Commemorate 713 Day with Colorful Street Art around Houston

By Jenna Baer, Contributing writer | July 13, 2022

Click the Buzz Me button to receive email notifications when this writer publishes a new article or a new article in this column is published.

Houston artist Shelbi Nicole’s "I Love You Wall" is located at 350 W 19th St. This street art brought a smile to my face as we drove by and I actually made my sister turn the car around so I could snap a picture of it because everyone could use some love right now.

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, today is just silly old July 13 but for Houstonians today is 713 Day! I love H-town and am proud to call this city my home but it took me a while to figure out how I could possibly celebrate this special place without melting in this sweltering heat. If you’re also looking to stay cool while commemorating this quirky local holiday I suggest taking advantage of your car and doing a driving tour of all the amazing street art this cultural hub has to offer. There are murals all over the city and if you’re already out and about, you might as well take a more scenic route to brighten your day.

For those who want to guarantee they drive by a certain mural, perhaps to spruce up their social media presence, you can rely on an online mural map of hundreds of art installations and graffiti from all around the 713. Available to the public since July 15, 2020, this website was a collaboration between UP Art Studio, a non-profit artistic consulting firm; photographer and website developer Alex Barber; and funded in part by the City of Houston’s Arts Alliance program.

Powered by local artists and mural enthusiasts, anyone can upload a photo of a mural and geotag it so others will be able to enjoy this vibrant city. Since the program is linked to Google Maps, users can even create their own tours by copying the locations from the website into My Maps.

This beauty is located on the side of the Art League Houston, (1953 Montrose Blvd.) a nonprofit that functions as a studio workshop, education space, and gallery. Created as a group collaboration amongst students in a summer intensive program at ALH with their instructor Armando Castelan, this mural represents the zeitgeist of 2020, including Black Lives Matter protests and experiencing life during the pandemic. Andrea Aguilar, Ire Asojo, Sharon Chang, Juno Durcan, Elisse Gachupin, Celine Huang, Ava Jiang, Amber Marquez, Andrea Nguyen, Simona Pastor, Isabella Paz, Chloe Rounce, Christiana Williams, Vivian Wu, Eepi Chaad, Armando Castellan planned this mural via zoom and then executed it in person in the spring of 2021.

While my family and I were running errands all over town recently, we decided to make the most of our outing and use the mural map to take us on an adventure through Montrose, the Heights, and Sawyer Yards. Ultimately, it led us to some of my new favorite street art and reminded me of some hidden gems I had not seen in a long time.

I actually went to high school in Montrose, at Carnegie Vanguard, and the amount of street art I would pass on the drive over never ceased to amaze me. It often felt as if I were touring an extensive outdoor museum and yet I still managed to miss these astounding murals.

Sawyer Yards is another wonderful area to check out street art, especially the Silos and Art Alley, which viewers can explore by driving through a back parking lot that connects several art studios. If you’re willing to get out of the car and brave the heat you’ll especially enjoy this area because there are so many mini murals.

California based artist Ruben Rojas transplanted his West Coast positive attitude with this beautiful I AM LOVE splatter paint mural, which can be found at 540 W 19th St. Personally, I think this wall is the perfect place to take a photo for social media and if you want to be really creative, try to take a photo jumping up in front of the “I.”

The Heights is well known for its charming antique stores and high quality coffee shops but the murals in the alleys off of 19th Street really elevate the quirkiness of this artsy neighborhood.

Wherever you decide to go in Houston, you're bound to encounter some inspirational art.

Find more information on how to create a self-guided tour through Houston Mural Map here.

This "Art Is In The Making" mural is a very apt description of what happens at Winter Street Studios, located at 2101 Winter Street and houses 77 different art studios. This gem was created by David Maldonado and can be found at the back of the studios.
Another intensive mural project by students at the Art League Houston can be found on the side of the building. Completed in 2021, this mural was a bit more open to interpretation but I found myself mesmerized by the contrast of the opposing color schemes.
Cats / Greenery is one of the first images that comes to my mind when someone mentions the Heights. Located in the parking lot of AG Antiques (313 W 19th St.), artist Pixel Pancho seamlessly combines machinery and flora in this sprawling art installation.
While driving, it’s entirely possible you could miss this masterpiece entitled "Purple Purse" by local artist Ana María located at 331 W 19th St. in the alley. You might have to get out of your car to fully appreciate this creature but I promise that it’s worth sweating a little bit.
This vibrant hummingbird mural can also be seen on the side of Winter Street Studios.
Across the alley from Winter Street Studios, there was a lot of graffiti but the intricate details that artist Royal Sumikat included in this installation were particularly eye-catching. If you would like to come see it for yourself head to 2206 Edwards Street!

This "Art Is In The Making" mural is a very apt description of what happens at Winter Street Studios, located at 2101 Winter Street and houses 77 different art studios. This gem was created by David Maldonado and can be found at the back of the studios.

Another intensive mural project by students at the Art League Houston can be found on the side of the building. Completed in 2021, this mural was a bit more open to interpretation but I found myself mesmerized by the contrast of the opposing color schemes.

Cats / Greenery is one of the first images that comes to my mind when someone mentions the Heights. Located in the parking lot of AG Antiques (313 W 19th St.), artist Pixel Pancho seamlessly combines machinery and flora in this sprawling art installation.

While driving, it’s entirely possible you could miss this masterpiece entitled "Purple Purse" by local artist Ana María located at 331 W 19th St. in the alley. You might have to get out of your car to fully appreciate this creature but I promise that it’s worth sweating a little bit.

This vibrant hummingbird mural can also be seen on the side of Winter Street Studios.

Across the alley from Winter Street Studios, there was a lot of graffiti but the intricate details that artist Royal Sumikat included in this installation were particularly eye-catching. If you would like to come see it for yourself head to 2206 Edwards Street!

People in this article: