Published December 7, 2020
Urban art series to result in four new murals on Bouldin Creek
The Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation is partnering with Manifold Real Estate, Oak Pointe Real Estate and Michael Hsu Architecture to install four murals on Bouldin Creek, a newly constructed office building at the intersection of Oltorf Street and South Lamar Boulevard. The four murals are a continuation of Writing on the Walls, the Foundation’s signature program that spotlights urban art and elevates the importance of art, diversity and public spaces in the community.
“We are excited about the second installation of Writing on the Walls and working with the public and private sectors, and nonprofit organizations to pair local artists with walls and funders,” Molly Alexander, executive director of the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation, said. “The project at Bouldin Creek allows us to support the work of local artists while creating new and unique places to connect downtown with our community and along transit corridors.”
The murals at Bouldin Creek celebrate the characteristics and cultural significance of South Austin and the greenbelt. Organic elements and colors inspired by nature blend with structure to create modern art with features that are familiar to Austin.
“We integrate art into our projects to design memorable experiences. Local artists and craftspeople elevate spaces and offer perspectives that are reflective of the community,” Micah Land, partner at Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, said. “These murals reflect the legacy of the site with references to cooling water currents—carving forward paths, ebbs and flows, upward movement and urban patterns that echo the energy of Austin.”
The four murals are all designed by local artists—Soledad Ferandez-Whitechurch, Tyler Hobbs, Sophie Roach and Jana Swec. The first of the four installations will begin on Thursday, October 29.
Soledad Fernadez-Whitechurch’s mural located in the parking garage will be an amalgam between geographical imagery and a modern and optimistic outlook for the future.
Tyler Hobbs was the first artist to commence painting on the most visible wall on the front of the building facing Oltorf. In his work, he explores how patterns, processes and randomness can both capture and distort elements of our natural reality.
Sophie Roach painted the mural inside the building lobby using familiar shapes, patterns and her own intuition to create a unique visual language based on spontaneity and rhythm.
Jana Swec, a fine art painter, featured an ocean horizon on her mural that is also located in the parking garage.
The Foundation, which launched the inaugural Writing on the Wall series in March with the creation of Austin’s largest mural—among other activations and murals—works to foster a creative environment that enhances and improves public spaces for the community. It aims to empower Austinites and encourage social engagement through community-driven initiatives that celebrate the spirit of Austin. The Foundation is seeking new walls downtown and on transit corridors to help create new opportunities for art and expression in the community.
For more information about Writing on the Walls, click here.