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"Bulldog Rodeo" by Zach Kremer
2 of 6
"Sharing Spaces" by Audie Pope
3 of 6
A mural by Callie Stiewig (title pending)
4 of 6
"Texas Trail Buds" by Chris Bingham
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"Alive and Kicking" by Gabriel Prusmack
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"Resilient Life" by JD Moore
A portion of the Trinity Trails is turning into an outdoor art gallery.
The Tarrant Regional Water District has commissioned 21 artists from around the country to paint murals on floodgates and other structures along the Trinity River — a project being called “Painting the River: A Trinity Trails Mural Gallery.”
The murals will be displayed along 13 miles of the Trinity River, from the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth near White Settlement, through downtown, to Gateway Park on the city’s east side. Murals span about 7 to 10 feet wide, with some reaching up to 12 feet tall.
“The whole purpose of the mural gallery is to enhance the experience people have when they are on the trail,” Valerie Jay, a recreation consultant for the TRWD, said in a statement. “It’s not just for the people who go on the trail to workout; it will also become a place to passively enjoy the trail through its art.”
TRWD selected artists by issuing a nationwide call that garnered about 250 applications. About 85 finalists were asked to submit designs inspired by rivers, water, and nature. Fort Worth artist Katie Murray then selected the final 21 artists who would participate in the gallery.
Many of the artists come from Texas — Fort Worth representatives include Sheri and Lee Hay, Murray Miller, Audie Pope, Jimmy Jenkins, Fernando Rojas, Jana Renee, and Shelly Denning.
Ten of the murals are already complete, and the project is expected to finish by early 2021.
