Virtuoso Joshua Boulet says his goal was to originate something with which everyone in Frisco could identify when he created a 70-foot mural at Main and Fourth Street. Judging by responses, he reached and surpassed that goal, with the mural still being admired to this day.
"With my family living in The Colony my whole life, I really wanted to highlight the great qualities of Frisco, such as its growth, safety, comfort and friendliness. From seeing how public art connected people in Seattle and how those in Singapore responded to the authenticity of sketches, I knew I really, really wanted to be a part of this creative opportunity here in Frisco," says the full-time artist, who responded to the city's open call for submissions three years ago.
Although he's been drawing and painting since he "could pick up a pencil" as a toddler, and although he illustrated the mural before starting, he admits there were times when he stared at the colossal, porous wall and wondered what he'd gotten himself into with such a large execution. Because he was creating on a concrete wall with holes, his chosen treatment was through spray paint, and then it became a question of whether he'd ever have enough paint.
Unveiled to the public during November 2018, Joshua's downtown wall mural project was managed by Frisco Arts and funded by The Rotary Club of Frisco and the Downtown Advisory Board. Former Frisco Arts President Julie Shipp had shared then that the time was right for the local arts community to rally around a signature project that tangibly represents the local talent in Frisco.
Frisco Association for the Arts (Frisco Arts) has served as the city’s official arts advocacy agency since 2009, originally created by business and city leaders in 1996 to help promote the arts in Frisco. Its mission is to advance the arts in the city through arts advocacy, accessible programs and scholarships. As the local champions of the arts, Frisco Arts members aspire to support and encourage art, design, and creativity throughout Frisco.
Joshua says he went to the Frisco Heritage Museum to get ideas of the past. "Then I looked around Frisco, and picked things I thought were important about the community," he adds.
He says as the project evolved, he added various attributes and details. "I worked on it for an entire month, through 10-hour days and most of the time through the night," he adds.
Within the mural, admirers also found familiar landmarks, diverse cultures, a thriving sports community and an interactive spot where they can become part of the creation.
Joshua does live sketches, watercolors, animations, live drawings, chalk art indoor walls, serial illustrations as well as comics, and he's done other, smaller murals for businesses, such as Eden Lifestyle Boutique in Frisco and in Plano. However, the Rail District Frisco mural remains the largest one he's completed to date.
To view a 1:53-minute video of Joshua's steps in creating this popular mural, go online to YouTube/T04RPpsbrKs.