A Huge Secret Is Slowly Emerging in The Woodlands and You’re Invited to Its Grand Reveal
This Giant Piece Will Anchor a New Outdoor Space in Waterway Square
BY Shelby Hodge // 03.22.22The massive parking garage wall at The Woodlands' Waterway Square will soon be dressed in a 105X385 foot mural, the artist and elements to be revealed as the work progresses.
Inquiring minds are focusing on the massive 35,000 square foot mural under way in The Woodlands as the Howard Hughes Corporation, which commissioned the work, isn’t yet revealing the identity of the “internationally renowned” artist behind it or what the mural will depict. It is a slow unveiling that the public is invited to stop by and check out.
The 105 foot tall and 385 feet long mural will grace the south side of the Waterway Square garage, transforming the dreary gray wall into a significant work of art, said to be one of the largest murals in the entire state of Texas. It will anchor a new 2.3-acre outdoor community gathering space in Waterway Square.
A 14 member crew, working from suspended swing stages, has already begun work on the piece that is expected to take two full weeks to complete.
In celebration of the vast artwork’s completion, the Howard Hughes Corporation will host two days of festivities on April 9 and 10 in conjunction The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, named one of the top art festivals in the country. From noon to 4 pm both days, the fun will include live music, food carts and family-friendly activities all geared to launch the new community outdoor space.
“This new large-scale mural will add to the extensive collection of outdoor public art that we have here in The Woodlands and serve as a catalyst for community engagement,” Jim Carman, president of the Houston Region for The Howard Hughes Corporation, says in a statement. “The mural will add visual interest and a creative way-finding element that will attract visitors to the northeast corner of Waterway Square — completing the programming of the area’s public space and providing a notable background for social gatherings and community events.”
The Woodlands founder billionaire George Mitchell inaugurated the community’s public art program, continued by Howard Hughes, with an investment of millions of dollars in works. The collection includes 56 outdoor sculptures and 24 art benches, curated in collaboration with The Woodlands Art Council, which supports and promotes arts in in the community.