On the eastern wall of the Rialto Theatre, a vibrant mural serves as a gateway into an augmented reality (AR) phone game that, when played, donates to the Rialto Theatre Foundation.
“I knew that it was going to be an interactive, video game-style thing, so the design was meant to reflect the different genres of music and the Tucson desert, and everything,” said Jessica Gomez, one of Tucson’s most prolific muralists and the Rialto’s artist in residence, who designed the piece.
“I designed it on my iPad, and I actually created it so it would look the way my paint style does. And then I isolated a bunch of layers to give the animators so that they can make everything come apart. I just painted it exactly like I designed it, and then the animators made it come to life.”
Augmented reality is a style of game that introduces digital elements into real-world surroundings, typically using a smartphone camera (think “Pokémon GO”).
The project is the result of a partnership between the Rialto Theatre and Idaho Central Credit Union (ICCU), which expanded to Tucson in February 2025. Looking for community partners, the theater approached ICCU and together they developed the idea for an interactive, AR mural game.
“We’re a nonprofit, so a lot of our donations come from community partners and sponsorships,” said Valerie Richarme, Rialto Theatre director of marketing.
“I wanted to do something different and big, and then they (ICCU) came to us with AR and I was like, ‘I didn’t even have to sell it.’”
After the idea was in place, getting Gonzales on the job was an obvious choice.
“It didn’t make sense to think of anyone else,” Richarme said. “She certainly knows us in and out, and her work speaks for itself, it just keeps getting next-level every time she does something.”
The game is completely free to play to the public. Visitors scan a QR code, point a phone at the mural, and watch the piece come to life. As items begin sailing towards the screen, the player is tasked with collecting coins while avoiding a host of hazardous items.
“Think ‘Fruit Ninja’ meets the desert, meets the arts, meets the theater,” said Jeff Dunlap, ICCU community development market manager.
The first time each participant plays the game that day, the ICCU donates $10 to the Rialto Theatre Foundation, until a total of $10,000 is reached.
“It feels novel but authentic,” Richarme said. “And because we know it’s Jessica, and we’re used to her style, it feels like an elevation for her too.”
“It seems a little removed from her style, enough that it’s noticeable, but it still feels authentically her. And I know her fingerprints are all over it because we’ve watched her design it start-to-finish. So it’s cool for me to see it just as an evolution of her work, rather than its own piece.”
