Photos: This group of Houstonians repainted the Be Someone graffiti mural

From left to right: Shaley, Eric, Jarek, Rudy, and Cloudgirl Naty take a break after their work is complete. From left to right: Shaley, Eric, Jarek, Rudy, and Cloudgirl Naty take a break after their work is complete. Photo: Dave Snook Photo: Dave Snook Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Photos: This group of Houstonians repainted the Be Someone graffiti mural 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

Houston’s beloved sign was defaced once more, but reappeared on Friday morning. Three hours and two cans of paint later, a group of friends took it upon themselves to repaint the message.

From 11 p.m. on Thursday to 2 a.m. on Friday, painters Eric, Rudy, Cloudgirl Naty, Shaley, Jarek, and photographer Dave Snook worked on reviving “Be Someone” to its usual spot on the railway bridge above 1-45 near downtown.

The sign previously read “Wash Ur Hands” and was blacked out then rebranded by another group with the words “Dangerous Freedom.” After seeing this, Eric and his friends decided to bring the “Be Someone” sign back.

“It seems like an easy job looking at it from the ground but once up there it's a whole new perspective,” Eric said. “Especially when you have to lean over the metal.”

In light of COVID-19, the repainting of Houston’s “Be Someone” mantra means more to the group than merely restoring familiar freeway signage.

“We're not graffiti artists or vandals,” Eric said. “We simply wanted to restore a positive message that meant a lot to Houston and we knew we were willing to do it.”

They used long roller brushes and leaned over the outer wall of the bridge. While painting, they had to avoid letting their feet slip into the empty space between the train tracks and the outer wall because it opens up to the street below.

This was all captured by the photographer on site, Snook.

“I see it as a civic project,” Snook said. “Every time I drive by it I think of all the good in humanity. Today, with all the divisiveness in America it is easy to forget the good.”

Eric and his friends have discussed possible action if the sign is covered up again.

“If the city agrees that it's what they want to happen, me and my friends are more than willing to go back up there and do it again with respect to the original artist of course,” Eric said.