Tres Mujeres Statue in Tucson, Arizona: Community Art at Its Best

Nestled in a serene corner of the Pima College East Campus in Tucson Arizona, is a beautiful sculpture of three women. The statues stand as humble corpses made from Sonoran debris left by immigrants crossing the Mexican border into the U.S. The sculptures are a solemn reminder of the death and peril wrought by the Mexican immigrant's illegal passage into freedom.

Today the sculptures sit in the field, unbeknownst to oblivious passersby. The women's clasped hands and ghostly image are a contrast to their sunny and vibrant backdrop. Even the women's tortured faces seem to be no cause for remark. It is a shame, because the beauty and passion put into the sculptures is unmistakable.

The view of the desert wash they stand in makes it seem like the women are meant to confront passersby. The message behind the sculptures is daring enough. The specters are arranged in a manner in which they seem to be hovering toward the sidewalk, as though they are spirits haunting a graveyard. Like ghosts, the ladies feet do not even touch the ground. Even the wind howling around them seems to lift them in the air.

To others, these ghostly apparitions may look like goddesses who watch over the faithful making their journey across the barren land. The backdrop in which the sculptures stand looks all too much like the desert border. The sun soaked rocks and dry soil reflect the long arduous landscape. The women are like an oasis offering support and reassurance to the pilgrims in the dry land. One cannot mistake the heavenly clasp of the women's hands to their bosoms, portraying compassion that only a mother can feel for her dying children.

It is marvelous that humble debris and dirt can be used to fashion such a breath-taking display of emotion. The artist's fiery passion for the issue runs deep in the women's veins. Hopefully, generations to come will view the image of these women and remember the lives lost on the Mexican border.