To put a little light in our lives, SHINE On St. Pete came and went for the third time this year.
SHINE On is a festival for muralists to come together from all over the world and decorate St. Petersburg with pieces of their work. It brings life to the walls of the older buildings in the city.
The festival came to fruition in 2015, and locals loved it. It added to the St. Petersburg charm and to the already beautiful arts district.
I was in my sophomore year of college at USF St. Petersburg during the first SHINE On St. Pete. I grew up in a neighborhood with houses that were all but identical, and the only downtown area I knew of was at least thirty to forty five minutes away, depending on the time of day. Murals were exciting for me, and I was ecstatic to know that my new home would welcome many new pieces of art in the coming years.
I first became aware of SHINE On because of the influx of posts on social media by friends from school that were hashtagged SHINE, SHINE On and St. Pete Mural Walk. It took me awhile to happen upon it, but my now favorite photo spot is nestled in the center of the 600 block on Central Avenue.
The 600 block is home to a large number of murals by artists from across the country and the globe in general. The artists themselves come from everywhere between St. Petersburg, FL itself to Brooklyn, NY, to Miami, FL, to Canada to Rome, Italy.
One of my favorite murals is by the artist Shark Toof, and shows the gaping maw of a Great White shark on a blood red background beside a gated doorway. Shark Toof is based out of Los Angeles, CA according to the SHINE On St. Pete website. The artist’s own website boasts that Shark Toof, “possesses the technical skills of an Old Master and the spirit of an art-minded vandal, granting him the ability to move seamlessly between styles.”
Photo courtesy of http://shineonstpete.com/portfolio/shark-toof/
SHINE On murals are not just located in the 600 block of Central Avenue, however. The gargantuan works of art are scattered throughout the city.
The second year of SHINE On St. Pete brought muralist Yi “Nosego” Goodwin to town from Philadelphia, PA. His art covers the outer wall of Cappa & Cappa Law at 1229 Central Avenue. The masterpiece depicts a peacock cloaked in a flowered shirt, with a galaxy peeking out from underneath. Being another personal favorite of mine, the mural sings with color and whimsy. Talk about the perfect combination of styles!
Photo courtesy of http://shineonstpete.com/portfolio/nosego/
2018 was SHINE On St. Pete’s third year, and information on the newest additions to St. Petersburg’s mural collection have not yet been posted to their website. The number of murals in St. Pete will continue to grow as more artists from around the world come to town to put their colors onto a piece of St. Pete history every year.
How else would one think to make an arts district, or an art-centric city in general, more artsy? Just paint the buildings!
To follow SHINE On St. Pete and its local happenings, please visit www.shineonstpete.com.