a wonder with its spectacular Sonoran Desert landscapes, vibrant Mexican-American culture, rich and unique history and stunning starry night skies. It’s eclectic, lively, festive, quirky and colorful – It’s a city that brings all the senses to life.

It is this essence that local Tucson artist Joe Pagac sought to convey in the 3,200-square-foot mural he painted on the east side of our Ari on Fourth apartment building. The mural is a fun and fantastical depiction of desert animals eating and drinking in cactus-shaped hot air balloons floating above Tucson’s vast desert.

“I’m always trying to find ways to help people appreciate the desert and the plants and animals that surround them, but I try to do it in a new and unexpected way. I’ve always loved surreal artists like Salvador Dali, so I like to incorporate a bit of that whimsy into my work,” explained Joe.

Integrating 13 Stories into a Low-Profile Downtown

Ari on Fourth is located at 211 North Fourth Avenue near Fourth Avenue and Maclovio Barraza Parkway, an intersection that marks the entrance to what locals refer to as “Fourth,” a district between downtown and the University of Arizona known for its entertainment, dining, shopping and popular street fair. Part of the character of the strip is its low-profile buildings, most of which are just one or two stories tall, which makes Ari, rising 13 stories into Tucson’s clear blue skies, somewhat of an anomaly.

“A growing number of young professionals and students want to enjoy downtown living, but there’s been a pretty significant lack of available housing in Tucson,” said Dean Newins, President & Chief Executive Officer of Opus AE Group. “Our goal was to be respectful of the Fourth Avenue streetscape by stepping the building back and providing a contextual building scale along the street. This building form became the backdrop for Joe’s mural.”

Tucson has a rich tradition of street art, and participating in that tradition was another way our design team integrated Ari into the community. “We didn’t want Ari’s height to be a distraction or to in anyway take away from its surroundings. A mural offered a way for Ari to blend in by telling a visual story that residents could immerse themselves in – a story that was familiar yet fresh,” Dean said, adding, “Joe’s incredible creativity allows Ari to be another piece of the quilt that is Tucson, to become part of the city’s very fabric.”

Dean isn’t alone in praising Joe’s talents. A Tucson native whose artwork is found on more than 20 Tucson-area buildings, Joe is beloved by the community and lauded by residents and visitors alike who credit him with bringing the city to life, awakening a playful nostalgia and making Tucson prettier.

Of the accolades, Joe said, “I love having an impact on the city I live in and feeling like I’m giving back to it and helping to beautify it in my own small way.” An ironic choice of words given that his larger-than-life public murals, some as large as 4,000 square feet, account for a fifth of the city’s 100+ murals.

“My goal is always to make people smile and brighten up their commute or their neighborhood or the streets they frequent,” Joe continued. “And I think my mural at Ari is doing that. It makes me smile! It’s one of my all-time favorite murals!”

We hope Joe’s mural leaves a lasting impression for Ari residents, the community and visitors to Fourth.

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