Conveying a bold call to action, “Incite Art Create Community,” is the message of the mural covering the construction fence at 320 Wimberley Square, once the site of the Cypress Creek Cafe. The mural is the work of Heather Carter, the projectINTERN supervisor at projectART, intern Gabel Gitterle and community volunteers.
Carter, who also serves as secretary on projectART’s board of directors, hosts a student each year from the Wimberley Independent School District who is a senior practicum student.
“The concept,” said Carter, “was born from a conversation between Tom Buse and myself who wanted to do something with the plywood construction wall at the square. He and I both thought it would be a good project for a student to undertake who was working with projectART.”
Tom Buse is the longtime moderator of the Wimberley Community Forum on Facebook.
“Gabel and I began exploring design ideas that would incorporate the history of Wimberley and its natural beauty. However, we kept coming back to the idea of using an old photo Tom sent us that was taken in 1945 standing on the square and looking south in the direction of South River.”
South River is a small, gated community with views overlooking the Blanco river.
“The view is of the hills in the distance,” she said. “It’s what you’d see if there was no wall, no trees or buildings in the way.”
The outline of the hills can be seen behind a couple in the 1945 image sent by Buse. In the 2024 photo, the view is blocked by trees.
Buse and the new owners of the property at 320 Wimberley Square, Morgan Mekuly and Michael Creecy, procured permits from the city for the mural, and the new owners gave projectART a small donation to purchase materials.
Gabel took the photo and put it into Photoshop, using effects to simplify it into line work with high contrast, which produced black verticals. The hexagonal graphic was a nod to bee hives, symbolizing community and had been used in some of the ARTSPACE signage.
“The message, ‘Incite ART, CREATE Community’ comes from an old bumper sticker I saw in Maine while traveling,” Carter said, “I felt like if we ever needed a slogan at projectART for what ARTSPACE is and does, that was it.”
Buse asked that Carter and Gitterle submit several designs, which he posted on the forum and invited the community to vote on.
Once the final design was chosen, Carter and Gitterle had just four days to paint the 56-foot mural. Working from a limited palette of four colors, they customized foam paint rollers, and, with help from volunteers, including Laura Greene, also a projectART instructor, they painted one color a day until the mural was complete.
During the painting process, Carter said, “Dean from Rancho Deluxe walked over, asked questions, and wrote a check for $200 on the spot.”
She credited volunteers Darrell Picha, Laura Walsh, and students Wilson, Sammy and Gu and the community for their assistance in helping the mural spring to life.
“We are grateful that Tom contacted us and that we were able to use the opportunity to teach as well as improve the temporary construction wall on the square with a little color and a message about ART and community.”
