A new mural has made a splash at the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce building. The artwork titled “Home II” by artist Christopher Al Rodriguez was commissioned by the San Marcos Mural Arts Program as an addition to its robust lineup of public art.
The mural features a salamander, fox, armadillo and other native creatures amongst stylized depictions of their colorful habitats.
The Chamber building has been functioning as a source of commerce and community connections for over 50 years. Nestled adjacent to the San Marcos River, the fantastical flora and fauna depictions in the mural act as a gateway from city departments to city parks.
“We really feel that this mural captures the spirit of San Marcos, the fox and the armadillo and the salamander, and it reminds us every day about these special creatures that live alongside us as we do our work,” Chamber President & CEO Page Michel said.
TXST Art alumni Christopher Al Rodriguez is no stranger to the San Marcos arts scene. Having been commissioned for murals in the past, Rodriguez is a full-time artist making his mark on San Marcos.
“I was excited because this is a two-part series that I’ve been working on with the city, including the mural on the resource recovery building that’s celebrating local flora and fauna that reside here in San Marcos,” Rodriguez said.
He mentioned that the mural’s purpose is to celebrate how diverse, unique, vibrant and curious the wildlife is here.
“What I think is great about that is you could use those same words and be talking about the community of San Marcos and the people here and the city as a whole. It’s a place that I lived in for a long time and I hold it very dear to my heart. I’ve been removed for a while, but I’ll always call San Marcos my home,” Rodriguez said.
One can visit the mural at 202 N. C M Allen Pkwy. For more information on the Mural Arts Program, including an interactive map detailing all the public art locations visit the city website at sanmarcostx.gov/1249/San-Marcos-Mural-Arts-Program. To see more of Rodriguez’s art visit his Instagram page at instagram.com/zillabrainz\.
