As a town, we have our share of murals. We’re lucky. Not only are they colorful and evocative, but they can be absolutely transformative in the most mundane of contexts–such as underpasses. The most recent Exhibit A: the recently dedicated, 12,000-square-foot mural painted on the side of Fabricated Products of Tampa overlooking Adamo Drive between 17 and 19th streets. It tops out at 35 feet tall, one of the largest outdoor murals in the state.
The community owes a debt of gratitude to key catalyst Michael Parker, an adjunct instructor of art at Hillsborough Community College. He was supported by the City of Tampa, the Ybor City Development Corp. and a number of individual Ybor-based businesses.
As with all murals, this one is multi-purposed. It aesthetically dresses up a drab stretch of Adamo by creating a de facto gateway to Ybor City, which it borders. Featuring likenesses ranging from José Martí and Arturo Fuente to Cesar Gonzmart and Tony Pizzo, it colorfully underscores Ybor’s Latin heritage.
Next up for a mural makeover: the less-than-attractive but functional, 126-foot West Tampa water tower on Himes Avenue. After the city’s water department does repairs and recoating, Peter and Rolf Goetzinger will have at it. In January they will begin painting an oversized cigar wrapper image emblematic of West Tampa’s cigar-making history.
And then what? Maybe Parker or the Goetzinger Brothers could be recruited to touch up those butt-ugly, ConAgra silos downtown.