For years, St. Petersburg, Florida has been known for its murals scattered all around the city, adding a magical touch to the buildings and livelihood of the city. After interviewing the top two muralists in St. Pete, the beauty behind these colorful creations and their contributions towards the city were revealed.

As anyone living in St. Pete would know, the murals here are full of endless colors, brightening up the city and allowing the locals to live in splashes of color. Local St. Pete muralists Chad Mize and Johnny Vitale, of ‘The Vitale Bros’, explained what gives their murals character, as Mize said, “I like my art to be positive and fun, so I use a lot of bright colors!” and Vitale said, “We incorporate pop art and graffiti to our murals.” These muralists keep their artwork colorful and positive, creating pieces of sunshine and optimism throughout the area.

     Creating art like this impacts many, especially the artists themselves. Mize said, “I think art can be therapeutic for people to actually do art, and then visually when you see it, it’s inspiring and it’s so much better than boring, beige walls.” Vitale then said, “Art can also give a viewer their own sense of identity and their place in the world.”

 Not only do these murals affect artists, but they also affect St. Pete’s inhabitants. Upper School Art Teacher Casey McDonough said, “The fact that art even exists at all brings me great joy! I believe that living a life of expression and aesthetic appreciation is very important.” 

     Though these murals feel integral to St. Pete now, there was a time when St. Pete was rid of such beautiful art forms. In fact, the boom of these public displays of art dates back to only a few years ago. McDonough said, “Because of the Shine Festival (2015), St. Pete has become a mecca for mural artists from around the world. This is an arts city, and the murals re-emphasize that.”

 Now, with over six hundred murals scattered throughout St. Pete, the city radiates feelings of warmth and positivity despite day-to-day hardships. The character that the murals add to St. Pete is simply like no other, and the feelings they inspire will continue to grow as murals expand throughout the city. Vitale said, “Murals more than likely reduce stress, make people slow down, take a look, and breathe it in.”