As the Little Houses Go…

As the Little Houses Go shares a story about change, the constancy of nature, and the resilient spirit of our city and the First Ward’s early settlers. Canna lilies and trumpet vines are featured prominently in this mural, symbolizing the tenacious nature of Houston and its people. Both plant species are hearty survivalists, able to weather obstacles and continue to grow despite their continued destruction via the development of the built environment.

Victorian houses float upwards through the sky, as if drifting off into time and space, alluding to the threat of rapid gentrification of the First Ward. The sky fades from night to dawn, a reminder of constant change, while hummingbirds symbolize the everyday and ongoing bustle of life enduring the changes of time.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Jessica Rice is a painter and mural artist living in the Houston area. She earned a Bachelors of Art from the University of Houston-Downtown with a focus in education and art. After studio painting professionally and participating in gallery shows for five years, she painted her first mural in 2012 and began a career as a mural and street artist. Her style can be interpreted as blurring the line between fine art and low-brow art and is extremely illustrative and whimsical. She draws inspiration from pop-surrealism of the last three decades, as well as nature and her experience as a woman.