WEBVTT

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

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

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PLAGUED CITIES HAS BEEN
TRANSFORMED INTO A WELCOMED

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ADDITION TO THE FACADE OF THE
DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS OF

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ST. PETERSBURG.
THIS STORY WAS PRODUCED BY

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STUDENTS AT ST. PETERSBURG
COLLEGE IN PARTNERSHIP

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WITH WEDU.
SEE HOW ARTISTS ARE JOINING IN

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ON THIS GROWING TREND AND
TURNING BLANK WALLS INTO THEIR

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CONCRETE CANVAS.

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

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CITYSCAPE HAS OBSERVED THE
COLORFUL, PROVOCATIVE, ILLEGAL

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EYESORE THAT IS GRAFFITI.
FOYEARS THIS ART FORM WAS

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CONSIDERED A FORM OF PROPERTY
DAMAGE.

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FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE,
GRAFFITI WALLS, OR MURALS,

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RATHER, ARE CONSIDERED A
BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART.

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

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MISUNDERSTOOD OR CONSIDERED
VANDALISM OR GRAFFITI.

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>>> THERE'S DEFINITELY A BIG
DIFFERENCE.

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

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

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

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

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OF THE CENTRAL ARTS DISTRICT
AS A SUBTLE FORM OF ARTISTIC

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EXPRESSION.
>> 1 OF 1 CUSTOMS ON THE

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

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

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HAPPY ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT WAS
JUST SO FOREIGN.

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

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

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A WAY TO FACE-LIFT THEIR
COMMUNITY WHILE CREATING A

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

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

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ALLOWING THE PEOPLE TO EXPRESS
THEMSELVES IN THAT FASHION.

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

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CAN HELP OUR CITY AT THE VERY
FOUNDATION LEVEL BECOME AN

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

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SEE THE MURALS.
WE'RE DOING MURAL TOURS.

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

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ONE SUNDAY OR SATURDAY
AFTERNOON.

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THE MURALS HELP BRING TOURISM.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE MURALS

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GIVE THE NEIGHBORHOODS A SENSE
OF IDENTITY.

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AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS THEN TAKE
CARE OF THOSE MURALS.

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AND THEN BUSINESSES SEE AREAS
THAT USED TO BE IN DECLINE

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

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

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OF CREATING SOME SORT OF
ATTENTION TO THEIR BUSINESS OR

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THEIR BUILDING.
IT'S JUST AN ADVANCED FORM OF

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COMMUNICATION.
IT'S A REFLECTION OF WHAT LIFE

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

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

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WITH OPEN ARMS, CREATIVELY
UNITING A COMMUNITY AND

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ATTRACTING A NEW GENERATION OF
ARTISTS ALONG THE WAY.

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

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

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

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

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>> I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE
LEADERSHIP.

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

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VISION.
AND THOSE THREE THINGS TOGETHER

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ALLOWED US TO REALLY
COME TOGETHER.

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

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

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COME INTO TOWN.
>> THE OTHER ARTISTS THAT CAME

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IN, 123KLAN FROM CANADA,
MURALISTS FROM BROOKLYN,

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

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MURALISTS HERE, SUCH AS
YA LA'FORD.

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ANOTHER ONE OF THE MOST
INTELLIGENT MURALS WAS PAINTED

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

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TO TESLA.
>> THIS IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE

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OF HOW THE CITY TEAMED WITH
YOUNG ARTISTS IN OUR ARTS

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COMMUNITY AND MADE SOMETHING
HAPPEN THAT WAS REALLY SPECIAL,

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

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CITY OF ST. PETE WORLDWIDE
RECOGNITION FOR ITS DIVERSITY IN

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ART WHILE ATTRACTING NEW ARTISTS
AND BUSINESS OWNERS FROM ALL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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OPEN-MINDED.
I THINK IT SHOWS THAT WE ARE

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ARTS INCLINED.
>> YOUNG, ASPIRING ARTISTS THAT

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ONCE WOULD RATHER REMAIN UNKNOWN
NOW HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE

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OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY DISPLAY
THEIR ART, GAINING THEM

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WIDESPREAD RECOGNITION,
COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES,

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AND FUTURE WORK FROM
BUSINESS OWNERS.

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

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ME BUT MULTIPLE ARTISTS AROUND
THE CITY.

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

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

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ARTIST?"
WHO NOW WANT TO PAY ARTISTS TO

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

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

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

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TOTAL SEPARATE MURALS RIGHT UP
AND DOWN THIS STREET.

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

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>> IT ALSO BRINGS ST. PETERSBURG
TO THE FOREFRONT

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

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

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

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

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

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GOT TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE
THERE IT IS.

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

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BY FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS REMAIN,
JOINING OTHER NEW NON-SHINE

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MURALS AND DOZENS MORE
PROCEEDING THEM TURNING THE CITY

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OF ST. PETERSBURG INTO THEIR OWN
CONCRETE CANVAS.

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>> I WAS HOPING THAT IT WOULD
BECOME THIS.

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

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

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WELCOME HIM?
I THINK WE HAVE MORE SALVADOR

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

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