From the eyes on Maple Street Bridge to a pixelated Jesus, Spokane has its fair share of memorable murals

There are a handful of murals around Spokane in addition to the recent painting on Stevens Street by artists Shelby Allison and Susan Webber.

The Spokane Arts Commission fund paid Todd and Cain Benson to do the series of giant faces at Third Avenue and Maple Street. The Benson brothers also painted the giant eyes on the walls at the north end of the Maple Street Bridge, and the pair were commissioned for the giant black-and-white faces on the ceilings inside the main entrance of the Spokane Arena.

Spokane Arts Commission funding has paid for several generations of murals and art projects in traffic underpasses under the railroad viaduct downtown.

Artist Daniel Lopez, a former graffiti artist who signs his work “Godffiti,” has completed several interesting murals around Spokane, including some of historical Spokane scenes. He may have grabbed the most interest with a mural on the side of the Spokane Dream Center, which is the old Merlin Hotel: a portrait of Jesus with a crown of thorns, but with a face that appears to be a mass of digital pixels.

Several buildings in Hillyard have murals of historic railroad and pioneer scenes on the sides of old buildings, which remind locals of the proud heritage of the neighborhood. Artist Tom Quinn created some of them. Others were created by various artists or college students, including those on the Northeast Community Center.

Quinn, a prolific artist and muralist, created the scenes at Sprague Avenue and Division Street, featuring the falls, giant marmots and early Spokane celebrated character Willie Wiley. His work can be found at many sites around Spokane.

Although its origins are now murky, a giant mural up the south side of the building known as the Pioneer Pathway House is titled “King of Glory,” featuring a stylized and somewhat frightening mythical man on horseback riding through the clouds.