Street art by D.N.Z. at John’s Pass Bridge in Treasure Island, Florida on June 23, 2026. Credit: Bobby Roberts / Gulfport Gabber
For less than a day, a little girl in a sun hat crouched beneath John’s Pass Bridge, reaching toward a yellow flower growing from the sand.
The black-and-white stencil mural appeared without warning and quickly drew comparisons to Banksy, the anonymous British street artist known for placing provocative work in unexpected public spaces. However, U.K.-based street artist D.N.Z created the piece in Treasure Island.
Before residents learned the artist’s identity, the possibility of discovering a Banksy-style work in his hometown captivated Treasure Island resident Bobby Roberts.
“It gave me goosebumps,” Roberts said. “I don’t remember the last time in my life I got goosebumps from something.”
Roberts rushed to see the mural, purchased Plexiglas to protect it, and watched his Facebook post about the discovery reach nearly 97,000 views. Less than 16 hours after he installed the covering, workers removed it and painted over the girl.
A rumor sparks a search
Roberts became interested in Banksy several years ago after watching a documentary about the artist. He began following Banksy’s work online and recently bought a ticket to a traveling exhibition scheduled to visit Tampa in August.
While working in St. Augustine in June, Roberts saw a social media post about a possible Banksy mural near John’s Pass Bridge.
“I was ready to come out of my skin,” he said. “I could not wait to get home to see it because I was so worried that somebody was going to vandalize it.”
This post first appeared at The Gulfport Gabber, which is part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project (TBJP), a nascent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay effort supported by grants and a coalition of donors who make specific contributions via the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation. If you are a non-paywalled Bay area publication interested in TBJP, please email [email protected]. Help the Gabber keep publishing by making a donation.
As soon as Roberts returned home, he unloaded his belongings, changed his clothes, and drove toward the bridge. After studying the photograph, he realized the mural stood across the bridge on the Treasure Island side.
Then, as Roberts rounded the corner, he spotted the girl. The discovery gave Roberts a feeling he rarely experiences as an adult.
“As we get older, things kind of lose their luster, and it’s hard to get excited,” he said. “For that moment, I felt like a little kid again.”
Protecting the artwork
The mural appeared on a weathered concrete wall surrounded by sand, weeds, and lingering signs of hurricane damage. A small yellow flower grew near the girl’s outstretched hand, becoming part of the scene.
“All I could think was, ‘How can I protect this?’” Roberts said.
Before taking action, Roberts contacted Treasure Island Vice Mayor Tammy Vasquez, who represents his neighborhood. He also spoke with a City representative who contacted the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) because the mural appeared on state-controlled property, Roberts said.
Meanwhile, Roberts went to Home Depot and bought Plexiglas and concrete screws with his own money. He returned that evening and installed the clear covering over the artwork.
Online views
Roberts also shared photographs of the girl on Facebook. He expected friends who knew about his interest in Banksy to appreciate the discovery, but the post traveled far beyond his immediate circle.
By the time Roberts spoke with The Gabber Newspaper, the post had attracted approximately 96,700 views, along with hundreds of reactions, comments, and shares.
“I had no idea how passionate everybody else was about it, too,” he said.
Residents stopped beside the bridge to study the image and pose for photographs. Some believed Banksy had visited the Pinellas beaches. Others identified D.N.Z as the likely artist and shared examples of similar work.
Regardless of who created it, Roberts said the mural connected with people.
“It really got some people excited and gave some people a little bit of joy,” he said.
Gray paint replaces the girl
That excitement ended the next morning. Roberts estimated that he finished installing the Plexiglas around 7:30 p.m. By approximately 11 a.m. the following day, he learned that workers had removed the covering and painted over the mural.
“If it’s graffiti, it’s graffiti,” Roberts said. “I understand it. That’s the law, and that’s the way they have to do stuff.”
Still, the speed of the response surprised him. Residents sometimes wait days or weeks for government agencies to repair potholes, replace signs or address other maintenance concerns, Roberts said. In this case, workers responded before the mural had remained protected for a full day.
“What was the rush?” he asked. “It didn’t say anything vulgar. It wasn’t spreading hate.”
Gray paint now covers the lower portion of the concrete wall where the girl appeared.
Worker paint over street art by D.N.Z. at John’s Pass Bridge in Treasure Island, Florida on June 23, 2026. Credit: D.N.Z. / Gulfport Gabber
D.N.Z claims the work
D.N.Z later confirmed creating the mural and said Pinellas County’s scenery and community drew the artist to the area. He titled the mural “Picking Shells.”
“I chose Pinellas County because of its vibrant community and incredibly beautiful surroundings,” D.N.Z told The Gabber Newspaper. “I’m also very happy that I chose a place that people showed so much appreciation for my artwork, even for the short time it lasted.”
The artist works anonymously and conceals their identity behind a painted mask. D.N.Z said the emotional response from residents, including Roberts, reinforced the purpose behind creating public art.
“It always feels meaningful and humbling to know my work connects with people on such an emotional level,” the artist said. “These people give me the drive to continue making art.”
The unexpected attention reinforced D.N.Z’s belief in the value of public art.
“I’m inspired by human reaction and their emotion to the artwork I create,” D.N.Z said. “The fact that art can bring communities together once a mural randomly pops up somewhere overnight makes me feel like what I do is worth something.”
After FDOT painted over the girl beneath the bridge, another D.N.Z mural surfaced in Madeira Beach on July 1.
The piece, titled “Florida Fl’amigos,” depicts two flamingos facing one another against a bright blue wall. Their curved necks create the outline of a heart.
The artist signed the mural “D.N.Z.” and shared it through the Instagram account @dnz_uk. Together, the two works introduced Tampa Bay residents to an artist many initially mistook for Banksy.
Public art leaves a temporary mark
D.N.Z said the mural’s removal was difficult to see, though the artist understood its temporary nature.
“It’s always disappointing to see a piece disappear, but as a street artist you understand public art is often temporary,” the artist said. “But I always hope the impact it had on people lasts longer than the artwork itself.”
That statement closely mirrors Roberts’ experience.
For him, the girl carried added meaning because she appeared in an area still recovering from destructive hurricanes. Residents have spent months looking at damaged buildings, construction debris and reminders of what the storms took from their communities.
Then, unexpectedly, a small figure appeared among those scars, reaching toward a flower.
“It brought a little bit of hope,” Roberts said. “It was a little bit of a glimmer and a little bit of sunshine back.”
Roberts has returned to the site since workers painted over the mural. Each time he crosses the bridge, he still looks toward the corner where the girl once crouched.
“I just wish I could thank him for my little 15 minutes of happiness,” Roberts said. “For the coolness that it brought me and that I tried to save it, even though I didn’t know who it was.”
Artist hopes to return
D.N.Z has since returned to the United Kingdom to work on new projects but remains interested in creating more artwork in Pinellas County.
“I would always be up to paint there again,” the artist said. “Maybe if somebody from the city reads this article, they could give me some allocated walls.”
Meanwhile, the original hand-cut stencil of the girl is at Dean Street Gallery in Tampa, which represents D.N.Z. The artist said the gallery could potentially display it for people interested in seeing the stencil, along with a collection of their work and pieces by other artists.
D.N.Z also may hold a solo show at the gallery later this year.
The concrete wall beneath the bridge no longer displays the girl. Yet Roberts’ reaction, the thousands of people who viewed his post and the artist’s desire to return show that the mural lasted longer than the paint itself.
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This article appears in July 09 – 15, 2026.
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