Austin College to Host Community Mural Painting at Grand Central Station

SHERMAN, TEXAS— Austin College will host two community mural painting days at Grand Central Station as part of the 2024 Posey Leader-In-Residence series. This will be a collaborative, paint-by-numbers style project to showcase the plethora of services that Grand Central Station offers to community members in need.

This fun community project is inspired by the 2024 Posey Leadership Award recipient, Rick Lowe. Lowe is a Houston-based artist and activist who has worked with communities around the world to use art as a springboard for social understanding. Perhaps best known as the founder of Houston’s Project Row Houses, his practice is rooted in working with members of a community to address and resolve social issues. Lowe has exhibited art around the globe and his many accolades include the Heinz Award in the arts and humanities, 2002; the Creative Time Annenberg Prize for art and social change, 2010; an appointment to the National Council on the Arts by President Barack Obama, 2013; and the MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship, 2014.

The community painting events will be held at 619 E. Houston St. Sherman, TX 75090 on Saturdays, March 23 and 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. All community members are encouraged to volunteer, regardless of artistic experience.

ABOUT POSEY LEADERSHP AWARD
Formally launched in 2005 and made possible through the generosity of Sally and Lee Posey of Dallas, the Austin College Posey Leadership Award honors an outstanding individual who has demonstrated the principles of servant leadership by taking a courageous stand on a public policy issue that advances a humanitarian or educational purpose; or serving the youth of a state, nation, or international community to improve the quality of health, educational, or community services; or by creating opportunities for young people that help them enhance their educational experience and move to a new level of service to society. Past Posey Leadership Award recipients include Sylvia Acevedo in 2023, Barbara Pierce Bush in 2018, Dr. Nathan Wolfe in 2014, and Wendy Kopp in 2006.

ABOUT AUSTIN COLLEGE
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, pre-professional foundations, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 44 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.