Florida Paints partnered with Real Life Education for the Paint a Brighter Day initiative, bringing Orlando community members together through color, creativity, and mental-health.
Florida Paints Partners with SHINE Mural Festival to Support Community Art—and Community Artists
The SHINE Mural Festival returned for its 11th year this November, once again turning St. Pete into an open-air museum of color, scale and painted stories. For the first time, Florida Paints joined as the festival’s official paint partner. With our products designed for Florida’s beautiful, yet brutal sun, the St. Petersburg murals get to keep their vibrancy long after the festival wraps.
Over its 11-year history, SHINE has commissioned more than 170 murals (see the interactive map), redefining St. Pete’s identity as a destination for creativity, culture and public art. Florida Paints’ support this year continues that trajectory, helping artists leave work that endures the weather, the seasons and the stories yet to be told around them with products like Sunscreen, which keep vibrant mural colors brighter for longer.
“People really want to connect, but they don’t always know how. I wanted to create a place where people could have fun, engage with others, and see what this community has to offer.”
One of the festival’s highlights was the community mural at LMCU Bank, led by artist Sara Salem. What made this project special was its hands-on approach: local residents were invited to help paint alongside Salem.
Her design, inspired by the city and the LMCU Bank location, wrapped around the building, inviting participants to leave their own mark. Among the community members painting were Roy Binger, LMCU Senior Vice President, and Chris Steinocher, CEO of the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce.
Salem opened her business Phi Phi Artland five years ago, teaching mural-making, fine art and even martial arts. But SHINE had been a goal from the beginning. “Since I came here, I wanted to be in SHINE,” Salem, who is from Egypt said. “This is the first year they’re doing it for local artists, and I’m on it. I’m so excited.”
Other participating artists brought equally personal stories and thoughtful visions to their work. Cuban-born muralist Karel García explored themes of migration, freedom, and social justice. “Art allows me to leave a message…people can see my thoughts on migration, equality, and the struggle for freedom,” he said.
Reflecting on his journey from Cuba to St. Petersburg and the path of self-discovery along the way, his murals are not just images—they are narratives of resilience, perseverance, and hope. “All of us who are migrants know what we go through… leaving our land, searching for freedom, chasing our dreams,” he said.
For Karel, art has been a way to find himself in a new country. “These past three years have been a process of discovering myself as an artist, exploring new materials and mediums,” he explains.
Every detail matters in his work. “I always try to include as many details as possible, so people have to look closely,” he says. His background as an architect informs his meticulous approach—every line, every shadow is deliberate. Whether it’s the strands of hair he paints with black ink or the layered textures of color, Karel’s work invites viewers to slow down and engage.
His usual palette of vibrant reds, deep blues, warm ochres, and black are expressive and purposeful. “These are powerful colors,” he says, “colors through which you can create and transmit so much.”
“Black is special to me because in Cuba I worked with ink; when I arrived here, I carried that visual language into new materials,” he said. “I detail every strand of hair with black ink. It’s time-consuming work and it holds special meaning for me.”
His Shine Mural Festival 2026 mural uses Florida Paints premium Glades, tinted in bold orange and blue hues to highlight the metaphorical and physical voyage many immigrants take. It’s a special story for him and his partner, Pablo, who was found at the opening ceremony beaming, after their migration from Cuba with dreams of living a more just life to love freely. Through his murals, Karel hopes to leave a lasting message, a visual testament to resilience, creativity and the enduring human spirit.
Emerging muralist Isac Gres faced a new challenge at SHINE 2025. “I usually work on larger murals, but they’re more horizontal,” he explained. “This is the tallest wall I’ve done so far. I’m really happy to take on that challenge.”
His design incorporates playful, surrealist elements, including melting clocks that nod to Dalí, whereby the St. Pete Dalí Museum is only a skip and hop away and the restaurant the mural is on, the Melting Pot. He said he appreciated the additional layer that his mural also represents a melting pot of cultures, as an artist from Cuba recently resettled in St. Petersburg. On the mural, and as a reoccurring motif in his other works, a focal point of a beaming light stops passerbyers in their tracks.
When asked about it he said, “Color for me means light…and also good energy. [Life], it’s not just black and white. There is color in life too.”
For Florida Paints, partnering with SHINE aligns with our mission to bring color to our communities, and to Paint a Brighter Day. “The SHINE Mural Festival has become one of Florida’s most anticipated arts events because it connects people and places through color and creativity,” said Santiago Quintero, Director of Florida Paints’ Paint a Brighter Day initiative. “We’re honored to support these murals with paint made for Florida conditions, ensuring the work continues to inspire the community long after the festival ends.”
From interactive community murals to introspective, personal works, SHINE 2025 highlighted how public art fosters creativity, conversation, and connection. Each piece added to St. Pete’s identity as one of the country’s premier mural cities.
See the murals for yourself: Visit the SHINE Festival map to explore mural locations and plan your visit.
Learn more about our Paint a Brighter Day program, Florida Paints initiative to partner with community organizations making an impact like SHINE.
Discover SHINE Mural Festival: SHINE 2025
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Melanie Espinal
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