Georgetown’s Thriving Art Scene

April 1, 2021

Telling Stories, Building Community Through Art

From honoring military heroes and preserving history to welcoming newcomers and showcasing our signature flower, Georgetown’s murals are part of the Arts and Culture Board’s vision of building a vibrant arts community. “Members of the Georgetown Arts and Culture Board believe a vibrant arts community and cultural offerings are good for the quality of life for residents, will attract visitors, and will assist Georgetown in becoming a nationally recognized arts destination by 2030,” Arts and Culture Coordinator Amanda Still says.

With so many murals popping up all over town, Georgetown is well on its way to achieving that goal. Here are the murals currently covering the walls of Georgetown:

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  1. “Greetings from Georgetown, Texas”: Postcard-themed mural by Sarah Blankenship at Gus’s Drug. Each letter of “Georgetown” showcases a city landmark, such as Lake Georgetown, the library, and the courthouse.
  2. “Preserving History”: Artists Norma Clark and Devon Clarkson honored Mary Smith Bailey, who founded The West Side Kindergarten in 1953, the first preschool in the area to offer educational preschool services to non-white children. Abstract images also feature children and students participating in athletic and educational activities. The mural is on the back of City Hall and adjacent to the African American Shotgun House.
  3. “Best Friends”: J. Muzacz and Jay Rivera teamed up to create a service-dog themed mural at Wag Heaven to honor K-9 service heroes, the Rotary Club of Georgetown’s Field of Honor® and war dog hero, Nemo A534.
  4. “Dayscape Wonder”:A beautiful abstract tile muralby Kevin Greerin the lobby of the Georgetown Municipal Court.
  5. ”El Árbol” (The Tree): The El Árbol mosaic mural by J. Muzacz was inspired by a well-known vista from the Jim Hogg Campground at Lake Georgetown. Visitors can check it out in the lobby of the Georgetown Municipal Court.
  6. “Jumping Around”: This mural, designed by Joe Magnano, is on the rear wall of 711 S. Main Street, the oldest building on the Square.
  7. “Traditions to the Future”: Mila Sketch created this mural at 215 W. 8th Street to start an art dialogue with Georgetown residents and visitors about the historic heritage and new innovative technologies in the city.

Together, these murals tell stories, bring the community together through painting parties, and create a beautiful art scene that draws many new faces to Georgetown. Murals on city property are funded by the city, while property and business owners can work with the Arts and Culture Board to install a mural on their building. The board can also help fund murals near city projects, such as the upcoming Georgetown Title Company mural.

Thanks to a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, another mural will soon spring up on the back of the Georgetown Art Center. Four diverse artists will team up on the diversity-themed “street art” project: Sarah Blankenship, Norma Clark, Devon Clarkson, and J. Muzacz. Art enthusiasts can look forward to seeing the new art this month, or by May, with a dedication event in July coinciding with the opening reception of the Art Center’s Street Art exhibit. The mural is part of the Arts and Culture Board’s Cultural District project designed to create an Arts District in the downtown Georgetown area and focus on cultural diversity. “We wanted to commission a group of these artists to raise awareness of this artistic diversity in the Public Art Program and demonstrate how one piece of artwork can be created when diverse styles, artists, and backgrounds form a collaboration.”

The Georgetown Animal Shelter will also sport a mural by Jason Tetlak in the spring or summer. To learn more about the mural program and Arts and Culture in Georgetown, visit arts.georgetown.org.