New murals bring life to Downtown crosswalks

LOCAL ART

Handpainted murals can be found on walls all over downtown, but for the first time ever, one can enjoy local art simply by looking down. Six new murals have sprung up on pathways and curb extensions throughout Downtown. The new artwork is the result of a two year collaboration between the Stelos Scholars Program at the Texas State Honors College and the city of San Marcos. The murals were designed by local artist Michelle Wilson and were painted with the help of students and volunteers. These are the first street murals of their kind in San Marcos, created to not only beautify the urban landscape but to also enhance pedestrian safety through increased visibility at cross walks.

The overall theme of the six murals is Petals and Paws, which celebrates the biodiversity of the region by showcasing the local flora and fauna. Each mural features a ‘celebrity’ species native to the area, including fountain dart- ers, cagle’s map turtles, nine-banded armadillos, blue dragonflies, monarch butterflies and honeybees as well as stylized depictions of native plants including bluebonnets and prickly pear cacti.

The murals are located near The Price Center where the dedication ceremony was held. Dozens of citizens, students and volunteers gathered to hear from the city, from the Honors college and the artist herself about the process of creating these murals. Elected officials were also in attendance to celebrate the art, including San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson and San Marcos City Council Member Amanda Rodriguez.

“This project has definitely been a labor of love. There were a lot of hiccups and setbacks and wonderful surprises that we overcame,” said Josie Falletta, San Marcos Downtown coordinator. With any big project there are challenges, but the collaboration between the city, TXST and the volunteers made the work possible. From rapidly drying paint to rainfall, the team worked around any obstacle to create an addition to the visual identity of the town. Falletta explained the history of the two year long project, noting that the Stelos Scholars from the Texas State Honors College took an interest in how their program could help improve the downtown. After reviewing the Downtown Area Plan, the city realized there could be some improvements made to crosswalks on San Antonio Street. The students developed a plan for the project and secured a $25,000 grant for the project. Falletta made sure to express appreciation to the San Marcos Public Works department for all their help in preparing the sites for the murals.

“Not only did they work with us, they built us a traffic control plan; They dropped off barricades. Their teams came out, and they helped prep the site for us. They grinded off all the old things that were there. They marked off and made sure that we’re following traffic regulations,” Falletta said. She also praised the Main Street and Destination Services Team for their work powerwashing the sites and for volunteering to help paint as well as thanking The Price Center for being huge supporters and advocates of the project and allowing the team and volunteers to use the building’s facilities even during off hours.

“It really goes to show how many different people it takes to do a project, especially a project that you have never tried before. This was a new attempt for us. These are the very first murals that we have on the street in the entire city of San Marcos,” Falletta said.

One can find the murals when strolling through downtown on San Antonio Street at the crosswalks at Feltner Alley and Fredericksburg Street as well as curb extensions in front of The Price Center.