Houston has unveiled a huge 230-foot FIFA World Cup mural on Harrisburg Boulevard.
The artwork is now the city’s longest official FIFA World Cup mural.
The mural was created by local artist Betirri and is titled “The Eastern Gateway Mural.”
It is designed as a visual welcome to Houston’s East End. The artwork combines the global spirit of football with important parts of Houston’s identity.
The mural includes references to the Port of Houston, train rails, the Space Center and Magnolia Park.
“The design, as you can see, is formed of different elements from the east,” Betirri said.
“The two main elements are the rails from the trains and the waves from the Ship Channel or Port of Houston.”
At the centre of the mural is a golden trophy that connects the whole design.
“In the center, we have this gold trophy that’s connecting all the design,” Betirri said.
“This represents the Houston Space Center. We have this astronaut reaching out to these magnolia flowers, which represent Magnolia Park in this area. So every little detail is about Houston, the World Cup, and hopefully, we have all the fans coming here feel connected.”
Betirri has created several sports-themed murals before, including football and World Cup-related artwork. He also painted Houston’s famous “Space Cowboy” mural.
However, this project is especially personal for him because Houston is his home.
“Houston is home for me. I’ve been here for 30 years,” Betirri said.
“I’ve done a lot of different murals around Houston… just really trying to present the identity of Houston in my own way. But, yeah, it’s a very important piece because this is where I live.”
The Harrisburg Boulevard mural is one of ten official FIFA World Cup murals being completed in Houston this week.
Betirri is currently working on around nine other official murals across the city.
He expects all of them to be finished by the end of the week, ahead of Houston’s first World Cup match on June 14.
The murals are set to turn parts of Houston into a colourful public art display as the city prepares for the tournament.
