Famed Mural Artist to Give Presentation on Public Art

The San Marcos Mural Arts Program will host a presentation by Philadelphia muralist Eric Okdeh on the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program Wednesday, March 23 at 7 p.m. at the Price Center, 222 W. San Antonio Street. The event is free and open to the public.

Okdeh will discuss the importance of public art and its benefits to communities. He will also hold workshops and demonstrations during the week for artists involved in the San Marcos Mural Arts Program.

Okdeh will teach the artists the “ins and outs” of creating large scale murals using parachute fabric, which allows artists to work indoors and with community members of all sizes and abilities. Using parachute fabric, artists create a design that can be painted off-site of the mural location and then affixed to the building or other mural structure.

“We are extremely thankful to have an artist of this caliber here to teach these workshops. He has extensive knowledge and experience in the development and creation of murals,” said Lisa Morris, Recreation Programs Manager. “The Mural Arts Committee is looking forward to putting this knowledge to use in our own San Marcos Mural Arts Program.”

The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program is considered one of the best public mural arts programs in the country. Hundreds of murals adorn the city, creating opportunities for art education, restorative justice, and community pride. In addition, the Mural Arts Program is a large tourism and economic development tool for the City of Philadelphia.

Okdeh is a Philadelphia based muralist who has been creating public art since 1998. After receiving his BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art, Okdeh chose to focus on public art exclusively. Since 2002, in addition to his commissioned work, Eric has taught mural making classes to children and teens throughout the city as well as inmates at SCI Graterford Prison.

The San Marcos Mural Arts Program is in its third year. Murals have been completed at Children’s Park, Crook Park, Root Cellar Bakery, and another is scheduled to be installed on the back of the old Hays County Justice Center. Additional murals are in the works, and the Mural Arts

Committee is interested in finding more locations and artists to participate in the program.

For more information, contact Recreation Programs Manager Lisa Morris at 512.393.8409 or lmorris@sanmarcostx.gov