Around Fairgounds

Fairgrounds describes itself as an immersive arts and technology experience. It is located near 28th Street S and the 275 freeway in St. Petersburg. You’ll find the Pinellas Trail nearby. The area around it is home to some interesting street art.

below: Derek Donnelly’s Fairgrounds mural on the outside of their building.

postcard style mural with the word fairgrounds, each letter has an image in it

below: “Girl Power”, is a mural of a girl and her horse among the sunflowers. It is a project that involved both the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and the The Happy Mural Project.

mural of a girl wearing a cowboy hat, with a horse, with many sunflowers

below: Straight Edge Creative is responsible for the bright and cheerful music themed painting of the front of this building.

mural in bright colours, music theme, microphone, record album, by straight edge creative
mural in bright colours, music theme, microphone, record album, by straight edge creative

below: Einstein, and “Seek knowledge”

mural of portrait of einstein, with words seek knowledge

below: Gibbs Mural Club, “Local Bounty”  A woman with a crown of flowers surrounded by blueberries, mangoes, lemons, watermelons, and other fruits and vegetables.

a tree in front of a mural on the side of a building, of a woman surrounded by fresh fruit, lemon, watermelon, blueberries, mango

below: When two faces merge together, one canine eye and one human eye but two noses and two mouths. An interesting concept painted in blues by Marcus Debie aka GOMAD

mural in shades of blue, a woman's face merges with that of a dog, two eyes, one human, and one canine, two noses, two mouths,

below: Butterflies and bright words, “Go Outside” and hiding behind the palms are more words, “Look Inside”. This mural was painted by Sydney Prusso as part of the 8th SHINE Mural Festival in 2022.

bright colour mural on the side of a building, purple background with words go outside, also butterfles

below: “The Siren” by Sarah Sheppard

below: As part of the 2021 SHINE Mural Fetival, this was painted by Aurailieus

below: Abstract seaside scene in waves of blue and orange gradients.

below: More abstracts – Designs and patterns using triangles and colour variations.”

two storey house painted in design of blue triangle patterns
two storey house painted in design of blue, pink, and purple triangle patterns
bird with curved beak and blue eye, painted on side of house, using triangles and squares in different colours
a fence on a corner lot, painted on two signs with bright colours and different shapes, all abstract, patterns

a little black stencil of 5 rabbits in different positions, on a fence already covered with blue street art

below: Blue headdress on a cute little creature.

on the side of an orange building, a painting of two animal creatures, one is wearing a blue feather head dress

below: “You are beautiful”, “You are amazing”, and other positive messages.

wall covered with words and messages such as you are beautiful, stand for peace and love,
wall covered with words and messages such as you are beautiful, stand for peace and love, you re amazing, believe, you're the best
abstract street art mural on the side of a building, grass in front, all behind chainlink fence
street art mural, abstract shapes and colours

below: A 3-D cube and other shapes on the outside of the Hideaway Cafe

three dimensional cube, mural, exterior wall of cafe

below: The long neck of a flamingo reaches around the corner towards a bit purple crab and an octopus

mural with flamingo head and neck, a big purple crab, and an octopus

below: A pelican taking flight, part of a larger mural for the Florida Wildlife Corridor by Ernesto Maranje.

mural, pelican about to take flight

mural, exterior wall, a fish in the shape of the letter S swims through green long finger like seaweed

below: Words on the wall, “Haleakala, Our patron saint of perpetual street art”. I may have misspelled the first word – it’s actually the name of a volcano on Maui.

words street art, about the patron saint of perpetual street art

below: Skateboarder with one oversized eye, the work of r2romero aka Arturo Romero

street art painting on the end of a metal container, a person in jeans and yellow t shirt skateboarding down an inclined surface

graffiti stickers, a pick up truck, little kitty

graffiti stickers including mean mom mafia, and the white cat, and the hungry howlers

tree in front of a whitewashed concrete block building, with a small black drawing that looks like a face peeking out from the ground

Photos taken March 2024

behind Central Ave

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)

street art and murals painted on walls and buildings in an alley

below: This is the mural at the east end of the alley.  This portrait among the fishes and mermaids was painted by Derek Donnelly

mural of a man with black rimmed glasses painting on the wall, marine scene part of a mural, a mermaid with long pink hair and a pink fin part of a mural with fish

below: Colourful mural by kosharekart

a mural by kosharekart

below: Some paper pasteups that have seen better days paper pasteups, partially peeling

paper paste ups on a wall in a lane

below: Circle patterns in a mural by Megan Kelly

below: Frida Kahlo

a small mural on the side of a garage, portrait of Frida Kahlocar parked in front of a mural

below: Another painting by kosharekart

female figures with very decorated clothing, painted in a mural close up of a mural showing a woman in a sail boat, with a large bird and its beak beside

below: Another Derek Donnelly fish.  The lower portions were once a brighter orange but it`s faded over time (painted in 2014).

a car is parked in front of a mural of a very large fish painted by Derek Donnelly mural in an alley by kosharekart

below: Boat on the water

mural in a lane, a woman stands beside a boat on very wavy water

below: Hearts, a bird, and a snail

mural in an alley of a female figure dressed in a red heart covered dress.  There is a large snail on her lap

below: Someone seems to disapprove of Mr. Cactus.

a small sticker of a cactus with a face, stuck on a mural beside a face

below: `Twiggy`by Brad Mize is at the rear of 648 Central Ave.

very large face on white background, mural in an alley

pale purple background, cursive writing of the words life is magical “Life is Magical When You Look” with a black cat sitting on the moon nose to nose with a dragonfly in a mural by Christy Faris

mural of a black cat sitting on the curve of a new moon, also a dragonfly by the cat

below: Brad Mizes ‘Mr. Sunshine’ is now partially behind a fence.  The sun is a copy of a 1940s design used to promote the city of St. Petersburg.

bright yellow sun on sky blue background, mural, sunshine mural

below: Fish in a birdcage

small sticker on a post, white background, black drawing of a fish in a birdcage
mural around a door that makes it look like it's in India, some white lotus flowers painted beside the door

below: Adios! Let it go

black mural with hands and the word adios in cursive

below: Treat yo self, woof woof, by aurailieus

mural of a black pug dog on blue background

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

skycaptain mural ode to musician caskey

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.

mural of a grey shark on an orange red wall a car parked in front of a mural that is the same orangish red that the background of the mural is, a large shark with mouth open and many teeth

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.

large 50 foot by 30 foot mural by Palehorse Design of the Hindu goddess saraswati playing a musical instrument called a veena.  She has four arms to represent the four elements of inner life, mind, intellect, ego, and consciousness.

below: “Space Rainbows” by Ricky Watts

view from behind trees in a parking lot, large mural called Space Rainbows covers the side of a building Space Rainbows mural from the side Many of these murals are the product of SHINE Mural Festivals. Follow the link for more information about these festivals. All photos were taken in mid-April, 2022

Time to Think

large mural by parking lot in St. Petersburg, called Time to think, painted by Derek Donnelly and Sebastian Coolidge, a man in a shirt and green tie, upper body only, is opening his middle to release a jellyfish like structure

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.

part of a mural, man's hands have created a circular opening in his middle to release a jellyfish with a pink brain

part of a mural, time to think, by Derek Donnelly and Sebastian Coolidge

a pink brain inside a translucent jellyfish head, part of a mural