cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n<\/p>\r\nPHOENIX, Arizona — Downtown is home to thousands of people, including one new resident who\u2019s 45 feet tall and very hard to miss.\r\n
<\/p>\r\nThe radiant teen resides on the south side of the Monroe Building and is the result of three and a half weeks of creating by artists Miles \u201cEl Mac\u201d MacGregor and Thomas \u201cBreeze\u201d Marcus.\r\n
<\/p>\r\nBut don\u2019t be fooled, the muralists say, the teen is much more than a pretty face. The black-and-white mural is a portrait of a real girl from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.\r\n
<\/p>\r\n![\"Phoenix](\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/20\/thomasbreezemarcus.jpg\")
\r\nArtist Thomas \u201cBreeze\u201d Marcus is known for his interlocking geometric designs that are inspired by his Tohono O\u2019odham culture. Photo by Sofia Fuentes \/ Cronkite News\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/p>\r\n El Mac and Breeze want everyone who\u2019s downtown \u2013 visitors and residents alike \u2013 to know that this Indigenous community is still very much alive and active in Arizona. The mural was unveiled in early April.\r\n
<\/p>\r\n\u201cPeople are familiar with old historic photos of Native people, say, images of Geronimo or Sitting Bull,\u201d Breeze said. \u201cThings like that where it\u2019s focused on one historical figure, and that\u2019s great, but at the same time those historical photos still kind of romanticize Native people and kind of keep us in a time capsule.\u201d\r\n
<\/p>\r\nIn 2019, ViaWest Group, which owns the building at 111 W. Monroe St., issued an open call to artists through Artlink Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps connect artists. The mural was to be \u201cwarm, whimsical and represent the younger generation.\u201d\r\n
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![\"Phoenix](\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/20\/phoenixmural.jpg\")
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