AUSTIN (KXAN) — If you drive past the intersection of 21st and Guadalupe streets, you’ll see a familiar sight. The famous “Hi, How Are You” mural stands tall, but the building it was attached to was demolished over the weekend.
The Hi, How Are You Project (HHAYP) — a nonprofit created in 2018 and named for the late, beloved artist and world-renowned musician Daniel Johnston — posted on Instagram the mural is being preserved during the construction of a new student housing project.
The mural depicts a creature named Jeremiah with the words “Hi, How Are You” sprawled above him. It appeared on the wall in 1993 and was created by Johnston, who died in 2019. He became a household name for Austinites because of his music and art, which are a cultural staple in the capital city.
“Hi, How Are You” mural in central Austin (KXAN Photo/Jaclyn Ramkissoon)
Hi, How Are You mural preserved through building demolition (KXAN Photo/Todd Bynum)
‘Hi, How Are You’ mural shown in October 2021 on the left and in April 2023 on the right.
The nonprofit’s Instagram post reads, “Our friends and hero sponsor @americancampus are taking great care to preserve Jeremiah during the construction of the new student housing project at the site of the old Goodall Wooten dormitory at 21st and Guadalupe. 💚🐸”
KXAN has reached out to American Campus Communities for details on the student housing project and will update this article when we receive a response.