Release Date: Friday, June 4th 2010

Massive Mural to be Installed at Tempe Urban Garden

Tempe, AZ – Starting in mid-June, Tempe artist, Wiley Wallace, will install a 25’ x 25’ mural on the east wall of the Downtown Tempe Urban Garden on the corner of 5th Street and Forest, creating a stunning visual display in the already bountiful garden. Wallace was selected by a committee consisting of Downtown Tempe Community staff, local artists, and members of the Tempe Arts Commission, based on his vision for a “Growing Garden” mural, which is a large, bright, and colorful narrative of gardening.

The “Growing Garden” mural will be painted directly on the east wall of the garden, which is part of the City Hall Parking Garage. Wallace’s vision for this piece is a surrealist look at the cycle of gardening from planting to nurturing to harvesting, and then weaving in the community. The mural will be completed by early July 2010.

Wiley Wallace was born and raised in Arizona. He grew up working in parent’s small family-run sign shop in Tempe. Wiley graduated from ASU with a BFA in intermedia art with a focus in 3-d animation. While at ASU he was a 2-time Division one All-American in swimming and captain of the swim team his senior year. He then became a professional artist selling paintings national and internationally. Wiley received his MFA from UC Santa Barbara focusing on painting. He currently lives in Scottsdale with his beautiful wife and daughter and is Art Faculty at South Mountain Community College.

The Downtown Tempe Urban Garden is a collaborative effort headed up by the Downtown Tempe Community (DTC) to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies while utilizing empty space in Downtown Tempe. Food products grown in the garden will go to local restaurants to use in their culinary creations, as well as provide a space for communities to learn how to create a garden of their own.

For more information go to www.tempeurbangarden.com