For decades, stories of The Flats, Garland’s historic freestanding Black community, have lived on through the memories of residents. On June 20, the city of Garland will unveil a new mosaic mural celebrating the community’s enduring legacy.
The Flats – A Legacy Installation is a part of a series of murals by Houston-based artist Reginald Adams. The project began in Galveston in 2021, and the murals honor different historically Black communities around the state.
The Flats grew in the early 20th century northeast of Garland’s downtown square. It had several thriving businesses, a school and a close-knit residential community. During the 1960s, the residents were displaced to make room for what is now downtown Garland.
“The Granville Arts Center currently sits where the heart of The Flats initially rested,” Adams said. “And it’s so very fortuitous to have a work of art at an art center that once replaced the neighborhood that the work of art is here to honor.”
Over the course of 90 days, Adams worked with six full-time artists and some assistants to place over 20,000 hand-cut glass and porcelain tiles to create a 3-feet-by-36-feet mosaic mural showcasing 15 scenes that make up the dynamic community.
Adams says he chose mosaic art as the medium for this piece because it will withstand the test of time, is low-maintenance, and is durable against graffiti vandalism.
Some of the scenes depicted in the artwork were inspired by stories that were told to Adams and his team by former residents.
One scene was inspired by resident Bertha Wallace, who described walking down a dirt road with her grandmother after church. Another scene shows the first Black church in The Flats: Sims Chapel.
The mural combines this ancient art technique with a digital aspect that helps tell the history of The Flats.
“The mural takes on a new life and becomes somewhat of a living experience,” Adams said. “While the stories of The Flats potentially lie in the memories of a lot of the elder African American community members, we’re now able to bring those stories to the front using technology.”
People visiting the mural can use an app called Artivive to scan portions of mural. There are 11 scanning areas within the mural, and each has a 20- to 30-second digital animation or short video that helps provide additional historical context.
“My favorite part of doing this artwork has been hearing these passionate stories of a community that no longer exists in person, and there’s no artifacts from The Flats,” Adams said. “But to have spent the last year hearing about these stories and learning about these places, people and events, and to see that come to life using this technology is very exciting.”
Details
The mosaic mural is located at the intersection of 300 N. 5th Street and Austin Street in Garland. The dedication ceremony will take place on June 20 at 4:30 p.m. at The Atrium, 300 N. 5th St., Garland. Free to attend. garlandtx.gov.