Westgate Entertainment District is getting a new headliner, and this one comes armed with paint.
Phoenix muralist and designer Sabree Garcia is creating a five-panel artwork for the Glendale entertainment destination, blending desert scenery, music and everyday moments into a tribute to the people who bring Westgate to life. Completion is expected in late November or early December, with an exact date still pending.
The installation will stretch approximately 32 feet across the stage area near AMC Westgate 20. Garcia is painting most of it in her converted garage studio before adding finishing touches on-site.
Garcia, originally from Lubbock, Texas, has completed more than 20 murals across the Valley, including a project at a downtown Phoenix Hilton. Her vibrant work was featured in the Phoenix Art Museum’s artist spotlight. For Westgate, she is giving her bold approach a softer, sunset-inspired color palette.
A woman with a flower in her hair looks toward the entertainment district, a sunset glowing behind her. Elsewhere, silhouettes of musicians, a splash pad, desert plants and people enjoying wine capture the district’s different personalities. Musical notes connect the scenes, giving the panels movement and rhythm.
The idea is to reflect a place where families make memories, friends gather and an ordinary outing becomes something worth remembering. Westgate’s name anchors the center, while the surrounding scenes give visitors several ways to recognize themselves in the artwork.
YAM Properties, which owns Westgate Entertainment District, approached Garcia about the commission. The panel format offered an appealing twist: She could create a large public artwork from home, then bring it into the district for installation.
“I wish I could paint it overnight,” Garcia said.
That eagerness comes with seven years of experience building a mural career through persistence and hands-on learning. Garcia began by contacting Phoenix artists on Instagram, offering to help paint murals and asking how she could get involved.
She balanced work, mural painting and evening classes at the Art Institute of Phoenix, where she studied graphic and web design. Physical painting and digital design developed side by side, each expanding what she could create.
“Now I know it’s my purpose and my passion,” said Garcia, who counts Shepard Fairey, Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dalí among her artistic inspirations.
She hopes the coming years bring larger clients, more travel and opportunities to keep meeting people through art. Her ambitions also extend beyond walls. An animal lover who previously worked at a dog day care, Garcia would love to use a future mural project to help support a pet-related fundraiser or gala.
“I just want to help everybody,” she said.
At Westgate, that instinct takes shape in a shared scene: music playing, water splashing and people finding their place in the desert.
Insider Takeaways
- Garcia’s Westgate artwork spans five panels and approximately 32 feet.
- Installation is planned for the stage area near the movie theater.
- Expect sunset colors, musical silhouettes, desert plants and family scenes.
- Completion is anticipated in late November or early December; timing remains tentative.
- Behind the scenes, Garcia paints in her garage studio with her dog nearby.
Connect with Sabree Garcia on Instagram.
