JackNov2016

jacked up I street talk
Transforming Jacksonville one wall at a time
By Kerry Speckman
Photography by Renee Parenteau
Nico Holderbaum discovered mural painting almost by accident. The South Florida native went to art school but was so moved by the work of
friends who were graffiti artists, she stepped out of her comfort zone and tried it for herself. Holderbaum freely admits, “I wasn’t good at it,”
but she did find the concept of public art appealing.
Dustin Harewood shares a similar story. When he
began his career as a professional artist more
than a decade ago, he focused on painting and
charcoal drawings. Aside from enjoying the
work of his colleagues, he hadn’t really considered
murals as an artistic outlet until he was
approached about painting a mural as part of a neighborhood
beautification project in Springfield.
Though their paths were different, Holderbaum’s and
Harewood’s personal “discovery” of mural painting reflects the
emergence of Jacksonville’s public art scene, especially the
growing popularity of murals.
A decade ago, there were only a handful of “legitimate” (in
the legal sense of the word) murals in the city with the majority
found in the urban core. Today, there are at least 30 large-scale
murals throughout the city, many of which were commissioned
(i.e., artists received compensation for their work).
In Harewood’s case, mural painting served a specific purpose,
namely, “turning eye sores into focal points” in Springfield.
Others’ work, like Holderbaum’s “Greetings From Jacksonville,
Florida” on The Block Skate Supply in Riverside, help draw attention
to businesses.
But perhaps the most significant impact of murals is its ability
to bring art to the masses, some of whom have very little exposure
to the arts. Through engagement with murals, a neighborhood’s
creative energy is more palpable to the passerby.
“Public art is unique in that it’s unavoidable,” photographer
Ben Whitlock says, who created a website (jaxmurals.com)
14 jack november 2016