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Topic: Public art program bringing murals and artwork to Houston-area communitiesSource: Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis's OfficeLocation: Harris County, including Texas Southern UniversityFocus: Social justice heroes and African American art historyReading time: Under 1 minute
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Good first step: Share A neighbor or student who would enjoy knowing about free public art nearby
Hey, did you know Harris County has a program putting big murals and art in our neighborhoods to honor civil rights heroes? Check out what Commissioner Ellis is doing for our community!
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis's Public Art program brings culturally meaningful art to neighborhoods across the county. From large murals at Texas Southern University honoring the legacy of artist John T. Biggers, to youth-focused pieces in Cypress Station, the program celebrates shared values, social justice, and community pride — right where people live.
The program has produced several major public artworks. At Texas Southern University (TSU), two large murals — Quilting Party and Jubilee — recreate paintings by John T. Biggers (1924–2001), one of the most influential African American artists of the twentieth century and the founding chair of TSU's art department. Both murals were unveiled on October 7, 2025, and honor both Biggers's artistic vision and the TSU students whose peaceful protest in 1960 changed Houston history. In Cypress Station, a mural series called I Choose to Rise was created in partnership with Spring Independent School District (ISD) and Street Art for Mankind (SAM). One piece, 'Our Shared Home,' features native Texas wildlife and celebrates youth environmental leadership. The series also connects to Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) — an approach that uses art, lighting, and thoughtful design to make public spaces feel safer and more connected.
You can experience this public art in person at the locations where the works are installed, including the TSU campus. The program also maintains a Public Art Map you can use to find works near you. If you want to dig deeper into the history behind pieces like the Biggers murals, visit the Wortham Theater Center to see the original Quilting Party painting, or the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where the original Jubilee — Ghana Harvest Festival is on permanent display in the Arts of Africa Gallery.
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This program connects to broader Harris County efforts around community safety, youth empowerment, and environmental education. The Cypress Station mural series ties directly into the county's CPTED approach to public safety. The TSU murals are part of a formal Community Benefits Agreement between Commissioner Ellis's office and Texas Southern University.
Art belongs to everyone, but not every neighborhood has easy access to it. This program helps change that. It beautifies public spaces, tells the stories of local and national heroes who fought for equality, and gives communities something to gather around. For Houston, that means murals rooted in real history — including the 1960 TSU student sit-ins that helped spark the city's first civil rights movement.
