Grand Theater and Game Room owner Tammy Steinmann hopes it is the start of a trend for the town.
The Grand Theater and Game Room in Yoakum now features a mural by Cuero artist Rafael Acosta Jr., who spent the summer on the project.
Theater owner Tammy Steinmann said she commissioned Acosta to paint a mural inside the Game Room, and the project led to one outside as well. The artist’s work so impressed her that she wanted him to create a piece of work for the whole town’s enjoyment and that of visitors, she said.
“I said that I would love to do something with that outside wall too,” Steinmann said.
Acosta’s finished work has drawn praise from the community, Steinmann said.
“He captured my vision of things important to me,” Steinmann said. “He did an amazing job.”
The mural in the 200 block of West May St. includes Yoakum’s old water tower that is going to be torn down, along with depictions of the Grand Theater, the Yoakum High School building and the YHS mascot, a bulldog.
“I grew up with that tower, and I wanted to capture that before it came down,” Steinmann said. Steinmann acknowledges a love of history, one that led to her restoring the Grand Theater to show first-run movies and adding the Game Room that features all types of games for all ages and serves a wide variety of food.
Steinmann’s project thrilled him, said Acosta, who has painted murals as his livelihood for 27 years. In addition to several in Cureo, the artist has painted murals in Dallas- Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi and other towns in-between those cities.
“I thought oh, yeah, that will be fun,” Acosta said. “And it was. She is lovely to work with.”
Steinmann said the project has so enthused her and others in Yoa-kum that she wants to see more murals painted.
“It turned out so good that we’re not done,” Steinmann said. “I’m hoping we have started something.”
Acosta, who is going on 69, said he is looking forward to doing more mural work. He enjoys painting murals because “the bigger the view the greater the enjoyment” and compares it to someone walking into the scenario.
“It’s my passion,” Acosta said. “I can’t picture myself doing anything else. I would just wither away.”
Slowing down is not an option, Acosta added.
“At this age, I’m not looking for compliments,” he said. “I’m looking for work.”
