Fridays Dec. 13 and 20, 2024 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 / Stream now with the https://www.pbs.org/pbs-app/
Look up in Austin, Texas – art is everywhere. From fences with simple messages to walls with towering icons, murals are transforming spaces, giving voice to causes, and impacting communities. Murals spring up from the imaginations of street artists and grassroots leaders. They also arise from organizations that are financing and commissioning murals citywide. The three-part documentary series, MURALING AUSTIN dives into the dynamic and impactful public art of this capital city. Meet the artists. Watch them create. Hear from the organizers. Take in the colorful stories behind the murals.
MURALING AUSTIN journeys into some of Austin’s most inspiring public murals and profiles the artists and activists who made them. From large-scale installations to intimate painted walls, these murals celebrate people (Frida Kahlo, Angela Davis); honor histories (19th Amendment, Austin Black Senators baseball team); and transform spaces (Rosewood Park, the Pan American Recreation Center).
Each 30-minute episode features murals, both public and private, that are gracing the walls and surfaces of Austin — with behind-the-scenes stories of the artists who created them, the organizers who made them possible, and the histories they are bringing to light.
Viewers can explore the murals of Austin through the following episodes:
“Pride of Place” Friday, Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - This episode showcases the national and community change makers who helmed efforts to realize Austin’s most inspiring murals, including "The Beauty of Liberty and Equality" and the Bolm Road fence murals.
“Women Rising” Friday, Dec. 13 at 8:30 p.m. on KPBS 2 - This episode features the images of women rising on the walls of Austin – from murals honoring accomplished artists and activists to spiritual icons with messages of female empowerment. Meet the artists driven to paint these women.
“Big, Bright and Bold” Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. on KPBS 2 - This episode highlights the vibrant contemporary murals that are bursting onto public spaces throughout Austin. Leap into the art and meet the artists who are energizing this capital city’s urban architecture.
Murals and artists featured in the series include:
- "The Beauty of Liberty and Equality" (Sandra Chevrier, Shepard Fairey)
- "Protectors of the Red Bluff" (Ruben Esquivel)
- "The Pillars Project: Our History Our Trail" (Samara Barks, Amado Castillo III, Chroma Collective, Will Hatch Crosby, Ruben Esquivel, Anabel Gómez, Sadé Channell Lawson, Armando Martinez, Raymond “Rage” Mendoza, J. Muzacz, Carmen Rangel, Kendrick Rudolph, Reji Thomas, Serena Tijerina, Lakeem Wilson)
- "Reconnect Yourself" (NIZ),
- "Viva la Vida" (ULOANG)
- "It’s Okay Not to Be Okay" (Sadé Channell Lawson)
- "Paradise Found" (Zuzu)
- :Virtual Hike" (Soledad Fernandez-Whitechurch)
- "Where the Wildflowers Grow" (DAAS)
To preview the show and explore the murals and artists, visit MuralingAustin.com.
Filmmaker Quotes:
“We are excited to launch a series that celebrates the phenomenal public art in Austin. As supporters of Austin’s creative community, we were drawn to the incredible and moving stories behind these murals and the artists who created them,” said Nelda Buckman, Founder of Nelda Studios and Executive Producer of MURALING AUSTIN. “There’s no better partner for this project than Austin PBS, a highly respected community voice that has reflected the pulse of Austin for over 60 years.”
“Muraling has been a powerful form of human expression for tens of thousands of years. Austin has its own rich history of murals and a vibrant community of artists and organizers that go along with that. This three-part series brings to light some of Austin's most compelling mural art and the people and the stories behind it,” said Natasha Davison, Director and Producer of MURALING AUSTIN.
Credits: A production of Nelda Studios. It is directed and produced by Natasha Davison and executive produced by Anne Zeiser and Nelda Buckman. The series is narrated by award-winning actress Franchelle Dorn.
