Officials unveil new mural downtown
Artwork first in a series planned in beautification project
A new mural officially unveiled in Orlando on Thursday evening is just the start of making downtown an even more appealing place to visit, officials say.
“We’re thrilled … to bring a little more joy downtown,” said Downtown Arts District executive director Barbara Hartley at the unveiling.
The new mural, “Land of Merchants” by Jonathan Stemberger, is set to be the first in a series of eye-catching artworks throughout downtown in an initiative led by the Downtown Orlando Partnership and its Avrio foundation. And the alley-turned-courtyard where “Land of Merchants” was unveiled is poised for an even bigger makeover.
Adjacent to the Downtown Arts District’s CityArts galleries, the alley-courtyard will one day be a stylish outdoor gallery and performance venue, as that organization moves ahead with renovation plans.
The two downtown organizations partnered on the installation of “Land of Merchants.”
“We’re committed to continuing the momentum of beautification for the people who live, work and play downtown,” said Jill Vaughan, executive director of the Downtown Orlando Partnership. The membership-driven organization of primarily business and civic leaders celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. It is known particularly for its Golden Brick Awards, given to boosters of downtown.
In 2019, its nonprofit Avrio foundation was established and about $15,000 was raised to fund six or seven artistic projects throughout downtown. The coronavirus pandemic delayed any installations — until Thursday.
Stemberger’s mural features a large Irish wolfhound and Celtic knot — nods to The Harp and Celt Irish pub, on whose wall it’s painted. A bed of roses climbs toward the sky, reflecting the growth of Orlando’s arts scene, Hartley said at the dedication.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who spoke at the event, noted it has been one year since COVID-19 dampened the energy of downtown.
“We’ve been through a lot as a community, as a state, as a nation, as a world,” he said.
He lauded the mural’s installation with a champagne toast, saying, “We’re celebrating doing things outside, doing things in a safe way.”
Dyer has previously championed artistic initiatives such as See Art Orlando, which brought eight sculptures to prominent locations around the city.
Future Downtown Orlando Partnership installations and their locations are still up in the air as COVID-19 has caused
some plans to be rethought, Vaughan told the Orlando Sentinel. Others will need city zoning approval to proceed.
But Vaughan said they would happen eventually.
“We want to make sure we are doing what we can to support each other and get people back downtown,” said Vaughan. “It is our hope people will feel comfortable to come and visit.”
Attracting people downtown is good for the city’s economy, Vaughan said.
The Harp and Celt, for example, has also used the Pine Street alleyway. Hartley said in an interview that she urges those attending CityArts events to patronize the pub.
“We want to be good neighbors,” she said. “We encourage people to support the local businesses around us.”
COVID-19 also put the brakes on the nonprofit
Downtown Arts District’s plan to renovate the “Land of Merchants” alley.
A major fundraiser for the project was postponed as a health precaution, and the group needs about $150,000 to move ahead, Hartley said.
Some of that money would have come from grants and government entities — which now have more pressing concerns because of the pandemic’s economic repercussions.
“They are looking at ‘how do we keep arts organizations in business,’ which is understandable,” Hartley said.
Still, individuals have continued to contribute — many through a program that lets arts patrons donate a decorative brick to the project — and Hartley hopes ground can be broken on the project in 2022.
“People are still donating and buying bricks …
one brick at a time,” Hartley said.
The renovation plans include repurposing vintage materials such as the bricks, decorative iron fencing, glass lattice structures and more, much of which comes from the old Church Street Ballroom, owned by Lincoln Property Company.
Meanwhile, the unadorned space has been used during the pandemic for the Timucua Arts Foundation’s “In Between” concerts, Orlando Story Club events and the Creative City Project’s theatrical production of “Bright Young Things.”
“It’s going to be gorgeous and inviting and amazing when it’s done,” Hartley said. “In the meantime, we’re using it as best we can.”