EaDo mural festival offers culture, splash of color to Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Along Leeland Street in Houston's East Downtown, a colorful transformation is taking place this week. Local street artists and others from around the world are making their mark by painting huge murals.

The work is all part of the city's first ever "Hue Mural Festival." Artist GONZO247 told abc13 at least 10 countries are represented along with plenty of locals. He said the murals are a chance to reimagine some of the blank walls and bring a little bit more character to the area.

"A lot of times if you look around, you see all these dark brown buildings. It's not aesthetically pleasing but then you cut a corner and you see all these bright colors. It's really inviting. You don't feel like you're lost. You feel like wow, this is a really colorful place. It invites you to come out and explore the area," said GONZO247.

"That's the reason we're doing this. That's the reason we're painting all these walls. I've always felt Houston can compete on a national and international level on the art scene. This is a really great way to promote it."

The week-long festival ends on Saturday. The public is encouraged to come out and check out the murals. It's free. For more information, visit their website at huemuralfestival.com.