F E AT U R E
With blank walls as their canvas, artists add color and meaning to local buildings
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allahassee has turned into a mural-opolis, with what seems like every wall in town covered by colorful artworks. Some are one-step-above-graffiti cartoonish fantasies while others are rich with symbolism and meaning, painted by internationally renowned artists. The epicenter of the mural explosion has always been Railroad Square, an artists’ enclave that has kept its funky, dilapidated vibe as Gaines Street and CollegeTown gentrify around it. But the wall art movement has now expanded throughout the city, in part spurred on by the pandemic since it’s a perfect social distancing activity. If you’ve stopped at a red light, chances are you’ve seen the handiwork of a collaborative initiative to cover unsightly graffiti. Local artists’ work has been turned into 3D By Rosanne Dunkelberger art by wrapping nearly 50 electric and trafPhotography by The Workmans fic control boxes throughout town. The Council on Culture and Arts (COCA) has been supporting art and artists in and around Tallahassee for the past 35 years. COCA has a robust website (tallahasseearts.org) that includes a section specifically devoted to public art that includes most of the murals — along with photos, descriptions, and locations — that can be found around town. The site also includes walking tours of public art through the Downtown and Gaines Street areas.
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INFLUENCE Winter 2022