Local artist Andrea Holmes begins worldwide mural series with new piece of public art in downtown McKinney

A recently completed mural in downtown McKinney by local artist Andrea Holmes is the first in a planned series of 100 murals that will adorn walls around the world.

Holmes has more than 20 completed murals and art installations downtown, but this mural, titled “Wings of McKinney,” is her “first passion project” in the area, she said. The project was partially funded by McKinney Arts Commission.

The details

The mural, located in the CrossCountry Mortgage building at 500 S. Tennessee St., features a house finch, a bird Holmes said he has seen often in the McKinney area. The mural is also located near Finch Park, she said.

“I chose that house finch because I've seen the little house finches down here, and they have this really beautiful song,” she said. “They're usually hanging on the strings and just singing their hearts out.”

Holmes said this project is the first she has completed downtown with a subject of her choosing, noting that other murals and paintings she has completed in the area are commissioned.

“I want it to be a source of pride because it is the first of a project and I want it to be a source of joy, beauty and wonder for our city,” she said.

The series of 100 murals, called “Wings of the World,” will add bird murals to 10 cities in Texas, every state in the U.S. and 41 other countries around the world, according to a news release.

“It's really just a way for me to connect with people all over the world, to travel, to make art, and that's like my purpose in life,” Holmes said.

context

Holmes, a McKinney-based artist and owner of A. Holmes Art Studiohas been painting within the community for 10 years and has been creating murals for the past four years.

Her work can be seen at Tupps Brewery, Mendocino Farms, Trend Design District and around Historic Downtown McKinney.

Holmes began featuring birds in her work during an assignment she completed while taking art classes at Collin College in 2013. She continued to focus on birds as a subject, completing a series of 100 bird-focused pieces and later created Birdtoberan annual art challenge during the month of October featuring different types of birds as requests.

Holmes said birds are an “endless subject,” noting that she has painted more than 1,000 birds in her lifetime.

“People really connect with birds,” she said. “People tell me their stories and love to talk about their personal relationships with birds. Surprisingly, they fit into people's lives very easily.”

Deeper dive

The main mural is 12 feet tall and over 40 feet long, and also features an additional space below the primary mural.

The mural cost about $15,000, Holmes said, of which $7,500 was funded through a grant from the arts commission. The board unanimously approved the grant request, according to city ​​documents.

Holmes said this is the first time she has received grant funding from the city of McKinney for her local public art installations. Murali also received funding from CrossCountry Mortgage and private funding sources, the release said.

The project took about 40 hours over four weeks to complete, Holmes said, noting that high summer temperatures slowed the process.

Quote note

“I am very excited to begin this project that will take over 20 years to complete,” Holmes said in the release. “It seemed natural to start in McKinney where I first started as a professional artist and now the place I call home.”

Looking ahead

Holmes plans to host a reception and party for the project at the site of the mural on Sept. 11, she said. The event is open to the public and will include an artist talk and light refreshments.

The next mural in the series will grace a wall on the east side of the McKinney Cotton Mill and feature a barn owl, Holmes said. As she continues with the remaining 99 murals in the series, Holmes said she is looking for partners, individuals or cities, who have a wall to which she can add a mural.

“Once it starts, I like the idea that people maybe travel to see them because there's a big birding community, especially in Texas,” she said.

For more information on collaborating with Holmes on an upcoming mural, get in touch (email protected).

To learn more about Holmes and her work, visit www.aholmesartstudio.com.