The vacant buildings just east of downtown first became canvases for urban artists more than a decade ago, including GONZO247’s “Houston Is Inspired” mural.
HOUSTON, Texas — A famous canvas for urban artists in EaDo is the latest casualty of the controversial I-45 expansion.
“Graffiti Park” is one of the many buildings in the massive project’s path and demolition is wrapping up.
It’s home to the iconic “Houston is Inspired” mural created by artist GONZO247 in 2013. The kaleidoscope of color was commissioned as part of a national advertising campaign to promote Houston as a culinary and cultural capital, according to Downtown Houston. They said it’s the single most popular photo of Houston on Instagram.
“This is really urban art,” visitor Sara Klai told KHOU 11 on Friday.
The site was just one stop on Klai’s to-do list for her son Adon’s 12th birthday.
But they never expected to see it almost entirely gone. After all, it still looks intact when you open street view in Apple Maps.
“This should be protected,” said Klai. “This should not be torn down just to expand something; it’s just so sad.”
The vacant warehouses that became “Graffiti Park” are going the way of many other buildings in the way of the multi-billion-dollar North Houston Highway Improvement Project. The I-45 expansion will, among other things, realign 45 to coincide with 59 through this area.
“I don’t like it very much,” photographer Steve Hyde said.
Hyde made sure to get one last fly-over with his drone at the spot where he’s met so many artists and others over the years.
“I mean, there’s a lot of restaurants and businesses around here that are going to go too, that are really popular,” Hyde said. “Places that they’re destroying and they’re making them either move off or close down.”
TxDOT, which started acquiring the property in 2017, plans to pump $500,000 into the East Downtown area in order to support future public art projects now that this vibrant canvas is fading away.
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