{"id":33817,"date":"2025-11-05T03:55:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T03:55:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/33817\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T03:55:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T03:55:31","slug":"the-sunshine-city-mosaic-83-degrees-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/33817\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sunshine City Mosaic \u2013 83 Degrees Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The Sunshine City Mosaic (Carole Devillers)<\/p>\n

A new sidewalk mosaic is St. Peterburg\u2019s latest piece of public art.<\/p>\n

City officials unveiled The Sunshine City Mosaic during an Oct. 29 community event at Sunset Park off Central Avenue and Park Street. Created by artists Alex Kaufman, Laura \u201cMiss Crit\u201d Spencer, and George Retkes, the mosaic is 175 feet long and covers 700 square feet. It is composed of more than 15,000 pieces of porcelain tile and glass and depicts nine vignettes of Florida\u2019s diverse wildlife.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The city commissioned the walkable installation to celebrate the area\u2019s natural beauty and draw visitors to Sunset Park. The mosaic features eye-catching scenes of a brown pelican, an osprey diving for a fish, a great blue heron, bees and butterflies on flowers, a lizard, jumping dolphins, and other sea life. It\u2019s St. Pete\u2019s latest addition to a public art collection with more than 90 pieces. Check out the intricate mosaic in the slideshow below.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a City of the Arts, it\u2019s critical to have public art represented in all pockets of St. Petersburg,\u201d Mayor Ken Welch said during the unveiling event. \u201cThe Sunshine City Mosaic is not just a public art installation, it\u2019s a celebration of our community\u2019s spirit and natural beauty. It\u2019s exciting to see such an ambitious project come to life, connecting our vibrant artistic culture with the stunning landscapes of our parks on the west side. This mosaic reflects St. Petersburg\u2019s commitment to creativity and unity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Following the ceremony, Welch and St. Pete City Council Chair Copley Gerdes led a walk along the mosaic pathway.<\/p>\n

For the trio of artists behind the installation, the mosaic is a love letter to St Pete. It took close to two years to complete, a process that included designing the mosaic, cutting all its pieces with a waterjet, and installing the artwork in the park. (See more photos in slideshow below.)<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been beyond a labor of love for generations to come,\u201d said Spencer.<\/p>\n

\u201cA project like this takes a community,\u201d added Kaufman, \u201cand we hope you enjoy it for its lifetime.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For more information, go to The Sunshine City Mosaic<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n


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