A Blooming Mural Created at The Waterway Arts Festival Finds a Permanent Home at the Canopy Cancer Center

A new community created mural that captured attention at The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival has found a permanent home at Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center.

The collaborative mural, called “A Community in Bloom,” was created one tile at a time by attendees during The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival weekend. Festival goers painted wooden tiles with a floral paint-by-number design; the blue sky wood panels and the paper butterflies were painted at the Arts Festival. Amateur artists also wrote words and messages of hope and encouragement on the backs of the butterfly wings.

The butterflies were added to the final piece, bringing a meaningful symbol of hope and transformation to the large-scale mural now installed in Canopy’s entrance within Memorial Hermann – The Woodlands.

“This mural represents the strength and compassion of our community,” says Linda Nelson, the director of business development & marketing and director of Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center. “Every tile reflects a moment of encouragement, creativity and hope for the patients and families we serve.”

Prior to the 2026 Festival, The Woodlands Art League issued a call for artists to design an interactive community project for the festival. A selection committee chose local artist Sandra Cooper’s proposal, which transformed hundreds of individually painted tiles into a unified triptych reflecting community participation and creativity. The mural, dubbed A Community in Bloom, got selected through a “Title the Art” contest, with Amanda Crawford emerging as the winner.

Presented through a partnership between The Woodlands Arts Council, The Woodlands Art League and Canopy Cancer Survivorship Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, the project allowed people in The Woodlands to contribute to a permanent installation that will inspire patients and families for years to come.

This is art that makes a difference — and brightens lives.

“We offer over 45 unique services to anyone touched by cancer, no matter where they receive treatment. Everything is completely free, and we welcome everyone with open arms,” Canopy program director Marcella Herrera says. “We average about 1,200 to 1,300 guest encounters a month. And we were honored to be able to feature our center at the Woodlands Arts Festival this past spring.”

This community mural started making an impact even before its official reveal.

“As they were hanging the piece, we did have a survivor here who was here with her children and sitting right here in the evening, waiting for the child life specialist to come and meet with the children,” Herrera notes. “This was a person diagnosed with cancer, and she was able to get a sneak peek before the reveal. And I was explaining to her what the project was, what it was about. And she said immediately: ‘When I saw it, I felt hopeful.’ “

The project was funded by The Woodlands Arts Council as part of its mission to create meaningful arts experiences that bring the community together and experience art firsthand beyond the festival weekend. Sometimes art travels — and keeps on giving back.

The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is set to return April 9 through April 11, 2027.