Tucson's Public Art

Title: Roadrunner (Unk)

Location: East side of 1st Avenue, between River Road and Orange Grove

Details: Bronze bones and very few feathers

He Said:

The roadrunner is an ubiquitous part of Southwestern life and these curious birds can be seen throughout Tucson running from spot to spot and tilting their heads to get a better look at what ever has caught their eye. Nearly fearless, roadrunners will get quite close to people, knowing full well that a person is nowhere near fast enough to catch these comical birds.

But this one you can catch. Part art, part windvane, this metal roadrunner watches over all the cars rushing up and down First Avenue, perhaps hinting that those hurried people should take a tip from their feathered cousins: stop and take a better look at whatever catches your eye.

She Said:

It took a time or two seeing this piece before I realized that it is a roadrunner. Perhaps it was the angle at which I first viewed it, since it does turn in the wind. I like it; though abstract, it seems to be a good representation of one of these curious birds, with its long neck and tail and forward-leaning stance. Roadrunners remind me of emaciated chickens, in a way, and this is certainly a skinny bird! One of the best parts of discovering Tucson's public art is finding fun and quirky works such as this one. Beep, beep!