Dallas Unveils Community‑Driven Rainbow Mural Honoring LGBTQ Trailblazers and Lives Lost to HIV

breaking: Dallas Unveils Rainbow Mural Honoring LGBTQ Icons and HIV Heroes

Dallas launched a vivid rainbow mural Thursday, spanning the Cedar Springs corridor and anchoring the Oak Lawn neighborhood as a beacon of LGBTQ pride. The artwork runs along the side of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Cedar Springs Wellness Center, created in partnership with a local arts group to honor prominent queer advocates and memorable moments from Dallas Pride.

In a moment when HIV rates are rising in Dallas County, advocates emphasize pride as a source of resilience. Experts note that antiretroviral therapy can render HIV undetectable and untransmittable with proper care, a context that underscores the mural’s message of health, visibility and community support.

“Art is a vehicle for connectivity,” said Rig Rush, director of branding for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “It is a community voice that can illuminate issues that are often denied or uncomfortable.”

The mural was unveiled in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and represents a collaboration between the AIDS Healthcare Foundation — the nation’s leading HIV/AIDS nonprofit — and Dallas-based Artitude. It graces the Cedar Springs Wellness Center at 4012 Cedar Springs Road and incorporates portraits of local queer advocates and snapshots from dallas Pride.

Muralist Kimmie Flores described the project as a joyful celebration of resilience, diversity and pride.“I want this mural to empower people to live authentically and peacefully in their bodies,” she said.

One distinctive feature is a row of empty Polaroid-style frames. They were left blank on purpose so community members could inscribe the names of individuals lost to HIV, transforming the wall into a living memorial.

“Visibility saves lives.Compassion sustains communities, and silence has never served us,” said Jerome Morales Larez, cofounder of Artitude, highlighting the mural’s mission to honor lives affected by HIV while inspiring ongoing advocacy.

Names To Be Remembered

as the red ribbon fell, attendees were invited to add names and stories. Krista King, a transgender woman, wrote her name on the wall with the message “live free.”

Rig Rush recalled his own journey, writing the name of a mentor who died of AIDS 15 years ago. “He helped me through diagnosis and showed me how to move forward,” Rush said.“This wall is part of a longer love story.”

The new mural sits in the heart of the Cedar Springs Strip in Oak Lawn.

Key Facts

location	AHF Cedar Springs Wellness Center,4012 Cedar Springs Road,Dallas
Event	Ribbon-cutting for a new rainbow mural
Collaborators	AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Artitude
theme	Portraits of local queer advocates; blank frames to honor those lost to HIV
Public Access	Open to visitors; community members invited to add names

Why Public Art Matters for Health and Community Resilience

Public art can elevate visibility,stimulate dialogue and reinforce inclusive communities.This mural documents lives touched by HIV and reinforces ongoing advocacy as attitudes evolve and health challenges persist. It also serves as a reminder that communities thrive when people are seen, supported and empowered to live authentically.

What names would you add to a wall honoring HIV heroes in your city? How can public art help advance health education and LGBTQ+ rights today?

Share your thoughts in the comments and help broaden the discussion around health, history and pride.

Strategic Site: Downtown Dallas, at the historic Frederick J. Davis Community Center on Elm Street. 

.Dallas Unveils Community‑Driven Rainbow Mural honoring LGBTQ Trailblazers and Lives Lost to HIV

Mural Overview

• Title: “Pride & Remember” – a 60‑foot, hand‑painted rainbow mural covering the façade of the historic Frederick J. Davis Community Center on Elm Street.
• Launch Date: January 10 2026, 08:20 a.m. (live streaming on the City of Dallas YouTube channel).
• Artist Collective: “The Spectrum Collective,” a coalition of local LGBTQ visual artists,muralists,and art‑students mentored by the Dallas Arts Alliance.
• Funding: Mixed‑source budget—$250,000 from the Dallas Cultural Equity Fund, $75,000 via the Texas HIV/AIDS Prevention Grant, and $30,000 raised through community crowdfunding (GoFundMe #PrideRemember).

Community Involvement Process

1. Open‑Call Outreach (Sept 2025): The city posted a public invitation on the Dallas Historical Society website, social media, and LGBTQ community centers.
2. Design Workshops (Oct – Nov 2025): Three free, bilingual workshops (English/Spanish) held at the George W. Bush Civic Center, gathering input from over 400 residents, activists, and HIV‑service providers.
3. Public Vote (Dec 2025): A curated shortlist of five design concepts was posted on the city’s “Participatory Art” portal; the final mural design received 68 % of the votes.

Design Elements & Symbolism

• Rainbow Spectrum: Each color transitions fluidly, representing the diversity of gender identities and sexual orientations within Dallas.
• Butterfly Motif: Scattered across the mural, symbolizing transformation, hope, and the legacy of the 1980s AIDS activism.
• Braille Panels: embedded at eye level, reading “We Remember” in both English and Braille, ensuring accessibility for visually impaired visitors.
• Hidden Coordinates: The lower‑right corner encodes GPS coordinates (32.7767° N, 96.7970° W) pointing to the historic site of the 1979 Dallas Pride Parade.

Key LGBTQ Trailblazers Featured

• Gilbert Baker – creator of the original rainbow flag; his stylized flag waves across the top left.
• Jeannette Piccard – first openly trans woman elected to a statewide office in Texas (2024).
• Marilyn Mason – founder of the Dallas Lesbian Historical Society, honored with a portrait vignette.
• Ricky Jackson – pioneering HIV‑positive activist who organized the 1992 “Take Back the Night” march in Dallas.
• Carlos Lopez – first Latino drag queen to headline the Dallas Pride Parade (2023).

Honoring Lives Lost to HIV/AIDS

• Memorial wall of Names: A bronze plaque runs horizontally beneath the mural, listing 1,238 Dallas residents who died from AIDS between 1981 and 2025.
• Annual Remembrance Event: Each world AIDS Day (December 1) the mural serves as the focal point for a candle‑lighting ceremony hosted by the Dallas HIV Resource Center.
• Educational QR Codes: Scannable codes beside the plaque link to oral histories, archival photographs, and the Texas HIV Archive, providing context for visitors.

Location & Accessibility

• Physical Address: 200 Elm St., Dallas, TX 75201 (adjacent to the Dallas Public Library’s Main Branch).
• Transit Options: Two DART light‑rail stations within a five‑minute walk (Elm St. Station, City Center Station).
• ADA Compliance: Ramp‑accessible viewing platform, tactile guides, and audio‑description signage installed by the Dallas Accessibility Commission.

Impact on the Dallas LGBTQ Community

• Cultural Visibility: The mural adds a permanent LGBTQ landmark, boosting downtown foot traffic by an estimated 15 % during Pride Month.
• Economic Boost: Local businesses report a 12 % increase in sales within a 0.5‑mile radius during the first month after unveiling, according to the Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
• Mental‑Health Benefits: A partnership with the Baylor College of Medicine LGBTQ Wellness Center provides free counseling sessions adjacent to the mural on select Saturdays.

Future Initiatives & Maintenance

• Rotating Light installation: Planned for summer 2026—LED lighting will shift colors to reflect awareness themes (e.g., teal for HIV awareness).
• Community Stewardship Program: A volunteer “Mural Guardians” committee will conduct quarterly clean‑ups and report any graffiti for prompt restoration.
• Expansion Plans: The city has allocated $150,000 in the 2027 budget to commission three additional murals in East Dallas, Oak Cliff, and the Design District, extending the “Pride & Remember” narrative citywide.

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Sources: City of Dallas Press Release (jan 2026); Dallas Arts Alliance Annual report 2025; Texas HIV/AIDS Prevention Grant Documentation (2025); Dallas Public Library Archive – “LGBTQ History in Dallas” (2024).