By: Ellison, David (Commissioner Pct 1)
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Texas Southern University and the art community on Tuesday, Oct. 7 honored the legacy of the late Dr. John Biggers, founder of TSU’s art department, by unveiling two murals replicating his paintings. ThThe unveiling also celebrated the activism of the TSU students who held Houston’s first civil rights movement sit-in at a Houston grocery store in 1960.
“Today we celebrate two kinds of courage that changed Harris County: the vision of Dr. John Biggers and resolve of TSU students who sat down at a lunch counter so all of us could stand taller,” Commissioner Ellis said. “Those students were: Deanna Lott, Guy Boudouis, John Hutchins, Jessis Parvis, Curtis Graves, Holly and Pete Hogrobrooks, Clarence Coleman, Eddie Rigsby, Pat Patterson, Doris Brown, and Eldrewey Stearns.
“Biggers painted our dignity onto walls; those students enshrined our dignity into law. Biggers taught us how to envision freedom; the students showed us how to practice it.”
The two murals, Commissioner Ellis said, are part of a Community Benefits Agreement between his office and TSU—an investment in beautification, history, and public art that strengthens our community.
Biggers (1924–2001) was a pioneering artist and educator who transformed the landscape of African American art. In 1949, he came to Houston to establish the art program at TSU, where he taught for more than three decades. His work – deeply influenced by African traditions, Mexican muralism, and the African American experience – made him one of the most important visual storytellers of the 20th century.
“John Biggers’ art is the heartbeat of Texas Southern University and the city of Houston,” said Dr. Alvia Wardlaw, Director of the University Museum at TSU and longtime colleague of Biggers.
“His vision helped shape a generation of artists and thinkers, weaving African heritage, African American experience,
and universal human truths into every brushstroke. These murals are more than images—they are living testaments to his legacy, inspiring all of us to see ourselves as part of a larger story of unity, resilience, and creativity,” Dr. Wardlaw added.
The murals – “Quilting Party” and “Jubilee” – are part of a series of Biggers replicas that raise awareness of the muralist’s legacy. The artwork was curated by SAM and made possible by Commissioner Ellis, Dr. Wardlaw, and David T. Hales, trustee for Hazel Biggers.
