In a town blessed with genuine touchstones from the natural world, there is a new cultural touchstone that celebrates the character of the Wimberley community.
The newly finalized Oak Park and Welcome Center mural by W. Wade Woehrmann serves as an eloquent Rosetta Stone for all things Wimberley.
The mural-in-the-round, painted on the center’s water tank, allows travelers and townspeople alike to connect to the area’s history, natural wonders and community values. In a brief ceremony last week, the mural was dedicated by Mayor Jim Chiles and Don Minnick of WimberleyArts. org, while well-wishers, city council and WimberleyArts. org members looked on.
Old Baldy, Blue Hole, Jacobs Well, the Blanco River and Cypress Creek are all represented as are the Native settlements and beloved historic structures that followed.
Wimberley’s vision for itself as a Texas Cultural District, a Film and Music Friendly, International Dark Sky and Bird City Texas community are all there too, creatively and beautifully depicted with each brushstroke. A winding reel of film shows notable films that were made in the area. A recent addition was the image of a firefly to make note of the newly landed Firefly Conservation and Research group.
Throughout the mural’s creation, Woehrmann welcomed other artists, like Nancy Elliot, Tim Leibrock, Stacey Lizette, as well as residents and visitors to join in, including their suggestions and inviting them to experience the process. He engaged families from as far away as Germany and Japan, giving them a lasting memory to carry home.
The stunning new mural joins two others spearheaded, supported and funded by WimberleyArts. Org and the City of Wimberley: the mural at the Wimberley Institute of Cultures Wimberley Valley Museum, 14068 RR 12, by artist Teresa Vincent and the Alexis Pointe mural, 14390 RR 12, by Chuck Cordes.
The Oak Park and Welcome Center is located at 109 Oak Drive, south of the Wimberley Square.
