Artist in Residence

This position has been created as part of the Public Art Master Plan, to provide an in-house resource for various City departments.  Artists-in-residence work under contract to the City on such projects as downtown redevelopment, neighborhood enhancement, parks design, transit amenities, and streetscapes.

Two artists-in-residence have participated in this program: Laurie Lundquist from Tempe, and Virginia Senior from Phoenix. 

Mesa's first artist-in-residence, Laurie Lundquist, focused on artistic enhancement of the City’s multi-use path system running along Mesa’s canals.  Her plan, Art On The Way, is available for viewing here:

Working with the City of Mesa Engineering Division, Lundquist also consulted on freeway enhancements on U.S. 60, which can be seen on the Dobson Road overpass. Lundquist received her BFA in Sculpture from the Maine College of Art, and her MFA in Sculpture from Arizona State University and the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.

Virginia Senior, who is both an artist and an architect, produced a master plan for artist-designed passenger shelters throughout the City, titled "Moving Art." Working with the City of Mesa Planning Division, she has also consulted on enhancements for the Red Mountain Freeway. 

Senior has a Bachelor of Science degree in Design from Arizona State University and is registered to practice in Arizona and new York. She also served as President of the Central Arizona Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 2002.