Largest public art project in city’s history

Pensacola artists preparing for largest public art project in city’s history
Sketching underway for 3,000-square-foot mural to be painted on Jefferson Street parking garage in downtown Pensacola

PENSACOLA: In just a few weeks, fine artists Evan Levin and Ashton Howard will begin painting a 3,000 sq. ft. mural in downtown Pensacola, creating the city’s largest-ever live art production. The project is hosted by Friends of Downtown Pensacola, the non-profit arm of the Pensacola Downtown Improvement Board, and funded in large part by an Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE) grant. During a nine-day live art performance that spans this year’s Foo Foo Festival, Levin and Howard will scale the southeasterly facing wall of the Jefferson Street Garage on a lift to transform the red brick walls into a mural that will depict Pensacola’s heritage and commemorate the recent discovery of the oldest settlement in the U.S.

Levin and Howard begin sketching the mural onto the wall on the week of October 17 and plan to begin painting on November 1. The massive live art performance is expected to take approximately 200 hours to complete. Scenes will illustrate Pensacola’s iconic story with symbolic imagery depicting the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, The Pensacola Lighthouse and Spanish explorer Tristan de Luna who settled in Pensacola in 1559, making the city the oldest established European multi-year settlement in the United States.

Though mural painting is not new to either artist, the Jefferson Street garage project is the largest single piece of art ever created by Levin or Howard. “Our vision for this project is to create a piece of art that connects people to the heart and soul of Pensacola,” said Howard, adding “this is a huge step forward for Pensacola’s art and culture scene and I’m thrilled to make it come to life.”

Bleachers will be set up to allow visitors to watch the mural come to life during Foo Foo Fest, on October 5 and 13, with live music from prolific local musician, Brooks Hubbert. The evolving paint performance is expected to draw visitors from the community and surrounding areas who are encouraged to attend, watch and enjoy as the live art evolves before their eyes. “This is an exciting opportunity for us and the city,” said Levin recently. “I hope this public art will inspire more artistic projects that will reflect the city’s future while showcasing our rich history.”

Follow the progress:
Twitter @DowntownPcola @AHfineart @foofoofest
Facebook DowntownPensacola
Instagram @DowntownPensacola @ah_howard @elevin11
Hashtags #jeffersonstreetmural #downtownpensacola #foofoofest

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Painting by Numbers:
3,000 sq. ft. “canvas”
30 gallons of paint
9 days and nights
50 paint brushes
200 hours of painting
de Luna’s nose will be 3 ft. long