Parking garage mural part of a larger art project
West Palm Beach artist Eduardo Mendieta was busy on Monday laying out the finishing touches on an outline for a mural soon to grace the walls of the Bradenton parking garage at 615 12th St. W.
The mural will span most of the northwest corner of the garage and climb up the stair tower, bringing a vividly colorful display to the otherwise barren parking garage wall that fronts 12th Street West. The mural is part of an overall Realize Bradenton public art project that will bring six new pieces of public art to the area.
The Realize Bradenton public art project will eventually be part of an interactive experience for art enthusiasts and others looking to explore everything downtown Bradenton has to offer. Realize Bradenton is currently testing its newest website addition, WalkBradenton.com, which will guide visitors and residents to all 56 pieces of public art, 25 historical sites and 145 other points of interest.
With the growing number of quality public art pieces, as well as the Village of the Arts, downtown Bradenton is quickly becoming a destination for art enthusiasts.
Realize Bradenton Executive Director Johnette Isham
“With the growing number of quality public art pieces, as well as the Village of the Arts, downtown Bradenton is quickly becoming a destination for art enthusiasts,” said Johnette Isham, Realize Bradenton executive director. “WalkBradenton.com will connect vistors and residents with downtown’s public art, historical sites, Riverwalk, Old Main Street and over 145 places to eat, play and stay.”
Isham said everything is on track to launch the new website some time this spring.
Mendieta was selected by a panel of local artists and residents appointed by the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority’s public arts advisory board. Mendieta has numerous murals to his credit along the east coast of Florida, including his home town of West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.
The central figure of the mural is a young person cupping their hands and holding a germinating seed. The piece is meant to symbolize the future, the community and development of downtown Bradenton.
Realize Bradenton extended an invitation for artists to submit their ideas in April of 2016. The artists were asked to draw inspiration from the city’s millennials, as part of Realize Bradenton’s PopUps for a Purpose award-winning project that received funding from the Knight Cities Challenge.
Mark Young: 941-745-7041, @urbanmark2014
This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 2:55 PM with the headline "Parking garage mural part of a larger art project."