Artist To Begin 3rd In Series Of Downtown Clearwater Murals

CLEARWATER, FL — The city of Clearwater's ongoing commitment to turn drab buildings into works of art will continue this month with the painting of a warehouse mural at 701 Franklin St.

This is the last of a series of artwork installations planned for downtown Clearwater this summer.

The Clearwater Community Redevelopment Agency has partnered with Santa Rosa, California-based artist MJ Lindo-Lawyer to transform the building's west facade into a whimsical painting of a woman and her pet alligator out for a walk.

Lindo-Lawyer is a nationally recognized muralist known for her depictions of multi-cultural women alongside animal companions, evoking fantastical worlds.

Lindo-Lawyer began work on the mural Wednesday and will be painting over the course of about two weeks at the site at South East Avenue and Franklin Street, facing the Pinellas Trail. The public is invited to stop by and see the work in progress.

The new mural, the final of three commissioned over the past three months, builds upon the success of the CRA's initial program, which saw four murals painted on city-owned and private properties throughout downtown.

The program fulfills the organization's mission to create high-quality public spaces by weaving art and culture into the fabric of everyday life.

"We're thrilled to see this next phase energize our community this year, as downtown becomes the next great arts destination in Tampa Bay," said Amanda Thompson, Community Redevelopment Agency director.

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