Public Artwork Is Part of Sarasota’s ‘Florida Legacy Art Mural Series’
From the July-September 2025 issue of Critical Times. Print versions are available for free at WSLR+Fogartyville and other community gathering spaces in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
The artist Swirly Painter took a break from painting the Colson mural to appear on WSLR’s ArtBeat on May 12. ArtBeat features one-on-one conversations with artists, curators, gallerists and art educators, who also share the music that is fueling their creative practice. It airs alternating Mondays at 9 a.m.
In early June, the artist known as Swirly Painter (Kaitlin Ramirez) completed a mural depicting Irene and Rev. Lewis Colson on a 1,240-square-foot wall at the Sarasota School of Arts & Sciences.
A public dedication ceremony takes place Thursday, July 3 at 10 a.m. at the school, located at 717 Central Ave.
The Colson mural is located at Sarasota School of Arts & Sciences, located at 717 Central Ave.
The large-scale public painting honors the Colsons and their contributions to Overtown (Sarasota’s first Black community), which is now known as the Rosemary District. It was funded through the City of Sarasota’s Public Art Program’s Florida Legacy Art Mural Series after receiving approval from the Public Art Committee.
Current members of the Public Art Committee are Jonathan Parks, Heather Gorman, Josh Botzenhart, Bianca Clyburn and Cassia Kite Jaeger. A “STAR Student” position is listed as open on the City of Sarasota’s website. Ciera Coleman is the city’s public art administrator.
A call for artists is underway for a new mural in the series; the application deadline is Sunday, July 6.
The next mural in the Public Art Program’s Florida Legacy Art Mural Series will be located on a wall at the corner of 10th Street and Osprey Avenue. Photo courtesy of City of Sarasota.
It will be painted on the exterior of a residential building at the corner of 10th Street and Osprey Avenue adjacent to Gillespie Park. The mural will reflect the theme Florida Flora and Fauna, with a focus on local and native bird species.
The selected artist will receive a commission of up to $45,000, inclusive of all project costs. For more information and submission requirements, search Sarasota under the Find Calls tab at callforentry.org.
For more information about the City of Sarasota’s Public Art Program, visit sarasotafl.gov/our-city/public-art.
–Compiled by Kathleen Murray