A mural will be added to a Texas Department of Transportation overpass along Hwy. 71 in Bastrop's South End District.
What we know
Bastrop City Council established South End District boundaries during a Sept. 23 meeting.
“The South End’s story deserves to be seen, heard and celebrated,” Place 1 council member Perry Lowe said at the time.
The Bastrop County African American Cultural Center and Freedom Colonies Museum, as well as the Kerr Community Center, are located within the South End District boundaries.
“The Kerr Center has anchored the district for some time, and most recently, the addition of the African-American Cultural Center and Freedom Colonies Museum,” Carrillo-Trevino said. “Both of these organizations have been instrumental in preserving the history of the county and the immediate area.”
Next steps
The Bastrop Cultural Arts Committee has an open call for artists as part of the South End District mural project. It will be located on M.L.K. Junior Drive and is projected to take approximately three to four months to be completed, according to city documents.
“We are seeking thoughtful and inspired designs that reflect the stories, heritage, and identity of this historically Black neighborhood,” Bastrop Cultural Arts Committee officials said in an announcement. “This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a meaningful public art project that both honors the past and inspires future generations.”
There are a variety of proposed themes inspired by the “Voices of the South End: Past, Place and People” oral history series, including:
- Indigenous history and early landscape
- Settlement, slavery and emancipation
- Rise of a self-sustaining Black community
- Segregation, civil rights and resilience
- Community endurance and environmental impacts
- Growth, change and future vision
The outlookA muralist and a project timeline will be announced at a later date, according to city documents.