From Utility to Beauty

by Charlotte Kovalchuk • photos courtesy City of Liberty Hill and Aaron Darling

Murals Give City Infrastructure a Creative Makeover

A painter for the last 23 years, Aaron Darling has always been on the lookout for ways to beautify his surroundings. “I see blank surfaces and little eyesores here and there, and I’ll approach the owners and see how we can make it pretty.”

While visiting friends in Liberty Hill, the Lago Vista artist often noticed a plain generator in the City Hall parking lot. “I loved the idea of having something visually pleasing there other than a big black and brown generator box.” As it happened, so did Katie Amsler, Liberty Hill’s Director of Community Engagement & Communications. When Aaron pitched his idea of adding a mural, she was thrilled about the creative concept that was a perfect fit for the city's public art vision. “The Downtown Revitalization Committee had been looking for ideas to incorporate public art into our downtown aesthetic, so his timing was great.”

As part of the Downtown Master Plan — adopted by the City Council in July — the city aims to enhance the downtown through initiatives like public art projects. Liberty Hill is now home to not one, but two new murals that welcome visitors to the downtown. They also serve as pilot projects for the Downtown Revitalization Committee’s downtown public art initiative.

REVIVING DOWNTOWN

During this year’s Sculpture Festival, the community was asked to brainstorm images and words that made them think of life in Liberty Hill and what the town means to them. Both mural artists used the poster full of sketches of wildlife and historical depictions as inspiration for their designs. "Murals breathe life into downtown streets by transforming blank walls into vibrant canvases that really reflect the spirit of our community,” Katie says. “Our ultimate goal is to ignite imaginations and give feelings of nostalgia to all who pass by."

Folks might have seen Georgetown muralist Sarah Blankenship’s work at now-closed Coop to Coast that was located inside the Main Street Social food hall. She will add her next mark on Liberty Hill with a mural on the water cistern in the water tower parking lot at 822 Main Street. “The Downtown Revitalization Committee reviewed many artists and ultimately selected Sarah because of her reputation, incredible talent, responsiveness, and interest in downtown Main Street programs,” Katie says.

Aaron’s mural on the generator at 926 Main Street features an aerial map of the city, a peacock — one of Liberty Hill’s local wildlife — as well as a longhorn, flowers, cactus, and the city’s name and Small Town, Big Heart slogan. He and his wife Cynthia, who paint together and run a community art school in Lago Vista, joined forces yet again for the Liberty Hill project. “It’s a dream come true for us,” he says about their various mural collaborations in Texas.

Aaron hopes their efforts in Liberty Hill will inspire more community pride and a deeper connection to local art. “It’s a way for people in Liberty Hill and visitors to enjoy some beautiful art and see other landmarks and places to visit in Liberty Hill,” Aaron shares. “I hope it brings more attention to local art and an appreciation for the transformation of these spaces into something more visually pleasing, something the community can be proud of and take ownership over as products of their public spaces that were once overlooked.”