New public art coming to Mill Avenue next spring

Traveling Mill Avenue between Broadway Road and Apache Boulevard is about to get a lot more vibrant with a new large-scale public art piece coming to the existing railroad underpass next spring.

The art, titled “Sun Garden,” includes nature-inspired sculptural elements that will stretch upward from the existing terraced planters along the west side of the underpass, a city release explained.

The sculptures’ translucent material is designed to catch sunlight and project colored shadows along adjacent surfaces, changing throughout the day as the sun rises and sets.

A national artist competition was held to select the artist for this significant installation. Arizona-based artist Joseph O’Connell and Creative Machines, Inc. were chosen to design the project, and fabrication is currently underway, according to the release.

Tempe Public Art hosted several public meetings with the surrounding neighborhood and Tempe High School to gather input about the design.

In total, the artwork includes 15 sculptures made from steel and a colored polycarbonate material, inspired by the many gardens in the surrounding neighborhood. After power is added to the site, lighting features will be installed to wash the walls of the underpass in color at night.

At night, the walls of the underpass will be washed with colorful lighting.

This regionally distinct project will bring the highly trafficked underpass to life in a dramatic way, the release stated

Approximately 18,000 vehicles travel the underpass daily, which acts as a gateway to Downtown Tempe and Arizona State University, in addition to the pedestrian and bike traffic in this corridor, which encompasses Tempe High School and Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital.

“This brand new public art piece will serve as a distinct marker, not just for this vibrant neighborhood, but also for the thousands that pass through the underpass on their way to an exciting play at ASU Gammage, a meal in Downtown Tempe or simply to work or school,” Mayor Corey Woods stated in the release. “

Woods said the city is excited to bring the space to life in a way that showcases Tempe’s creativity and values, also paying homage to the surrounding communities.

Preliminary construction work to prepare the site for sculpture and lighting installation is already underway, with planter and concrete wall improvements occurring throughout summer and fall. The sculptures are slated for installation in spring 2025, and intermittent traffic lane closures are anticipated during construction to ensure safe installation.

This project is a Refresh Tempe initiative, which is part of the city’s reinvestments in Tempe parks, streets, public art and more. For more about the initiative, visit tempe.gov/RefreshTempe.