Are you looking for public art competitions related to murals and graffiti in Harris County? If so, you're in luck! There are a number of exciting opportunities available for artists to showcase their work in the area. The Bigger Change project is a collaboration between an inner-city economic development organization, a global non-profit arts organization, an energy company, and a Harris County commissioner. This project has funded nine larger-than-life murals in the city center, each of which is accompanied by a plaque with a QR code linked to Street Art for Mankind's free Behind the Wall app. This app explains each piece and provides connections to local service organizations.
The president and CEO of downtown Houston, Kris Larson, has announced that additional murals may be added next year. The idea for this walkable collection of murals was conceived by Harris County District 1 commissioner, Rodney Ellis, when he saw a mural created last year by artist Dragon76 on the side of the Hampton Inn Houston Downtown. This work of art was created as part of the Zero Hunger campaign launched by the U. S.
World Food Program and the Department of State, in collaboration with Street Art for Mankind. The Houston Arts Alliance reports that the city has 546 art objects, not counting those found in its airports. However, only 35 pieces are on display outside the Loop 610, where four-fifths of the population lives. To address this issue, a pilot program has been launched to discourage graffiti and bring public art to areas of the city where it is rarely seen.
This program involves 15 street artists turning utility boxes into murals. Anat Ronen, an Israeli woman who arrived in Houston to work in a real estate investment office and became a painter, recently painted a minimural on the corner of Willowbend and West Bellfort in southwest Houston. This creeper with huge flowers was created as part of an ambitious pilot program to bring public art to communities that don't have much and create a sense of community. The program was funded by Baker Hughes who recently hired Ronen to paint murals for exhibitions at conventions in Houston and Denver.
He's also working on completing a 250-foot mural at Blackshear Elementary School that recreates community selfies. Ronen has also been invited to paint in Bristol, England next month during Uppest, the biggest street art festival in the world. Other artists in the pilot program have learned to paint by painting graffiti but now they produce murals on request. Kellner anticipates an open application process for future mini-murals that would provide opportunities for artists with academic backgrounds.
All minimural designs must be approved by the city.
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