Cedar Park Adds New Ground Mural by Artist Lawren Alice

Cedar Park, the public park on Baltimore Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, just got a fresh pop of color! The beloved community green space has a brand-new ground mural titled Groove and Flow  on its eastern edge where Baltimore Avenue and Catharine Streets converge courtesy of local artist Lawren Alice.

UCD Director of Planning and Design Nate Hommel collaborated with community group Cedar Park Neighbors on a search process to find an artist who could blend vibrant colors with subtle nature themes for the Cedar Park Pedestrian Plaza, which sees over 1,000 daily visitors. Painted in bright jewel tones that capture the beauty of nature, the mural took shape over a few days in mid-October 2024. Made with long-lasting materials, this new artwork will brighten the space for the next five years, with touch-ups as needed to keep it looking fresh.

Artist Lawren Alice enjoyed interacting with the community during the painting of the mural. “People were incredibly nice,” she says of the experience. “The goal was to create a beautiful, ornate pattern that you can see from either end of the park. I loved hearing everyone’s interpretations of what it is and I’m hopeful the community will really enjoy the final product.” 

(Pictured left to right: CPN President Cat Hoffman, UCD Director of Planning and Design Nate Hommel, artist Lawren Alice, Rep. Rick Krajewski, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, and UCD President Matt Bergheiser)

The mural was officially unveiled during a meet-and-greet with UCD staff, artist Lawren Alice, members of Cedar Park Neighbors, and elected officials Rep. Rick Krajewski and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier on Monday, November 18th. This isn’t the first artistic transformation Cedar Park has seen: Back in 2017, UCD partnered with the City and our community to expand the footprint of the park’s eastern edge and solve a traffic concern. By using planters, flex posts, trees, and boulders, we ditched a confusing turning lane and even created a few extra parking spaces in the process. We collaborated with Hagopian Arts to present three potential murals printed on removable stickers. The community then voted to select their favorite design, and the winner—a huge monarch butterfly—was installed. It remained in the plaza for several years before needing to be refreshed.

We are so excited to once again refresh the park with original artwork, and we hope you will enjoy it! 

Event photos by Chris Richman for University City District. The drone photograph in the header image is courtesy Tolsma Productions.