The Improbable Tale of the Mesa Arts Center

It's time for Dia de los Muertos! Otherwise known as The Day of the Dead. But don't let the name fool you, because no matter who you are or where you're from, you'll discover the Day of the Dead is a very-not-scary, even joyful event. If you've never understood the meaning and significance of this special holiday, you've landed in the right spot.

Forget the bearded Dos Equis pitchman with his thick shock of salt and pepper hair. The most interesting man in the world might be a clean shaven, bald dude named Russell "Rusty" Bowers. A fourth generation Arizonan, Rusty is as Mesa as it gets. Growing up he was a devoted boy scout and then a committed Mesa High Jackrabbit - a God-fearing gym rat who made a habit of fouling out of most basketball games. But he later became a renown painter and sculptor. Eventually, he put his creative skill and sharp elbows to work as a politician, representing Mesa for almost two decades as a member of both the Arizona House and Senate. He loved it. And then came the test of a life time when he was pressured by a sitting president - the man he campaigned for - to participate in overturning the results of the 2020 election in Arizona. The gym-rat-turned-artist-turned-conservative politician refused. The Most Interesting Man in the World, indeed.

Mesa is known for many things, but for a lot of people across our country, Mesa is synonymous with one thing. Spring Training. Every February and March, Mesa hosts both the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park and the Oakland A's at Hohokam Park. You might think that's just how it's always been. But the story of how once-sleepy Mesa became the epicenter of the Cactus League will surprise you. At the center of the story is Dwight "Pat" Patterson, a quiet cattleman-turned community champion. The story behind Spring training is just one more reason we can say, "It's Always Cool in Mesa".

On the Friday evening after Thanksgiving, we kick off the holiday season here at the Mesa Arts Center with a theatrical retelling of The Man Who Killed Santa Claus. Audiences love it. But never so much as this last year when it was performed for the first time as a musical. Mayor Giles sits down with the show's creator and writer, Brian Nissen, the producer, Mark Arnett, and the musical director Emily Susan Pack, and asks them how they did it. If you've only heard the non-musical version, you haven't really heard this true Mesa story. Disclaimer: No actual Santa Clauses were harmed in the production of this musical.

In the full version of our "Always Cool" theme song, there's a line that goes, "If you say Venice makes you wistful, Well, we've got canals by the fistful!" And it's true - miles and miles of canals that deliver water to every reach of the city. They also provide a place to walk, bike, and enjoy our Arizona sunsets. The story of how the canals came to be is an epic and sacred one.

Everyone calls it "the Dinosaur Museum". And that's fine. But it's actually the Arizona Museum of Natural History. And while its dinosaur offerings are truly incredible, it actually has a lot of non-Dino stuff that makes it one of the Southwest's premier natural history museums. And don't miss Visit Mesa's newest music video, featuring the song, "We Walk" that highlights Mesa's dedication to supporting inclusivity and acceptance within our community. Watch here www.visitmesa.com/FLOM or you can listen on Spotify.

The story of how the Mesa Arts Center got built and almost didn't get built is a lesson in vision and persistence. And Mesa didn't just build an arts center. We built a world-class, international award winning arts center. If you've ever wondered how Mesa pulled it off, here's the decades-long story.

All cool American cities have their annual traditions. Boston has its marathon. There's the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. And Ashland Oregon has a world class Shakespeare festival. Here in Mesa, we don't take ourselves so seriously. Every year we get together and celebrate the fact that 90 years ago we killed the jolliest man on the planet.

If you were asked in 2021 to name an Academy Award winner from Mesa, you probably would have broke the google machine trying. But if you search today, dozens of articles will tell you all about Troy Kotsur, winner of the Oscar for best supporting actor in 2022 for the film CODA. He's the first male deaf actor to win an Oscar. Best of all, he's Mesa born and bred. How cool is that? To watch the full interview, visit https://youtu.be/WxwTxvvJQtQ To get more info about Visit Mesa’s passports, visit https://www.VisitMesa.com/passes For a complete transcription of the Troy Kotsur episode, visit https://www.mesaaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=45714

Every Olympics has its "first-evers'. One of the "first-evers" in the most recent summer Olympics came from Mesa Arizona. Jagger Eaton, the kid with a moniker to match his style, grabbed America's first-ever skateboarding medal - a bronze in the men's street competition. Shaggy-haired and super chill, but at the same time extremely hard-working and wise beyond his years, Jagger both reinforces and smashes skateboarder stereotypes. Lots of things make Mesa cool. This kid may just be the coolest.