A 23-acre development in Gilbert — with apartments, shops and other businesses, all within walking distance — had its grand opening last year. But what had been years in the making alongside it was its murals, and now they have a virtual art walk.
Murals populate Verde at Cooley Station seemingly around every corner. Mostly local artists were tasked to represent Arizona, Gilbert or even something whimsical. One mural is called “Field of Screams,” a play on the 1980s film "Field of Dreams."
Norman Brody with Verde at Cooley Station said he worked with Artlink to create a virtual map of all the murals.
"You can basically click on the link, open the map and then take a guided tour online, or as you’re walking around Verde, to see the artist and learn about the art, the artists themselves, and the murals," Brody said.
Lori Ann Mecham was one of the curators of the physical murals. She does art mural tours in downtown Phoenix and said it was bold to bring the downtown art culture to Gilbert.
“That was a bold move by him. I didn’t know how bold it was until some of the murals and some of the vendors struggled with it a little bit, they’re used to signage. Like if they see art, they’re used to seeing something that’s relative to their business," Mecham said.
Instead, the murals — which also include views of cotton at night and lowriders — are spread around the community, able to be seen either in person or now online.
More information is also available on the Gilbert Art Map.
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