Dripping Springs city officials, along with their Dripping Springs Art League partners, held an unveiling event for Phase 2 of the "Stars of Dripping Springs" public art project Oct. 8. With themes ranging from Hill Country landscapes to the brewing and distilling community, “startists” described their processes and inspirations surrounded by friends and family.

Inspired by the city’s status as an International Dark Sky Community, this is the second phase of the project, with six stars being installed on Mercer Street last December. This time, 10 artists were selected to expand upon the project.

'Day & Night in the Hill Country' by Joe ChristensonChristenson painted a classic Hill Country landscape, featuring fine brushstrokes and a towering windmill. Christenson focuses more on process than inspiration, and the shape of the star offered a unique opportunity to experiment with process. Sponsored by Ally Medical Emergency Room, “Day & Night in the Hill Country” will be displayed outside of their Dripping Springs location.

'Walk Among the Stars' by Cathy RichardsonCathy Richardson’s star features several elements, with an acoustic guitar at the center, surrounded by phrases and illustrations that represent the city. This star will be placed outside of City Hall on Mercer Street and will serve as the starting point for the "Stars of Dripping Springs” walking tour.

'Pollinator’s Dream' by Jessie WoodheadWoodhead said she was inspired by the wildflowers of Dripping Springs and the “lovely pollinators” that help them bloom. Her star will be placed at Sports and Recreation Park.

“It’s really cool to live in a city that prioritizes and celebrates creativity,” Woodhead said.

'The In-Between' by Kyndall WomackWomack’s star features a sunrise on one side and a sunset on the other, with each side depicting different flora and fauna. In addition to the nature scenes, Womack’s work usually features fantastical elements. To tie her style into this piece, she added small blue fairies dancing around the flowers at the bottom of the star. "The In-Between" will be permanently displayed at Charro Ranch Park.

'Roping the Stars' by Erin HounselInspired by the history of cowboys and ranchers in this area, Hounsel created a western scene, intersected with bold and bright hues. Her star will live at Dripping Springs Ranch Park, home of the Dripping Springs Fair and Rodeo.

'The Sacred Waters of Hamilton Pool' by Jessie BostadInspired by her own ancestors and by the native people of the area, Bostad painted a cascading waterfall. “The Sacred Waters of Hamilton Pool” was sponsored by Flying Fish Swim Academy and will be displayed outside of their building.

“As a community I hope this serves as a reminder to protect our sacred waters because this place wouldn’t be the same without them,” Bostad said.

'Stacks of Belonging' by Tiffany Sierras“Stacks of Belonging” portrays a young girl reading atop a pile of books. When Sierras and her family first moved to Dripping Springs, the library offered them a sense of community and belonging that inspired the design of her star. “Stacks of Belonging” will be featured at Founders Memorial Park.

'Willie’s First Picnic' by Jenny SwannackSwannack’s star pays homage to Willie’s first Fourth of July picnic, which took place in Dripping Springs. The design features his iconic guitar strap, song lyrics and an illustration of a ticket to the event, with directions to “follow the signs.” “Willie’s First Picnic” will be displayed at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

'Here Everything’s Better' by Melissa RichardsonMelissa Richardson’s star was commissioned by H-E-B. The design features a farm-to-table theme, with one side depicting the farms and ranches of Texas, and the other featuring a table of cooked foods. Melissa Richardson also painted an H-E-B aid truck to highlight what the company does to help Texans.

“They did so much for Kerrville when they had their flooding, so we definitely wanted to incorporate that,” she said.

'Crafted in Community' by Rozmary SeastromSponsored by Deep Eddy Vodka, Seastrom’s star commemorates the growth of the wineries, breweries and distilleries in Dripping Springs. The star is designed to be interactive, with a first-person point of view and a hashtag on the bottle. Seastrom encourages people to use it when visiting the star.

What’s next

Tourism manager Pam King says they expect all of the stars to be displayed by November.