Best Of Tucson®

Best Mural

Joe Pagac's Rialto Theatre Murals

Like a latter-day Jack Kirby, muralist Joe Pagac creates senses-shattering images regarding the bands headed to downtown's Rialto Theatre. (It goes without saying that we're glad all of that legal trouble over the murals has been worked out with the city of Tucson.) Pagac works like The Flash, knocking out massive portraits of musicians in a matter of hours—but you'd better catch them while you can, since new murals are constantly covering up the old ones (although you can check out photos of previous murals on the Rialto's Facebook page). Pagac has a secret identity as a prolific artist whose fine art has been hanging around town at Hotel Congress, Solar Culture, Espresso Art and the UA's Joseph Gross Gallery—but it's the Rialto stuff that has made him one of the most visible painters in Tucson. Expect to see more of him around town.

Runners up:

2. "Windows to the Past, Gateway to the Future" (by Steve Farley)

3. Stone Curves

North Stone Avenue