Hugo Medina & Jesse Perry Murals, Phoenix, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Hugo Medina and Jesse Perry murals fill a downtown alley at 411 E Roosevelt St in Phoenix, Arizona, with two large works by two of the state's busiest muralists. Medina's "Signs of the Times" faces Perry's 2023 piece "Speech and Debate" across the alley, so you can see two very different styles side by side.

The story behind it

Hugo Medina was born in Bolivia and moved to the United States when he was seven. That experience shapes much of his work, which returns to current events, migrant communities and human resilience. In 2021 he painted a mural honoring first responders for their work during COVID, and he has made dozens of murals around Arizona. "Signs of the Times" is the first mural you meet as you enter the alley.

Opposite it is "Speech and Debate" by Jesse Perry, who signs his work as Mr. Downtown. He is another prolific Arizona muralist, known for bright colors and for desert imagery such as cactuses and mountain landscapes. Together the two walls turn a service alley into a small open-air gallery.

What to look for

• Start with "Signs of the Times" by Hugo Medina, the first mural in the alley, and think about how its subject connects to the news and to migrant experience.
• Turn around to "Speech and Debate" by Jesse Perry and notice how saturated his colors are compared with the wall opposite.
• Look for the desert motifs in Perry's work, including cactuses and mountain landscapes, which tie the piece to the Arizona setting.
• Stand in the middle of the alley and compare the two walls directly: one artist leans toward people and current events, the other toward bold color and landscape.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 10 to 15 minutes to look at both murals properly, longer if you like to photograph street art.
• Go in daylight, when the colors are strongest and the details on both walls are easy to see.
• The murals are outdoors in an alley, so there is nothing to go inside. Be considerate of vehicles and anyone working nearby.
• Street art changes over time, so a wall may look different from older photos. Other murals and galleries in downtown Phoenix are within walking distance, which makes this an easy stop on a longer stroll.

See it on a quest

You can reach these murals on foot as one stop of The Phoenix Art Heist: Murals, Mystery, and Masterpieces, a self-guided quest built around the street art of downtown Phoenix. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, including these two artists, and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.