Shoppers and visitors will soon see more colour on Cedar Springs as Arttitude and the Cedar Springs Merchants Association launch Walls of Pride, a two-year campaign to commission seven murals celebrating Dallas LGBTQ+ history, culture and community , a visible push to preserve stories, support artists and anchor Oak Lawn as a cultural destination.

Essential Takeaways

  • Seven murals planned: A two-year campaign will install seven public artworks along Cedar Springs Road to celebrate LGBTQ+ heritage.
  • Community-focused aims: The project prioritises preserving queer history, boosting visibility and fostering a sense of belonging.
  • Artist support: Commissions will fund local and underrepresented queer and trans artists, helping sustain creative careers.
  • Public activation: Murals will enliven public space, encourage footfall and strengthen Cedar Springs as a cultural destination.
  • Donations welcomed: The campaign is inviting sponsorships and community contributions to cover artist fees and production costs.

Why Walls of Pride matters now

Public art does more than decorate a street; it narrates who belongs here, and it smells like fresh paint and community pride when it first appears. According to Arttitude and the Cedar Springs Merchants Association, Walls of Pride is explicitly aimed at preserving Dallas LGBTQ+ memory while making those stories visible to residents and visitors. That matters in a moment when places of queer history are both celebrated and contested around the country.

This initiative follows a growing trend of neighbourhoods using murals to assert identity and welcome people, while also supporting artists financially. If you've walked Cedar Springs recently you'll have sensed a lively, compact strip that benefits from cultural anchors; these murals will deepen that connection and offer new reasons to linger.

Who’s behind it and what they want to do

Arttitude, an arts collective committed to amplifying queer and trans voices, is partnering with the Cedar Springs Merchants Association, which organises local events and promotes the business district. Jerome Larez of Arttitude framed the murals as more than decoration , they’re intended to hold memory and speak to resilience. CSMA President Kevin Miller described the campaign as honouring Oak Lawn’s past while investing in its future.

That partnership matters: one side brings curatorial and community reach, the other brings storefronts, events and steady local foot traffic. Together they’re positioned to get murals up quickly and to integrate them into the street’s calendar of life, from monthly wine walks to weekend visits.

What the murals will do for the neighbourhood

Think of the murals as public stories you can walk past: they’ll celebrate history, mark places of pride and create fresh photo moments that attract footfall. Murals often become landmarks in themselves, boosting nearby cafés, boutiques and cultural venues and encouraging social media attention that translates into visits.

Practical note: specific sites for the seven pieces haven’t been announced yet, so expect the partners to consult local businesses and property owners before final placements. That consultation can help ensure artworks complement, rather than overwhelm, existing storefronts and signage.

Choosing artists and keeping work resilient

The campaign emphasises supporting underrepresented queer and trans artists, which is a welcome counterpoint to commissions that too often favour familiar names. Funding commissions pays living wages and materials, and it signals a long-term commitment to culture rather than a one-off photo op.

But public art can be vulnerable. Past murals in the area have occasionally faced vandalism, and organisers will need to plan for protective coatings, community stewardship and maintenance budgets. If you’re considering sponsoring a panel, ask how long-term care and conservation are funded.

How you can get involved and why donate

If you love the idea of brighter streets and visible queer history, there are practical ways to help. Arttitude and CSMA are accepting donations and sponsorships to pay artists and production costs; businesses can offer walls, and residents can volunteer to help with clean-ups and opening events. Even small contributions help cover scaffold hire, paint and protective sealants.

Sponsoring or donating also gives you a say in how stories are told , it's a gentle reminder that public art is communal work. Keep an eye on announcements for site reveals and mural launches; these will likely become civic moments that draw neighbours together.

It's a small, colourful step that can make every stroll down Cedar Springs feel more rooted, visible and alive.

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