Houston Chronicle
Written by: Katherine Feser
Rice Village District has launched another public art piece with the Space City mural by artist Michael C. Rodriguez. The mural, by the stairs on Amherst Street near SusieCakes and Shake Shack, shows a female astronaut with the Houston skyline in the background.
“Rodriguez has painted over 30 murals in Houston throughout the years including the Houston Zoo, and The Children’s Museum,” assistant general manager of Rice Village Donna Molho said in an announcement.
“We are thrilled to welcome his talent to Rice Village. His mural helps us to continue to expand the art scene on our property and give our customers a rich, cultural experience while they’re shopping and dining on our property.”
Rice Village District has more than 40 stores and restaurants including Athleta, Bluemercury, D’Amico’s, Italian Market Café, Hemline, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Lily Rain. Trademark Property Co. manages the project, which is bounded by Kirby Drive, University Boulevard, Times Boulevard and Morningside Drive.
A number of public plazas, local art pieces and tenants have been added to enhance the shopping experience in recent years.
Trendy burger chain Shake Shake is preparing to open in the former space of La Madeleine, which operated in the location for 25 years as an early tenant in the Weingarten Realty development. Rice University, which acquired the 1990s era Village Arcade shopping center along University Boulevard from Weingarten Realty in 2014, has made changes to the store fronts to give the center a more collected look.