Trinity Artcourt is making Fort Worth more colorful than ever—all while promoting neighborhood well-being. A vibrant, full-size mural painted on the basketball court under the West Lancaster Bridge creates a unique space where Fort Worth residents can gather, get active, and take pride in their city.

The mural project came to life through the vision of Noel Viramontes, who runs Fort Worth Blackhouse, a creative hub in the Rock Island neighborhood, and Ricky Cotto, lead pastor of City Post Church and director of community engagement for Blue Zones Project, Fort Worth. The two met through Blue Zones Project initiatives and quickly became friends with similar goals for the community.

Viramontes has played basketball at the Trinity Park court since he was young—and he saw great potential to transform the drab underpass into something exciting and new for the community. Located just off the Trinity Park walking path, the area now features colorful, geometric shapes painted on either end of the existing basketball court. “It was this iconic location in our city that hadn't been ‘activated’ yet,” Viramontes said. “There are so many distractions that keep people inside these days. We wanted to make a distraction to keep people outside and active in our city and loving Fort Worth.”

City Post Church raised the funds for the project then brought in Arnoldo Hurtado, the chief artist behind Artscream Truck, a mobile pop-up art studio and gallery. Installation of the mural was a community effort. A handful of volunteers quickly turning into two dozen once word got out on social media to bring the idea to life.

Several of Blue Zones Project’s principles for better well-being—known as the Power 9—intersect at Trinity Artcourt, taking its influence far beyond the basketball court.

Move Naturally: Maintaining a lifestyle that includes plenty of natural movement is a key to better well-being. Trinity Artcourt makes walking through Trinity Park and playing a game of basketball even more appealing. (In fact, the newly painted court hosted a community all-star basketball game in 2019.)

Purpose: Having a purpose is linked to longer life expectancy, and many people find purpose in giving back to their community. The mural project gave an outlet to volunteers and donors who love Fort Worth and want to enhance quality of life.

Down Shift: Shedding stress is a must if you want to be happy and healthy. Trinity Artcourt creates an enticing spot for people to get out and have fun.

Right Tribe: Research shows that behaviors and attitudes are contagious, so it’s important to surround yourself with people who will lift you up. Trinity Artcourt brings together individuals from across the city who are committed to making Fort Worth a more active, vibrant place.

Trinity Artcourt is much more than a mural, according to Cotto. “People know about it. They're leading bootcamps out there, they're leading workout classes, yoga classes. They’re taking Instagram pictures. It has helped bring this community together.”