One of St. Pete’s most colorful and beloved festivals is back for its 8th year this October, as the Annual SHINE St. Petersburg Mural Festival kicks off on Wednesday, October 12. This year’s festivities will bring nearly two weeks of artistic celebration and discovery, as 16 celebrated artists descend on the Sunshine City to create stunning murals.

The collective of muralists is made up of international, national, and local artists, each of whom will be painting a mural somewhere around St. Pete during the 12-day SHINE Festival. Additionally, there will be a half dozen “Bright Spot Community Projects” where local artists will lead teams of volunteers in painting street murals, creating community artwork, and even painting vehicles. More information on artists and community projects below.

While painting begins earlier in the week, SHINE will have its official kickoff celebration on Saturday, October 15th in a day-long extravaganza at the Childs Park rec center. The Carmada Street Carnival will be a community-focused and family-friendly block party, which will include the live painting of a car by Nneka Jones, and a street mural being painted by Jason Harvin AKA Wayward Walls. There will also be interactive painting activities for all to enjoy.

SHINE wraps up with its grand finale on October 22, an end-of-festival blowout in the Warehouse Arts District that will serve a double-role as the opening night for a new work and gallery space. It will also be the public debut of an amazing installation being built throughout the week. More details to come.

The full lineup and locations of St. Pete’s newest murals can be found through the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance here, and they will be spread throughout the city, ranging from USF St. Pete to MLK North, and everywhere in between. At least four murals are slated for Central Avenue, including a pair of prominent locations in Grand Central.

SHINE happy to secure enough locations for new murals

Interestingly, it was finding those locations that proved to be the most difficult task for the Arts Alliance, the organization who puts on SHINE. Attracting interested muralists comes naturally for the festival, but due to St. Pete’s ongoing growth spurt, there is a shrinking supply of real estate for murals to go up, SHINE Director Jenee Priebe told us.

Many buildings already have murals, of course. But the real problem, Priebe explained, is the number of buildings that have recently either been torn down or slated for near-future demolition. With so many properties changing to make way for high rises and similar developments – and with so many of those towers already under construction or completed – the supply of mural-ready walls in St. Pete is shrinking for the moment.

A key question for SHINE’s future: will that supply bounce back? Big developers are often less mural-friendly, but in a city celebrated for being an outdoor art gallery, maintaining the community’s vibrant personality and reputation must surely be a factor.

But in the end, SHINE was able to secure locations for all 16 participating artists, while also lining up another half dozen projects for the community. There will be several more events mixed into the two-week festival, including walking and biking tours, a night with The Sketchbook Project, panel discussions for aspiring artists, and even beer specials – Bayboro Brewing’s specialty SprayCation beer donates $1 of all proceeds back to the festival.

Below, find the full list of community projects by local artists, as well as the participating muralists.

Bright Spot Community Projects:

Jason Harvin, Tampa

“Crossway Crux”

Jason Harvin (Wayward Walls) will be painting an asphalt intersection mural in Childs Park to help kick off the 8th annual SHINE Mural Festival. Located at 11th Ave South & 46th Street South near the Childs Park Rec Center, the mural is designed to help reduce speed and increase safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. The mural will be painted Saturday, October 15th in conjunction with the Carmada Street Carnival from 10am-3pm at the rec center.

Chad Mize & Friends, St. Petersburg

“We are St. Pete” Trail Community Project

Chad Mize and a select group of local artists and community groups will be repainting the concrete barricades along the Pinellas Trail near 20th Street South. Sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg, this project will take place October 21-22.

Alyssa Marie, St. Petersburg

“Wild Ride” in partnership with the Florida Wildlife Corridor

Alyssa Marie is back with another community paint-by-numbers mural, in partnership with and sponsored by the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The organization is commissioning 50 murals across the state of Florida to raise awareness for its important work protecting wild Florida. The community is invited to help paint the mural located at St. PetersBark, 3001 Central Ave from October 14-18.

Vitale Brothers, St. Petersburg

“Rise and Shine” at Parc Center for Disabilities

Inspired by their late Aunt Nancy, the Vitale Bros will be donating a three-story residential mural to Parc, a non-profit organization serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Nneka Jones, Tampa

Carmada Art Car

Tampa artist Nneka Jones will live paint a vehicle at the SHINE kick-off event hosted by Carmada. The Carmada Street Carnival features live painting, a show of past art cars, interactive painting with the Nomad Art Bus, family friendly art activities plus food and drink. The event will take place outside of the Childs Park Rec Center, 4301 13th Ave South.

Amy Ilic-Volpe, St. Petersburg

Color Wheelz,, in partnership with Polaris Slingshot

Local artist Amy Ilic-Volpe will transform the three-wheeled vehicle with her stunning bright
colors and patterns. The one-of-a-kind Slingshot can be seen at various SHINE events including
the Carmada Street Carnival on October 15 and the SHINE Finale on October 22. Known widely
for its stand-out styling, the Polaris Slingshot is often viewed as a blank canvas, as many owners
customize their ride and utilize it as a vehicle of self-expression. With a notable owner’s
community in St. Pete and a commitment to the arts, SHINE is proud to partner with Polaris
Slingshot for the second straight year.

Muralists

International Artists:

• James Bullough, Germany
• Mad C, Germany
• Ben Johnston, Canada
• Marina Capdevila, Spain
• Caratoes, Germany

National Artists:

• 123Klan, Los Angeles
• Imagine, Nepal/Boston
• Reginald O’Neal, Miami
• Baghead, Miami

Local Artists:

• Jeff Williams, St. Petersburg
• Dream Weaver, St. Petersburg
• Van Der Luc, St. Petersburg
• Ashley Cantero, Tampa
• Egypt Hagan, Tampa
• Sydney Prusso, Dunedin
• Tasko, Clearwater

SHINE 2022 is produced by the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance with support from the City of St. Petersburg. It is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. SHINE is produced with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Pinellas, and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners. This year’s presenting sponsor is Trammell Crow Company. Additional sponsors include Great Bay Distributors, Aresty Family Foundation, Kathryn Howd & Edward Rucks, First Horizon Bank, Bayfront Health, Jennifer & Jeff Lovelady, Tru by Hilton and others.

What to read next:

• Becoming the ‘Burg: Stories that Shaped the Sunshine City
• Hideaway Cafe returns with new music series around St. Pete
• Tampa Bay Born Murals [SERIES]
• St. Pete Art Battle brings block party, live art competition to St. Pete