LONGVIEW, Texas — Next year, the city of Longview will celebrate its 150th anniversary.
To commemorate the city's sesquicentennial, the Gregg County Historical Museum will offer businesses a chance to purchase hot air balloon sculptures that local artists will paint.
The businesses will have the opportunity to design the painting.
Lindsay Loy of the Gregg County Historical Museum says the idea behind the project is to give the city a unique way to celebrate this city's culture.
"A balloon seemed to be something that was going to be a nice large patent-able object that would really stand out and would lend itself to multiple colors and designs," Loy said.
Loy says the largest of the sculptures would stand at about five-and-a-half feet tall and weigh 350 lbs.
Michah Ruland is one of the artists who will design the balloons. She says one of the balloons is at the Maude-Cobb Convention Center with many more to come.
"I'm also working on the Junior League's balloon," Ruland said. "And Longview Eye Associates is getting an air balloon done."
The city says the balloons will help to give residents a different way to celebrate their home.
"I hope they look at it and say, wow, that really does say Longview," Loy said.