Three emerging artists are creating a walkway that will adorn the heart of Sunset Park (Park Street & Central Avenue). Dubbed The Sunshine City Mosaic, the installation depicts a vibrant tapestry of nature. Nine vignettes of Florida’s wildlife will grace the 175‑by‑5‑foot stretch with more than 20,000 individually cut pieces. The installation is set to debut later in 2025.
Among the highlights of the design are charming scenes of dolphins leaping through the waves above a submerged sea turtle, a sheepshead navigating through mangroves as a heron keeps watch over the shoreline, and a 10‑foot circular orange blossom sun medallion serving as the centerpiece.
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St. Pete commits to fostering creativity through public arts projects
Artists Alex Kaufman, George Retkes, and Miss Crit—who bid on the project for $50,000—have been collaborating on the mosaic for over a year. Each artist has infused the installation with their unique expertise, working on three feet of the 175‑foot stretch at a time. They map the sections and precisely cut the tile into unique shapes using a water jet.
Intentionally placed hex tiles are intermingled among the mosaic pieces—a nod to the workers who paved many of St. Pete’s historic neighborhoods with hexagonal bricks. The artists state that including these hex tiles “further enhances the city’s rich cultural heritage.”
According to the press release, The Sunshine City Mosaic is the inaugural project in the city’s initiative to expand public art into St. Petersburg’s west side public parks system. It underscores the city’s commitment to fostering creativity, enhancing public spaces, and celebrating the beauty of nature through art.
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