Category Archives: Public Art

A Superior Visit

20 Sunday Jul 2025

Posted by in Arizona, Art in Arizona, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Murals, Public Art, Superior Arizona, Uncategorized

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Not long ago Hiking Buddy and I returned to Boyce Thompson Arboretum and the little town of Superior. We got off to an early start because these days it gets very hot very fast. In spite of the climbing mercury, we enjoyed a very pleasant visit to BTA, walking the main loop (fear-o-snakes kept us off the more rugged paths) and visiting the Wallace Collection. This extraordinary collection of over 5,800 plants and trees, originally situated in Scottsdale, began its move to BTA in cars, trucks and semis in late 2015. It was a mammoth undertaking; many of the plants and trees were well established and old, which means moving them was risky and tricky. Well over 90% of the specimens survived the 75 mile journey, a remarkable achievement. Hiking Bud and I had visited the collection shortly after the new 13-acre garden was opened; it was… well, new-seeming. The plants had not yet settled, the shade was spotty. To be blunt it was underwhelming. What a change a few years has made. The new garden is a delight, tempting trails lead hither and yon, signage is okay, and the whole garden has a welcoming feel. The plants are well-established and have filled in the former gaps. The Wallace Collection trails are in blue on the lower left of this map of the entire Arboretum.

After the exertions of our walk, we headed into one of our favorite places, Superior. One of the delights of Superior is driving around and admiring the murals painted on the buildings. The last time we visited Superior we were there to take a hike, and didn’t spend much time downtown. The last time we really looked at the buildings together was 2016, when we took a Superior House Tour, so we were due for a good bounce and gawk.

The Tucson Mural Project visited Superior in 2020 so their photos are a bit out of date. The murals change from time to time – weather takes a terrific toll on paint in the desert, new folks come along with a need to express themselves. It means that a repeat visit to this little town will always have something new to offer.

The food bank is covered with cheerful veggies:
I particularly like this painting, which was new to me. A quote from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, it’s a great reminder for those of us on a Superior amble.
We’d not seen this very large mural, an homage to the famous Southwestern painter Frida Kahlo.
Hiking Buddy once considered buying a pied-a-terre in Superior. I don’t know if this is an ad for a realtor (there are many serving Superior) or if it’s something else. I’m guessing realtor. Sold! BANG!
This whimsical and faintly disturbing mural fascinates me because I have no idea what it’s about, other than that F=ma is Newton’s second law of motion (Force = mass X acceleration). I don’t know what the other formula is – if you do, can you tell me in comments?

Back in the day we used to enjoy stopping at the Sunflower Cafe, which closed sometime around Covid. We were so happy to see that a new, charming restaurant/bar/cafe has taken its place, Bella’s. Being Italian in decor and flavor, it spoke to me right away.

An appealing menu, clean decor, good food and a well-stocked bar – what’s not to like? (photo from Yelp)

Hiking Buddy had a minimal breakfast before our exertions, so she had a real breakfast. I had had a hearty breakfast, so opted for ‘only’ a crème brûlée, from which, I was assured, all the calories had been removed.

HB’s fresh spinach omelette (made from real eggs, if you please), some kind of potato fry and something else. She ate every last scrap, even the ketchup, and declared it all delicious.
This was the best crème brûlée I ever had in my whole life. The custard was cool and creamy with just the right amount of firmness, the sugar caramel crust was warm and beautifully brittle, and spoke words of love to the custard beneath. I’m so glad they took out the calories!

We had further adventures awaiting us on our jaunt (*antique malls*!) so it was time to toddle off. As we left, though, we paused to admire and take a photo of one of our very favorite Superior murals, painted by our dear buddy Anne Coe.

Anne is a quintessential Western painter (4-th generation Arizonian). Her work is both serious and whimsical. Take a look at her link to see more of her paintings.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum is well-known and much visited. Superior is arguably not as well known, but is more than worth the time, not only for the charming downtown and murals, but for the nearby hiking trails. Put it on your list of places to visit, you won’t regret it.