Civic Pride through Civic Art: Where Life and Art Intersect
Victor Cetina Posted On February 10, 2020 
Take yourself on a self-guided car treasure hunt or join in on a scheduled bike tour to find the numerous Mini Murals painted on traffic signal cabinets across Houston.
More than 220 traffic signal cabinets throughout the Greater Houston Area have been transformed into beautiful works of art that reflect the city’s communities. These art boxes unify each community and bring a sense of pride to Houstonians.
The idea of Mini Murals originated from UP Art Studio, who teamed up with City of Houston Public Works, Fresh Arts, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, East End Foundation, and former Council Member Larry Green (District K).
Councilman Green was the first council member to allow this artwork in his district. Green knew the murals would bring cultural excellence to his neighborhood— a much-deserved district that had been deprived of public art.
Each Mini Mural is uniquely painted and provides a story that reflects our history and community. The initial pilot test in Green’s District K consisted of 31 boxes. After the pilot’s success, the next four were done in honor of the Houston Zoo, with paintings of a zebra, eagle, elephant and frog, located on Fannin St. and Herman Dr.
If you’re ever on E. T.C. Jester Blvd. and Ella Blvd., you’ll come across a Mini Mural of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, painted by Jessica Padilla. (IG: studio.jexxi)
On the Northside, one box depicts popular Houston native Ricardo “Rocky” Juarez, an American former professional boxer who was a silver medalist in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Rocky’s mural was painted by J. Muzacz and can be found on the intersection of Cavalcade St. and Hardy St. (IG: jmuzacz)
Or, if you’re in Southwest Houston on S. Post Oak Rd. and Court Rd., you’ll come across a Mini Mural paying tribute to Buffalo Soldiers, African American soldiers who mainly served on the Western frontier following the American Civil War, painted by Mez Data. (IG: mezdata)
These Mini Murals transform the city. They take the ordinary and make it into something future generations can look upon to be reminded of what Houston represents, who lives there, and what we can become.
