Austin's 'Hi, How Are You' mural stands alone after building demolition. What happens now?

Daniel Johnston's famous "Hi, How Are You" mural across the street from the University of Texas campus is surrounded by rubble after the building it was attached to was torn down earlier this month.

Student housing company American Campus Communities has owned the building the mural was attached to since 2018, said Gina Cowart, American Campus' vice president of branding and marcom strategies. The American-Statesman reached out to the company with questions, including about how the mural will be protected during construction of a new building, where the mural will be in the new building, and what the timeline is for the construction. We also asked what the new building would contain.

"American Campus Communities has secured and will continue to protect the mural, and will integrate it into a new building design in the future," Cowart said.

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What is the history of the 'Hi, How Are You' mural?

The building the mural was attached to went through several iterations before it was demolished. When Johnston, a local singer-songwriter, created the mural in 1993, the building at the corner of 21st and Guadalupe streets was home to Sound Exchange, a record store.

Restaurant Baja Fresh Mexican Grill occupied the building as well, and in 2004, stopped its plans to get rid of the mural. The restaurant Thai Spice purchased the building in 2013 before closing at the start of 2020. The restaurant changed its name to "Thai, How Are You?" when it moved in.

The mural, an iconic Austin landmark, features a frog known as "Jeremiah the Innocent," which appeared on the cover of Johnston's 1983 album titled "Hi, How Are You."

Daniel Johnston, Austin and his legacy

Johnston moved to Austin in the 1980s, gaining notoriety when he appeared on a 1985 MTV special filmed here after he'd made connections with many local musicians by passing out crudely recorded cassette tapes of his songs, former Statesman music writer Peter Blackstock wrote in an obituary for Johnston, who died in 2019 in Houston.

When Nirvana's Kurt Cobain wore one of Johnston's "Hi, How Are You" shirts to the MTV Video Music Awards in 1992, Johnston's fame grew exponentially. That same year, France's Lyon Opera Ballet performed a piece by renowned choreographer Bill T. Jones that was set to Johnston's music. Johnston painted the "Hi, How Are You" mural the next year.

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Johnston’s struggles with manic depression formed the heart of the Oscar-nominated 2005 documentary “The Devil and Daniel Johnston.” His songs often contained innocent pleas for love and bore titles such as “Life in Vain,” "True Love Will Find You in the End” and “Walking the Cow.”

A mental health movement also sprung from the mural. The Hi, How Are You Project was founded in 2018 and aims to raise awareness about mental health.

The city of Austin, along with state officials, proclaimed Johnston's birthday, Jan. 22, to be "Hi How Are You Day," where people are encouraged to ask friends, neighbors, co-workers, or loved ones how they are.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

This story has been updated to accurately reflect Gina Cowart's job title.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Iconic Daniel Johnston mural lives on after Austin building demolition