Mural artists rarely get a chance to express themselves in original works. Most often they are creating work on commission. A client has a specific place and a specific idea about what they want.
That is what made Saturday’s Art in Uncommon Places Visual Arts Capital of Texas Mural Festival something out of the ordinary.
Mural Festival 2025
Art in Uncommon Places brought mural artists from all over Texas to create original mural art for San Angelo. Sixteen artists from around the state participated.
The theme of the event was Cowboys and Creatives. The artists did not disappoint
In-Depth With The Artist
I had a chance to visit with Justin Lopez about his work. I call it Cowgirl at Sunset.
He said he works only in spray paint, which is what he used on this piece. He said doing murals the type of surface you have to use varies widely. So he has found that spray paint is the best for the type of work he does.
Lopez is a professional mural artist full time. He is based out of Galveston Texas but has done work all over the Houston area, San Antonio and other parts of Texas.
He has also done work in northern Arkansas and New Orleans. As Lopez tells it, he will go anywhere they ask him to go.
“I do a lot of different landscapes, beach scenes, sunsets, marine life. When I get to do something of my own, I like to take those techniques I have learned and incorporate them into my own art.”
He is not formally trained, but says he has “been doing art all my life.”
He drifted away from art for awhile but was called back to it as a passion when a friend invited him to do a community project. It was a mural. It was the first one he ever did.
“I fell in love with the art form and never looked back.”
He has been doing murals for nine years, and making his living from it for seven.
I asked him to tell us about his mural.
“The theme was Cowboys and Creatives. I wanted to make something that represents kind of like the youth, maybe like a new thing starting, but maybe also bringing back the old traditions. She is a young person but she is involved in the old tradition of maybe like being a ranch hand or a cowgirl.”
You can almost see the dried sweat and dirt on her face at the end of a long, hard day.
Local Artists Shine
Almost half of the artists at the event were local. They included Zoe Flores, INX Davila, Maynard Zamora, Che Bates, Michelle Cuevas, Sharon Flippin, Kat Truth and Ashley Perales.
I caught up with Ashley Perales after the event. If you live in San Angelo you have undoubtedly seen her work even if you don’t know it.
The Concho Observer recently ran a story about her studio and her work painting the sheep that decorate San Angelo.
Local Artist Brings City’s Fiberglass Sheep To Life.
What many are not aware of is the Perales is a mural artist as well. For such a young artist who only started doing murals in 2021, she already has done 79 murals around town.
She has done murals for Child Protective Services, Cowboy-Up Chocolates. Belaire Elementary, Holiman Elementary, Lamar Elementary, TLCA Elementary, Cornerstone Christian School the United Way and the YMCA among others.
Ashley described a full day. All the artists gathered at 8:30 a.m. and had until 8 p.m. to finish their work.
“The theme was Cowboys and Creatives and it was cool to see what everyone came up with.” Perales said.
Growing As An Artist
Perales calls herself a commerical artist. “We paint what the customers tell us to paint.”
She said she is used to staying in the box of subject matter she is given.
“Which means mine looks very commercial.”
The festival opened her eyes to other ways of viewing her art form.
The variety of imagination and creativity surprised her. She learned so much interacting with the other artists.
She also learned about how high tech is impacting the art form.
Perales typically uses a projector to project the image on the surface to trace out before she begins. This means she can only do that part of the work at night.
Some of the visiting artists used virtual reality goggles and an app so they were able to trace their work out in daylight. to trace out her work on the surface.
“It was neat to see each person’s process and technique.”
Perales uses traditional methods with paint and brush. Interacting with the muralists who work in a more street art style exposed her to using spray paint.
She also noticed how the art from the different cities varied
Art Works For San Angelo
If you missed your chance to see the works being created, they will be on public display at the Mayer Museum at Angelo State University. Eventually, they will be displayed at various locations around the City for everyone to enjoy.
