A new mural by artist Sandra Gonzalez graces a staircase inside the Port of Corpus Christi administration building. The mural is one of two of the city’s latest additions to its growing collection. Courtesy photo
A delightful mural created by Sandra Gonzalez was unveiled June 29 at the Port of Corpus Christi’s new administration building, which is expected to be completed by the end of the summer. The whimsical interpretation of eyes looking over the edge of the mural is brightened by colorful flowers and asymmetrical blocks of color at the top.
“Thinking of Colorful Corpus Christi” is one of two murals recently completed in the city. The second mural installation, “El Jardin,” is located behind the Antonio E. Garcia Arts and Education Center on Corpus Christi’s westside. The unique perspective of the mural comes from students ages 12-15.
Gonzalez was selected as one of the top five candidates by Weingarten Art Group in March to create a mural in the administration building. Two murals by different artists will be installed in the lobby of the building.
A well-known muralist, Gonzalez has several representations of her work in Corpus Christi. Another mural painted by Gonzalez is at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times building. A prior resident of Corpus Christi, Gonzalez now lives in San Antonio.
The muralist usually paints her own work. In this case, she was asked to develop a much smaller version that was scanned and reproduced on vinyl and then applied to the wall. It took Gonzalez about two weeks to paint the piece before the manufacturing process.
The second completed mural was produced outdoors in the June heat by students, who painted multicolored designs of plant and animals against a black background. They were led by Coastal Bend muralist Maya Zamora, who typically works with the Garcia Center during the summer to assist with projects, focusing on arts and culture.
This year’s mural was entirely created from scratch, whereas, in the past, murals were created before camp began and then painted by the students. The result was a collaboration between Zamora and the students from the design setting to the color choices. The mural was unveiled in a ceremony at the end of the summer program.
