This mural was commissioned by the Westgate Central Market to honor and celebrate Asleep at the Wheel frontman, Ray Benson, who is a longtime friend and patron of the iconic grocery store. The design is inspired by classic Austin band posters, and it creates a narrative tying together the cowboy, the band, and the store. The text within the design is inspired by a song that Ray wrote, which included the lyrical hook “Down at the Central Market”.

In the mural, we see Ray asleep on the back of his trusty steed as they make their way across a Southwestern landscape. Their journey is accompanied by a band of armadillo troubadours, who’s swing music fills the night air. The illustrated lyrics of their song reveal that Ray is indeed on his way to the promised land, AKA Westgate Central Market!

This project was particularly meaningful for me because I’ve known Ray since I was a kid. My mom and Ray are old friends who met in college, and he was like a fun musical uncle to me as a child. I saw Asleep at the Wheel play many times growing up, and I remember dancing around like a wildman at La Zona Rosa while they played. So it was a really cool full-circle moment for me creating a mural for this legendary Austin band in an equally legendary Austin grocery store. I grew up shopping at Central Market, and you can still find me at the North Lamar store about once or twice a week. So this project feels really meaningful and personal for me, and I’m really grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.