HOUSTON — Eight murals honoring Houston teachers were unveiled at NRG Stadium on Tuesday.
This is just one of several events as Houston gets ready to host the 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 8, at NRG Stadium.
The murals are part of the Houston Loves Teachers legacy project and were painted by renowned local artists, students and teachers at eight schools across the Houston area.
The goal was to celebrate teachers and showcase each school’s history and legacy.
Maria Duran, the director of community engagement with the 2024 Houston Host Committee, brought all of the artists together.
"There's so much love behind each of those murals,” Duran said. "We're really seeing the spirit of each community and each school come to life through the work of these artists, working hand in hand with the students and our teachers."
The artists who took part included Alex Roman Jr., aka "Donkeeboy." His mural is now proudly displayed at Milby High School, his alma mater.
"I've done a lot of murals and traveled to a lot of places and worked with a lot of great organizations, and I would say this is the best mural I've done, and my favorite mural thus far, it's going to be very tough to beat this one,” Roman told us.
Along with Milby, the schools involved are CE King High School, North Shore Middle School, Eisenhower Ninth Grade School, Alief Middle School, Family and Community Engagement Center, Sam Rayburn High School and Crenshaw Elementary School.
Three additional murals are slated to be created during the Spring 2024 semester.
“As chair of the Houston 2024 Host Committee I feel privileged to be a part of this project and of the legacy we hope to leave for Houston educators in years to come,” Houston Host Committee Chair June Deadrick. said “I come from a family of educators and have personally seen the value and impact of this noble profession for my whole life. I hope these murals serve as a long-term reminder of the importance of teachers and education.”
The project is a collaboration between the Houston 2024 Host Committee, the College Football Playoff Foundation and the non-profit Good Reason Houston.