Super Bowl mural by “La Morena”; local artists nearly complete in downtown Phoenix

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - A dazzling display of turquoise, orange and shades of pink is hard to miss on the corner of 2nd Street and Washington in downtown Phoenix.

“We were on a learning journey,” said project manager Eunique Yazzie, from the Navajo Nation. “We have never done a mural of this size.” The mural is 9,500 square feet of color. It’s the work of nine Indigenous artists brought together by Lucinda “La Morena” Hinojos.

“I think we’re indigenizing downtown Phoenix,” Yazzie said. “This is what our goal was to create our stories in very compelling ways and put them out for everybody to see.” Yazzie said its been an overwhelming project, but heart-wrenchingly joyful. “Because you’re doing the work and we have been doing the work,” she said. “And art is our passion.”

Hinojos was commissioned by the NFL for the project as a symbol of indigenous collaboration. The mural will be the largest Super Bowl mural to date. She’s also commissioned to create the theme art for the Super Bowl and the ticket. For the mural downtown, she brought 3 other local artists together to create the mural, each of whom has worked up to 8 hours a day, high on scaffolding while braving the elements since the start of January. “We spent about 6 different meetings tracing on the wall of where things are going to fall out,” Hinojos said. “It’s definitely a collaboration.”

Anitra \“Yukue”\ Molina of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe said that contributing to this mural was her Everest so to her. “It’s a dream come true. It’s a big deal,” she said. “Kids from the reservation can do anything because if we can do it they can too.”

“It’s a privilege and it’s an honor,” said Stephanie Guillermina Castro, a first-generation queer Andean artist who’s also helping. “And I hope folks really get to absorb this wall and connect with the rich culture and collaboration that’s on this wall.”

Fourth artist Carrie “CC” Curley, Nalwoodie Denzhone Community Vice President and resident of the San Carlos Apache Reservation, said, “I’m honored to represent what’s in my heart--my people.” Curley modeled the Apache woman after a photo of a sister she took. “When we first started there was no doubt in my mind my ancestors were with us,” she said. “Our ancestors are all with us on this wall. I just want people to really reflect on themselves and find beauty in who they are.”

The mural is expected to be done on February 8th.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.