Client: City of Mesa, Arizona, Department of Transportation

Location: Mesa, AZ, United States

Completion date: 2019

Artwork budget: $45,000

Project Team

Artist

Mary Shindell

Industry Resource

Mouse Graphics

Overview

“Rendezvous/Riverview”, is a mural and tile installation in the bike and pedestrian tunnel beneath AZ SR 202. It was created as a response to the transition between Mesa’s urban Riverview Park and the Rio Salado riparian preserve of the Salt River.

Goals

The tunnel is located adjacent to Sloan Park, Spring Training home to the Chicago Cubs who have played in Mesa since 1952, when they first set up camp at historic Rendezvous Park. The park was also home to Rendezvous Pool built in 1920 and a well-loved amenity for the residents of the city. I used the swimming pool as a visual connection to the original Rendezvous Ballpark and to emphasize that the tunnel is below grade and provides cool respite for those using the pathway.

Process

I worked with the Department of Transportation to create a sense of community identity using recognizable landscape elements with swimming pool imagery from childhood memories of Mesa. The city charged me with creating impactful and lasting visual interest for pathway users which include, pedestrians, cyclists, and Park Maintenance Workers.

Additional Information

"Rendezvous/Riverview" is a durable and attractive public art statement that uses paint with stencils in a flat application to facilitate graffiti abatement. Swimming pool tile provides a durable reflective dimension as the pool's edge.