Art teacher David Mason’s painted piano debuted on April 18 in downtown Mansfield in front of Lone Star Barbershop as a part of the Mansfield 88 project. Mason’s piece titled Culture Clash is the sixth piano of the project, with the first being displayed in April of 2013. The project started as a way for Mansfield to turn its historic downtown into a new, electric area where people will come to shop and eat. The City of Mansfield needed to find good artists that could bring vibrancy to downtown. Mr. Mason first saw the entry in the Mansfield Newspaper last year.

“I enjoy challenging myself and I had the time to do it,” Mr. Mason said. “I thought it would be a cool and fun project to get some of my artwork into the community for the citizens of Mansfield to see.”

This idea originated in other cities across the world, but Mansfield took the idea and made it their own. Citizens can also show off their talents by being able to play the pianos.

“The idea of the design came from the fact that the piano is going to be displayed outside, and I thought that grafitti would fit the design,” Mason said. “Mansfield is a mixture of old people and young people and, often, the different cultures clash together.”

The city hopes the project will bring in musicians and artists to start the growth of the historic downtown. As the City of Mansfield grows, city planners believe there is a need for an area where people can enjoy a great entertainment atmosphere.

“I really enjoyed working on this project and I always looked forward to thinking of different ideas to put on the pianos,” Mason said. “I am also looking forward to my piano sparking a new and improved community.”