A mural to beautify an area near downtown Wylie was rejected by Wylie City Council at its meeting in late February, although coun­cilmembers were quick to applaud the effort and the artwork itself.

Councilmembers balked at the design – an eyeball with a state of Texas logo superimposed on the pupil, with rays of color spread­ing in multiple directions around clouds and blue skies. The artwork was a wink to the nickname Wide Awake Wylie, although it contains the words Heart of Wylie.

Some councilmembers thought there should have been more of an emphasis of Wylie’s history in the mural, which would be temporarily displayed – just a few years. Some councilmembers also expressed concerns with the contract with the building owner over where the mu­ral would be painted and that the mural could be painted over in the near future or covered up with an­other building. The building own­er would not sign an agreement guaranteeing a length of time that it would remain on the building, Mayor Matthew Porter said later in an email.

For the full story, see the Mar. 10 issue or subscribe online.

By Don Munsch • [email protected]