St. Petersburg’s SHINE Mural Festival made it through a decade of creative innovation and excellence, its international reputation expanding year by year, without too much in the way of growing pains.
True, the festival’s 10th anniversary was postponed due to the ravages of the twin hurricanes of 2024, but when it came off it turned out to be one of the best SHINEs of them all.
Then the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, the event’s producer, lost in quick succession SHINE director Jenee Priebe and Alliance CEO Terry Marks. All hands rallied to save the murals.
The Board of Directors decided a bit of re-tooling was in order. And so the 11th iteration of SHINE, which begins Friday and will continue through Nov. 16, features only local muralists. Unlike in years past, no regional, national or international artists were engaged to create massive, colorful paintings on downtown walls.
What might have seemed at first like a cost-cutting decision, or a desperate attempt to dispel administrative chaos, now makes perfect sense. This year, it’s to be called SHINE: Origins.
Helen French, who became the Arts Alliance’s executive director in August, explains:
“The idea has always been, St. Petersburg – the city, the people, the community – was the place that birthed this mural festival. And we had a crazy year, last year, with the hurricanes … it felt really important to my board, and other decision-makers, that we pour back into the origin of SHINE, which is St. Pete.
“And one way that we decided to do that was to be locally-focused: Our local artists, who have been painting on walls next to international muralists for the past decade as well.”
Approximately 16 artists, all of them St. Pete-based, will paint between Friday and the 16th. That’s approximately the same amount of artists – and wall/canvases – as any SHINE from past years.
Pinellas Park’s Derek Donnelly, a muralist with 15 years’ experience painting local walls, was brought on as Operations Lead and artist liaison.
“We’ve got a good mix of experienced veterans with some up-and-coming, emerging talent,” Donnelly says. “It’s really going to be one for the history books, this SHINE, considering all that money and all that synergy stays within our local economy.”
Donnelly, one of the original muralists who worked on the legendary 600 Block of Central Avenue – before artists and their studios were forced to leave from the escalating rents –was famously a critic of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance.
Time heals all wounds, though, and the “Origins” aspect of the 2025 SHINE appealed to him.
“There were a couple of people who were contracted prior to Helen and I stepping into our new positions here,” he relates. “But being honest, because we were on a time crunch this year, it was really a matter of who’s available, what’s a good way to match up artists and walls, and of course taking into consideration the ‘Origins’ idea, all local.”
Donnelly, enthuses French, “has the pulse” of the city and the art community. “Derek and I talk almost every day. I think it just made sense, at this time, for him to be part of this festival in this way.”
SHINE’s operating budget comes from sponsorship, private donations and in-kind support from community partners. This year’s title sponsor is New Hotel Collection The Cordova Inn; the Foundation For a Healthy St. Petersburg is the 2025 presenting sponsor..
The 2025 celebration kicks off Thursday, with a pre-event reception at the St. Petersburg Museum of History.
Nobody’s thinking much about SHINE 2026, but French insists that there will again be more to it than “Origins,” focusing on local artists. After all, there’s a reputation to uphold.
“I think St. Pete is a great host city for international artists to come and be part of the festival, and I think they have a voice and a place in this festival,” she explains. “And I think local, regional and national have a place. So I would not say we’re never doing international again; I think that would be doing everyone a disservice.
“I think it makes sense to have a nice mix of different voices from different places.”
SHINE: Origins artists and locations
Aaron Tullo (St. Petersburg), Quinn Cale (Tampa), Isac Gres (St. Petersburg/Cuba), Dreamweaver (Tampa), Elizabeth Barenis (St. Petersburg), Cecelia Lueza (St. Petersburg), Sara Salem (St. Petersburg), John Vitale (St. Petersburg), Reid Jenkins (St. Petersburg); Derek Donnelly (St. Petersburg); Karel Garcia (Cuba/St. Petersburg); Amy Volpe (St. Petersburg); Brain the Genius (St. Petersburg); Jenipher Chandley (St. Petersburg).
Cordova Inn, 253 2nd Avenue N; Tyrone Middle School, 2375 66th Street N; the Melting Pot, 699 Central Avenue; Vernis Bowling, 696 1st Avenue N; 600 Block Alley; Haddy’s, 251 10th Street N; LMCU, 2180 1st Avenue N; The Factory St. Pete (trail side), 2606 Fairfield Avenue S; Founders Pro, 2039 1st Avenue S.
Several artists and locations may be added or changed before the event begins Friday. See the website, shineonmurals.com, for the latest information.
This content provided in partnership with StPeteCatalyst.com
