Written by Ben Cox – Residents who frequent downtown will have by now noticed a new mural on the back wall of Steves restaurant, but not all know the story behind it.
The mural covers the entire back wall of the Steves restaurant building, and was painted by local artist Amanda Coers in conjunction with the Brownwood Arts Council.
The mural was the brain child of Don Morelock, as a way to breathe new life into the older buildings of the downtown area. Morelock says he had the idea “to help bring visual arts into the Brownwood Arts Council, my push for the last two years has been building up to this.”
Keep Brownwood Beautiful, the Brownwood Economic Development District, Brownwood Arts Council, and the Brownwood Arts Association were all supporters of the project. Donations were also made by area businesses. Sherwin Williams donated about $300 in paint credits, also helping Coers to choose outdoor friendly paint and which colors to use. Brownwood Decorating prepared the wall for the mural and Roberson Rent All gave a discount for the rental of work lights and a lift, allowing Coers to work at night during the record high heat.
(above) Amanda Coers puts the finishing touches on her mural, adorning the back wall of Steves Restaurant. (below) The mural was supported by The Brownwood Art Association, Keep Brownwood Beautiful, The Arts Council of Brownwood and the Brownwood Economic Development District
Coers says the location of the mural meant a lot to her “because when I was 17, the Steves allowed me to come in and draw pictures of their customers to earn money. That place has always been very special to me.”
Coers created several designs for the mural “I came up w 3 different designs, one was a bunch of tropical fruit, the other was mer-cats playing in coral, and the third option came from my daughters cat. I was watching her play with it and I really liked the shape of its body. The Steves chose the third one because of their involvement with the spay/neuter release program.
Morelock says there are possibly other murals in Brownwood’s future. “There are easily 17 or 18 very good walls (for murals). If we could see one new nice sized mural every year for the next several years that would be ideal. Other business owners can also pursue something smaller if they don’t want something that size.”
Morelock says he is not the only one involved with the mural and its placement. “The Steves have been very instrumental working through the humane society on their feral cat program. They (Humane Society) notch the cats ears after they are neutered or spayed, and the cats are released back into town to help with mice.”
Morelock says that ear notch is important. “If people look real closely at that cat, they will notice that its ear is notched. We are working with PetSmart, who are huge supporters of that program. We are also applying for a grant to recoup our money and fund another project.”
A contest for a mural on a building by the East Elementary area splash pad is under way, so more art work is going to be on public display very soon. For details on how to enter and contest guidelines, call 325-641-0533.
