The Best Places to Take Pictures in LBK
West Texas is full of art and there are plenty of fun murals in Lubbock, Texas. With Buddy Holly memorials, the First Friday Art Trail, and all of the graffiti around, Lubbock has many art pieces to see.
There are several locations in Lubbock with many photo-worthy artworks. Graffiti is everywhere, with art all over the city. You can find these in downtown Lubbock, the depot district, and anywhere else in the city.
Here are some of the best places to take photos next time you’re in Lubbock.
Murals in Depot District
Neon Arches
Backstage Lubbock, 1711 Texas Avenue
Over off of Texas Avenue are the Neon Arches. These giant colorful arches range in a variety of colors, from yellow to purple. The Neon Arches are a favorite spot for an Instagram-worthy photo. While you are enjoying all of the art in the Depot District, stop by and take some photos under these arches.
McPherson Cellars
1615 Texas Avenue
On the outside of the McPherson Cellars Winery is a fun mural depicting a grape bunch and a wine bottle running away together, holding a glass of wine.
The McPherson Cellars Winery is a family-owned business, and the entire family “has a significant interest in art.” The McPherson family created this mural. You can find it on the back wall of the business.
The McPherson family created the McPherson Cellars mural during a weekend in early March of 2020. On one Saturday afternoon, several members of the McPherson family: Kim McPherson, Sylvia McPherson, Katelyn McPherson, and Nicholas McPherson, came up with the initial design and mockup. The mural was drawn and painted on Sunday: it took around 2 hours to draw the mural and 6 hours to paint it. Both Katelyn and Nicholas painted the mural. Katelyn did the lettering on the bottle.
Inspiration for McPherson Mural in Lubbock
The inspiration for the mural comes from a couple of different places. According to Kim McPherson, the Owner/Winemaker, “the inspiration is a true reflection of the winery and family itself. We, as a family-owned business, represent a lot of fun, color, and of course, share in the love for wine both to produce it and enjoy it. ” Katelyn McPherson, the owner’s daughter, and Nicholas McPherson, Katelyn’s cousin, also found inspiration for the mural in another way: old movie ads for snacks and drinks. “The old ads before movies of the popcorn and soda characters singing about going to the lobby to buy snacks. I get a lot of inspiration from vintage cartoons,” Nicholas McPherson said. Katelyn McPherson also said that her inspiration was “old movie ads for popcorn and sodas.”
Nicholas McPherson is an illustrator and designer in San Diego. “I started doing murals as a way to get my art out of the gallery and into a more public and accessible place. My goal doing large-scale murals is to make something bigger than myself and make a positive impact,” Nicholas said.
Continued
“I wanted to make something that will last and brighten the neighborhood. The district where the winery is located is a vibrant community with an active nightlife. My Aunt Sylvia owns and runs La Diosa Cellars, which is across the street from the winery, and while visiting, I was inspired to give some art back to the city that has deep family ties for me. My cousin Katelyn McPherson is also a very accomplished artist, and she did the lettering for the label on the bottle. I think my favorite part about this project is that it involved a great deal of my family in making it happen.”
To see more of Nicholas McPherson’s art, check out his Instagram @nicholasdanger
Coca Cola
Ballyhoo Stix and Graphix, 1716 Buddy Holly Avenue
The Coca-Cola mural reminds people of an old Coca-Cola sign with the design. The murals rough edges combined with the red brick background causes it to look aged and rustic. For everyone who loves to drink Coca Cola, this mural is a great place to check out.
Cactus Theatre Mural
1812 Buddy Holly Avenue
Outside on the wall of the Cactus Theatre, is this simple mural. Fitting for a movie theater, the mural represents an advertisement for the soft drink Dr. Pepper.
Depot District Mural
19th St. & Buddy Holly Avenue
The Depot District in Lubbock is full of various murals and art. Among all of the artwork is this mural which pays homage to the Depot District itself. In the shape of an old sign, the mural gives off retro vibes and a 60s feel. Explore the art in the Depot District, and stop by and take photos under this mural.
Buddy Holly Glasses
The intersection of Cricket St. and 18th St.
The Buddy Holly Center is a performance and visual arts center and museum that focuses on the late singer Buddy Holly and Lubbock and West Texas music. The center is full of exhibitions, including a collection of Buddy Holly artifacts and fine art galleries.
Outside of the Buddy Holly Center at the intersection are the Buddy Holly glasses across the crosswalk. The glasses are painted on all four crosswalks at this intersection in white paint. Painting the crosswalks with Buddy Holly’s glasses is a great way to pay homage to Buddy Holly, especially right next to the Buddy Holly Center and Plaza.
Buddy Holly Mural
Across from the Buddy Holly Center
Located across from the Buddy Holly Center, this mural features several people including Buddy Holly and the Crickets. This homage to Buddy Holly is one of many featured in Lubbock. Check it out when exploring all of the murals!
You’re So Cool & Charles Bukowski Quote
1701 Texas Avenue
The You’re So Cool and the Charles Bukowski quote are placed next to each other. Both murals are simply black letters on the white brick wall of the Library Bar.
The two are popular places to stop and capture pictures, with many of both of them on Instagram or other social media. Next time you’re in the area, stop by the Library Bar and get some cute photos to share on your socials.
Joey Martinez Murals
Joey Martinez is a Graffiti Artist who has been painting murals for 30 years. Martinez was in the Marine Corps and the Army, worked with the Department of Energy (B&W Pantex), and has 3 degrees at TTU, the last one in Fine Arts in Painting.
“I started painting murals as a teenager to make a voice for myself and to make a change in my neighborhood. I remember seeing so much gang graffiti on walls, and I wanted to make a change by painting positive graffiti over gang graffiti which later formed a collage of images to make a mural. “
”My main goal for all mural’s created in Lubbock was to have a sense of Hub City pride and never forget our past. “
“These specific murals were the ideas of my former clients. It was my job to come up with a design and to produce the art. With the background of a Graphic Designer, I am able to manipulate the images of photoshop and collages designs together.”
These are some of the many murals that Joey Martinez has painted in Lubbock, Tx:
LBK Mural
1219 Avenue A
Joey Martinez created the LBK mural in 2018. It took about four months to create and plan and five days to paint. The inspiration was from people and places that have made an impact on Lubbock’s history.
This mural is hard to miss with a vivid yellow background, and people can see it from down the street. When you get close, you can see that each letter contains people or places important to Lubbock. These include Buddy Holly, the Lubbock city limit sign, and the Masked Rider.
Lubbock Roots
The Lubbock Roots Historical Arts Council, 1719 Avenue A
The influential mural was created in 2019 and took two days to paint. Influential African Americans of Lubbock inspired it.
Inside each letter of the word “Roots” is an influential African American figure in Lubbock. These eight figures all had a big influence on the city of Lubbock.
Now We Taco’N
1021 University Avenue
Located across from the Texas Tech campus, the mural is outside of the Now We Taco’ N Taqueria. The Now We Taco’ N mural was made in 2020 and took two days to paint. Patrick Malhomes accomplishments inspired it from being a quarterback at Texas Tech University to becoming highly successful in NFL.
Lubbock
180 Vape 1413 19th St., Suite A
The Lubbock mural displays a similar concept to the LBK one: inside each of the letters of the word “Lubbock” are things important to the city. These things include the double T, a cowboy hat and pair of boots, and an oil-type rig.
Dia de Los Muertos
Graffiti Education Building, 511 Avenue K
The Dia de los Muertos mural was made in 2009 and took 5 days to paint. The inspiration of the original design concept was Dias De Los Muertos.
The mural covers the entire outside of a building, spanning all four walls. Each wall features a different element with skulls, elegant dancers and lots of bright and vivid colors. The entire mural is a giant celebration for the Dia De Los Muertos.
For more of Joey Martinez’s art, visit his Instagram or TikTok @WISEONE1978.
Murals in Lubbock Cultural District
The First Friday Art Trail is a free, self-guided art tour across Lubbock that features some of the best local arts. The art trail occurs on the first Friday every month, with the list constantly changing. The current list is online so that everyone can view and follow along. It is an excellent opportunity to view some of the many favorite art photos and more in the city of Lubbock. This month, the art trail is virtual and also on LHUCA’s social media platforms. People can also view the list online and see the arts on their own time.
Besides going to the First Friday Art Trail, you can walk around Lubbock, Tx.
http://www.ffat.org/
Lubbock and Sunrise Mural
CASP Studios, 1106 5th St.
Outside of the CASP Studios, or the Charlie Adams Studio Project, is a small building with the Lubbock and Sunrise Mural on it. The CASP Studios is a non-profit art organization in Lubbock.
The Sunrise Mural displays a bright sunrise painted with vivid red, orange, and yellow colors. The colorful sunrise is great for photos.
On another side of the small building is the Lubbock Mural. It features a vibrant blue background with the words “Lubbock, Texas” written in black and grey. The art piece is another popular art piece on social media, so stop by and get a photo or more in front of it.
Mac Miller Mural
The third wall on the building outside of the CASP Studios displays a mural featuring singer and music artist Mac Miller. The piece of art is painted in different sections, and the singer is painted mostly in black and white but also partly in color. The background is painted blue with clouds, and there is also a pair of angel wings.
This abstract mural was painted by the artist @thechrismarin
Abstract Splash Mural
On the fourth wall of this building outside of the CASP studios is this abstract mural. The mural displays dark blue, teal and pink shapes all outlined in different colors.
Ice Cubes Mural
Christine Devitt Icehouse, 511 Avenue K
Outside the LHUCA Icehouse building is a mural that covers multiple walls on a smaller structure. Right now, the walls display paintings of giant ice cubes.
More Murals in Lubbock
806
Nate Pollack, California T’s 1611 University Avenue
This mural displays Lubbock’s area code “806” painted with several vivid colors. The 806 mural is a simple yet important piece of art in Lubbock with the meaning behind it.
The mural was painted by the artist Nate Pollack. To see more of his work, check out his social media at @n8pollock
Skeleton and Woman
Drew Merritt, 1717 Broadway St.
Spanning an entire wall of a building, the Skeleton and Woman is an abstract and pretty mural. It contains a woman, birds with eyepieces and a top hat, and a triangle banner with “culture clothing” written on it.
The artist Drew Merritt painted this mural. More of his work can be seen on Instagram @drewmerritt
Texas Tech Car Mural
1941 19th St.
In this mural, a red sports car is painted in front of a city skyline. In the background is the Texas Tech double T in front of the American flag. This mural is vivid and loud with the bright colors and the big ideas in it.
Lubbock or Leave It
J. Hoffmans 4918 50th St.
The Lubbock or Leave It mural displays many beautiful colorful flowers in the background, with the words ” Lubbock or Leave It” written on top. The words are white letters that have a black outline. This fun art piece is one of the best places for Instagram-worthy photos.
Check out what some of these murals used to look like!
Story by Allison White