What happens when you give four local artists and 10 talented interns a wall, some paint and a mission?

We’re all about to find out.

The ArtPrenticeship mural going up at 2^nd and Jackson is moving along quickly and offers all of Waco a unique opportunity to watch a mural unfold and actually see the artists and interns working on it.

The ArtPrenticeship Program, a joint venture between Creative Waco, Prosper Waco and Waco Independent School District, gives those 10 interns, all local high school students, a chance to learn from artists while getting practical work experience. And Downtown Waco gets a new mural.

“With something like this, the program, it’s way bigger than just one person and ourselves,” said Cade Kegerreis, 21, one of the four artists behind the design currently coming to life. This is his first time collaborating with other artists on a piece. His fellow artists on the project are Megan Major, 32; Sean Oswald, 31; and Will Suarez, 31.

Megan Major said they were given some guidelines for the mural from building owner Shane Turner, including a desire for it to be abstract but also a nod to bridging parts of the city, without actually painting a bridge.

“We drew, we sketched, we painted in our own respective styles,” and then they brought it all to the table, Sean Oswald said. 

The interns were present throughout the collaboration process, so they were able to connect to the piece from early on, said project manager Stefanie Wheat-Johnson.

Oswald credits Will Suarez with bringing together all four artists’ contributions into a cohesive vision.

“Will was able to synthesize everything,” he said. “Personally, I feel like he represented all of us super well.”

The end design contains implied cultural diversity, elements that represent healing and longevity. There are bright colors and a sense of movement.

“None of these guys had difficult egos,” Suarez said of his fellow artists. “It was just fun.”

Major said she’s also enjoying the group work involved in the execution of the mural, working side by side with the other artists and interns, bringing it to life. Working on your own pieces is great, she said, but it means you’re by yourself the whole time.

The mural is coming along quickly so if you’re heading downtown today, drive by and check it out. OR come take a look at it the end of this week on First Friday. The artists and interns usually work on it on weekday mornings if you’re wanting to actually catch them in action. It should be completed in just a couple or few weeks!