bringing it home
Vibrant new mural paints richly diverse picture in Houston's Arts District
Art fans, it’s mural time — once again. Arts District Houston (the Arts District) will reveal an ongoing mural project on Friday, August 30, the first major mural project since Art Alley at Sawyer Yards.
This new, interactive series (made in part through the City of Houston) will reflect the rich history of Houston’s historic First and Sixth wards, engaging multiple artists across various mediums to reflect what is unique about the neighborhoods that make up the Arts District (formerly the Washington Avenue Arts District). The series will culminate with an “Arts District Houston” mural in October during Arts District Month.
Artist Royal Sumikat will kick things off with a new mural called Bringing Home with Us, which will use portraits of Mexican, black, German, and Italian women from the late 1800s to reflect the diverse history of the neighborhood. “It will symbolize 'shouldering the responsibility' of cultivating a culturally rich neighborhood where families can work, live, and play,” Sumikat explains in a statement. The mural will be displayed along the south wall of Henderson and Kane, parallel to Henderson Street.
“We hope that these projects will increase awareness of artists, the arts, local businesses, and neighborhood history while increasing traffic to the area, ultimately creating economic growth,” says Marci Dallas, executive director of Fresh Arts and the Arts District, in a statement. “The Arts District is home to the largest concentration of studio spaces for local artists, designers and makers in our region, and who better to tell the story of our neighborhoods than them.”
Details on where new murals will be unveiled from August through October will be given at the ribbon-cutting and unveiling event, to be held August 30 at the Henderson and Kane General Store, 715 Henderson St., from 9-11 am. Guests will include city councilmember Karla Cisneros and Debbie McNulty from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit the Arts District site.