New murals celebrate colorful cultures of Gulfton
Art focuses on immigrant, refugee life to instill a sense of community pride
The story of Gulfton is one of family, fortitude and possibilities. A series of 12 new murals in the community now capture this tale along the walls of businesses, schools and apartment complexes in the area.
“The Gulfton Story Trail” murals are the brainchild of a local nonprofit, Culture of Health Advancing Together, or CHAT. Founded in 2015 by Aisha Siddiqui, the nonprofit works to improve the quality of life for immigrant and refugee mothers in Gulfton by offering resources like access to education and the arts through partnerships across Houston.
Gulfton is often the first home for immigrants and refugees coming to Houston. Siddiqui, who came to the United States from Pakistan in 1985, said she knows how daunting it can be to start over from scratch and that there is value in having pride in one’s neighborhood.
The intent of the new murals, painted by immigrants or children of immigrants, is to instill a sense of pride in Gulfton’s legacy as an entryway for newcomers, and as a means to draw needed investments into the neighborhood, Siddiqui said.
“People are surviving here, but we want them to thrive,” she said.
Gulfton is one of the areas targeted by Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Complete Communities program which was
“People are surviving here, but we want them to thrive.”
Aisha Siddiqui, Culture of Health Advancing Together founder