ARTICLE
I’m sure we’ve all seen the murals around Lakeland, but how many of us have really stopped to admire them? If you ever want to go on low cost adventure, we recommend grabbing some friends or family for a mural scavenger hunt! We’ve included some of our favorites as well as the history and artists behind them.
History
The city of Lakeland aimed to revitalize areas in a unique way and encourage more people to visit. They decided murals would do just the job!
So, in 2021 the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency launched its Art Infusion Grant program to bring more than 100 murals to businesses in downtown and Dixieland. The businesses can sign up to have their buildings painted with whatever mural design they choose.
Artists
The artists range from paid professionals, including Gillian Fazio, to Students. The one thing they all have in common is a love for their city and amazing artistic ability.
Gillian Fazio has done a fair majority of the murals around Lakeland. She’s very talented with the brush and does a great job connecting the murals to our area. They’re fun to look at and have an almost southern charm to them! If you want to find all of Gillian’s murals, check out this map:
GFazioArt Mural Tour - Google My Maps
There are also murals done by students from the Rochelle School of the Arts. These middle school kids put their skills to the test by collaborating, designing, and painting murals of their own (we highly recommend checking theirs out).
Some of the other artists include Megan Carroll, Aaron M Corbitt, Jenna O’Brien, Gabriela Jaxon, Cecilia Lueza, and Tim Haas. No matter if they’ve done one mural or 10, all of the artists have done a wonderful job representing the best of Lakeland! We love the pop of color they’ve added to our city.
Places
Here’s a complete map, including all of the Lakeland Murals and where to find them:
Map of Murals in Lakeland, Florida - Google My Maps
Some of our favorites include:
Greetings from Lakeland, FL Postcard
Address: 505 Martin L King Jr Ave, Lakeland, FL 33815—located at Residential Roofing Depot
Artist: Gillian Fazio
Flights of Fancy
Address: 901 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803—located on the backside of Southside Cleaners
Artist: Tim Haas
Let’s Ride
Address: 1058 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803—located at Bent’s Schwinn Cycling & Fitness
Watchful Woman
Address: 235 N Florida Ave, Lakeland, FL 33801—Thoms Downs Antique
Artist: Gabriela Jaxon
CULTIVATE & CREATE at Catapult
Address: 502 E Main St, Lakeland, FL 33801—located at Catapult Lakeland
Artist: Megan Carroll
Welcome to Lakeland, FL
Address: 110 W Highland St, Lakeland, FL 33803—located at The Shop Across The Street
Artist: Jenna O’Brien of Twenty Seven
Haus 820 Color Wall
Address: 822 N. Massachusetts Ave.—located at Haus 820
Artist: Unknown
Greetings from Lakeland
Address: 950 E Main St, Lakeland, FL 33801—located Boring Business systems
Artist: Ahmad Taylor + Rochelle Art Students
Conclusion
Now that you have your “treasure map,” walk/drive to your destination and check out the murals. Find favorites of your own! As an added bonus, you can even have a fancy photo shoot at some of your favorite murals. Be sure to tag ExploreLKLD when showcasing your modeling and photography skills.
Want to learn more about the murals? Check out these other resources:
https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2021/06/06/17-lakeland-businesses-have-signed-up-murals/7541023002/
https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2019/05/23/lakeland-officials-fund-murals-to-attract-people-to-area
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/lakeland-art-infusion-project-will-paint-100-murals-on-local-businesses