Social media is filled with photos of local residents stopping by to see a new mural that was painted in downtown Hillsboro last week honoring Hill County native Willie Nelson.
Beverly Bundy, who owns the building at 55 West Franklin Street, said that the wall of her building needed to be painted, and she decided to get creative and contact Fort Worth artist Juan Velazquez, who is well known for his work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and around the state.
After Bundy decided that the mural would honor Nelson, Velazquez came up with the concept and brought two other artists — Travis Avila of Fort Worth and Arte Mando of Dallas — to town to bring it to life.
Bundy is from Fort Worth, and she and her late husband bought the building 17 years ago after they were driving through Hillsboro with the intention of looking at lake houses.
“We drove through downtown Hillsboro and bought a building instead,” she said. She and her husband enjoyed spending part of their time away from city life taking in the view of the courthouse.
Bundy thanked the City of Hillsboro for supporting the idea and the residents who honked their horns and stopped by to talk to the artists. “They had a great time,” she said, adding that in larger cities the public can be more blasé about seeing a mural being painted.
Local friends of Nelson reported that they sent him photos of the mural and he said it made him proud. Bundy said that members of Nelson’s team have also been in touch with the artists to thank them.
Nelson has always been a supporter of Hill County, from his concerts to raise funds for the Hill County Courthouse reconstruction after it was gutted by fire in 1993, to his donations to local fire departments, to his effort to purchase and save the Methodist church in Abbott where he was raised. Many who stopped by expressed the same sentiment — it’s fitting that this lifelong dedication to his home be recognized on the courthouse square.
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