Today I’m excited to share a guest post from my friend and fellow travel-blogger, Tosha. I hope you enjoy learning about the art and creativity in Houston as much as I did!
We have just completed our second year of homeschooling. It has been a thrilling ride with lots of ups and downs as we made the transition from public school. Admittedly, I went from second guessing myself to finally hitting a stride within our personal family schedule and way of learning.
I am sure many homeschooling parents can tell you that looking for creative ways to keep art involved in the curriculum can sometimes be a challenge. Living in a big city presents many fantastic opportunities to find art in unexpected places.
Driving around Houston you will find that some of the traffic control boxes look a little different than normal. That is because they are! They still function the same, but they have some flair. They are called mini murals which is a project that was commissioned by the City of Houston to bring art to unexpected places.
When these first started popping up the kids and I thought they were such a great idea. Most people appreciate the art on the boxes because it does add some beauty to an unconventional space. Normally, you would find art in the museum district and not on random traffic control boxes scattered around the city.
As we drive to our destinations I will sometimes ask the kids to tell me a story based on a box that we spotted. The results are sometimes funny or dramatic. Their imaginations are vivid. Most paintings seem to embody the community in which they reside. This is one of the reasons I feel that they are even more beautiful.
The website lists several locations of the boxes and you can find your way around using an interactive map which is a helpful feature. However, some are not listed and it is kind of neat seeing an unexpected box pop up. So, next time you are in Houston be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these mini masterpieces.
You can find out more information and the locations of some the boxes, artists and the project initiative listed on the website http://minimurals.org/
Facts about the initiative as taken from the website:
- Mini Murals is directed by Elia & Noah Quiles of UP Art Studio.
- The pilot phase was made possible through the support of City Council Member Larry Green’s district service fund.
- Artists have painted more than 170 of the boxes.
- With the pilot phase, UP Art Studio and its partners aim to raise awareness of the project in order to expand to other areas across Houston, especially areas that are art deficient.
- When spotting a box use the hashtag #MiniMuralsHou
Emily again – What did you think about the mini-murals? I loved the variety! Do you have anything similar in your city? Here in Greensboro, we have a series of “Jeansboro” sculptures around downtown that are a lot of fun to find!
About the author
Tosha Benitez is a blogger who resides in Texas. She is wife to a wonderful husband and mother to three lively beautiful children. She started blogging to share her homeschooling experiences as well the family’s travels. In her spare time, she likes to watch Nature Documentaries and all the Sci-Fi she can get her hands on. Most often you can find her family lounging on the beach or looking for Sea Turtle tracks. Visit Tosha’s Blog at www.thisstrangerslife.blog
The Planking Traveler 