PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – A new, large-scale public mural in Port St. Lucie celebrates culture and diversity through sports and recreation at Whispering Pines Park. The vivid “City for All People”-themed mural, drawn from the City’s vision statement, is located on the exterior wall of Robert E. Minsky Gym, facing Southwest Darwin Boulevard.
The mural showcases four multicultural children playing a variety of sports such as soccer, basketball, baseball and football, and enjoying the park amenities. On either side of the children are depictions of a mother and grandmother watching from the sidelines and an elderly man basking in the sun on a park bench. The colorful background, inspired by Seminole Patchwork, is a stylized sunset honoring the Native American people who settled in Florida in the 18th century. The word “community” dramatically overlays the vibrant
81-foot-tall section of the mural (81 feet 2 inches wide x 10 feet 2 inches tall).
A total of 18 artists answered the City’s Call for Artists, and West Palm Beach artist Eduardo Mendieta’s entry was selected by a project review team, including representatives from the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance and select Port St. Lucie staff from the Parks and Recreation and Planning and Zoning departments and the City Manager’s Office. The mural was completed Jan. 18 and featured at Port St. Lucie’s March Through the Park to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The mural took two weeks to complete.
The funding for the mural was allocated in part by a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America Grant. Port St. Lucie was one of 145 Challenge America grants recipients in the nation.
This public art project received support from the City’s internal Diversity Committee and was introduced for public input at the 2021 Citizen Summit. Residents were informed of the future mural to be placed on the outside wall of Minsky Gym and asked a question: “What Makes Port St. Lucie Diverse?” Their responses were tabulated, and the results were included in the Call to Artist flyer for artists’ knowledge and consideration.
City leaders take pride in Port St. Lucie’s diversity. Port St. Lucie has been recognized as one of only two large cities in the United States to be considered “fully integrated,” according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.
In addition, the City’s public art program strives to create beautiful places that will draw people together. To learn about the public art program, visit www.CityofPSL.com/art.