Pictured: “Everyone Deserves Kindness” by Peyton Vega – June 2021

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Students at Georgetown High School installed a mural on the downtown building at 101 E. Seventh St. Now home to Tejas Meat Supply; the building formerly housed Georgetown Municipal Court.

The Georgetown Arts and Culture Advisory Board selected sophomore Peyton Vega’s design from among 16 student designs submitted by art instructor Angela Morin. Morin selected this public art activity as an educational opportunity for her students as part of the Art 1 curriculum.

“The students are learning how they can use art to communicate and connect with others within their community,” Morin said. “They also spent the entire year extensively learning about art history and the legacy that people who came before us created through art. With the creation of the mural, the students will now feel even more connected to that history, because they will be connected to a piece of Georgetown history.”

The mural will be painted first on “ripstop” mural fabric and adhered to the wall of the building. Vega and other students will paint the mural in the classroom during late May. Installation is scheduled for the first week of June.

The goal of this project is to continue to add to the mural every year. This first section of the mural, Everyone Deserves Kindness, will claim only a small portion of the wall, which continues the length of the long alleyway between Tejas Meat Supply and the Baked Bear. The art students and their instructor have worked with Brady Clark of Tejas Meat Supply on the placement and size of this first mural section.  The Tejas Meat Supply team, as well as the property owner of the building, say they are excited about further collaboration with Georgetown ISD and student artists on the annual additions to the mural.

The mural is jointly sponsored by Georgetown ISD and the City’s Arts and Culture Board. For updates on the project, as well as information on other art and cultural events in the downtown Georgetown cultural district, visit arts.georgetown.org.

This mural received a Cultural District Grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Pictured: “Be Your Own Person” by Kelsie Cargill – April 2022

The second mural installation by GISD students took place in April 2022. Art Departments throughout GISD submitted design proposals and concepts to the GISD Fine Arts Department, and Forbes Middle School – featuring lead artist Kelsie Cargill – was awarded for their concept and proposal.

The Arts and Culture Board approved the design along with the students’ artist statement: “The overall theme of this project is ‘Be Your Own Person’. To recognize everyone’s individuality and accept that we are all different in our own unique way, and reinforce our differences as a positive thing rather than something viewed as negative. It allows residents and visitors to Georgetown feel free to be themselves. It isn’t bad to be different, and spreading the message may help people who have been taught otherwise, and let them feel comfortable in their environment. When people are comfortable with themselves, they can contribute their thoughts/ideas/talents to make a better community. Instead of seeing different views as divisive, there is an opportunity for inclusiveness”.

Forbes Middle School was awarded the project by the GISD Fine Arts Department based on the strength of concept and design composition: “This project is 100% student led in the aspects of the mural design, as well as the students advocating for the message of the mural. The students at ‘FMS Art 3’ class came up with the design by themselves. It’s meant to inspire others to do what they believe in and to trust in their abilities. Youth is the future of our community, acceptance of who they are by offering support is a crucial part of the process.

The theme “Be Your Own Person” exemplifies an attribute of the GISD Learner Profile, specifically; ‘Builds and Models Respectful Relationships’. We want to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. The students at Forbes Middle School also create social contracts in every class and the common question that they consider is how they want to be treated and how they should treat others, which once again boils down to ‘respect’. A ‘Be Your Own Person’ mural, displayed beyond the boundaries of the FMS campus, and into a public area adjacent to the Courthouse Square, for others to see is an indication of hope for the future. Forbes’ motto is “Don’t just Fly; Soar” and it’s about looking at the big picture. We don’t always have to agree with one another, but we do have to embrace that everyone has qualities that contribute to making our community a special place.”

Pictured: “Spread Some Sunshine” by Jordan Erkie – May 2023

The third installation of the Georgetown Independent School District Student Mural Project was completed in May 2023! East View High School art student Jordan Erkie’s design was selected from several other designs submitted by classmates. With the help of 160 art students, this winning design was then painted on ripstop fabric and adhered to the wall next to the two other GISD student murals. The mural is titled Spread Some Sunshine.

“The sun represents different types of people all together. The message is that we are one and we need to spread some sunshine to Georgetown! This ties to the other murals by relying on shape and color to convey the theme. The theme presented to the students was to show the diversity of Georgetown while spreading a message that would best represent East View student body, and this was our top choice!” East View High School art class