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New Mural in Downtown Sherman, TX Brings Community Together
Community Mural for Non-Profit
Setting out to create a mural for the Non-Profit Grand Central Station in Sherman, TX I found a community of collaborators that ultimately made this project come to life. This mural project was an effort to engage the community using art, and was inspired by artist and social sculptor, Rick Lowe. Mr. Lowe is a Houston artist known for projects like Project Row Houses, and The Victoria Square Project, where he empowers communities through art.
Grand Central Station- The Dining Car is a food pantry and soup kitchen located in Downtown Sherman, TX. This mural project represents the mission of Grand Central Station- to provide for the underserved. After finalizing a design that accurately depicted the impact that GCS has on the surrounding community, I set out to work on organizing community paint days where anyone could come paint and be a part of the finished product.
PROCESS
Inspiration
To begin this project I explored the works of Rick Lowe, who delves into community based art. One way that he engages the communities he's working with is through using maps. This concept stuck with me since the purpose of the GCS mural was to serve the Sherman community, and what better way to do that than by painting their town.
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Design
To align the purpose of the mural with the purposed concept, I highlighted the different ways that GCS serves their community. One key factor of the non-profit is their soup kitchen, which provides food for underserved people throughout the city. The colorful and simple nature of food helped to juxtapose the intricacies of map design.
Result
After meeting and presenting to the client, we decided to incorporate some of the other ways that GCS serves their community while keeping the fruits and vegetables at the forefront. One other aspect that informed the final design was appealing to the volunteer nature of the project. Since the design would be painted by people from all over the community and from all backgrounds, I wanted the design to be simple enough that anyone could come paint.
COMMUNITY
Outreach
To accomplish the goal of making this a community event, we notified businesses and local non-profits in the area. Austin College students and professors also helped spread the word to their peers.
Paint Days
Throughout the course of two community paint days, each six hours long, the Sherman community completed the mural project.
Impact
As people drive on Houston Street and pass Grand Central Station, they are reminded of the community they serve everyday.
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