AUSTIN, Texas — In an effort to unite the residents and “beautify” East Austin, high school artists will get a big opportunity to showcase their work.
"People can see my message, and they can probably, hopefully they get something out of it,” said Reagan High School student Rachel Murphy.
"I really like looking at what other people have created,” said Iza Picazo.
The students' work could go on a wall at “The Station," located at 12th Street and Chicon in East Austin.
"To give them that confidence to stand on their feet and feel like they've contributed to something, not only just as an assignment, but in a bigger way, that everybody else would see would be incredible for them,” said art teacher Anna Thiele. "The opportunity to show it when it's complete, that's going to be a wonderful sense of accomplishment. And for days, maybe months, and years to come, it will still be up so that would be wonderful.”
"Because of this mural, we can bring the entire community together,” said Raasin McIntosh.
McIntosh is the founder of Raasin in the Sun, a non-profit that works to beautify and unite the community through community gardens, clean ups, restorations and murals.
"We want community and quality and everything that’s important about uniting residents to come through in this mural,” said McIntosh.
They teamed up with the Can'd Foundation to create the competition for artists 15 to 19 years old.
"We really want them to believe that we believe in them and that we know that they can do this,” said McIntosh.
Picazo is working on a piece that appears to combine all ethnicities into one person.
"I hope that when people see it, they see that even though we all look different and we are different sometimes that we are still the same, we're still human,” said Picazo.
No matter whose piece of art they choose, that's the message they hope everyone can feel.
"We need to find a way to empathize with each other and it’s one of the most important thing that art can do,” said Murphy.
"Art makes you feel something and if you, no matter where you come from, you'll probably feel something too,” said Picazo. "It's just something that everyone can relate to."
Find out more information here.