Houston is a vibrant city with a thriving art scene, and graffiti and mural art are an integral part of it. The HUE Mural Festival is a great example of how the city is putting itself on the map as an urban art destination. The festival is produced by UP Art Studio, a public art consultant and facilitator, who has played a fundamental role in the creation of hundreds of murals and art installations in Houston, including the Mini Murals project. The Mini Murals project is a pilot program to discourage graffiti and bring public art to areas of the city where it is rarely seen.
It involves 15 street artists in the area who turn utility boxes into murals on request. Muralists from around the world, including three from Houston, have also painted a series of murals in nine downtown buildings with the goal of inspiring social and environmental change. The Bigger Change project is another example of how Houston is embracing graffiti and mural art. It's a collaboration between an inner-city economic development organization, a global non-profit arts organization, an energy company and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis.
Other community sponsors included the East Aldine Arts Council, BakerRipley, the Harris County Public Library, Lone Star College, District 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, and the ever-popular Art Bus. Elia credits partnerships with the city of Houston, administrative districts and other organizations for the growth of the Houston wall art scene over the past decade. Quiles works with the mayor's office of cultural affairs, the public works department, the alliance, the Brays Oaks and Five Corners administration districts and the non-profit organization Fresh Arts, which is helping to raise funds for more minimurals. Houston is now home to more than 1,000 murals and art installations according to the Houston Wall Map. If you're looking for public art festivals related to creating murals and graffiti in Harris County, stay up to date on what's happening in the Partnership region and the Houston metropolitan area by signing up to receive information about upcoming events, news, data releases and more.
