Living in the Visual Arts Capital of Texas in San Angelo, I am blessed every day to see some of the best murals in the state, in my humble opinion. So I started thinking about other cities and towns I’ve visited that feature this art form in such a beautiful way.
Before I share those places, however, I would be remiss not to begin with my own community in west central Texas. From the somewhat humble beginnings with the Historic Murals of San Angelo to the relatively new Art in Uncommon Places’ Pop Art Museum, Paintbrush Alley, and a salute to the Masters, San Angelo’s mural art is truly one-of-a-kind and a delight to see. Add to those already mentioned, random murals are located across the city. The community is one of only three locations in the state of Texas with an official Don’t Mess with Texas mural. One can certainly see why San Angelo has the Visual Arts Capital of Texas moniker.
No blog about murals in Texas can be complete without the mention of the Mural Capital of Texas, Breckenridge. This small town located northeast of Abilene offers a Boomtown Breckenridge Mural self-guided tour to see eight of their murals inspired by black and white pictures of the town taken by 1920’s photographer Basil Clemons and later interpreted in the murals by artist Billy Ines.
“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot. Others transform a yellow spot into the sun.”
Pablo Picasso
Some smaller communities have limited buildings and murals but they have managed to make a great statement about their town, like Bronte, Texas, north of San Angelo.
So many of the murals I’ve seen in across the state of Texas serve as the entry signs to many towns and cities, while others have the name of the community offering an easy photo op to take back from a trip. Some are near the city limits, others are in the middle of town, and still others are located inside businesses. They present community pride at its finest.
Having lived and worked in Fort Worth for a number of years, I passed by the Chisholm Trail Mural in Sundance Square many times. The mural is a stunning tribute to cowtown and the rich western heritage of one of my favorite larger cities, not only in Texas, but in the U.S.
Texas mom and pop businesses have chosen to add murals to their walls. Here are a few of my favorites.
Another wonderful mural community is in far west Texas in the Mountain Trail Region of the state. Alpine seems to add murals relatively often. For such a small community, the outside walls of buildings in the downtown area showcase a significant amount of lovely artwork, some based on the history and others just for fun.
Embracing mural art as a way to beautify a place is a great option. This post barely represents the murals I’ve seen while driving the roads of Texas, but it’s a start. Here’s to the artists who share their craft with our great state. We are blessed to have them and their large canvases on walls, both inside and outside, to enjoy and share with friend and family when they visit.
Until next time from Texas…safe travels and love from San Angelo.
