Voicing and Healing through Art
Words by Gigi Hernández Photo by Ryan Runcie
Murals have been used by communities around the world not only as a means to draw people together and ornament urban spaces but also as a modern coping mechanism to illustrate societal happenings through art.
The Rise of Masontown
Beautifully painted by Ryan Runcie, in partnership with Six Square and Raasin in the Sun, this mural honors the transformation of Masontown—one of the thirteen freedman neighborhoods in Austin during the 1860s. The mural features brothers, Sam and Raiford Mason, who purchased the land that later turned into Masontown. Runcie portrays the “breaking of the bonds of slavery…and their new found right to education and land ownership.” Locate this mural at the Residences at Saltillo.
Vegetarians of the World
This mural is located across from Mr. Natural, a health conscious restaurant and bakery owned by Jesus and Luisa Mendoza since 1988. In an effort to spread awareness about vegetarianism and demonstrate that vegetarianism is more than a trend, the couple hired artists Uloang and Nano Berks to create a mural which depicts 15 portraits of the world’s most famous vegetarians including Buddha, Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks, and Natalie Portman.
If He Can’t Breathe, Then We Can’t Breathe
Adorning the exterior of Native Hostel’s front entrance, passersby can admire this mural by Chris Rogers. This art, which portrays Floyd’s face along with the faces of other victims who died under police brutality, was completed June 2020. At the center of the mural also lies the iconic portrait of football quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, kneeling in form of protest. Through this work of art, Rogers aimed to create a space where everyone could come together without judgment.
Ánimo Austin
Mexic-Arte Museum has always hosted some of the most vibrant and heart-warming murals of the city, including Ánimo Austin by artist Ulysses Cueto. The colorful mural portrays a couple, wearing face masks and holding hands across a bin of heart bubbles with the words “Animo!” flying over. “Ánimo,” often used in México as a way to say “cheer up.” It is one of those beautiful Spanish words that carries no direct English translation. However, no translation is needed to have your spirits lifted up by this work of art.
The Beauty of Liberty and Equality
One of Austin’s biggest murals extending across 12 stories of The LINE Hotel, this was commissioned as part of Downtown Austin Alliance’s Writing on the Walls. Artists Sandra Chevrier and Shepard Fairey created this mural to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the women’s suffrage movement with an illustration of Wonder Woman tearing a chain with her bare hands and the American flag accompanied by the words “Women Vote” and “Equality” displayed in large letters. Shepard added that this “also serves as a reminder that rights may be won, but fairness and equality are always a work in progress and active struggle.”
To Show Up Imperfectly But Open to Change is Better Than Not Showing Up at All
Located off 6th and Medina and painted by Marissa Cuevas, the art was part of a series of murals commissioned by the ATX Mural Project—a collaboration consisting of local artists and businesses across the city to use art as a means for protest in response to racial injustices.
Black Artists Matter
On East 11th Street, bystanders can find a very similar mural to the bold yellow letters across Congress Avenue, reading “Black Artists Matter.” East Austin’s art community abounds in a historically Black neighborhood. Thus, in an effort to demonstrate support for Black artists, this location was chosen as the ideal spot to house this work of art.
12 Best Murals: In a city like Austin, where artistic expression is continuously thriving and evolving, it can become hard to track the city’s best murals. Read more about 6 additional murals worth visiting at eastsideatx.com/6-best-murals: La Loteria, Las Cruxes, Cesar Chavez Mural, Voyage to Sousville, Hillside Miracle, and You’re My Butter Half.
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