>> HELLO.
I'M GABE ORTIZ, AND THIS IS

"WEDU ARTS PLUS."
A ONCE TABOO ART FORM THAT

PLAGUED CITIES HAS BEEN
TRANSFORMED INTO A WELCOMED

ADDITION TO THE FACADE OF THE
DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS OF

ST. PETERSBURG.
THIS STORY WAS PRODUCED BY

STUDENTS AT ST. PETERSBURG
COLLEGE IN PARTNERSHIP

WITH WEDU.
SEE HOW ARTISTS ARE JOINING IN

ON THIS GROWING TREND AND
TURNING BLANK WALLS INTO THEIR

CONCRETE CANVAS.

[ SPRAY PAINTING ]
>> ANYONE WHO PASSES BY AN URBAN

CITYSCAPE HAS OBSERVED THE
COLORFUL, PROVOCATIVE, ILLEGAL

EYESORE THAT IS GRAFFITI.
FOYEARS THIS ART FORM WAS

CONSIDERED A FORM OF PROPERTY
DAMAGE.

FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE,
GRAFFITI WALLS, OR MURALS,

RATHER, ARE CONSIDERED A
BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART.

>> THERE WAS A TIME WHEN MURALS
WERE LOOKED DOWN ON OR MAYBE

MISUNDERSTOOD OR CONSIDERED
VANDALISM OR GRAFFITI.

>>> THERE'S DEFINITELY A BIG
DIFFERENCE.

THERE'S ARTISTS AND THEN THERE'S
STREET GRAFFITI WRITERS.

>> ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA,
ALTHOUGH ALREADY KNOWN AS A CITY

OF THE ARTS, WASN'T ACCEPTING OF
THIS ART FORM UNTIL 2010 WHEN A

SPARK IGNITED FROM A MURAL THAT
WAS PUT UP IN THE ALLEYWAY

OF THE CENTRAL ARTS DISTRICT
AS A SUBTLE FORM OF ARTISTIC

EXPRESSION.
>> 1 OF 1 CUSTOMS ON THE

600 BLOCK GOT THE FIRST MURAL
IN THE BACK OF HIS SHOP.

IT WAS A DR. SEUSS.
AND THE CITY WASN'T REALLY TOO

HAPPY ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS
JUST SO FOREIGN.

AND THAT'S REALLY KIND OF WHAT
STARTED IT ALL.

>> OVER TIME THE CITY HAS
UTILIZED THIS RISING ART FORM AS

A WAY TO FACE-LIFT THEIR
COMMUNITY WHILE CREATING A

CULTURE ALONG THE WAY.
>> CULTURALLY, ST. PETE REALLY

WASN'T LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS
TOO BIG, AND IT'S JUST GROWN BY

ALLOWING THE PEOPLE TO EXPRESS
THEMSELVES IN THAT FASHION.

>> I THINK WE FOUND THAT FOR,
AGAIN, ON SEVERAL LEVELS, MURALS

CAN HELP OUR CITY AT THE VERY
FOUNDATION LEVEL BECOME AN

OPEN-AIR ART MUSEUM.
PEOPLE ARE NOW COMING HERE TO

SEE THE MURALS.
WE'RE DOING MURAL TOURS.

OVER A HUNDRED BICYCLISTS WENT
ON A BICYCLE TOUR OF THE MURALS

ONE SUNDAY OR SATURDAY
AFTERNOON.

THE MURALS HELP BRING TOURISM.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE MURALS

GIVE THE NEIGHBORHOODS A SENSE
OF IDENTITY.

AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS THEN TAKE
CARE OF THOSE MURALS.

AND THEN BUSINESSES SEE AREAS
THAT USED TO BE IN DECLINE

COMING UP BECAUSE OF THE MURALS.
>> I THINK PEOPLE ARE

RECOGNIZING THAT THERE'S ART ON
WALLS AND THAT THAT'S A METHOD

OF CREATING SOME SORT OF
ATTENTION TO THEIR BUSINESS OR

THEIR BUILDING.
IT'S JUST AN ADVANCED FORM OF

COMMUNICATION.
IT'S A REFLECTION OF WHAT LIFE

OR LIVING IS ALL ABOUT.
>> THE SHINE MURAL FESTIVAL IS A

PRIME EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS ONCE
PLAGUED ART FORM IS NOW WELCOMED

WITH OPEN ARMS, CREATIVELY
UNITING A COMMUNITY AND

ATTRACTING A NEW GENERATION OF
ARTISTS ALONG THE WAY.

>> I BELIEVE SOME OF THE YOUNG
ARTISTS GAVE INPUT AND ACTUALLY

SAID, HEY, YOU COULD DO THIS.
YOU CAN BRING IN THESE AMAZING

ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
AND HAVE THIS FESTIVAL THAT WILL

DRAW A LOT OF FOLKS AND DRAW A
LOT OF POSITIVE ATTENTION.

>> I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE
LEADERSHIP.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MISSION,
AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE

VISION.
AND THOSE THREE THINGS TOGETHER

ALLOWED US TO REALLY
COME TOGETHER.

>> IT'S REALLY UNIQUE THAT
THEY ARE DOING THAT HERE.

>> THE POINT OF THE FESTIVAL
ALSO IS TO HAVE OTHER TALENTS

COME INTO TOWN.
>> THE OTHER ARTISTS THAT CAME

IN, 123KLAN FROM CANADA,
MURALISTS FROM BROOKLYN,

FROM ORLANDO, FROM TAMPA,
IN ADDITION TO THAT, OUR LOCAL

MURALISTS HERE, SUCH AS
YA LA'FORD.

ANOTHER ONE OF THE MOST
INTELLIGENT MURALS WAS PAINTED

BY AN ARTIST HERE NAMED
CARRIE JADUS, AND IT'S A TRIBUTE

TO TESLA.
>> THIS IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE

OF HOW THE CITY TEAMED WITH
YOUNG ARTISTS IN OUR ARTS

COMMUNITY AND MADE SOMETHING
HAPPEN THAT WAS REALLY SPECIAL,

I THINK, FOR OUR CITY.
>> THE FESTIVAL HAS GAINED THE

CITY OF ST. PETE WORLDWIDE
RECOGNITION FOR ITS DIVERSITY IN

ART WHILE ATTRACTING NEW ARTISTS
AND BUSINESS OWNERS FROM ALL

AROUND THE WORLD TO RESIDE.
>> THE CRAZY COOL THING IS, TOO,

IS PEOPLE HAVE LIKE MIGRATED
HERE, AND THEIR KIDS' KIDS ARE

BEING ARTSY.
>> I CAN'T SAY THAT THE ART

ITSELF IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE,
BUT IT IS A DESTINATION NOW.

>> BUSINESSES ARE RELOCATING
HERE BECAUSE IT'S A COOL PLACE

TO LIVE AND WORK AND PLAY.
AND THOSE OF US WHO LIVE HERE

SEE IT BECOMING A VIBRANT,
ROBUST ARTS TOWN THAT WE WANT TO

BE A PART OF IT.
>> I THINK IT SHOWS THAT WE'RE

OPEN-MINDED.
I THINK IT SHOWS THAT WE ARE

ARTS INCLINED.
>> YOUNG, ASPIRING ARTISTS THAT

ONCE WOULD RATHER REMAIN UNKNOWN
NOW HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE

OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY DISPLAY
THEIR ART, GAINING THEM

WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION,
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES,

AND FUTURE WORK FROM
BUSINESS OWNERS.

>> THE SHINE FESTIVAL HAS OPENED
UP A LOT OF DOORS FOR NOT ONLY

ME BUT MULTIPLE ARTISTS AROUND
THE CITY.

>> AFTER THE FESTIVAL IS OVER,
THE COOLEST THING IS PEOPLE

START CALLING OUR OFFICE GOING,
"WHERE CAN I HIRE A MURAL

ARTIST?"
WHO NOW WANT TO PAY ARTISTS TO

PUT MURALS ON THEIR BUILDINGS AS
OPPOSED TO TEN YEARS AGO SPRAY

PAINTING OVER WHAT THEY DID.
>> IT'S -- IT'S HAPPENING, DUDE.

IT'S LIKE -- TODAY ALONE, WE GOT
A CALL FOR THREE SEPARATE,

TOTAL SEPARATE MURALS RIGHT UP
AND DOWN THIS STREET.

WE ASKED FOR IT.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET IT.

>> IT ALSO BRINGS ST. PETERSBURG
TO THE FOREFRONT

INTERNATIONALLY.
>> A LOT OF ARTISTS THAT I KNOW,

I MEAN, THEY ARE JUST DOING THIS
TO GET INITIALLY ON A COMMUNITY

LEVEL RECOGNIZED, AND THAT'S
WHERE A LOT OF THE YOUNGER

ARTISTS ARE COMING UP.
YOU'RE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED

WITH WHEN YOUR MURAL IS A
HUNDRED FEET BY -- EVERYBODY HAS

GOT TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE
THERE IT IS.

>> ALTHOUGH THE FESTIVAL IS NOW
OVER, 17 NEW MURALS COMMISSIONED

BY FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS REMAIN,
JOINING OTHER NEW NON-SHINE

MURALS AND DOZENS MORE
PROCEEDING THEM TURNING THE CITY

OF ST. PETERSBURG INTO THEIR OWN
CONCRETE CANVAS.

>> I WAS HOPING THAT IT WOULD
BECOME THIS.

>> AND I'M QUITE SURE IT WILL BE
A YEARLY FIXTURE.

WHAT IF SALVADOR DALI WAS HERE
AT 18 YEARS OF AGE, WOULD WE

WELCOME HIM?
I THINK WE HAVE MORE SALVADOR

DALIS LIVING RIGHT HERE IN OUR
CITY, AND LET'S ENCOURAGE THEM.

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