Printable fact sheet (pdf)

La Sombra

 Photo of the art piece
Photo: Craig Smith

Location
University Drive, just west of Forest Avenue

Artist
Joe Tyler

Completion
1996

Medium
Welded steel

Description: Welded steel and exterior enamel paint represent vines, leaves and flowers. Tempe’s goal with its Artist Designed Transit Shelters is to encourage people to use the public transportation by making it attractive, innovative and functional.

Funding: The project was funded through City of Tempe Capital Improvement Project Percent for Art funds made available through the Tempe Transit Tax.

Artist biography: Joe Tyler received his BS in Horticulture from Arizona State University. He earned his Masters of Environmental Horticulture at ASU in 1974. Tyler’s works can be seen all over Arizona, as well as in Germany, Japan, California, New Mexico, Texas and Nevada. Tyler has received many awards for his work and has held several professional positions in the field of horticulture. He has created public art for the cities of Tempe, Scottsdale, Chandler, Tucson and Yuma and art for major business corporations. 

Artist statement: La Sombra is Spanish for “The Shade.” My design for this transit shelter was inspired by the challenges of the location. University Drive was narrowed to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment, causing limited space for the new transit shelter. The area needed to include the required amount of seating and shade despite the space constraints of the sidewalk.


The Tempe public art program is managed by City of Tempe Cultural Services staff
with input from the Tempe Municipal Arts Commission, a 15-member, mayor-appointed advisory board.