Mural To Be Painted Near Entrance Of Sutherland Elementary

PALM HARBOR, FL — Creative Pinellas will work with students, teachers and parents at Sutherland Elementary School in Palm Harbor on a public art project near the entrance of the school.

“In early 2020, when we were working with muralist Cecilia Lueza on beautifying the West Bay overpass of the Pinellas trail, we were contacted by the PreK-12 visual arts specialist for Pinellas County Schools,” said Creative Pinellas CEO Barbara St. Clair. “One of his principals had seen Cecilia’s mural and liked it so much that they asked if we could work with them to paint a mural near their school.

"Unfortunately, that particular wall wasn’t available," St. Clair said. "We did find a wall on the county right of way near Sutherland Elementary and, after talking to many people, crossing our T’s and dotting our I’s, we were able to get everyone on the same page and to initiate a mural project.”

Creative Pinellas will host meetings to discuss what the community would like to see in a mural.

“We will be meeting with the students and teachers, and the PTA to discuss what the mural will look like as well as a number of public meetings, so we can be sure to get community feedback before we get started," St. Clair said. "We are excited about this one-of-a-kind experience that the students, teachers and an artist will be able to take part in.”

See related stories:

• Creative Pinellas Transforms 2 Sites In Lealman With Murals
• Mural At Belcher And Alderman Roads Gets Mixed Reviews
• Mural Program Aimed At Reducing Graffiti On Public Property

The PTA meeting is scheduled March 30 to get input from Sutherland parents. Meetings for the public are on Monday, March 21, at noon and Tuesday, March 22, at 6 p.m. via Zoom.

Sign up for the March 21 meeting here and register for the March 22 meeting here.

Interested residents as well as students, parents and teachers will have the opportunity to give their input and ensure that their voices are heard as the project moves forward. Additionally, a survey will be available online for anyone who wants to weigh in.

The new mural project is part of the ArtWorks partnership between Pinellas County's arts agency, Creative Pinellas, and Pinellas County Public Works, with a focus on graffiti abatement.

“It’s extraordinarily exciting to see a local muralist collaborate with the students at Sutherland Elementary School on a community art project from start to finish. This is experiential learning at the highest level, and the students will enjoy the memories of this for the rest of their lives,” said Pinellas County Schools preK-12 visual arts specialist Jonathan Ogle.

The work on the wall is scheduled to begin in late April and is expected to be completed by May 16. The artist who will create the mural and work with students in the painting of the mural will be chosen by a panel that will include educators from Sutherland Elementary, community members and arts professionals with experience in community public art as well as ties to North Pinellas County.

Once chosen, the artist will meet with students and teachers at the school to come up with a theme for the work, and then will paint the mural side by side with students from the school.

A ribbon-cutting and unveiling of the mural to the community is scheduled for May 19, just before the end of the school year.

Artists interested in applying for this project can click here for the application, call details, a budget and timeline.

For questions, contact Lea Umberger, arts project manager at Creative Pinellas, at muralarts@creativepinellas.org.