Painted Rock Mountains Painted Rock Mountains The Painted Rocks Mountains are a short 15-mile (24 km) long mountain range of the north-central Sonoran Desert southwest of Phoenix, Arizona and in southwest Maricopa County. The Gila River flows through the central-north end of the range. The famous Painted Rock Petroglyph Site lies at the northeast end of the range, adjacent the Painted Rock Reservoir, and the reservoir lies at the eastern end of the agricultural river valley that is locally names as the Lower Gila River Valley, extending approximately from the Colorado River at Yuma to the west and the reservoir at the east.
Painted Desert Project Painted Desert Project The Painted Desert Project is a privately funded public art initiative which connects artists with communities through mural opportunities on the Navajo Nation. The Painted Desert Project is the brainchild of Chip Thomas, a doctor, photographer, activist and long-time reservation resident. The Painted Desert Project began in 2012 when Chip Thomas invited several world-renowned street artists to the Navajo Nation for short-term residencies, during which the artists immersed themselves in the local communities. By requiring the artists to embed themselves within the local communities and engage in extensive research, it is hoped the artists will produce work