By Dale O’Dell
(All images provided were photographed by the author, © Dale O’Dell 2023. Reproduction permission granted by the photographer for use by the Prescott Daily Courier and Sharlot Hall Museum. No AI was used to write this article or in the capture and post-processing of the photos. Dale O’Dell contact information: dalesv650@gmail.com , 928-925-0374, www.dalephoto.com).
Sedona and Scottsdale are well known art destinations, but most people don’t realize the entire Southwestern United States is an art destination, including Prescott. This art isn’t in galleries. Two-hundred-plus years ago what appeared to be a vast, empty landscape revealed a treasure of ancient rock art. Petroglyphs (ancient rock carvings) and pictographs (ancient rock paintings) were found in large numbers in what is now Yavapai County and Prescott. These enigmatic artistic symbols were created hundreds, even thousands, of years ago by the possible prehistoric ancestors of what are now local indigenous tribes including, but not limited to, the Navajo, Hopi, Apache and Yavapai-Prescott. The tradition of marking on stone goes back over twenty thousand years. It is one of mankind’s earliest forms of artistic expression and predates written language. Imagine the lifestyle of early Prescott-area residents two thousand years ago; it consisted mainly of survival: seeking food and shelter. But despite the rigors and danger, their daily activities also included making art. Although the meaning of much rock art in America has been lost, petroglyphs and pictographs are not a writing system like Egyptian hieroglyphics nor are they mere graffiti. Highly motivated ancient artists made tools like stone hammers and chisels to create petroglyphs; to create pictographs, they had to invent paint and construct paintbrushes. These artworks were created with great intent.
Although there are hundreds of rock art sites all over Arizona, you can see actual ancient petroglyphs here in the Prescott Lakes Subdivision. They are located at seven “Pocket Parks” off Smoke Tree Lane. This is the easiest way to see ancient rock art right here in town.
Images painted onto rock (pictographs) are fewer in number but often larger in scale. Many pictograph sites are found in caves, grottos and under overhangs where they’ve been protected from the elements. The ancient artists knew how to preserve their work so it would last into the distant future. The pictograph tradition led directly to the creation of murals. In antiquity, large-scale murals were difficult to produce because of limited paint availability. By the late 1800s, ready-made paint became available, and the mural-making tradition began in earnest in America. Last year Dana Cohn used almost 60 gallons of paint to create the newest mural in Prescott, The Granite Creek Trail Mural.
The best Arizona example of the transition from ancient to modern can be found just north of Kingman in Chloride. In 1966 artist Roy Purcell painted 2000 square feet of rocks that became known as the Chloride Rock Murals. This is a modern continuation of the pictograph legacy. Purcell was able to work on a larger scale with brighter colors because, as a modern man, he didn’t have to invent paint or paintbrushes. He could buy as much paint as needed and cover a larger area than ancient artists could.
Murals reach a wider audience of people who might not set foot in an art gallery. There are about 35 artistic murals found outdoors in Prescott. They can be found in places like the Whiskey Row Alley, Prescott Public Library, Acker Park, Prescott College and other locations.
Take a drive around Prescott and see outdoor murals for free without visiting a gallery or getting out of the car; the art is there for everyone.
In the West Gallery at Sharlot Hall Museum, you can see Dale O’Dell’s photographs of 35 murals in the Prescott area and photographs of the work-in-progress of the new Granite Creek Trail Mural. These photographs will be archived in a database maintained by Sharlot Hall Museum after the exhibition.
To learn more, come listen to Dale O’Dell’s lecture on Saturday, 3/2/2024 at 2pm at the Sharlot Hall Museum in the Education Center Auditorium. Seating is limited. Reserve your seat by calling 928-277-2015, or reserve your seat online at the Sharlot Hall Museum Event Calendar page: sharlothallmuseum.org/event-calendar. Tickets are $15.00 for non-members and FREE to SHM members.
“Days Past” is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). This and other Days Past articles are also available at www.archives.sharlothallmuseum.org/articles/days-past-articles/1 The public is encouraged to submit proposed articles and inquiries to dayspast@sharlothallmuseum.org Please contact SHM Research Center reference desk at 928-277-2003, or via email at archivesrequest@sharlothallmuseum.org for information or assistance with photo requests.