Behind the Art: Startup Waco & Keep Waco Beautiful
Weekly, we are taking you behind the art – meet the businesses and artists who played an integral role in our 2020 “Art of Homecoming” activation. This week, we are featuring Startup Waco and Keep Waco Beautiful!
Startup Waco, located at 605 Austin Avenue, is a nonprofit organization that aspires to lead Waco’s entrepreneurial support efforts and elevate Waco as a hub for business innovation. On the exterior, you’ll find a mural celebrating the diversity of the Baylor family, created by Will Suarez, a Waco native. You can find Suarez’s work all across town – as a graphic designer, muralist, and entrepreneur, he has partnered with many local businesses and organizations to bring brands to life. Additionally, Suarez has worked with Creative Waco’s ARTprenticeship program, mentoring and guiding future artists. Outside of his artistic endeavors, Will co-owns local favorite, Kurbside Coffee.
Further down Austin Avenue, Keep Waco Beautiful’s exterior features an interactive mural by Andrea Kilpatrick. Keep Waco Beautiful, a local nonprofit organization, has been contributing to Waco’s beautification efforts since the late 1970s—you can view a list of their efforts here! The mural features Bruiser, Baylor’s mascot, and provides an opportunity for passersby to pose for a photo op. Andrea Kilpatrick, is an artist originally from Minnesota. She and her husband, Kyle (Baylor Alum ‘08) recently moved to Waco with their 2 year old son. She is an art teacher at River Valley Intermediate and loves to share her passion of art with her students!
This mural is a reflection of her family’s love of Baylor football and specifically her son’s love of all things Bears! Kilpatrick is no stranger to public art activations, she created the butterfly mural at Common Grounds this past summer with the #Wacosafe initiative and wanted to make another interactive experience for viewers to become part of the art! Be sure to visit Keep Waco Beautiful to get your picture with Bruiser and of course “Sic ‘Em!”