The mural spans a section of the trail along the confluence of Buffalo and White Oak bayous just below the University of Houston-Downtown's One Main Building, 1 Main St. The project was commissioned by the Houston Parks Board, with the help of philanthropists Tom and Laura Bacon, the Houston Audubon and the Buffalo Bayou Partnership.
“What it captures is a celebration of the birds who migrate here—there are three on the right that winter in Houston and three on the left that arrive in the spring to breed. We like to think of the bayou greenway as a flyway and celebrate the incredible position Houston is in with respect to birds and wildlife,” said Beth White, president of the Houston Parks Board. “It’s also just incredibly beautiful. It is so important to use art to lift everyone’s spirits and look at the world in a different way.”
Ink Dwell’s founder Jane Kim and three other artists worked nearly 30 production days to complete the mural. The studio specializes in large-scale depictions of nature and wildlife, with work spanning California, Utah, Arkansas, Florida and New York.
"Jane’s background as a science illustrator and artist brings this exquisite detail to show the plumage on these birds that you normally can't see from a distance. It’s really quite fun," White said. "There is also a subtle backdrop tracing our network of bayous, which is unlike any other in the country."
