12 regional artists selected, begin work on Gainesville social justice mural project

The City of Gainesville 352walls Community Artist Program has named 12 regional artists to create one dozen temporary murals that address the national reckoning on social justice. The murals are located in City of Gainesville parks and painted on prepared plywood panels affixed to wooden posts. 

The artists and their mural locations are: 

• Robert Ponzio and Mimi Stocker at Cofrin Nature Park (4810 NW 8th Ave.)
• Myqueal Lewis and Pam Valcante, adjacent the Martin Luther King Multipurpose Center (1028 NE 14th St.)
• Thomas Berdugo and Jenna Horner at Oakview Park (810 NW 8th Ave.)
• Turbado Marabou and Angel Mir, adjacent Porters Community Center (512 SW 6th Ave.)
• Jesus (Jah Seck) Martinez, Guido Montenegro, Justo (RAS) Rodriguez and Fabian Sanchez at Possum Creek Park (4009 NW 53rd Ave.)

Artists plan to complete the murals during the next two weeks. Visit the 352arts and 352walls Facebook pages for more information about their progress. 

The Gainesville Social Justice Project is underwritten by a fund established to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the City’s incorporation. Applicants for the project answered a regional call for artists in August. The artists were selected by a community panel made up of curators, members of the creative community and representation from the social justice movement. Scoring was based on skills, mural experience, personal style and a proposed concept. 

For more information, contact Cultural Affairs Manager Russell Etling at etlingrh@cityofgainesville.org or 352-393-8532 (ofc), 352-316-4628 (cell).