WACO, Texas — Showcasing local artistic talent is one of the Waco's missions when it comes to beautifying the city.
25 News was at the unveiling of a public art project under the I-35 overpass at Fourth and Fifth Street.
“It’s not like an art museum where you have to like intentionally stop by a ticket go in and see," said Waco artist, Morgan Eyring.
Eyring played a part in sculpting three of the six new globe light fixtures under the I-35 overpass.
“People driving by, you know, catch a glimpse and might start a conversation in a car,” Eyring said.
This could be a conversation about the significance of each metal structure. The four foot wide globes get their color from the Texas state flower, the bluebonnet, and each design represents a story in the community.
“My favorite that I did was the flower one, that one wild floral, and it was really fun to draw up the flowers and kind of study the flowers found in Cameron Park," Eyring said.
Passing by, the landscape of the Brazos River can also be seen — a sculpture representing Waco’s bottle industry, and the city’s diversity.
Fiona Bond is the CEO of Creative Waco. She says the city was looking for ways to create a safer space for people walking through the area.
“You have to pay for lighting anyway, and this does not really add substantially to the cost, but it adds so much to just how invitational and beautiful this space ends up being,” Bond said.
Eyring and local artist Andrea La Valleur-Purvis were the two artists chosen for the project based on their artistic welding experience.
Bond says this project was a way to live through history, and create it.
“We want to make sure that not only are we making our community more beautiful and more accessible, but also that we’re creating pathways for artists, professionals in the creative work realm to be able to live work and live their dreams here in Waco,” Bond said.
Creative Waco is working on several new projects, one of their newest can be seen at the Waco Regional Airport.