Client: City of Lewisville

Overview

Inspired by the avian migratory corridor in which Lewisville, Texas sits, Shared Journeys is a mural that features many of the bird species that pass-through Lewisville. The mural spans several walls (both interior and exterior) and changes materials to match the building materials of the associated walls. These materials include stone, glass, and wall board. The murals are located at Thrive Recreation Center, an 88,000 square foot multi-generational recreation center completed in 2020. Thrive is enjoyed and utilized by a wide variety of people, both young and old alike, and similar to the various species of birds who make Lewisville a stop on their shared migratory journey, visitors are also sharing similar journeys when they make a stop at Thrive.

Goals

The overarching goal of this project was to create a unique and inspiring work of art for those who visit and enjoy Thrive, a multi-generational recreation center in Lewisville, Texas. The selection panel for this public art project sought a unique, one-of-a-kind artwork that would be appropriate for the newly constructed building and for the diverse community that would use it. The city asked interested artists to consider the historical nature of Lewisville and the community’s deep connection to a thriving outdoor environment. The City specifically sought artists who could demonstrate experience with integrating an artwork into the architecture of a building.

Process

In 2015, Lewisville voters approved construction of a new recreation facility to replace two other city recreation facilities. Voters also approved funding for a public art component to be included in the facility design. Texas law requires that public art paid for using voter-approved bond money must be physically incorporated into the structure. Thus, a call for artists was placed which required that elements of the proposed artwork be permanently incorporated into the facility – either interior, exterior or both. A selection team chose three semi-finalists to be interviewed. Semi-finalists received more specific information regarding the site and met with project representatives, the design team and public art staff. A formal proposal was then requested from the semi-finalists. Based on their interview and proposal, Chevo Studios was selected for this commission. Chevo Studios collaborated with City staff and the design team for the recreation center (BRS Architecture) when finalizing their designs for installation of the artwork. The construction of Thrive and the construction of the murals were done simultaneously against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which presented some unique challenges. After a delay due to the pandemic, Thrive officially opened in October 2020.