Muralists Deliver an Explosion of Public Art in the Rosemary District
Photography by Gigi Ortwein
Photography by Courtesy Photo
Photography by Courtesy Photo
Photography by Courtesy Photo
Photography by Gigi Ortwein
Photography by Gigi Ortwein
Photography by Gigi Ortwein
Photography by Courtesy Photo
Photography by Gigi Ortwein
Photography by Gigi Ortwein
Last month's PINCFest promised to transform the Rosemary District, and it delivered—with nine stunning new murals that make the walls sing.
The three-day, outdoor event was like a spa retreat for the senses, with a roster of both ticketed and free events from a group bike ride to live music and workshops. But perhaps our favorite part was the live street art painting by world-class muralists who descended on the neighborhood.
If you want to see these murals in real life, use this handy map (RADD stands for Rosemary Art + Design District):
A map of the new murals you'll find in the Rosemary District.
Image: Courtesy Photo
Some of the pieces spread beauty, while others, like "Unity Knot," spread a message of strength through connection. "Move" by Thomas “Detour” Evans celebrates local and global talent. The person on the left in the image is Congolese dancer Enock Kadima, while the person on the right is singer and dancer Canela Vasquez, who performs with the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.
"I like to include and honor the community into the pieces I do because they're the ones living with the street art, and I represent them in the way they want to be seen," says Evans.
Other muralists who made the transformation happen were ELLE Street Art from New York City; Jeff Zimmerman from Chicago; Diske Uno from Mexico City; Sesm and Kever from Miami; and Sarasota's Ha Pham, Mark Wiseman, Luther Rosebaro and Hiero Veiga.
"Portrait" by ELLE "isn't just one person," the artist says. It represents "powerful females and is an amalgamation of all of us." It also honors the Black history of the Rosemary District.
More murals are expected to go up in the next few months, says PINCFest founder Anand Pallegar. He also revealed that local artist Luther Rosebaro is slated to do a mural of Leonard Reid, a historic Black pioneer who played a central role in the establishment of Sarasota's earliest Black community. We'll sit tight to find out what the rest will be.
"This is a long-term project to test how we can transform a community through visual art," says Pallegar. "When you hear and see what's happened in the Rosemary, we've done that."