SAN ANTONIO – A blank wall off Travis Street near Navarro Street is primed to say a whole lot to the San Antonio community.
By the time members of Travis Park Church are finished with it, the wall at the back end of their building will feature six different murals, all proclaiming their messages of love and acceptance.
“It’s six very different styles, different artists who are working together for the first time,” said Pastor Eric Vogt.
Each of the murals will be painted to resemble stained glass windows.
They all will include the words that “all are welcome,” and “love conquers hate.”
“Those are two things that we say every week around our communion table because we believe that that’s what God’s table is. It’s for all,” Vogt says.
For years, the church has been known as a safe haven for some of the forgotten or marginalized segments of the city, including the homeless and members of the LGBTQ community.
Vogt says after seeing all of the new murals popping up in the downtown area, his congregation decided to undertake its project.
They also are doing it as a way to celebrate the church’s 175th anniversary this year.
“I’m so glad that we get to commemorate this occasion and tell the world about who we are,” Vogt said. “We feel like that’s a very important part of our mission, that people know they are loved for who they are.”
The church is working in conjunction with Centro San Antonio, the organization behind the surge in street art downtown.
However, it also is seeking additional funding to complete that project and repair a roof on part of its historical building.
The goal, Vogt says, is to raise $1.75 million, a number purposely chosen to match its big anniversary.
He says they hope to have the murals installed by the end of the year.