Pictured Above: Nneka Jones poses with her assistant, Bianca Burrows, in front of Jones’s overfishing mural at 1957 First Ave. S. Based in Tampa, Jones is an accomplished painter, photographer and mixed-media artist. Her work was recently featured on the cover of Time magazine.
Annalise Anderson | The Crow’s Nest
By Annalise Anderson
St. Petersburg’s sixth annual SHINE Mural Festival concluded Sunday, adding 13 new murals to walls throughout the city.
This year, international nonprofit PangeaSeed Foundation’s Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans partnered with SHINE to create water-themed murals focused on ocean conservation. Participating artists painted subjects of their choice related to the nonprofit’s mission of “bringing the oceans into the streets.”
Typically, artists from around the globe are invited to participate, but, due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the SHINE event committee kept invitations exclusive to Florida-based artists.
Despite threats of Hurricane Eta, artists still managed to bring their individual designs to vibrant life during the week-long event. In fact, SHINE is accustomed to inclement weather; the event has been beset with rain every year since 2015.
Chad Mize, local mural artist and curator for the SHINE committee, said that they were “on the fence” about putting the event on this year.
Mize believes SHINE has helped to strengthen St. Petersburg’s arts community, as well as his own work.
“What SHINE did was bring international and national artists to the city, and it helped elevate the city in terms of mural art,” Mize said. “That wasn’t to take away from anybody local, but for me, personally, as a mural artist, it really inspired me to be a better artist and I think it’s put us on the map.”
USF St. Petersburg was stop number nine on the event’s map this year. The campus hosted local artists and USF alumni Kenny Coil and Marc Berenguer of Break Maiden Studio. Harbor Hall’s west-facing wall served as a blank canvas for the two artists.
Annalise Anderson | The Crow’s Nest
Coil and Berenguer’s mural focused on mangroves and coastal wetlands. The mural has transformed the building’s once dull appearance into an eye-catching visual attraction.
USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Martin Tadlock is pleased to have included the campus in the popular event.
“We are so excited to participate in this year’s SHINE festival,” Tadlock said. “(It’s) a uniquely St. Petersburg event that celebrates our community’s commitment to artistic expression. It’s been fascinating to watch the progress made by the artists, Kenny Coil and Marc Berenguer. I’m blown away by their talent and I’m so proud they are USF graduates.”
Tadlock believes the artists’ work is well-suited for the campus’s green mentality.
“The colorful depiction of coastal wetlands and mangroves on the side of Harbor Hall is also a fitting tribute to our campus’ emphasis on sustainability and preservation of natural resources,” Tadlock said.
Check out SHINE Mural Festival on St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s website for a look at this year’s participating artists and where to find their freshly-painted murals around the city.
