Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery Mural by Tex Moton

Details

Title:  Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery 

Artist:  Tex Moton 

Created in:  2018 

Partners:  Texas Commission on the Arts, Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Downtown Arlington

Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery 

Facing Front Street is a joyful mural that celebrates Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery. The composition is very refined, with strong lines and confident graphic elements that suggest some of the delicious treats found inside: icing with sprinkles, homemade cookies, and special occasion cakes. The palette of pink, yellow, chocolate, and blue conveys warmth and whimsy. At the center of the design is a “This is Arlington” logo, which punctuates Downtown Arlington’s vibrant blend of community pride, creative placemaking and entrepreneurial spirit. 

Sugar Bee Sweets Bakery was one of the first businesses to open in the Urban Union development, and Moton's transformation of its south-facing facade has become an enduring landmark for this creative and bustling part of Downtown Arlington. 

 Tex’s Murals in Downtown Arlington  

In 2018, Tex Moton created four murals in Downtown Arlington, all within just a couple blocks of each other: 

• Legal Draft Beer Co. (500 E. Division Street) 

• Party Animals (207 N. Elm Street) 

• Soundwave (215 E. Front Street)  

• Sugar Bee Sweets (201 N. East Street) 

About the Artist 

Howard “Tex” Moton is a Dallas-born artist whose work spans street art, fashion and product design. He co-founded the graffiti collective Infinite Crew (IC) in 1991 while still a teenager, helping to shape the city’s urban art scene with his recognizable wildstyle. Wildstyle is an extremely elaborate form of graffiti known for its interlocking, three-dimensional letters, sharp points, arrows, and other embellishments. 

Even as he moved into other creative spaces, Moton’s work stayed true to his core aesthetics: fearless interplay of clean lines, bold colors and pop culture savvy. In 2007, he founded YUMS (You Understand My Style), a brand that applied his graffiti-inspired designs to trend-setting headwear for mass retail. A few years later, the brand relaunched a “flavor-inspired” collection of limited-edition sneakers featuring his artwork. Moton also serves as Chief Creative Officer of Already Design Co., YUMS parent company, where he oversees product design, branding and creative partnerships.  

As a creative director, Moton doesn’t follow trends. He creates them. His design collaborations have included high-profile partnerships with international brands, including several professional sports teams. Yet he remains engaged in mural installations, “blank canvases” in his words, staying rooted in the street art that first defined his visual voice.  

Website:  gallerydefi.io/pages/artists/tex-moton  

Instagram:  instagram.com/texmoton  

About the Downtown Arlington Public Art Program 

The Downtown Arlington Public Art Program seeks to engage and inspire our community through art in public spaces. This mural was funded in part by the Arlington Cultural Tourism Council in 2017, the Texas Commission on the Arts Storefront Improvement Grant, and property owner contributions. To find more public art in Downtown Arlington, visit the links at the bottom of this webpage. Downtown Arlington is the Arlington Cultural District.