FPRA awards public arts projects to four Florida artists | St. Lucie County

FORT PIERCE – The Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency Board voted unanimously May 12 to award more than half of its 2026 Fiscal Year Mural Budget to four Florida artists who will soon begin work on murals for DreamChaser Preschool, Elks Lodge #1520, Mervis Cafe & Grill and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy.

Two of the mural artworks, St. Andrew’s at 210 S. Indian River Drive and the Elks Lodge at 605 S. US Hwy 1 – valued at $20,000 and $15,000, respectively – were awarded to Port St. Lucie-based artists. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Committee was tasked with evaluating the dozens of artist submissions and whittling them down to a finalist for each project. The winning artist for both St. Andrew’s – Port St. Lucie-based Pete Koza – and Mervis Cafe mural artist Sitki Dogan of West Palm Beach, have already produced murals in the Fort Pierce area. According to Dogan’s biography, he produced the Flora Symphony mural at 607 Orange Ave., as well as an interior mural at Fort Pierce City Hall.

Redevelopment Specialist Sara Delgado revealed the Advisory Committee’s selections that evening.

“I’m here to bring to you the proposed mural locations and the artist submissions for Fiscal Year 26,” she said. “When we began the program, we started in the Peacock Arts District. Last fiscal year, we moved to include downtown, [and] this fiscal year we included all CRA districts with a budget of $100,000. In March, I put out a property owner application. [and] we received four applications. The CRA Advisory Committee evaluated all of them and decided to move forward with all four properties. So, we have St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy, Mervis Cafe & Grill [402 S. 5th St], Elk’s Lodge and DreamChaser Preschool [505 N. 7th St.]”

Delgado then revealed the artists for each project, beginning with St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy, which had the largest mural space to fill.

“In April, I put out a call for artists,” she continued. “The CRA Advisory Committee evaluated those artists and decided to move forward with artist Pete Koza for St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy; Sitki Dogan for Mervis Cafe & Grill; Shannen Mythen [of Port St. Lucie] for Elk’s Lodge 1520; and Inna Parkhomenko [of Jacksonville] for DreamChaser Preschool. So, here we have proposed $20,000 for the mural [at] St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy from Pete Koza.”

Chairwoman Linda Hudson was the first to pose a clarification question afterward since the Advisory Committee had to decide between 23 different artist proposals for that particular project.

“Ms. Delgado, do the building owners have input into the choice?” she asked.

“They give me a theme when they apply, and so I put that out in the call for artists,” she replied. “For DreamChaser Preschool, we have Inna Parkhomenko with an $8,000 budget; For Mervis Cafe & Grill, we have Sitki Dogan, I think this is my favorite one.”

Dogan’s proposed mural image for the restaurant chosen by the committee that pleased Delgado was of a colorful Havana, Cuba streetscape featuring a bright red classic 1957 Chevrolet dominating the scene. Dogan had actually supplied two options for that mural: The first with the car parked at the corner of the building and juxtaposed with a modern Chevrolet passing down the street; and the second with the restored classic vehicle poised in the middle of a street between two buildings. Delgado did specify which option the committee had preferred.

“You know they just celebrated their 25th anniversary,” Chairwoman Hudson explained in reference to the cafe. “Inside they had some kind of prop with the red car, very similar.”

Delgado wrapped up her presentation with the budgetary figures for that mural and the final mural award.

“Their budget was $18,000 for that mural,” she said of the Havana mural. “The last one is Elk’s Lodge #1520 with Shannen Mythen, and that is $15,000. If approved today, I’ll move forward with the agreements and bring that before the Board in June. I have a timeline for all four artists to start June 20.”

“I love them,” Hudson responded in reference to all the artist submissions. “I looked at the other ones too.”

Board Member Curtis Johnson Jr. made the only other Board comment to emphasize how the murals were actually being funded.

“I think these funds that we have dedicated are kind of earmarked for our art program,” he said.

The FPRA Board then voted unanimously for approval. The city’s Marketing & Communications Manager Kaitlyn Ballard provided the Hometowns News a few more details a couple of days later.

“The FPRA received four property owner applications and 143 artist submissions through the call for artists process for the 2026 FPRA Mural Program,” she said via email May 14. “A total of $100,000 was allocated for the program, with approximately $61,000 designated for the four approved mural locations. At this time, there are no plans to reopen this initiative during the current fiscal year.”