This article explores the challenges faced by renowned Austin muralist Raúl Valdez in preserving his artwork. Despite the perceived permanence of murals, Valdez's work has repeatedly been lost due to demolition and other factors. The article highlights instances where community support failed to prevent the destruction of his murals, emphasizing the vulnerability of public art to development and changing priorities.
Muralist Raúl Valdez knows community support is not enough to keep his murals in the communities he painted them for. The idea of a mural has an assumed permanence. While canvas can tear, fade or even rot, murals on walls feel like they can last forever. But Valdez knows this is not the case. The renowned Austin muralist has been painting for decades, but despite putting his large works on solid walls instead of canvas, his work has a knack of disappearing.
His first mural — painted on 3/4-inch thick wooden panels when he was a graduate student at UT Austin — was stolen. ‘We were going to be traveling with it, moving it around,’ Valdez said. ‘It disappeared! Somebody came and probably used it for building material or something.’\Since then, his work has become a part of Austin's history and cultural fabric, but many of his works have suffered similar fates. For years, on the corner of Interstate 35 and Cesar Chavez Street, Valdez’s mural titled “Los Elementos” decorated one of the only neighborhoods for minorities west of I-35 on the side of the building. When the property was sold to a developer and demolition started in 1983, many in the community showed up to protest. ‘They were chanting: you can’t destroy our mural,’ he said. ‘I became convinced that I was doing the right thing.’\Despite the public support for the mural, the demolition went ahead and Valdez’s work was destroyed along with the building. Despite an effort from the members in the university community, the school of social work building and Valdez's mural were torn down to make way for a new training facility for the Longhorn football team. In 2024, four decades after protesters tried to stop the demolition of Valdez’s mural on the side of Juarez- Lincoln University, a group of building and Valdez's mural depicting scenes of injustice and community. Valdez was hired by the university to paint “Heart and Soul” inside of what used to be University Junior High, Austin's first integrated middle school. ‘Some of the former professors there at the school of social work, they put up quite a struggle up for it. I’m talking about a lot of work trying to stop it, trying to raise awareness,’ he said. ‘My hats off to them. They did wonderful work.’ Valdez said he attended the Longhorns' College Football Playoff game against Clemson in December and could see the part of the building with his mural still standing from his seat in the stadium. It has since been demolished, and the university plans to build a football practice facility on the site.\One mural that has stood the test of time so far is his mural on the Hillside Stage at the Oswaldo A.B. Cantu/Pan-American Recreation Center. Valdez painted the mural in 1978, and he has maintained and restored it since then with support from the City of Austin. Valdez is working on raising funds to recreate the Juarez-Lincoln University mural and the mural that was inside the School of Social Work. Valdez painted the mural at the Hillside Stage in 1978 and has been maintaining and restoring it ever since
Muralist Raul Valdez Austin Texas Public Art Preservation Demolition Community Support
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