Tom Sawyer Comes to Washington Ave: How To Get Your New Office Painted for Free or Pizza

What’s it take to get a little paint or something thrown up onto a languishing and partially boarded-up Washington Ave building? If you’re landscape architecture firm Asakura Robinson and you’ve just moved in upstairs in front of the Drake in the building at the corner of Washington and Silver, you just put out a little invitation to Houston Street Art: Free . . . canvas! Bring on the street painters and poster kids! Nine of them showed up yesterday, including your pals weah, Article, Info, Wereone, Marbles, Sode, D-Falt, and COW. Swamplot photographer Candace Garcia caught up with the action as the paint and wheatpaste went down:

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Included among the instructions, as noted by the Houston Press‘s art blog in its announcement : “Pay heed to the paint zones, which can’t include gang, music or company shout-outs.” And . . . uh, don’t mess with the landlord’s tags:

Or the works of those who’ve gone before you:

Photos: Candace Garcia

5 Comment

  • Cool. I wish we could do something like this along White Oak Bayou. I know this isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea… but the ugly stripes of concrete running down White Oak and I-10 could stand some color and interest.

  • I wonder what the Historical Society thinks of this. Did anyone ask?

    Oh! and no penguins!

  • No Penguins? Burn it down!

  • We would love the opportunity to come out and do this at other building and locations.

    And no, no penguins – Coolidge remains anonymous and typically legal walls “just don’t do it” for artists that have a following because of their illegal works. I tried inviting him thought!

  • Al E. Cat, perhaps a group can approach the mayor about the horrendously ugly bare concrete currently adorning the White Oak bayou?