Arts & Entertainment

Tom Pitzen is a Gulfport Enthusiast and a Gifted Artist

With concrete and tile, he designed a colorful ode to the Gulfport Waterfront District.

Since the move to Gulfport a little over 10 years ago, Tom Pitzen and his family have fallen in love with the community. “I love the fact that it’s a small town, but still has a little bit of an urban feel,” said Pitzen. “We fell in love with Gulfport and decided to make the big move down to Florida.”

Originally from Ohio, Pitzen said that his “snow bird” in-laws played a crucial role in his discovery of the city.

Tom Pitzen works as a cabinet designer at Allikriste. In his free time, Pitzen enjoys all things art. He takes unique materials and pieces them together to form one-of-a-kind artwork.

When the Waterfront Redevelopment Advisory Board put out a call to artists, Pitzen jumped at the opportunity.

Ultimately, he snagged the job and was given the task of creating a sign that would sit at the main entrance to Gulfport in Clymer Park.

The presentation of Pitzen’s completed sign for Clymer Park will take place on Saturday at 6 p.m..

Find out what's happening in Gulfportfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

With concrete and tile, he designed a colorful ode to the Gulfport Waterfront District. He is happy to be a part of the project. “I’m very excited about it,” said Pitzen.

Over the years, Pitzen has become a staple in the community. He’s coached T-ball for the Gulfport Little League and even won second place in the mullet toss at the Gulfport Springfest last year.

“We are very Gulfport-centric,” said Pitzen.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Gulfport