{"id":214462,"date":"2026-04-01T12:41:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T12:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/214462\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T12:41:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T12:41:07","slug":"first-two-artists-begin-painting-shipping-container-murals-at-somo-walls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/214462\/","title":{"rendered":"First two artists begin painting shipping container murals at SoMo Walls"},"content":{"rendered":"

DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) \u2014 Artists are beginning work on large-scale murals at SoMo Walls<\/a> in downtown Tallahassee, transforming shipping containers into a public gallery.<\/p>\n

WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:<\/p>\n

Artists begin painting large-scale shipping container murals at SoMo Walls<\/p>\n

Local artist Amanda VanStratum is one of seven artists<\/a> selected for the project.<\/p>\n

“We’ve done lots of murals inside in children’s bedrooms, so we really like doing whimsical artwork,” she said.<\/p>\n

Knight Creative Communities Institute<\/a> Executive Director Betsy Couch said two of VanStratum’s designs were chosen out of 41 submissions, which included ideas from artists as far away as Texas.<\/p>\n

“What was really clear about all of the submissions that were selected is they were very unique, creative, playful, but also had deeper meaning,” Couch said.<\/p>\n

One of her murals features a panther taking a picture of itself.<\/p>\n

“I had been looking at pictures from down in\u00a0the Everglades, and I noticed that there was a place where there was a panther crossing sign, and people would stop and they would take a selfie. I just thought it would be so funny if we had a panther taking a picture of himself,” VanStratum said.<\/p>\n

Her second mural is inspired by Pac-Man and transforms Florida wildlife into characters in a maze.<\/p>\n

To tackle the challenge of painting two murals, she is using virtual reality to plan her designs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m able to\u00a0use the controller\u00a0to place the artwork on the wall, and then I can adjust it,\u00a0make it larger,\u00a0smaller,\u00a0and I can actually move elements around inside of the artwork,\u00a0so it’s really made this a fun process,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s documenting the process for her followers.<\/p>\n

“Art has been such an important part of my life. Being a way that I can try to reflect the character of God,\u201d VanStratum said. \u201cI feel like doing art, especially in a public place like this, is a way to reflect his character, and I really appreciate the opportunity to bring something special to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Couch said artists will be painting their murals between now and May, with an estimated completion date set for Memorial Day.<\/p>\n

KCCI is also planning an event where the community can meet the artists and paint with them.<\/p>\n

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n

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