The Tracy Arts Commission (TAC) announced the completion of a new veteran’s mural as part of the Civic Art Program – Downtown Tracy Mural Project.
This striking large format work is now on display on the West Side Market Building in Jackson Alley adjacent to the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts at 715 Central Avenue in downtown Tracy, California.
The TAC commissioned Tracy artist and veteran Will Watts to create a temporary piece of street art addressing issues of health and wellness for those who have and are serving in our military.
Mr. Watts served in the United States Army from 2006 to 2016, deployed twice in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Mr. Watts states, “ In my healing I met God and the devil. They were both shadows of myself who taught me many lessons about myself, and the universe. I came to understand that anger was useless, and that the meaning of life was about love and understanding. I felt a light radiating out of the center of my soul and I was whole again.”
Mr. Watts adds, “Painting has been a wonderful outlet for my mental health, and has helped me channel many of the negative feelings that I have into something positive and creative. This mural that I have created is dedicated to all of the service members out there who have gone through depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma, and urges those who are lost to research the plant medicine Ayahuasca. It saved my life and transformed me into a person that I now love. Though we may feel lost at times, we are never alone.”
For further information contact William F. Wilson II, Cultural Arts Manager – Visual Arts at The Grand Theater Center for the Arts