Planned mural to celebrate Cottonwood Shores parks
A rendering of the new mural to be painted on a wall of the Cottonwood Shores Civic Center. Courtesy image
A colorful mural planned for the Cottonwood Shores Civic Center will be dedicated to the city’s parks, which are all in different stages of upgrades. By the end of 2022, the parks “will look completely different,” Parks Committee Chair Andrea Stephens told the City Council during its regular meeting Feb. 17.
“Every single one has something going on,” she said during her presentation
The mural, which will face Cottonwood Drive, was designed and will be painted by artist Candace McIntyre, a University of Texas at Austin graduate student. McIntyre contacted city leaders to see if they’d be interested in the project. She spent a recent weekend in the city cleaning and priming the wall. The project will take about three months to complete, Stephens said.
“She’s excited, we’re excited,” Stephens told the council. “It’ll look amazing, it’ll add color to our city.”
City leaders and McIntyre agreed on what the mural will look like — a portrayal of life in Cottonwood Shores — after the artist had conversations with Stephens and City Administrator J.C. Hughes. She spent time in the city and its parks to inform the design. The city and the artist will each spend about $500 on the materials.
The left side of the mural will depict scenes from the city’s parks and include each park’s name. The right side will feature wildlife, including bluebonnets, pelicans, an eagle, a monarch butterfly, and deer. Lake Marble Falls will be in the center.
“We’re very confident with the artist,” Stephens said. “We know this is something she really wants to do. We’re excited about it. It’ll be a great addition to Cottonwood Shores.”
Park improvements either underway or upcoming include at:
- Noah Thompson Park, which is getting culverts and asphalt. Materials are projected to cost $10,000. A Burnet County road crew will provide the labor. The park is also getting trees to be paid for from a Lower Colorado River Authority Steps Forward Day grant of $1,000. LCRA employees will plant the trees during an April 1 work day. The park’s playscape, water fountains, and other improvements were paid for from the LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program.
- Aspen Park, which is being leveled to prepare for new playground equipment and better and easier parking. New trees will be paid for from the same LCRA Steps Forward Day grant as the ones in Aspen Park, and a new fence is going up.
Parks Committee members are looking at what can be added to the city’s skatepark. Among the additions being discussed are a pickleball court and a horseshoes area. The committee is also in the discovery and research stages for a nature preserve. Once that’s complete, members will make a recommendation for a course of action to the council, Stephens said.