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Murals adorn the walls of Palm Harbor real estate

If you’ve ever browsed through this blog before (yeah, I know, I haven’t exactly been a blogging fool lately), you probably know I enjoy finding and photographing murals in Pinellas County.

For some reason, this area is just brimming with murals of all kinds. Tampa, St. Pete and Clearwater are the best places to find them, but murals are all over the place if you just keep your eyes open.

Recently, I was coming out of the Publix near the corner of Alt. 19 and Alderman and I happened to look across the parking lot at the back of a strip mall building.  Sure enough– a bright, very graphic mural showing sunshine and a big, breaking wave. I didn’t see an artist’s signature, but the next time I’m there I’ll look a little more carefully. If I can find out who did the work, I’ll share it here.

Tags: murals, Palm Harbor, real estate

Colorful murals adorn New Port Richey real estate

If you’ve spent any time at all on this blog, you know that I like murals.  There’s quite a few of them to be found throughout Tampa Bay, and especially in the various communities of Pinellas County. I’ve written about them before.

Dancers in the Hacienda Hotel in the 1920s, as depicted by mural artist Chad Leininger

Today, I found several of them in an unexpected place.

I live and work in North Pinellas County, and that’s where I do most of my real estate work — Palm Harbor real estate, Tarpon Springs real estate, Dunedin real estate, Clearwater real estate. I also list and sell Pasco County real estate, but I spend less time there than in North Pinellas County.

This morning, however, I had to go north to New Port Richey in Pasco County to look over a house that I may be listing for sale.  After that, I drove a few blocks to downtown New Port Richey, a place I haven’t visited for awhile.

Wha surprise — it was a treasure trove of murals.

One of them featured the Hacienda Hotel, a 1920s-era hotel that was very popular in its day but which has not served any guests for more than the past decade. I need to do a little research on the Hacienda, and when I do I’ll post a story. I like old hotels almost as much as I like murals.

This particular mural was painted on a side exterior wall of Juan’s Black Bean Cafe by a young artist named Chad Leininger. According to an old newspaper article, there are a total of six murals painted on various walls in downtown New Port Richey.

Most of the characters in the mural are local folk. But the artist included himself and some of his family members as well as actress Greta Garbo and baseball legend Babe Ruth. Can you spot them?

Tags: murals, New Port Richey, Pasco County, real estate

Carl Cowden III is Tampa Bay’s premier painter of murals

Artist Carl Cowden III

In 1974, while still in high school, Carl Cowden III painted a 4 x 8 panel that was part of a temporary construction wall. That project, part of a contest for students, won him second place. Today, Cowden is Tampa Bay’s premier painter of murals.

He graduated from the University of Tampa in 1978 with a degree in fine arts and then got a job with the Community Design Center as a mural artist. The Community Design Center was a Tampa non-profit that developed building and restoration codes for historic neighborhoods. Between 1978 and 1980, he completed six large public murals.

During those early years, he was also known locally for his music.  His band, the Voodoo Idols, began performing in 1978 and continued until 1986.

Safety Harbor Fire Station mural

While he doesn’t limit his work to murals, the murals may be what he is best known for, and he is proud of the contribution they make to the community.

“Public art adds to the quality of life and property,” Cowden said. “These are images that are enjoyed by generations for generations.”

Cowden’s murals can be found just about anywhere and everywhere in Tampa Bay, and all kinds of clients pay for his services. For example, after the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004, the team and the local Outdoor Arts Foundation decided to depict the victory on a 10-foot-by-28-foot oil tank at 39th Street and Adamo Drive. Cowden had to work 130 feet off the ground to get that project completed.

According to Cowden, the lifespan of any mural depend on a number of factors.

Oldsmar City Hall mural

“Of ultimate importance is the condition of the wall before it is painted — the quality of the wall preparation as well as the paint and sealer used to complete the mural,” he said. “The wall must be sealed well, especially at the top. This keeps moisture from seeping behind the paint or substrate, which can destroy it from the inside out.”
 
A public mural’s value is largely determined by the community it serves as well as by the property owner, Cowden said, making the projects very site-specific. The process can be complicated somewhat by the fact that property owners may not live in the local community.

“When I begin a design, I like to speak to the local community and the individuals who will live with it,” he said. “In this way, it is more than just a pretty picture — it is something that has meaning and value to the community. When the people who live with a mural have no say in it, or it deteriorates, or the community loses its unity, its value is diminished and it is subject to vandalism and the owner’s needs.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: art, carl cowden, Clearwater, murals, Tampa Bay

Clearwater real estate wall art

If you’ve been reading this blog for the past few weeks, you know I have some interest in wall art and murals. I’ve posted an example or two, and I came across some really nice examples in downtown Clearwater when I visited there a few days ago.

I’ll have to do a post on some of the nice work that has been done in revitalizing downtown Clearwater in the past few years. Not all of it has been all that popular — for example, some people object to the curvy new Cleveland Street roadway, and the enormous black globes that have been placed on the median as decorations. If you miss one of the lefty-righty twists in the road, you could end up up with one of those big globes as a new hood ornament.

Still, downtown Clearwater us much more attractive and appealing than it was just a few years back. There’s some nice new condo housing there, and some nice restaurants and coffee shops, as well. Not to mention some fine examples of wall art that really lends some color and character to what was a very tired and rundown area.

I’ve found wall art in downtown Dunedun, and a couple of examples on the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs. Still, though, I think the local wall art capital is downtown Clearwater. I’ll be posting a few more examples in the coming weeks.

Tags: Clearwater, murals, wall art