We have news to share for Spring 2024!
- We’ve been adding new pieces to our public art offering, including new sculptures and new banner murals.
- We’ve also added a GIS map for you to take your own self-guided tour using your cell phone. Learn more in the artists’ own words about their art, background and process.
Plus: We still have more new art coming soon! Stay tuned!
Pictured at right Michelle Rankin‘s “Howdy from Texas” artwork, which greets you as you approach City Hall Parking Garage in Downtown Round Rock.
About Public Art in Round Rock
Our public art program is a vision of our Arts Master Plan in Round Rock.
The goals are to: Provide visual interest on the Round Rock downtown area; Increase the number and variety of outdoor public art installations by local and regional artists; Stimulate creative thought and reflective conversation among residents and visitors.
Each annual sculpture exhibit has a wonderful array of artwork that addresses these goals and helps create a more vibrant area in the center of our city. This exhibit is made possible in part by the City of Round Rock, Texas Society of Sculptors, Round Rock Arts, and the City of Round Rock Parks and City of Round Rock General Facilities departments for expert installation of the work. An array of art sculptures are on loan from regional artists and installed on the Downtown, Prete and Centennial Plazas and at Chisholm Trail Park. These diverse pieces are on loan from the artists for at least one year, while other pieces, gifted by artists, call Round Rock their permanent home.
In addition to public art sculptures, our public art program also includes banner murals and signal box mini murals, as well as our City Council Chamber gallery exhibits.
Enjoy Your Self-Guided Tour
Thank to our the City of Round Rock IT department, we have the technology for you to learn about art and artists while you stroll around Downtown Round Rock! Enjoy a self-guided tour in the palm of your hand using your mobile phone. Click here to access our art stroll mapping.
Overview of our public art collection
Public Art at Prete Plaza, East Main St, and City Hall Parking Garage
Public Art at Centennial Plaza and McConico Building
Public Art at Centennial Plaza/Round Rock Avenue/Round Rock Public Library
Public Art at Transit Center Parking Garage
Public Art at Chisholm Trail Crossing
The Chisholm Trail Crossing is located at 500 Chisholm Trail Road in Round Rock. Two Texas artists’ works are featured at this location, Jim Thomas and Antonio Muñoz.
Jim Thomas is a nationally published artist with numerous professional art association memberships, including TSOS, AArC, and DFAC. Among the many awards won, Thomas is a three-time “Gold Medalist” of the Texas Cowboy Artist Association. College training in earth sciences, chemistry, and metallurgy, combined with more than 41 years professional team experience with architects, engineers, government and private public art administrators are a foundation for his years of professional sculpting, art foundry, and metal fabrications experience. The following pieces were designed and crafted by Jim Thomas and are located at the Chisholm Trail Crossing:
“The Bell Steer”: First in the series and commissioned through a grant from Dell in 2003. During cattle drives, the lead steer often wore a bell around its neck to assist the cattlemen in finding the beginning of the herd.
“The Pioneer Woman”: Dedicated to the memory of Harriett “Hattie” Cluck, one of the first known women to travel up the trail. Commissioned by
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Peckham, The Pioneer Woman bears a resemblance to Mrs. Bill “Sissy” Peckham, who sat for hours with the sculptor.
“The Pioneer Boy”: Commissioned in honor of Emmett Cluck, a five year old boy who went up the Chisholm Trail with his family. Ruth Koughan made the donation for this statue and her grandson, Riley Koughan, served as the model for the sculpture.
“The Resting Steer”: Dedicated in honor of Oscar Edward Quick and Eugene Olof Quick. The Steer has the “OQ” brand, which was registered by Quick in 1891. Marjorie and Don Quick made their gift in honor of their father and grandfather, who were both citizens of Round Rock.
“Goin’ to Water”: As a symbolic link to their parents’ agricultural background in Texas and to their ancestors’ frontier life of the “old country,” Edward Reyes Torres, Mary Zordan Torres and Gloria Torres Zamarripa commissioned this longhorn sculpture with its Torres Reyes registered brand.
Another sculpture set featured at Chisholm Trail Crossing was created by sculptor Antonio Muñoz. His depictions of “Trail Boss” and “Foreman” commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail drives, with the figures based on two local people, Will Peckham and Eugene Beck.
The “Gathering Brands” depicts the Trail boss (Eugene Beck) and the drive had started just south of San Antonio and as he moves north many ranchers are joining the growing heard. Passing through the town of Round Rock, Mr. Beck, while on horseback and keeping an eye on the moving heard, is meeting with a local rancher, Will Peckham, to collect his ranch brand and incorporate his cattle to the drive. Mr. Peckham gently approaches Mr. Beck’s horse and greets him by petting the animal’s head, and immediately, turns, his attention to the man on the horse to engage in conversation. In the meantime, Mr. Beck holds his own branding iron and the Trail Brand to prepare a branding session, and while aware of the surrounding movement, can’t help to notice and observe the particular round stone landmark that gave the town its name.
Follow the artist: http://munozsculpting.com
Chisholm Trail Crossing Sculptures
Murals in Round Rock
We’ve been adding new artwork to the mural assortment of downtown! Enjoy the unexpected of artwork as you stroll downtown, plan a visit on purpose to see art, interact with murals through family photos, and revel at the beauty of art against the backdrop of beautiful historic downtown!
Artist’s Statement
Samantha Melvin
Fleeting Landscapes
2024
The seven, vibrant screens of Fleeting Landscapes portray a selection of native plants from the Blackland Prairies ecoregion of Texas, considered one of the most devastated ecoregions in the world. A majority of the original 12 million acres of rich, dark clay soil that extended across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were converted to crop agriculture in the last 150 years. Only 10,000 acres, less that 1%, remain in protected or prairie condition. In Texas, the northern edge extends just south of the Red River, including Dallas, and to the south including Austin to San Antonio. The city of Round Rock is iocated in the Blackland Prairies ecoregion.
The original 60 x 22” panels for this installation were created using monotype printmaking on mulberry paper. Through the use of hand drawn and cut stencils, layers of translucent color and botanical shapes celebrate the landscape. Humans are merely passing through these scenes. The dominant tall grass species of the Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Indiangrass, and other native plants and wildflowers like the Pale Purple Coneflower, Texas Bluebonnet, Brown-eyed Susan, Cardinal Flower, and Indian Blanket demonstrate the varied and natural beauty of this fleeting ecosystem.
What can you do to protect the Blackland Prairies for future generations?
Learn more about artist Samantha Melvin:
Featured Species:
- Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
- Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)
- Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
- Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)
- Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
- Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)
To learn more about the Blackland Prairies ecoregion, check out these resources, as provided by the artist:
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, “Special Collection: Blackland Prairies”
- Native Prairies Association of Texas, “Pocket Prairies”
- Reed Noss, “Texas Blackland Prairies,” One Earth
- Texas Parks and Wildlife, “Blackland Prairies”
- The Nature Conservancy, “Clymer Meadow serves as a center for study of the Blackland Prairie”
