New midtown mural

New Instagrammable mural paints a pixel-perfect picture in Midtown

Snap some colorful selfies here.

Photo courtesy of Pearl Marketplace/Morgan

Heads up, Instagrammers: A brand-new, street-art installation is sure to turn heads and incite selfies in Midtown.

Local, French-born graffiti artist Sebastien "Mr. D" Boileau has completed an art mural over at the new Pearl Marketplace at 3120 Smith St. Commissioned by development firm Morgan, this 70-by-20-foot mural celebrates the construction workers who have made this mixed-use mid-rise a reality.

"I live in the neighborhood and have watched the construction process step by step," Mr. D said in a statement. "I was inspired by the amount of effort that goes into a project like this. The art wall is about the people who built it. I wanted to honor the workers in this industry and highlight what they represent, their diversity, and collective effort."

Using abstract pixilation and a broad color palette, the mural features five of the people who actually worked on the project representing all the construction workers. A finishing coat of clear high-quality epoxy protects the art from weathering and stray graffiti tagging. The mid-rise, which contains 264 residential units above a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods Market on the ground floor, is slated to start leasing units on Saturday, June 1.

Local kids to get in on this mural-painting action. At the "Préservons la Création" fifth anniversary celebration, kids will be invited to express their inner artist by painting on a wall mural-size strip of clear vinyl. The event, which will kick off midtown's Children Festival, will be on Friday, May 31, at 2819 Fannin St.

festivals high-rises

A holiday reopening

Houston's Rothko Chapel sets reopening date after Hurricane Beryl closure

Courtesy of the Rothko Chapel

The Rothko Chapel reopens December 17, 2024.

One of Houston's most-loved and important cultural landmarks is set to reopen on Tuesday, December 17. Damaged during Hurricane Beryl, the Rothko Chapel will resume providing Houstonians with a space to pause and reflect this holiday season.

The Chapel will be open from 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Sunday from December 17 through 22, and from 10 am to 5 pm December 24 through January 5, 2025. Chapel hours on December 25 and January 1 will be noon to 5 pm.

The octagonal chapel features 14 black panels painted by renowned artist Mark Rothko. It attracts visitors from around the world, who come to the space to meditate and take in Rothko's art. Beryl's heavy rains and gale-force winds resulted in leakage through the Chapel’s roof. Part of the ceiling and several walls had water damage, and four of Mark Rothko’s panels were also affected following the storm.

Whitten & Proctor Fine Art Conservation, one of the country’s premier art-conservation firms, led the analysis and assessment to restore the chapel. The water-streaked walls and ceiling have been repaired and repainted. Damaged panels are now undergoing careful restoration off-site. They will be returned to the chapel once the work is complete.

"Since the storm, our focus has been on the complete repair of the building, the restoration of the damaged panels, and on the reopening of the Chapel so the public once again has access to this beloved space for contemplation and meditation,” Rothko Chapel executive director David Leslie said in a statement. “Getting to this point has been a true community effort involving an amazing team of art conservators, scientists, art handlers, volunteers, community partners, and Chapel staff, and we are very excited to reopen in time for the holidays.”

Following the damage left in Beryl’s wake, the chapel hosted a number of fall programs at off-site locations.The first program slated for 2025 is the chapel’s annual MLK Observance, "Sick of War: Discussing Health Impacts of US Militarism.” That will be hosted in the chapel on January 15, 2025.

Earlier this year, the Rothko Chapel announced an extensive expansion campaign, Opening Spaces. The $42 million project will add new buildings just north of the existing Chapel on the other side of Sul Ross St.

Photo by Elizabeth Felicella

The Rothko Chapel reopens December 17, 2024.

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