below: Einstein by ettoja (aka Artur Širin) titled “It’s Never too Late”. A tattooed Einstein has his bling and his backpack and looks ready to hit the road (now that Covid seems to be waning?).
On Kauno (just around the corner from Einstein) is this large mural. It is a collaboration between Polish artist SEPE (aka Michal Wrega) and Lithuanian artist CHAZME (aka Daniel Kalinskiego).
Walking slightly farther west brings you to another mural. The words in the umbrella say Už Saugią Lietuvą which is the name of a campaign to fight domestic violence, “For a Safe Lithuania”
Writing on the mural is: “Do vanos? Za islai? O gal seima? Isileisi mane.” which loosely translates to: Do you have? Toys? Or maybe the family? Let me out.
“Hocce Hemisphaerium Firmamenti Sobiescrium Boreale” = Star chart of the Northern Hemisphere.
Helevius Square was named after Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687). He was a beer brewer in Danzig/Gdansk. He was also interested in astronomy and built a telescope on the roof of his house. His contributions to the study of the constellations are many including the descriptions of ten new ones. Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are depicted above – that’s the big and little dipper. So are Cassiopeia, Aquarius, Cancer (Cancri), and Andromeda. Some of the others you might find are Hercules, Draco, Serpenterius, Cerebrus, and Camelopardalus. Three of the constellations described by Helevius are no longer in use!
This mural was painted last year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the V4 alliance. V4 is shorthand for the Visegrad Group, a group of four countries, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia. and Hungary,
A similar mural was painted in the three other capitals as well – Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest.
The mural was created by Magda Miszczak (and of course…. in collaboration with the National Centre for Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, and the participation of the Polish Institutes in Bratislava, Budapest and Prague).
This statuesque woman was painted by L.A. artist group Cyrcle in 2014 during the Street Art Dope Festival. It was one of two that they painted during that festival.
nie zwazaiac
na lek przed
bezsensem świata
nasz acrobati
wykona dlapanstwa
skok w wiare
…..
[loosely translated, using google]
do not mind
for the drug before
the nonsense of the world
our acrobatic
will perform for you
leap in faith
St. Petersburg is home to a growing number of murals. There are maps online that help you find the murals but if you walk along Central Avenue and explore the streets and alleys close by, you will encounter most of them.
below: There’s a short alley behind the north side of Central Ave that is home to quite a few street art pieces. This is the view westward from 6th St. North (toward 7th St N)
below: This is the mural at the east end of the alley. This portrait among the fishes and mermaids was painted by Derek Donnelly
below: Mural for Caskey, a musician, or more specifically, for his song “Thank God I Made it” which was released about the same time that the mural was painted (May 2021). Artist: skycaptain
below: Shark mural by Shark Toof, a 2015 SHINE mural, on the east wall of the State Theater building.; It too is a little bit faded.
below: This the Hindu Goddess, Saraswati, who symbolizing knowledge, learning and wisdom was well as, music, art, and speech. She was painted by Palehorse Design. Follow the link to learn more about the mural.
below: “Space Rainbows” by Ricky Watts
Many of these murals are the product of SHINE Mural Festivals. Follow the link for more information about these festivals.
Close to Tropicana Baseball Field is this large mural. It is 30 feet high and 148 feet wide and covers the east wall of Modern Furniture. The girl resting with a doberman was painted by Evoca1.
This large mural, titled “Time to Think”, was painted (2014) in the Central Arts District of St. Petersburg by Derek Donnelly and Sebastian Coolidge. It represents the idea that corporations and businesses should embrace creativity in their communities. Big business (the man in the green tie) opens himself up to new, and more creative, ideas and projects.
below: The northwest corner of Martin Luther King Blvd and 1st St North in St. Petersburg Florida where there are a few murals on the buildings. The mural of the cat and dog in the foreground was painted by Matt Kress.
below: On the other side of the building (an animal hospital) are more cats and dogs.
In the first photo, you can see small parts of another mural. This one features well known cartoon characters such as the cats Felix and Garfield, as well as Disney’s Donald Duck, Daffy Duck, and Goofy. It was painted by Greg Mike as part of the SHINE mural festival in 2021.
below: The whole mural
below: The last mural here, on the far side of the back building, is another recent painting. Also part of the SHINE 2021 festival is “Tell Me How You Feel, Part III” by Bakpak Durden.
Eyes on the Streets 