Inaugural Crosswalk Mural – Installed April 2022

“Pedestrians traveling to and from the Georgetown Public Library have a more colorful commute thanks to the recent installation of a crosswalk mural.

The art piece, which was designed by reference librarian Josh Macias, was placed last month in front of the library’s West Eighth Street entrance. “We always want to diversify our types of public art,” said Amanda Still, the city’s arts and culture coordinator. “We always want to add interest, so murals on the street is a way to do that.”

The library crosswalk features woodland creatures reading books. Colorful book spines replace a crosswalk’s traditional white vertical stripes. The addition of red poppies spread across the scene personalizes the artwork to the city, while music notes visible in the upper left corner represent live music events hosted monthly at the library.

Mr. Macias, who has worked at the Georgetown library for about nine months, drew from past experiences painting window murals for previous employers during the design process. “Muralists are always looking for the blank canvas, always looking for something to draw on,” Mr. Macias said. “Something we skip over and don’t think about are the roads and all the space that’s there that could be utilized. It’s just another place to look and be surprised to see art. It’s right in front of the youth services department, so I wanted it to be very friendly and approachable.”

The mural was printed on thermoplastic tiles and installed with a special, weatherproof adhesive, which is the same process used when installing normal crosswalks, Ms. Still said. The piece should last between four and five years in that location, she said.

The mural design is compliant with requirements laid out by the Texas Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Costs associated with the mural were covered by Downtown Georgetown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ, funds, some of which is dedicated to public art projects, Ms. Still said. Total manufacturing and installation fees were $12,500.” Written by Brigid Cooley for the Williamson County Sun