The City of Texarkana, Texas—working in collaboration with the Texarkana Arts and Historic District, the Texas Water Foundation, and the Texas Lyceum—commissioned a vibrant mural at the newly renovated Swanger Baseball Complex. The mural was created by nationally recognized designer and artist Will Bryant and a ribbon cutting for the newly finished artwork will be held at Swanger on Tuesday, July 1st at 11:00 am.
During the final stages of complex construction, the city was invited to join the Texas Runs on Water campaign—a statewide initiative led by the Texas Water Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring a sustainable water future for Texas. The campaign uses creative, localized outreach to inspire pride in Texas communities and foster water stewardship across the state.
General Manager and CEO of Gulf Coast Authority Liz Fazio Hale noted the importance of collaborations such as this one.
“I am thrilled to see so many important elements of Texarkana come together in a tribute to our most vital natural resource – water,” said Fazio Hale. “At the same time, we are showing our strength in leadership for the arts, baseball, and community.” Fazio Hale also serves on the Board of Directors for both Texas Lyceum and Texas Water Foundation.
This effort was further supported by the Texas Lyceum, a nonpartisan, nonprofit leadership organization founded in 1980 to cultivate the next generation of civic and business leaders in Texas. The Lyceum focuses on fostering informed, respectful dialogue on pressing policy issues, including water sustainability.
Texas Water Foundation Campaign Director Brianna Fuller emphasized how art was used to signify the role of water in day-to-day life.
“Texarkana is a city defined by connection – across state lines, across communities, and through the water that sustains them all,” said Fuller. “This mural is a reminder that even the things we treasure most, like baseball games, run on water. We’re proud to partner with the City of Texarkana and artist Will Bryant to celebrate the vital role water plays in shaping our shared future.”
Bringing in a muralist was the perfect way to introduce the Texas Runs on Water campaign to the Texarkana community—especially at the Swanger Baseball Complex, where water and athletics naturally intersect. Sports demand hydration, irrigation, and weather resilience, making water an invisible but essential player in every game. A mural provided a highly visible and creative platform to highlight that connection, while also enhancing the visual identity of the revitalized complex.
To bring this vision to life, the team enlisted Will Bryant, a nationally acclaimed artist and designer raised in Texarkana. Now based in Austin, Will’s portfolio includes collaborations with Nike, Adidas, H-E-B, Whole Foods, and leading universities such as Texas A&M and Mississippi State. His signature style—bold, playful, and unmistakably Texan—made him the ideal choice to capture the spirit of Swanger while conveying the message that water powers not just sports, but life in Texas.
Will Bryant spent his youth at these very fields and talks about how special it is to come back home and leave his mark.
“It is such an honor to return to Spring Lake Park and create work for the community that raised me. I cannot express how much I love this collaboration I got to be a part of,” said Bryant. “I hope the kids who are fortunate enough to play ball here at Swanger and view these murals feel the joy I wanted to convy – how carefree it feels to be a kid. But more importantly, I hope the community of Texarkana sees them and understands they helped raise a young person who is so thankful for the opportunity to give a little back and leave my mark on this big, beautiful world that we all have the privilege of sharing with one another.”
The Texarkana Arts & Historic District’s Manager, Brooke Stone, discussed how downtown is proud to be part of city-wide projects like this one.
“We are a collaborative group that spans both sides of the state-line, and we were thrilled to have a hand in this project,’ said Stone. “We’ve wanted to work with Will for some time now and this campaign gave us the perfect opportunity to support the arts while being a part of an important initiative.”
The community is invited to celebrate this vibrant addition to Swanger and Spring Lake Park, tour the newly renovated complex, meet the artist, and learn more about the Texas Runs on Water campaign.
