City of Mosaics: Levelland expands public art collection with 6 new pieces
LEVELLAND — About eight months after breaking ground on the project, the City of Mosaics unveiled its latest public art installation featuring six new tile mosaics to welcome visitors to town.
Levelland officials on Monday cut the ribbon on the sculpture, located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 385 and FM 300/Clubview Drive, adding to the city's existing collection of more than 100 mosaics scattered throughout the community.
The roadside installation features scenes of life on the South Plains, brought to fruition by local artist Pauline Mills. Mills and a number of volunteers spent many hours preparing and installing the mosaics.
Paraphrasing late American actress, author and interior designer Elsie de Wolfe, Mills said she views the completed monument with pride.
"I came across a quote during the week, and it said, as an artist, I want to make the world a beautiful place, and that is what my life will be. That was just perfect and fitting," Mills said. "It's wonderful to see this entire community come together and to make this happen."
The project came with its share of obstacles, the artist said.
"Finding the right tile was a challenge. We had to find a tile that was for exterior and would stand up to the gusty winds. We had to order a mesh and we had to order cement product, which is an adhesive," Mills said. "Then we had to follow the pattern. It's like a jigsaw puzzle.
"Once that's all done, you have to wait until the weather cooperates and then install it. It probably took us a month and a half to install it up here."
The designs on the sign include a sunrise and sunset, cotton bolls, pumpjacks and a Texas map, along with other Levelland symbols. The installation is the latest project in a decade-long effort to beautify the Hockley County seat.
Keep Levelland Beautiful spearheaded the project with help from the city, chamber of commerce and Texas Department of Transportation. The sign is the result of a $160,000 grant for a beautification project KLB earned as one of 10 winners of the Governor's Community Achievement Awards for outstanding community improvement throughout 2019, the Avalanche-Journal previously reported. Levelland won first place among other Keep Texas Beautiful affiliates with similar populations, ahead of Santa Fe and Graham.
The award is a big deal, said Levelland Chamber of Commerce President Mary Siders.
"When we started (with) the Keep Texas Beautiful program, they had a map of the state of Texas with every city that has won this award. There were no cities in the Texas Panhandle or on the South Plains," Siders said. "So in 2020, when we were awarded the $160,000 beautification prize, we were proud to put the first star in this part of the state of Texas on the map."
More: Levelland adding to sizable public art collection
Siders said the organization decided to use the money on a mosaic project to further advance Levelland's status as the City of Mosaics. The title was officially codified in 2019 during the 86th Texas Legislature, but residents have for decades called the town by that moniker, a nod to the numerous pieces of tile artwork found across the city.
The first mosaic in Levelland was erected in 1968 by Don Stroud, an art professor at South Plains College. By 2019, the town was home to 13 mosaics; the following year, 87 more were added.
"We now have, with the ribbon-cutting today, more than 120 mosaics in our community," Siders said, adding there are no plans to slow down with beautification efforts. Keep Levelland Beautiful has received accolades each year for its work, and will be eligible for the top award again in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: City of Mosaics: Levelland expands public art collection with 6 new pieces
