Muralist Jeremy Flores displays the artwork he created of a sea turtle making its way across the sand to the Gulf of Mexico. The illustration will be painted on the wall behind him during CC Street WAVE on July 14-16 in downtown Corpus Christi. Photo by Carrie Robertson Meyer/Third Coast Photo
Already known for its colorful and exotic outdoor paintings, downtown Corpus Christi is about to become a whole lot brighter. The first-ever mural art gathering in the city, the CC Street WAVE set for July 14-16, will bring some of the best muralists in the state to downtown to paint more masterpieces.
Local muralist Jeremy Flores, who unveiled his latest work at the Mural Mixer in May, is spearheading the event. Flores has painted murals across the United States and has shows booked in Brazil and Spain.
“The art that I see in New York and San Francisco and Miami, I want to bring that to Corpus Christi,” Flores said. “I feel that that’s what we’re missing as a creative, growing community.”
The goal is to build on an already vibrant art scene in the city. Flores is working with Lavender Eventures, a new event-planning company that focuses on recruiting national and international corporations to host events in the area.
Barbie Baker, creative consultant for Lavender Eventures, worked for Corpus Christi’s Downtown Management District for more than a year before moving into this job. She has seen the growth and appreciation of downtown art firsthand.
“The ability to put a beautiful, bright and exciting face on these buildings across the city has been amazing,” Baker said. “The community has just embraced it and is craving it.”
According to Flores, brightening up downtown encourages economic development.
“Since the moment I started painting murals downtown, we’ve been bringing lots of new businesses to the Marina Arts District,” Flores said. “We’re bringing some sauce to the city. The murals generate light, generate jobs, generate creativity.”
Flores grew up in Corpus Christi during a time when it was hard to find local artistic inspiration, he said. He has seen that change over the years and wants to keep up the vibe by attracting a new generation of young artists to the scene.
“His intention behind the event of promoting youth involvement and using art to express themselves and do it respectfully is a win-win,” Baker said.
Baker and Flores believe that, by growing it over the next few years, CC Street WAVE will become a prominent event for creative youth.
This year, members of the Boys and Girls Club will attend to experience the mural process from beginning to end, which Flores hopes will inspire the children’s own creativity.
“Not everyone is meant to work in an office or work in the refineries,” Flores said, adding many people don’t realize that until they are already working in a job they don’t like.
“You can get jobs doing art and actually make a living and get ahead in life,” he continued. “Creativity can be an unstoppable force.”
