The murals, many of which are from local artists, have grown in number over the years, with many projects initiated through the city's public art program.
Meet a McKinney muralists
Andrea Holmes, McKinney resident, local muralist and owner of A. Holmes Art Studio, has painted over 20 murals, and multiple hand-painted signs, in McKinney. Her murals can also be found beyond McKinney in Dallas, Hawaii, Austria and more.
“[McKinney] is excelling in the mural scene,” Holmes said. “It's easier to get a mural here. There's a lot more red tape in other cities that make it very difficult for an artist to put art up on a wall. In McKinney, you have to get a certificate of appropriateness, which is pretty easy to get.”
Prior to painting her first outdoor mural, which was at Fair & Square Imports in 2020, Holmes had only painted a mural in her daughter’s room and one inside a yoga studio. Holmes said she approached the owners of Fair & Square Imports when she noticed there was graffiti on an exterior wall. She asked them if they would like her to cover up the graffiti.
“There was only about 20 feet of graffiti, so I asked if I could do the whole wall. They said, ‘Yeah, go for it,’” Holmes said. “I knew that was a real opportunity to show what I can do ... because each mural is like a billboard. It really snowballed from there.”
The setup
Holmes said to get her designs on walls she has used projectors as well as a loose grid system. She recently started using Meta virtual reality googles and calls them “game changers”.
“With a projector, you have to go at night and have electricity. If you have scaffolding or a lift, you project the design and now the lift is casting a shadow,” Holmes said. “With the Meta goggles, you can ... scale up your design and then go in with your Sharpie or pencil and draw the design.”
The impact
As a muralist, Holmes has researched the positive impact murals have on cities, and said potential benefits include reducing crime and improving residents' mental health.
“In the past five years, I have really grown as an artist. I contribute a lot of that to the small businesses down here that have allowed me to do my work here,” Holmes said. “It's not just an exchange of money, it's that you actually build relationships, that's just downtown McKinney in general. We have wonderful relationships between business people and patrons—it's pretty unique and wonderful.”
Dive in deeper
Learn more about some murals in downtown McKinney. This list is not comprehensive.
1. '70s-inspired mural at Mellow Mushroom
A mural facing the alley depicts a ‘70s-inspired peace sign trailed by waves of color.
- Artist: unknown
- Year painted: 2013
- Address: 218 E. Louisiana St.
The colorful abstract art piece is Western-themed and features a cowboy holding a guitar standing next to a water tower.
- Artist: Jon Flaming
- Year painted: 2025
- Address: 215 N. Kentucky St.
Beach-themed images wrap across the exterior of the business and carry over to neighboring business Mini Bazaar Rosy. Newer elements, featuring "Alice in Wonderland" motifs and glow-in-the-dark elements, have been added, artist Kelly Gottuso said.
- Artist: Kelly Gottuso
- Year painted: 2019
- Address: 312 E. Cloyd St.
The two outside murals feature local birds and coffee plants.
- Artist: Andrea Holmes
- Year painted: 2025
- Address: 409 S. McDonald St.
The piece includes wildflowers, galactic elements and a woman’s head with botanical-inspired hair.
- Artist: Megan Najera
- Year painted: 2025
- Address: 312 E. Louisiana St.
The brightly colored piece is painted on a garage door and incorporates the artist’s trademark depiction of energy interaction.
- Artist: Ivanevid Llamas
- Year painted 2025
- Address: 402 N. Tennessee St.
The mural features three dimensional elements including a ladder and children drawing on the building with crayons.
- Artist: Natalie Rahberg
- Year painted: 2021
- Address: 101 E. Davis St.
The mural depicts McKinney’s heritage in the cotton industry as well as wildflowers and other agricultural elements.
- Artist: Misty Oliver-Foster
- Year painted: 2016
- Address: 112 S. Kentucky St.
This piece, located on the top floor of the parking garage, depicts attributes of an eclipse and was painted to memorialize the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse.
- Artist: Anna Terry
- Year painted: 2024
- Address: 202 S. Chestnut St.
The mural depicts the mother of one of the owners of The Guava Tree restaurant smoking a cigar. Other elements include tropical fruit, "Viva McKinney" lettering and a bright pink background.
- Artist: Andrea Holmes
- Year painted: 2021
- Address: 104 S. Chestnut St.
The floral mural lining the Flour Mill’s foundation is part of a two-part art installment by artist Alli Koch. The other part is a 25-foot sculpture named “Ever Blooming,” which is the centerpiece of the roundabout at East Louisiana Street and Greenville Street.
- Artist: Alli Koch
- Year painted: 2025
- Address: 407 E. Louisiana St.
This mural titled "Wings of McKinney" is the first of 100 murals in the artist’s ongoing "Wings Across the World" project. A house finch is depicted among various brightly colored flowers.
- Artist: Andrea Holmes
- Year painted: 2024
- Address: 500 S. Tennessee St.
This piece features an elephant wearing a monocle, black jacket, hat and shoes.
- Artist: Hayden Davis
- Year painted: 2022
- Address: 310 E. Louisiana St.
The mural features birds, armadillos and plants native to the area.
- Artist: Andrea Holmes
- Year painted: 2020
- Address: 219 E. Louisiana St.
