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OF CENTRAL HOUSTON[Press Conference: “Street Art for Mankind Mural Project"]
INCORPORATED, AND THE HOUSTON DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.THIS YEAR WE INTRODUCED OUR NEW STRATEGIC APPROACH TO CITY BUILDING, FOCUSING ON ACTIVATING THE PUBLIC REALM AND DESIGNING A MORE INTERESTING, EXCITING AND BEAUTIFUL CITY FOR PEOPLE.
WHEN WE LEARNED OF COMMISSIONER ELLIS'S VISION FOR A SERIES OF MURALS CELEBRATING THE UNITED NATIONS 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS, IT MADE SENSE THAT BIG ART, BIGGER CHANGE BECOME THE FIRST INITIATIVE OF THIS NEW STRATEGIC DIRECTION TO PULL OFF AN AMBITIOUS PROJECT LIKE THIS TO REQUIRED STRONG PUBLIC, PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS COMMIT, COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING THE VISION.
I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR PARTNERS NOW, SOME OF WHICH YOU'LL HEAR FROM THIS MORNING.
FIRST, MY BOARD OF DIRECTORS WITH THE DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, WHO HAVE SUPPORTED MY HARDWORKING TEAM AND PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT, LEADERSHIP FROM THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY, WHO HAVE APPROACHED THIS PROJECT WITH A LET'S GET THIS DONE ATTITUDE.
SPIRIT FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OUR CURATORIAL TEAM AT STREET ART FOR MANKIND, FOR BEING THE HEARTBEAT OF THE PROJECT.
THEY ARE ROCK STARS IN THE ART WORLD, AND THIS PROJECT DOES NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT THEM.
THE ARTISTS, SOME OF WHOM WHO HAVE TRAVELED, ARE FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE TO SHARE THEIR TALENTS WITH OUR COMMUNITY, OUR CORPORATE SPONSOR, TOTAL ENERGIES FOR B, FOR BUYING INTO THE VISION FROM DAY ONE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAVE DONATED THEIR WALLS FOR THE MURALS TO LIVE FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR.
TOM SGEA FROM THE FOUR SEASONS IS ONE OF THOSE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING, TOM.
AND FINALLY, THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY, SOME OF WHOM LENT THEIR OWN LIKENESSES TO THE CHARACTERS IN THE MURALS TO ENSURE THAT THEY TRULY CAP CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF HOUSTON.
NOW, I'D LIKE TO INVITE A MAN TO THE STAGE WHO NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION, MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER.
LOOK, LET ME THANK CHRIS AND APPRECIATE HIS, HIS LEADERSHIP AND THOSE OF THE BOARDS, UM, CENTRAL DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
AND THEN LET ME ALSO JUST THINK, UM, LEMME JUST START OFF BY, BY GIVING A BIG SHOUT OUT TO COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS, UH, BECAUSE HE'S JUST BEEN INSTRUMENTAL DETERMINED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I, I, SO, I I I DON'T WANNA TAKE ANY CREDIT AWAY FROM HIM.
AND THEN HE'S BEEN RIDING HIS BICYCLES DOWNTOWN, LOOKING AT THE ARTWORK, SENDING ME TEXTS, TELLING ME, YOU KNOW, HOW IT'S LOOKING.
YOU KNOW, I WAS PROMPTED TO GET IN A TRUCK TO COME DOWN MYSELF.
SO COMMISSIONER ELLIS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISION AND FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, AND THEN FOR ALL OF THE DOWNTOWN OWNERS, THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT HAVE SAID YES AND MADE IT HAPPEN, TOM, WITH THE FOUR SEASONS, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH AND ALL OF THE OTHER DOWNTOWN OWNERS.
WITHOUT YOU, IT WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT NICOLE IRVIN, WHO IS WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ACTOR AND, AND THE PARTICIPATION IN ALL OF THIS.
NOW, LET ME BE, LET ME BE BRIEF, UH, BECAUSE I'M IN THE SHADE AND YOU ARE NOT.
UH, I'M PROUD TO BE STANDING HERE ALONGSIDE EVERYONE WHO PLAYS SUCH AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN CREATING SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL FOR HOUSTON, A FINE ART MURAL EXHIBITION CALLED BIG ART BIGGER CHANGE.
NOW, STARTING TODAY, THIS MURAL WILL TURN A MILE LONG STRETCH OF DOWNTOWN CITY BLOCKS INTO A VERITABLE OPEN AIR MUSEUM BROUGHT TO LIFE WITH THE HELP OF THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, TOTAL ENERGIES AND STREET ART FOR MANKIND, A GLOBAL NONPROFIT THAT WORKS WITH INTERNATIONAL STREET ARTISTS TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THE 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS ADOPTED BY THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
AND THEN LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE WERE HERE, UH, WITH THE WORLD PROGRAM US CALLED ZERO HUNGER, UH, WHICH RESULTED IN A MASS MURAL.
COMMISSIONER ELLIS JUST TOOK IT TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR WHAT, WHAT HE HAS, UH, DONE.
IN TYPICAL HOUSTON FASHION, WE DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING MUCH BIGGER AFTER COMING TOGETHER WITH STREET ART FOR MANKIND, COMMISSIONER ELLIS AND CHRIS LAWSON, AND DECIDING TO CREATE A MUCH MORE LARGE SCALE CAMPAIGN AS A WAY FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS TO COME TOGETHER AND START A CONVERSATION ABOUT A BETTER FUTURE THAT EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
SO WITH BIG ART, BIGGER CHANGE, WE ARE USING THE POWER OF ART TO TRIGGER SOCIAL CHANGE.
AND I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND OTHERS TO COME AND VISIT AND LOOK AT IT.
LET ME BRING UP TBO AND AUDREY, IF YOU ALL WILL COME UP RIGHT IN ON, COME ON UP HERE.
LOOK, AND AGAIN, READING IN PART, THIS IS A PROCLAMATION TO TBO AND AUDREY DECKER
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AND CENTRAL HOUSTON, WHEREAS THE ARTS ENRICH OUR LIVES AND OUR COMMUNITY AND CONTRIBUTE TO HOUSTON'S CULTURAL, UH, RICHNESS.CENTRAL HOUSTON INCORPORATED WILL BE A REMARKABLE OUTDOOR FINE ART EXHIBIT ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 15TH, TITLED BIG ART BIG CHANGE WITH THE SUPPORT FROM THE HOUSTON DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT.
AND WHEREAS STREET ART FOR MANKIND WAS FOUNDED BY ERY AND TEBOW DECKER IN 2016, AND WORKS WITH INTERNATIONAL PROMINENT STREET ARTISTS TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
AND WHEREAS THE THEMES FOR THE MINERALS WILL DETERMINE WITH THE DESIRE TO UNITE PEOPLE AROUND SHARED VISIONS, THIS EXHIBITION WILL INCLUDE NINE MAJOR WORKS BY 10 INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED STREET ARTISTS, INCLUDING THREE HOUSTONIANS, WHERE THE MURALS WILL TACKLE CRITICAL ISSUES WITH THEMES THAT ADDRESS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS RANGING FROM GREEN ENERGY, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND INNOVATION TO HUMAN RIGHTS, SOCIAL EQUITY, AND EDUCATION.
AND WHEREAS CENTRAL HOUSTON INC STRIVES TO IMPROVE DOWNTOWN HOUSTON WITH PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHRIS LAWSON AT THE HAM, WHO IS DEDICATED TO REINFORCING THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE IN DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
AND WHEREAS THE ART PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR LIVES AND PROVIDES ENRICHMENTS AND STRIVES TO DELIVER ENLIGHTENING AND TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCES, THEREFORE, I, SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 14TH, 2022 AS TBO AND AUDREY DECKER AND CENTRAL HOUSTON DAY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
DON'T WORRY, I KNOW HOW HOT IT IS.
MY STAFF WROTE A GREAT SPEECH, BUT I WON'T READ IT, JUST TWO PAGES SO I DON'T FORGET SOMETHING.
FIRST OF ALL, ME, I WANT TO THANK YOU.
UH, YOU'D BE AMAZED AT THE THINGS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH USING YOUR NAME, JUST THROWING IT ALL AROUND THE PLACE.
YOU KNOW, ONE BUILDING DIDN'T WORK OUT, SO I CALLED UP ANOTHER BUILDING AND SAID, HEY, MAYOR TURNER ASKED ME TO CALL YOU, BUT IF YOU CAN'T DO THIS, I'LL HAVE HIM CALL YOU RIGHT BACK.
UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF CHRIS LARSON AND HIS TEAM, UH, BECAUSE YOU ALL STEPPED UP.
GIVE THAT BOARD AND CHRIS A WARM ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE PRIVATE BUILDING OWNERS, ALL OF THEM, EVERY ONE OF 'EM IN PARTICULAR, THE FOUR SEASONS, BECAUSE YOU WERE THE FIRST TIME TO STEP UP AND WE USE YOUR NAME TO GET OTHERS.
SO THANK WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THESE PRIVATE BUILDING OWNERS FOR LETTING US USE THEIR BUILDINGS.
NOBODY HAS EVER EXERCISED THE OPTION AFTER ONE YEAR TO TAKE ONE OF THESE MURALS DOWN.
NOBODY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF THE GRAFFITI ARTISTS HAVE EVER GONE IN AND DEFACED THESE MURALS, AND THEY'RE ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
I'M SO GLAD SANJAY IS HERE BECAUSE SANJAY IS PART OF THE REASON THAT I MET THE PEOPLE AT THE MAYOR, JUST HONORED.
WE DO OUR BICYCLE RIDES ON A REGULAR BASIS.
HE STOPS FOR ALL OF THE METRO CROSSINGS.
HE DOES NOT STOP AT THE OTHERS, MR. MAYOR, BUT HE STOPS AT ALL OF THE METRO CROSSINGS.
AND I WAS DRAWN TO MY RIGHT, UH, RIGHT AFTER YOU PASSED OUR, OUR RESTAURANT DOWN DOWNTOWN WHERE WE EAT, AND I WAS JUST, I THINK THE PAPER SAID, I LITERALLY STOPPED IN MY TRACKS.
YES, BECAUSE I WAS ABOUT TO GET HIT BY THE DREAM.
AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT STRUCK ME.
IT WAS THE MURAL ABOUT HUNGER, ONE OF THE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.
AND WHAT STRUCK ME WAS I SAW PEOPLE WHO LOOKED LIKE ME AND SYLVESTER TURNER IN BRIGHT, MAGNIFICENT COLORS GOING UP.
THEY WERE PAINTING THE MURAL, AND IT JUST, I, I WENT OVER AND I STARTED TALKING TO LARGER AND TEBOW, I COULD TELL THEIR ACCENT WAS KIND OF BROKEN CAJUN TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
AND SO I SAID, I'M RODNEY ELLIS AND WHO, WHO'S, I'M JUST ASKING QUESTIONS, ASSUMING THEY KNEW WHO I WAS.
AND AFTER A WHILE THEY DAWNED ON ME.
THEY, THEY WERE KINDA LIKE, OKAY, YOU RODNEY ELLIS.
AND SO I SAID, LOOK, COME LOCAL POLITICS, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS AND WHY.
WHAT, WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO DO IT? AND HE SAID, WELL, I WENT ONLINE AND YOU WENT ONLINE.
SO WHERE ARE YOU FROM? FRANCE.
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BUT I LIVE IN NEW YORK AND HE, I HAVE THIS NOT-FOR-PROFIT.AND I SAID, WELL, WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO PICK HOUSTON? HE HAD A CORPORATE SPONSOR, A NATIONAL SPONSOR, AND THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
AND THEY WANTED TO USE THESE MURALS TO SEND A SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE, NOT QUITE IN YOUR FACE, BECAUSE I WAS DRAWN TO IT, IN PART BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRICAN AMERICAN, THEY WERE BLACK, UH, AND BECAUSE THEY WERE CHILDREN, BUT BECAUSE THEY WAS BEAUTIFUL, THESE MURALS OUGHT TO PROMPT A DISCUSSION.
AND SO AFTER I GOT TO KNOW THEM, I WAS SO IMPRESSED, MAYOR, THIS IS DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC.
I WAS ON A BIKE PASSING BY THAT MURAL AND FACETIMED YOU, I'M GLAD YOU COULD WORK THE THING TO SHOW YOU WHAT WAS GOING ON.
IT WAS DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT WE, WE TURNED HOUSTON OUT, UH, PRETTY WELL.
AS A RESULT OF THAT, I DECIDED TO ASK, WHAT CAN WE DO TO DO MORE? I WANT US TO BE THE FIRST CITY TO HAVE ALL 17 UN SUSTAINABILITY GOALS UP ON MURALS IN THIS CITY.
BUT REMEMBER, THIS IS ART, BIG ART FOR BIG CHANGE WITH A PURPOSE.
I HOPE PEOPLE COME HERE TO THIS SITE AND HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE CAN ACHIEVE THOSE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE, YOU'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE THE ARTISTS.
I DID HAVE 'EM OVER MY HOUSE FOR DINNER, UH, THE OTHER NIGHT, AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE THEM OUT TONIGHT, MAYOR TO TOM BASS PARK, WHERE THE GEORGE FLOYD STATUE IS, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TAKE YOU ALL OUT TO EAT BARBECUE.
IF THAT'S THE VEGANS IN THE GROUP, THEY CAN EAT THE POTATO SALAD, BUT WE'RE GONNA TAKE THEM OUT TO EAT TEXAS BARBECUE AFTER THEY SEE THAT MURAL.
I HOPE THAT WE CAN GET SUPPORT FROM TOTAL.
THEY STEPPED UP IN A, IN A BIG WAY, UH, HOPEFULLY, HOPEFULLY FROM CENTRAL HOUSTON SO WE CAN HAVE ALL OF THE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS IN THIS CITY AND HAVE DIALOGUE LAST MONTH.
HERE'S A TWIST WE ADDED TO HOUSTON.
THEY HAD MODELS FOR THESE MURALS, AND TEBOW MENTIONED THAT TO ME.
SO ONE NIGHT IN A LATE NIGHT DISCUSSION, WE DECIDED, I THINK WE CAN FIND A LOCAL BLACK KID TO GO ON A WALL.
THIS KID IS FROM HOUSTON, HE'S IN SCHOOL TODAY.
HE'S FROM, UH, HE LIVES NOT TOO FAR FROM THE CUNY HOMES PROJECT.
WE GOT HIM FROM THE SHAPE COMMUNITY CENTER, THE YOUNG WOMAN GOING UP ON THAT WALL WHERE THEY'LL BE WORKING MAYBE NEXT WEEK.
AND AT LEAST UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE AS WE MEET TOMORROW, THEY'LL BE WORKING, IS A NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN.
THE WOMAN, THE YOUNG LADY WHO'S ON THAT WALL ON THAT FREEDOM WALL IS A LOCAL HISPANIC.
WE HAD REAL CHALLENGES FINDING A HISPANIC WITH 1.2 MILLION IN HOUSTON.
I APPRECIATE MY STAFF AT THE LAST MINUTE FINDING ONE TOM ON THE FOUR SEASONS WALL.
IT IS A LOCAL ASIAN AMERICAN WHO'S ON THAT WALL, AND I THINK IT WILL INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION WHEN THEY WALK HERE AND LOOK AT THEMSELVES ON THIS WALL TO KNOW THEY TOO CAN BE A SYLVESTER TURNER OR SOMETHING.
THEY WANNA DO IT, LIKE, THANK YOU.
RIGHT NOW I GET TO INTRODUCE, UH, THE ROCK STARS OF THE MURAL WORLD, UH, TEBOW AND AUDREY DECKER.
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY VERY, VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY.
AND I'M GONNA START ALSO BY THANKING EVERYBODY BEHIND ME, BECAUSE THIS PROJECT THAT WE, WE CARRIED AND WE'VE BEEN CREATING WOULD NE WOULD'VE NEVER EXISTED WITHOUT THE DRIVE OF MAYOR TURNER.
UH, RODNEY ELLIS, OF COURSE, COMMISSIONER ELLIS, AND THANK YOU FOR PUSHING.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ALL THAT ENERGY EVERY DAY TO US, BUT ALSO TO THE ARTISTS.
HE WAS BIKING TWICE A DAY AROUND TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY WAS ACTUALLY OKAY.
AND THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY AN INSPIRATION, I THINK, FOR A LOT OF THE ARTISTS.
OF COURSE, CHRIS AND, UH, AND ALL THE DOWNTOWN HOUSTON FOR PUTTING UP WITH US AND
AND HOW COULD I NOT FORGET? I MEAN, TOTAL AND ALL, AND THE CO OUT HERE.
THANK YOU TO THE TEAMS FOR, FOR BELIEVING IN US ALSO AND, AND PARTNERING AND, AND CARRYING THAT, THAT MESSAGE WITH US.
DEJU, I'M GONNA SWITCH, BUT, UM, SO MY NAME IS THIBO DECKER AND THIS IS AUDREY DECKER.
AND WE ARE THE CO-FOUNDERS OF STREET ART FOR MANKIND.
SO THIS IS A STORY THAT STARTED IN 2016, ACTUALLY 2015, END OF THE 2015, WHERE WE DECIDED, BECAUSE WE MET THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE KAAR, WHO WAS FIGHTING AGAINST CHILD TRAFFICKING, WE DECIDED TO GET INVOLVED AND TO CREATE THIS NONPROFIT TO HELP HIM ORIGINALLY RAISE AWARENESS.
AND WE GOT A LOT OF ARTISTS ACTUALLY COMING OVER AND PAINTING IN MIAMI AT THAT TIME.
SO THE UN AFTERWARDS REACHED OUT TO US AND WE STARTED DOING DIG MURALS ACROSS THE WORLD IN FRANCE, IN IN BRUSSELS, I MEAN IN, IN, IN, IN, UH, IN, I MEAN, MEXICO, ALL OVER THE WORLD.
AND, AND IT'S BEEN, UM, IT'S BEEN FUN, I WOULD SAY.
SO WHAT WE DO IS BASICALLY WE ARE HERE TO CREATE BIG ART TO INSPIRE PEOPLE.
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OUR ART IS HERE.WE BELIEVE IN ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE.
AND WE BELIEVE THAT ART IN GENERAL IS, HAS THE POWER TO TOUCH MINDS, SOULS AND CREATE A CONVERSATION.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
SO ALL THE ART THAT YOU'LL SEE ACTUALLY HERE, LIKE FROM US AROUND THE WORLD, IS HERE TO CREATE A CONVERSATION FOR THAT.
YOU HAVE THE ART, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE AN APP THAT WE CREATED CALLED BEHIND THE WALL, WHICH IS FREE AND THAT YOU CAN USE, JUST LOOK AT THE MURAL AND IT'S GONNA PROMPT CONTENT SO THAT YOU'LL HEAR THE ARTIST TALKING.
YOU'LL HEAR, UH, OTHER PEOPLE, PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY, MAYOR TURNER, RODNEY ELLIS, AND OTHERS TALK ABOUT THE TOPICS THAT ARE THERE.
BUT ALSO TO GIVE A CHANCE TO PEOPLE TO ACT BECAUSE THE MURALS ARE HERE.
ALSO, TO MAKE A LINK IN THE COMMUNITY TO THE GREAT ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE, LIKE SHAPE OUR WORK AND LIKE A LOT OF LOCAL, I WOULD SAY ORGANIZATIONS THAT DO A GREAT JOB ON ALL OF THOSE THEMES.
AND THE IDEA IS TO CONNECT THEM AND TO GIVE A PO A POSSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC TO DO SOMETHING.
JUST GET ENGAGED AND TAKE ACTION.
I'M GONNA LEAD IT TO AUDREY FOR THE REST OF IT.
SO JUST QUICKLY ABOUT THE BIG ART, BIGGER CHANGE MURAL.
SO THIS IS A SERIES OF NINE VERY, VERY LARGE MURALS.
THEY WERE BUILT BY EXTRAORDINARY, UH, INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL ARTISTS FROM, UH, ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
AND THEY ARE REALLY MADE TO UNITE PEOPLE AROUND VALUES AND THE SHARED VALUES OF THE COMMUNITIES, THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD SAY EVEN THE, THE WORD COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THIS REALLY, THIS SERIES IS INSPIRED, AS WAS SAID, PRIORLY BY RODNEY, BY THE AND AND BY, BY THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE SDG NUMBER 13 WITH CLIMATE ACTION ON NUMBER 10, WITH THE EQUITY MODE BEHIND US, ET CETERA.
AND WE ARE ALSO INVOLVED, THE UN GC, THE UN GLOBAL COMPACT TEAM, THE UNESCO, THEY'RE GONNA BE SPEAKING ON THE APP THAT THIBO WAS TALKING ABOUT.
SO THIS IS INSPIRED BY THE SDGS, BUT THIS IS ALSO A LOT INSPIRED BY THE DIVERSITY, THE DIVERSITY OF THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY, AND THE DIVERSITY OF THE PROJECT.
SO WE DO HAVE NINE INCREDIBLE ARTISTS WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.
SO WE HAVE FROM HOUSTON, AND MAYBE WE CAN UPLOAD THEM ONE BY ONE.
WE HAVE ANNA MALTA, AND THERE'S DIVERSITY BEHIND EACH ONE OF THEM.
SO ANNA, ANNA MALTA, SHE LIVES IN NEWTOWN, BUT SHE'S FROM PUERTO RICO AND SHE'S AN AMAZING ARTIST WHO IS, UH, WORKING STILL ON A, ON A BEAUTIFUL MURAL.
SO ANNA MALTA IS ONE OF THE INCREDIBLE ARTISTS.
WE HAVE A SECOND INCREDIBLE ARTIST, ALSO A WOMAN.
WE LOVE TO WORK WITH WOMEN AND MEN IN EVERYTHING WE DO.
SHE ALSO FROM HOUSTON, AND SHE'S ORIGINALLY FROM, FROM ASIA, I THINK SHE'S FROM VIETNAM ACTUALLY.
SHE, THIS IS ANOTHER AMAZING ARTIST.
SHE'S ACTUALLY WORKING AS WE SPEAK ON THE FOURTH SEASON.
SO A BIG EFFORT FOR, FOR EMILY.
AND BIBO IS WORKING RIGHT THERE.
YOU KNOW, HE'S ORIGINAL FROM AFRICA AND HE ALSO LIVES IN HOUSTON AND HE'S WORKING ON THE MURAL, THE 17 SEG THAT'S GONNA BE, UH, RELATED TO UNGC.
SO BIMBO IS ANOTHER INCREDIBLE ARTIST WHO'S WORKING.
THEN IT'S QUITE EASY BECAUSE WE ARE HERE, HERE YOU SEE THE WORD FREEDOM, THAT YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE RODEO, RODEO, UM, UM, ARTWORK RIGHT BELOW IT.
AND THIS IS DONE BY INTERNATIONAL ARTIST VICTOR, AS WHO'S FROM DENMARK, FRANCE AND PORTUGAL.
AND, UH, WE JUST FINISHED A MURAL.
SO A BIG RUN OF APPLAUSE FOR BEFORE.
THEN WE HAVE, WE HAVE RIGHT HERE LULA GAE THAT YOU CAN SEE AT WORK AS WE SPEAK.
THIS IS A MURAL ABOUT WOMEN AND INNOVATION.
AND THEN WE TALK QUICKLY ABOUT THAT.
BUT BASICALLY LULA, IT'S FROM SPAIN.
SO A BIG APPLAUSE FOR LULA THEN, RIGHT, RIGHT BEHIND US WE HAVE KAY MACLAIN FROM GERMANY AND HE FINISHED HIS MURAL, AS YOU CAN TELL.
SO THANK YOU KATE, FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK.
THEN IF YOU CONTINUE, YOU'RE GONNA FIND THE MURAL OF, UM, CARLOS ALBERTO FROM MEXICO.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT GREEN ENERGY, SDG NUMBER SEVEN.
AND IT'S AMAZING ALSO ARTISTS.
SO ANOTHER BIG ABOUT CARLOS, THEN YOU'RE GONNA FIND THE ARTIST, BUT THEY ARE BY SUNNY SUN DANCER THAT IS, UH, BY THE HILTON INCREDIBLE FALCON.
HE'S FROM UK AND SOUTH AFRICA.
AND LAST, BUT THAT LEAST WE ARE GONNA HAVE GALIN WHO'S GONNA START THE MURAL REALLY SOON.
AND IT'S ALSO AN ARTIST OF SPAIN.
AND THIS IS RELATED TO THE US FILM ABOUT EDUCATION FOR I WAS TALKING ABOUT BEFORE.
SO WE HAVE NINE VERY COMMITTED ARTISTS.
THIS IS A DIVERSITY OF THE ARTISTS, THE DIVERSITY OF THE SEAS, AS WE DISCUSSED BEFORE, THE DIVERSITY OF THE KIDS WHO WERE PART OF THE PROJECT.
SO THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT.
AND THE LAST POINT, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S REALLY HARD, BUT I CAN'T THINK WE WITHOUT MENTION THAT, IS THAT AS SIBO MENTIONED, WE HAVE THE APP AND WHAT WE REALLY WANTED IS TO GET THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE A CHANGE, WHO REALLY ACT, YOU KNOW, TO INSPIRE US TO DO THE SAME, UH, TO GET INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT.
SO FOR THE MURAL THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT HERE, THE MURAL BY LULA, THIS IS DR.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW HER, ACTUALLY.
SHE WAS RECOGNIZED BY MAYOR TURNER, I THINK TWO DAYS AGO.
AND SHE, SHE'S THE INVENTOR, UH, WITH A COLLEAGUE OF HER OF THE, UH, VACCINE FOR COVID FOR THE WORLD, A GENERIC VACCINE THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND SHE'S FROM HOUSTON, YES, A GENERIC VACCINE FOR, FOR THE, UH, FOR THE CVID 19.
AND SHE WAS NOMINATED FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE AS WELL.
SO SHE'S NOT A TALK ON THE APP AND SHE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW
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WOMEN, YOU KNOW, CAN BE IN SCIENCE.SO IT'S REALLY TO EMPOWER GIRLS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING SUPER IMPORTANT.
AND ANOTHER ONE, I'M NOT GONNA PAT THEM ALL, BUT JUST ANOTHER ONE REALLY QUICKLY, IS THE, UH, A FALCON THAT YOU WILL SEE ON THE HILTON.
THE, THE ORGANIZATION BEHIND, UM, IS ALL, IS, UH, THE PARIS PER FUND.
AND THEY HAVE HELPED THE FALCON TO BE REINTRODUCED ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY IN THE GULF OF, OF MEXICO.
AND, AND THEY WERE ALMOST EXPENSE 30 YEARS AGO.
SO IT REALLY SHOWS THAT WHEN PEOPLE REALLY HAVE THE DRIVE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THEY CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AND THIS IS WHAT, HOW WE WANNA INSPIRE PEOPLE IS IF YOU WANNA MAKE A CHANGE, YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO WE REALLY HOPE THAT THIS IS GOING WORK AND THAT IT IS GONNA EDUCATE PEOPLE AND INSPIRE THEM TO TRIGGER CHANGE.
I'M GONNA BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO BE, BE THAT YOU WANNA SEE IN THE WORLD.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF GREAT STORIES BEHIND EACH OF THE MURAL.
I WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE, UH, TO LOCATE AT THE QR CODE AT THE BOTTOM OF EACH MURAL, THAT VIA PLAQUE.
UM, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO, IT'LL TAKE YOU TO AN APP WHERE YOU CAN LEARN ALL THE BACKGROUND, SEE INTERVIEWS WITH THE ARTISTS, AND LEARN MORE ABOUT, UH, THE THEMES OF EACH MURAL.
SO FINALLY, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE THE CEO OF, UH, TOTAL ENERGY'S AMERICA.
OLE HANSON IS GONNA SHARE A FEW WORDS, UH, TO HELP TO WRAP UP OUR PROGRAM.
MY NAME IS HOA HANSON, AND I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT TOTAL ENERGY IS HERE TODAY AS ONE OF THE MAIN SPONSORS FOR THIS AMAZING PROJECT.
AND I'M VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY WITH MY NEW FRIENDS.
AND, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN BY THANKING MAYOR TURNER, UM, AND ALSO HARRY'S COUNTY COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS, AS WELL AS AUDREY AND BU DECKER FROM THE STREET OUT OF MANKIND.
AND CHRIS LARSON, UH, CENTRAL HOUSTON PRESIDENT AND CEO.
UM, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU AND ALL OTHER SUPPORTERS OF THIS INCREDIBLE PROJECT FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR VISION, AND EXCELLENT COLLABORATION.
MY GRATITUDE ALSO GOES TO THE UNBELIEVABLE TALENTED ARTISTS WHOM ARE BROUGHT TO LIFE INSPIRING ART INSTALLATIONS BUILT ON THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
DEL ENERGY IS DEEPLY HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS BIGGER ART, BIGGER CHANGE INITIATIVE.
AND I'D LIKE TO SHARE MORE WITH YOU ABOUT OUR COMPANY AND WHY THIS WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT.
WE ARE A GLOBAL MULTI ENERGY COMPANY WITH 100,000 EMPLOYEES IN 130 COUNTRIES.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO DELIVER ENERGY THAT IS EVER MORE AFFORDABLE, CLEANER, MORE RELIABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE BEEN IN THE US FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS.
WE ARE LOCAL EMPLOYER WITH MORE THAN 1000 EMPLOYEES HERE IN THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA.
THERE'S ALSO A TENANT RIGHT HERE, DOWNTOWN HOUSTON, FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY PARTNER HERE IN HOUSTON.
WE PROVIDE FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEER SUPPORT ACROSS THE COMMUNITY HERE.
AND IMPORTANTLY, WE ARE COMPANY WITH AN AMBITION OF BEING A WORLD-CLASS PLAYER IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION AND TO REACH CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2050 TOGETHER WITH SOCIETY.
AND THE UN GOALS HAVE BEEN THE CORE OF OUR COMPANY'S SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY.
THEY SERVE AS PILLARS FOR OUR AMBITION TO BE A WORLD-CLASS PLAYER IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION.
THIS IS WHY THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABILITY GOALS THAT WE CELEBRATE TODAY THROUGH THIS ART INSTALLATION HAVE PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE TO US.
SO WHEN STREET, SO WHEN STREET ART FOR MANKIND APPROACHED US ABOUT A YEAR AGO, THE DECISION WAS REALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
YES, WE WILL SUPPORT THIS INCREDIBLE PROJECT, EACH OF THE, OF THESE POWERFUL MURALS, ENGAGERS, HOUSTONIANS, AS WELL AS VISITORS TO THE CITY AND NEWCOMERS LIKE MYSELF IN GRASPING HOW TOPICS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, EDUCATION, AND INNOVATION CAN INFLUENCE THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY AND POSSIBLY AND POSITIVELY SHAPE FUTURE GENERATIONS.
LET IT BE AN INSPIRATION TO ALL OF US.
SO AS A COMPANY WHO PLACES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ALL ITS DIMENSIONS, AT THE HEART OF OUR STRATEGY, OUR PROJECTS AND OUR OPERATIONS, WE ARE EXCITED TO SEE BIG ART, BIG CHAINS COME TO LIFE.
AND I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATE WITH OUR FAMILIES AND WITH THE COMMUNITIES HERE TOMORROW AS THE EVENT CONTINUES.
I DID WANNA RECOGNIZE KAY JEANETTE.
SHE PAID FOR THE GEORGE FLOYD STATUTE AND SHE MAYOR, SHE'S ALSO, UH, SPLITTING THE COST WITH THE COUNTY TO DO A, A, UH, MURAL ABOUT, UH, STOPPING GUN VIOLENCE.
[00:25:03]
ALRIGHT, WE KEEP TELLING YOU WE'RE GONNA LET YOU GO AND THEN WE KEEP TALKING.UM, I'M GONNA BRING US HOME THOUGH, WHAT COMES NEXT? UH, TOMORROW WE WILL HAVE A BIG EVENT, UH, HERE ON MAIN STREET, UH, COMMUNITY CELEBRATION, UH, TO, TO REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME AND EXPLORE DOWNTOWN.
UH, WE'LL HAVE, UH, AN ART FAIR.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE ART CARS OUT HERE.
ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME BACK, BRING YOUR FAMILY, UH, ENJOY A DAY DISCOVERING OUR DOWNTOWN.
UH, WE'LL ALSO HAVE TWO MORE MURALS COMING LATER THIS YEAR.
SO COMMISSIONER ELLIS HAS, UH, MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE EIGHT NOW WE WANT TO GET TO 17TH, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET TO DOUBLE DIGITS BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UH, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT PHASE TWO, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR AND SEE IF WE CAN'T GET TO THAT NUMBER 17.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.