Topics: 2023 Conference, Public Art
Tags: Tato Caraveo, Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe
Every year, we commission original artwork for our conference. The goal is to capture the vibe of the conference location and show how mobility options – especially transit – underpin the way a community looks and moves.
We’re excited to share the artwork for the 2023 Mpact Transit + Community conference, by Tato Caraveo, an artist and musician who grew up in South Phoenix. Many of his murals are visible in downtown Phoenix. He also participated in Valley Metro’s Arts Line Artist Series, with his art appearing on a light rail train and at a substation on Roosevelt Road.
His piece for Mpact Transit + Community 2023 in Phoenix depicts the colors of the Arizona sky and the mountains that ring the Valley of the Sun. He shows the cities of the Valley connected by transit and, in the foreground, people of diverse backgrounds and ages getting around on multiple modes.
Here’s what Tato had to say about working on this project:
“While riding the light rail out to Mesa from downtown Phoenix to get inspiration for this project, I began to notice the increase in options for getting from point A to point B. Seeing this shift brought the thought to mind, ‘with rising cost of living, more mobility options make it easier to not depend on an automobile and, rather, use public transportation.’”
If you’re from the Valley, you’ll know that the lake at the middle of the piece is Tempe Town Lake, that the streetscape behind the bicyclist is downtown Mesa, and that the high rises at left are in downtown Phoenix. There are more details locals might spot.
We invite you to join us in Phoenix, November 5-8, to get the stories first hand – and to learn the latest from peers across North America about building great places to live around transit.
Registration opens in July for the 2023 Mpact Transit + Community conference in Phoenix, happening November 5-8. Watch our conference page or join our mailing list for the latest information. Follow conference updates on social media via these hashtags:
#MpactTransitPlusCommunity
#MpactPHX