Art is bringing history to life in Stephenville, Texas. Visual Arts and Design students transformed downtown Stephenville with vibrant parrot murals created in their Public Art class, instructed by Stephanie Beach. These colorful works of art are now part of the community, inviting residents and visitors alike to stroll through the square and discover parrots perched throughout town.
But these murals tell more than a visual story — they celebrate a legendary piece of Stephenville history dating back to the 1870s. Local lore says a sheriff’s talkative parrot once shouted “Ye-oh, sic’em!” at a passing cattle herd, sending dogs racing and cattle stampeding through Main Street in unforgettable chaos.
Today, that spirited story lives on through the creativity of Tarleton students, turning the town into an open-air gallery filled with color, history, and imagination.
Take a walk around the square, spot the parrots, and experience the blend of local history and public art that makes Stephenville so unique.
Tarleton Art's Public Art class spent the day working on a new mural in downtown Stephenville, Texas, in partnership with Keep Stephenville Beautiful. Thanks to Stephanie Beach for setting up this opportunity.
Students in Tarleton's Public Art class designed and painted this mural honoring the Stephenville Police and Fire Departments. Set against a Texas flag backdrop, the piece features silhouettes of a firefighter and a saluting police officer alongside the SPD and SFD emblems — a tribute to the men and women who serve and protect our community.
