The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA), in partnership with UP Art Studios, is pleased to announce the debut of a large-scale mural project by Houston artist David Maldonado.

Located in the newly renovated Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center, the mural will be unveiled on August 19, 2022, at 10:30 a.m., 6402 Market St. The unveiling will include appearances by Mayor Sylvester Turner, Councilmember Karla Cisneros and local artist David Maldonado.

“Houston is a vibrant, diverse, and culturally rich city and every neighborhood, park, area and street should reflect that,” said Mayor Turner. “This is a wonderful example of how creative endeavors can connect local artists to the communities they’re from. We’re proud to see the character of the Denver Harbor neighborhood, its history, and its people, visualized on these walls and as a welcoming gesture to this city facility.”

Developed with input from the Denver Harbor community, Maldonado’s vision incorporates imagery that symbolizes and reflects the many different resources the Multi-Service Center offers. The narrative for the mural’s composition is one of tapestry and culture, employing imagery from nature to represent regeneration, light, and rebirth. Blue and white motifs harken back to family kitchens across generations and nearby Buffalo Bayou. At the playing field walls the artist created a mix of sports, education, and outdoor leisure activity imagery, including baseball, which is credited for its positive impact on the youth of Denver Harbor.

“I designed a mural that is approachable and that reflects the many opportunities the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center provides as well as the neighborhood,” says Maldonado. “I have family members who sometimes miss opportunities to access resources because of intimidation or not knowing the language. This prompted the narrative for my mural to be one of tapestry and culture, where the center’s history of inclusion and service is front and center.”

Opened in 1994 and operated by the Houston Health Department, the Center provides educational and technology resources, access to healthy nutrition, senior services, and more. For more information about the Center visit https://www.houstontx.gov/health/Community/Denver.html.

The Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center art commission was made possible at the request of Council Member Cisneros through the City of Houston's Civic Art Program and sponsorship from the Houston Health Department. Managed by the Mayor’s Office of MOCA in partnership with Houston Arts Alliance’s Civic Art + Design (CAD) division, the Civic Art Program provides exciting opportunities for artists to develop permanent, site-specific artworks for Houston’s Civic Art Collection that Houstonians and visitors engage with in public spaces.