Photo story: The Sunshine City Mosaic

A new sidewalk mosaic is St. Peterburg’s latest piece of public art.

City officials unveiled The Sunshine City Mosaic during an Oct. 29 community event at Sunset Park off Central Avenue and Park Street. Created by artists Alex Kaufman, Laura “Miss Crit” Spencer, and George Retkes, the mosaic is 175 feet long and covers 700 square feet. It is composed of more than 15,000 pieces of porcelain tile and glass and depicts nine vignettes of Florida’s diverse wildlife. 

The city commissioned the walkable installation to celebrate the area’s natural beauty and draw visitors to Sunset Park. The mosaic features eye-catching scenes of a brown pelican, an osprey diving for a fish, a great blue heron, bees and butterflies on flowers, a lizard, jumping dolphins, and other sea life. It’s St. Pete’s latest addition to a public art collection with more than 90 pieces. Check out the intricate mosaic in the slideshow below.

“As a City of the Arts, it’s critical to have public art represented in all pockets of St. Petersburg,” Mayor Ken Welch said during the unveiling event. “The Sunshine City Mosaic is not just a public art installation, it’s a celebration of our community’s spirit and natural beauty. It’s exciting to see such an ambitious project come to life, connecting our vibrant artistic culture with the stunning landscapes of our parks on the west side. This mosaic reflects St. Petersburg’s commitment to creativity and unity.”

Following the ceremony, Welch and St. Pete City Council Chair Copley Gerdes led a walk along the mosaic pathway.

For the trio of artists behind the installation, the mosaic is a love letter to St Pete. It took close to two years to complete, a process that included designing the mosaic, cutting all its pieces with a waterjet, and installing the artwork in the park. (See more photos in slideshow below.)

“This has been beyond a labor of love for generations to come,” said Spencer.

“A project like this takes a community,” added Kaufman, “and we hope you enjoy it for its lifetime.”  

For more information, go to The Sunshine City Mosaic