A larger-than-life farmer will gaze across downtown Celina by December 2026, one of three murals coming to the exterior walls of the city's Downtown Center after an international search landed on Australian-born artist Damien Mitchell.
The city received 52 submissions in response to its call for artists, according to the Celina Record. A selection committee narrowed the field to six finalists, who each developed preliminary concepts that were scored.
Mitchell came out on top.
The committee sought designs that promoted Celina's history with what it called "iconic and timeless iconography" to help create a sense of place.
Mitchell's winning concepts include the farmer figure, which may be modeled after Steve Robinson, and an interactive longhorn mural where passersby can sit and take in the view from the Downtown Center. The subject of the third mural has not been publicly detailed.
Mitchell has painted large-scale works in New York City, Prague and other cities around the world. He lived in Prague for eight years before establishing his practice, which his website describes as "International Mural Art."
The murals add to a growing public-art presence in Celina. In June, the city marked its 150th birthday with a celebration on the square that included a commemorative mural unveiling, part of a broader push to honor the community's roots as it grows.
The City of Celina announced the Downtown Center project in September 2024. The contract value for Mitchell's commission and any public unveiling date have not been announced.
What's ahead
- December 2026: All three Mitchell murals expected to be completed on the Downtown Center's exterior walls.
- Arts & Culture Board meetings: Celina City Hall, 142 N. Ohio St. Future meeting dates may include updates on the mural project's progress.
