A combination of artistic talent and enterprising spirit led to Eyeconic Arizona Souvenir Shop.The lively spread of souvenirs at Eyeconic Arizona on the historic McDowell Road Miracle Mile in Phoenix — a straight shot to the airport — has become a popular stopping point for tourists seeking last-minute T-shirts, gifts and desert city finds. Tour buses file into the parking lot, and passersby who catch a glimpse of the vibrant apparel in its window displays pop in to see what else is in store.
It all began with an airbrush, a teen artist and a card table at a swap meet, where Albert Rodarte made shirts, producing on-the-spot custom jobs and growing a following. He was 15.
Today, this creative spirit lives on at Eyeconic Arizona, which he founded and runs with his daughters, Jade (owner) and Trinity Rodarte, also artists.
 Customers can browse over 150 T-shirt designs.
Rodarte says, “We worked together to build something we could all be proud of.”
Igniting possibilitiesEyeconic Arizona wouldn’t have happened without a middle school principal who told Rodarte, “You’re using your talent in the wrong way.”
“In middle school I was the class clown,” Rodarte admits. Bored but always sketching, he filled his English textbook margins with doodles. After noticing his doodles, his principal suggested he enroll in an advanced art program if he worked to improve his grades.
The classroom opened his eyes to opportunity. And this rolled into his enterprising T-shirt stand at regional events.
Eventually, Rodarte was entering and winning art contests. One state poster competition, sponsored by the Surgeon General, required students to design an anti-smoking campaign. Rodarte won first place and used the prize money to buy his first airbrush compressor — a tool that launched his career and family business.
Owning itThrough the 1990s, Rodarte worked for a printing supplier known for souvenir apparel. “They printed for resorts all over,” he says. “Seeing their process sparked a fire in me. I wanted to learn to do it perfectly.”
 Magnets and tees feature the Arizona name drop and reflect desert sun vibes.
“At first, we didn’t necessarily have a goal of going into the souvenir business because we were busy printing for other companies,” he says.
This side of the business continues to thrive, but Rodarte’s passion for art inspired the expansion into souvenirs and Arizona gifts.
“We started with a test run — about four racks of Arizona shirts, mugs and license plates we produced in-house,” says Rodarte of the 2023 “experiment.” That experiment took off.
“People were stopping by before heading to the airport just to grab something real — something made here,” Rodarte says.
They transformed part of the print shop into a 600-square-foot retail space, and during renovations, Rodarte literally uncovered the building’s potential. “We found a hidden door, big windows and a showcase behind a wall,” he says. “We cleaned it up, repainted, added mannequins and studio lights, and it came to life.”
The result feels equal parts studio and gallery — a home for Eyeconic’s souvenir designs. “Jade is the visionary, and Trinity does a lot of hand painting and mixed media,” Rodarte says. “My strength is more computer-driven graphics — sharp, crisp lines and detail.”
A creative spread Nearly half of Eyeconic’s products are made in-house using screen-printing and direct-to-film technology. “Our goal is to eventually supply other mom-and-pop Arizona shops with Arizona-made products,” says Rodarte, noting a gradual entry into wholesale.
 Eyeconic Arizona offers artwork featuring beautiful desert landscapes and Arizona name-drop signs and license plates.
Eyeconic Arizona’s categories span from apparel and drinkware to decor, ornaments and even pantry items such as hot sauce.
The printing side of Eyeconic complements its souvenir business, with clients picking up orders and discovering the trove of apparel and gifts. Word passes and drives traffic, though Rodarte defines Eyeconic’s success in what it gives his daughters: the same opportunity he found to express himself through art and make a living doing it.
“The most gratifying part is seeing that I can hand the ropes down to my children and they can run with it,” he says. “It’s proof that dreams really can come true.” |
