Buda, TX, September 18, 2020 – The BAAC (Buda Area Artists Collective) in conjunction with Inspired Minds Art Center has transformed the outside of the old Buda City Council building (now home to the Hill Country Theatre) on Main Street, into a mural gallery of Hill Country themed paintings made to look like stained glass. Eight of BAAC’s local artists took their paint brushes to wooden panels measuring about 40 x 75 inches each, during a world-wide pandemic, to add a bit of gentle respite in the form of public art.
The project was started before the pandemic hit and was the mastermind of Sinéad Whiteside of Inspired Minds Art Center. After being inspired by the Wimberley Valley Radio Building in Wimberley, Texas, Sinead thought murals could help bring the neighbors of Buda together and bring a focus on the art and culture of the town. When COVID hit, the ability to bring the community together as originally envisioned was put on hold, and Sinead decided that the BAAC would be the best group to create the inaugural murals.
Joy Bliss, Amanda Rainey, and Arielle Drisko from the BAAC took it from there. They came up with the stained-glass theme, put out an open call to members of the group, and made sure our participating artists were connected with their panels (generously donated by East Side Lumber) and by the end of August they were all painted and ready to install. The BAAC created a COVID-compliant supply-delivery chain, as well as picking up all the finished pieces and delivering them to the install site safe and sound.
The project was funded partially by the Main Street Program and the other half by Inspired Minds Art Center.
The painted panels will be up for auction once their tenure is done. Proceeds will go towards an Arts Scholarship Fund at Inspired Minds Art Center as well as supporting funds for future BAAC community projects.
To view the project in progress, visit the Buda Public Library Facebook page for a short video on the process by artist, Gena Destri.
The eight artists that created mural panels are Ronald Gross, Linda Chido, Gena Destri, Amanda Rainey, Joy Bliss, Leslie Kell, Sinéad Whiteside, and Jessica Mason.
