It used to be that the first thing you saw after emerging from the Broadway Boulevard underpass into downtown was the blank wall of the Rialto Theatre. Today, the murals of Joe Pagac (rhymes with magic) give you a sense of having arrived in an exciting place where art and music are alive. Joe's huge paintings are inspired by the music they promote rather than any literal image—or at least they were until the city cracked down on them as a violation of the sign code. His murals changed every month, and we always looked forward to seeing what he'd think of next. Our favorites were the exuberant rubber-duckie men for the Sonic Youth show, and those luscious equine derrieres for the Avett Brothers. Here's hoping the city relents and lets Pagac get back to doing his regular work.
Runners up:
2. "Windows to the Past, Gateway to the Future" (by Steve Farley)
3. Stone CurvesNorth Stone Avenue