Butterflies and florals sparkle in the sunlight that shines across the Price Center’s front steps on West San Antonio Street, where a new mosaic now brightens the historic building. The piece, commissioned by the San Marcos Arts Commission, was unveiled on May 19.

The mosaic reinforces San Marcos’ cultural identity at a time when visible public art, like the recently removed community‑painted crosswalks, is disappearing from shared spaces. By centering local wildlife and the natural landscape, the installation restores a sense of place and reflects the creative, nature‑rooted character that defines the city’s art culture.

The project began when the Price Center approached the Arts Commission in 2024 about transforming its steps into a piece that reflected San Marcos’ creativity, according to city officials, prompting the commission to issue a call for artist qualifications and select three finalists. The Price Center and the commission ultimately approved a final design that included a shimmering mosaic landscape filled with beetles, butterflies and cardinals at the end of 2025.

Carmen Rangel, an Austin-based artist, designed and brought the project to life throughout a nearly year-long process. The installation showcases the nature that surrounds the Price Center and San Marcos. Rangel said her goal was to blend the piece into the nature surrounding the Price Center steps.

“There’s a lot of green bordering the sides [of the steps] and that’s so it kind of blends into the green space, and because there’s so many beautiful flowers here, I really wanted to highlight the pollinators and animals,” Rangel said.

Rangel said she designed the piece to engage the community and feel immersive as people interact with it. The mosaic incorporates shifting textures and perspectives that change as visitors move up or down the staircase, which Rangel hoped would draw people to it.

The installation follows a period of increased attention on public art in San Marcos; the recent removal of a university-funded, community‑painted crosswalk mural on W San Antonio St sparked conversations about the visibility and longevity of public art in shared spaces, making the piece’s debut feel especially important.

Clay DeStefano, executive director of the Price Center, said the project has been in the works for a number of years, but that its installation carried new weight. DeStefano said the new piece aligns with the Price Center’s ongoing efforts to support art in shared spaces, especially since the crosswalks that were recently removed were so close to the Price Center.

“It feels more important than ever to be representing the arts and particularly, putting the arts out there for the public to enjoy,” DeStefano said.

As the installation took shape, the Arts Commission saw it as an opportunity to highlight the creativity that already thrives in San Marcos. Trey Hatt, arts coordinator for the city of San Marcos, said projects like the steps reflect the city’s ongoing commitment to supporting artists and public art initiatives.

“We’ve got such an active art scene, separate or apart from any kind of government action or anything,” Hatt said. “And so, I really feel like we recognize that and we really value that about our community.”

Rangel has not named the piece yet and said she would like to open the floor to community suggestions, however there is no forum to do so yet. She said the conversations she had with passersby while working on the steps made the project feel collaborative.

“While I’ve been working on [the mosaic] people have stopped by that are walking by and they stopped to talk to me and loved the piece,” Rangel said.