Artist rendering of proposed mural
August 11, 2022 -- The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) is pleased to announce the debut of a large-scale mural project by Houston artist David Maldonado at Denver Harbor.
Located in the newly renovated Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center, the mural will be unveiled on August 19, 2022, at 10:30 a.m., 6402 Market St. The unveiling will include appearances by Mayor Sylvester Turner, Councilmember Karla Cisneros and local artist David Maldonado.
“Houston is a vibrant, diverse, and culturally rich city and every neighborhood, park, area and street should reflect that,” said Mayor Turner. “This is a wonderful example of how creative endeavors can connect local artists to the communities they’re from. We’re proud to see the character of the Denver Harbor neighborhood, its history, and its people, visualized on these walls and as a welcoming gesture to this city facility.”
Developed with input from the Denver Harbor community, Maldonado’s vision incorporates imagery that symbolizes and reflects the many different resources the Multi-Service Center offers. The narrative for the mural’s composition is one of tapestry and culture, employing imagery from nature to represent regeneration, light, and rebirth. Blue and white motifs harken back to family kitchens across generations and nearby Buffalo Bayou. At the playing field walls the artist created a mix of sports, education, and outdoor leisure activity imagery, including baseball, which is credited for its positive impact on the youth of Denver Harbor.
Artist David Maldonado with Council Member Karla Cisneros and Denver Harbor community members
“I designed a mural that is approachable and that reflects the many opportunities the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center provides as well as the neighborhood,” says Maldonado. “I have family members who sometimes miss opportunities to access resources because of intimidation or not knowing the language. This prompted the narrative for my mural to be one of tapestry and culture, where the center’s history of inclusion and service is front and center.”
Artist David Maldonado at work at the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center
Opened in 1994 and operated by the Houston Health Department, the Center provides educational and technology resources, access to healthy nutrition, senior services, and more. For more information about the Center visit https://www.houstontx.gov/health/Community/Denver.html.
The Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center art commission was made possible at the request of Council Member Cisneros through the City of Houston's Civic Art Program and sponsorship from the Houston Health Department. Managed by the Mayor’s Office of MOCA in partnership with Houston Arts Alliance’s Civic Art + Design (CAD) division, the Civic Art Program provides exciting opportunities for artists to develop permanent, site-specific artworks for Houston’s Civic Art Collection that Houstonians and visitors engage with in public spaces.
About the Artist
David Maldonado was born in Monclova, Mexico in 1994. He is a bilingual Houston-based visual artist and musician. His work is a contemporary take on Mexican American traditions of folk art, storytelling, street culture, and the Mexican muralist movement. He approaches public art as a shared space where people can bring and find a sense of identity. Maldonado hosted two community events to listen to Denver Harbor residents, ensuring that the new work is responsive to the history, culture, and identity of Denver Harbor.
Maldonado has displayed his work professionally since 2016. He has developed a distinctive artistic style that ties together patterns, textiles, graphic and organic elements. Recently David has created over a dozen artistic collaborations with major brands. He has produced nearly twenty public artworks, primarily murals – including two in 2021 with UP Art Studio.
About the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs guides the City’s cultural investments with policies and initiatives that expand access to arts and cultural programs in the community, attract visitors and leverage private investment. Learn more at www.houstontx.gov/culturalaffairs and follow us on Facebook & Instagram @HoustonMOCA.
About Houston Arts Alliance
Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a local arts and culture organization whose principal work is to implement the City of Houston’s vision, values, and goals for its arts grantmaking and civic art investments. HAA also executes privately funded special projects to meet the needs of the arts community, such as disaster preparation, research on the state of the arts in Houston, and temporary public art projects that energize neighborhoods. To learn more about HAA, visit www.houstonartsalliance.com and follow us on Facebook & Instagram @HoustonArtsAlliance.