What do social justice, contemporary art, and Downtown Houston have in common? 

Find out at the President’s Lecture Series on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., in the Welcome Center’s TDECU Tour Room. The Campus Community is invited to join President Loren J. Blanchard for breakfast and the panel discussion “Social Justice and the Arts: Downtown Powerful Art Mural Spaces” with special guest Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis. 

Central to the discussion are the new, giant murals popping up on Downtown buildings. Commissioner Ellis conceived of the idea for “Big Art. Bigger Change.”—an art project that seeks to unite Downtown Houston and initiate conversations leading to social change. Spearheaded by Central Houston Inc./Houston Downtown Management District and curated by Street Art for Mankind, the massive “exhibition” of 10 murals was originally unveiled in October 2022. 

But Ellis envisioned even more murals for Downtown Houston. Fast-forward a couple of months: the new Remembrance Murals, which seem to have magically appeared, are now in plain sight from the southside of UHD’s One Main Building and provide another reason for Dr. Blanchard to refer to UHD as a “University with a View.” Created by Victor Ash, a Danish-French artist based in Copenhagen, these murals are inspired by Harris County’s Remembrance Park, which aims to create a space of recognition and discourse around racism and systemic injustice.

It seems only fitting that these “justice-themed” murals are in harmony with such nearby Harris County justice institutions as the Harris County's Criminal Courthouse, Civil Courthouse, Family Law Center, and the Jury Plaza. Facing UHD is the mural inspired by a photo of the trailblazing Texas legislator Senfronia Thompson, featuring a pair of “hypnotic multicolored eyes that see through the scales of justice and demand ‘Justice for All!’” From the vantage point of UHD, those mesmerizing eyes overlook the College of Public Service, which houses UHD’s Criminal Justice Program. The northwest mural, overlooking Main Street, features a Black “Lady Justice” with a scarf covering her eyes, a sword in her right hand, and the scales of justice in her left, ready to deliver “fair and true justice.”

And that’s just the beginning! Learn how these murals are sparking conversations around diversity, inclusion, equity, and so much more when Ellis and guest artists participate in a panel discussion as part of the President’s Lecture Series. Register online.