Three Finalists Selected for New Mural at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County

Posted by: Linnea Bailey

June 5, 2024

Public invited to view concepts by Palm Beach County-based professional artists at the Cultural Council’s headquarters in downtown Lake Worth Beach

LAKE WORTH BEACH, FL —

The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County has announced that three Palm Beach County-based professional artists have been selected as finalists for its large-scale public art project at its headquarters in downtown Lake Worth Beach.

The project will consist of painting a new mural on the south-facing exterior wall of the Cultural Council’s Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. building on Lake Avenue. The three finalists for the project are West Palm Beach-based artist team Anón (Jhonattan and Samantha Arango), West Palm Beach-based artist Craig McInnis, and Boca Raton-based artist Trinity Rivard.

“All of our finalists are established mural artists with unique styles,” said Jessica Ransom, the Cultural Council’s director of artist services. “We have many accomplished professional artists living and working here in The Palm Beaches, and we are excited to be providing an opportunity to showcase their work.”

Artists submitted proposals in April, and a panel of arts professionals selected the three finalists to present concepts. The community is now invited to view the artists’ concepts and participate in the selection of the final design. Beginning June 5, the artists’ concepts will be on display in the Cultural Council’s lobby, with feedback forms available to provide public comment through June 15. The selection committee will then reconvene and select the final concept by the end of June.

“As Palm Beach County’s designated local arts service agency, our mission is to support and serve creative professionals and cultural organizations in The Palm Beaches,” said Dave Lawrence, the Cultural Council’s president and CEO. “We’d like to encourage everyone to stop by the Council and see the incredible concepts that our Palm Beach County-based professional artists have created for our new mural project.”

Artist team Anón’s mural concept “Interwoven” is a composition that connects the outdoor space with the idea of natural beauty and cycles, community, interconnection, and harmony with our surroundings. The work features large-scale flowers in vibrant colors against a dark, flat background, creating a three-dimensional feel. A dance between a bee and flower engages viewers in a larger-than-life, intimate moment rich in stewardship. This exchange is based on mutual growth that benefits all communities, affecting our sustenance in the form of a third of the food we consume and the oxygen we breathe.

Artist Craig McInnis’s mural concept “Interconnected” is designed to represent the interconnectivity of all people and all things. The idea is that a group of people from all different walks of life gathered together in a circle that represents a utopian scenario of peace, love and health. The circular “table” in the middle speaks to earthly elements – growth, grace, mortality and power – some of the things that connect us all. The figures are enveloped in abstract flower petals, a representation of the protection that connection provides human beings.

Artist Trinity Rivard’s mural concept “Telling a Story” promotes a united community, rooted in an active lifestyle and inclusive of all. His use of vibrant color represents diversity and is meant to encourage people to stop and look, engage, question, discuss and share. Based upon the belief that a community where everyone has a sense of belonging is a healthy community, his artwork portrays people hugging, playing in the sand, relaxing in the water, reflecting on the past and looking toward a brighter future together. The healing properties of the water and sun are emphasized, as well as the healing power of the human touch.

Set to overlook a future outdoor Arts & Wellness Space at the Council, all three finalists incorporated the concept of community in their design proposals, with themes that include healing, unity, connections, wellness, and/or belonging. The selected artist or artist team will have approximately three months to complete the project, slated to debut by early fall. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the Cultural Council has raised the funds needed to complete and maintain a new mural.

The historic Art Deco building — whose south wall previously showcased Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra’s iconic “I Have a Dream” mural — is currently undergoing repairs to fix cracks and other damage to its facade. Standing at 54 feet wide, the mural (painted as part of the CANVAS mural festival in 2017) had also reached the end of its lifespan, as the artist’s original design sustained significant damage from the sun and graffiti.

In April, the Council hosted a mural commemoration and community celebration to honor the Kobra mural. Prior to that, the Council hosted and was part of community conversations about the building’s condition and the mural, as well as providing information about the process for commissioning a new mural.

To learn more about the project, visit palmbeachculture.com/our-mural.

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Media Contact:
Linnea Bailey (561) 713-0673
pr@palmbeachculture.com