Page 24 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2026 - Online Magazine

Levelland
“The City of Mosaics”
by John Hope
small city in a remote part
of the southern plains of
T
A exas seems an unlikely
place as a center of beautiful public
art. Levelland, just thirty miles
west of Lubbock, has been known
in the Texas Travel Guide as “The
City of Mosaics,” since the early
1970s. Visitors come from all over
the USA, and even from around the
world, to see the colorful works of
art. Levelland, the county seat of
Hockley County, was the next-to-
last county in the lower 48 states to Patrice, Graydon, and Warren,
be officially organized, in 1921. assisted him.
This isolated area mainly consisted Burl Cole joined SPC’s art faculty
of ranch land until the early 1900s. in 1970 and teamed with Don to
Yet less than fifty years after create the next mosaic for Cook
Levelland was founded, it saw Memorial Hospital in 1971. The two
the first of a unique display of art artists garnered the support of Dr.
beautifying its buildings. Glass-tile Joe Harrison and his wife, Cherry,
mosaics are an ancient art form with who were not only admirers of
some of the first being created more the large mosaics, but also ardent
than 2,500 years ago in the Greek benefactors. The Harrisons financed
and Roman Empires, and it came the creation of the hospital mosaic,
to Levelland in 1968, thanks to Don enlisting community support as
Stroud. well. This 8 ft x 22 ft glass-tile
mosaic, “Arms of Care,” adorns the
The artist and professor taught east facade of the hospital.
all forms of art at South Plains
College and, when a new Fine When the hospital built a clinic
Arts building was planned, he nearby, the Harrisons asked Stroud
designed a large glass-tile mosaic and Cole to design a mosaic for
for the facade. Don’s design, “Wild that facility. The glass-tile mosaic,
Mustangs,” depicts the wild horses “Tree of Life,” was completed and
which once roamed this part of the mounted to the exterior of the clinic
Texas plains. Stroud mounted the in 1972.
8 1/2 ft. x 22 ft. glass mosaic at the
building’s entrance using mortar in Joe Harrison continued his practice
the ancient method, which makes as a respected physician, but his
the fragile glass tile durable and desire to see improvements in his
practical. Don’s three children, community prompted him to be