Woven Waves - Tampa Riverwalk

Arts & Cultural Affairs

Lights on Tampa

Lights on Tampa 2015: “Uplit” words by Silivia Curbelo

Leaders Row at Perry Harvey Park

Leaders Row at Perry Harvey, Sr. Park by Michael Parker

Visual Welcome by Yaacov Agam

Visual Welcome by Yaacov Agam

Gateway Sculptures at Perry Harvey, Sr. Park by James Simon

Gateway Sculptures at Perry Harvey, Sr. Park by James Simon

West Tampa Water Tank by the Goetzinger Brothers

West Tampa Water Tank by the Goetzinger Brothers

Wave by Mary Ann Unger

Wave by Mary Ann Unger

Stay Curious by Tes One and Bask Poe Parking Garage Photo Credit Nicole Abbett

Stay Curious by Tes One and Bask

Perry Harvey, Sr. Statue by Joel Randell

Perry Harvey, Sr Statue by Joel Randell

HEARD TPA  Performance by Nick Cave for Lights on Tampa 2015  Photo Credit Matt May

Lights on Tampa 2015: “HEARD TPA” by Nick Cave

Cenotaph and Ceremonial Space - Photo Credit George Cott

Cenotaph and Ceremonial Space by Bob Haozous

The City of Tampa’s Division of Arts and Cultural Affairs plays a key role in telling the story of our city; it also humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. Artwork commissioned through any of the programs under the division may provide an intersection between past, present and future, between disciplines, and between ideas.

McKay Bay Transfer Station Mural

Artist Rafael Blanco recently completed a large-scale mural at the McKay Bay Transfer Station. Blanco’s mural is a tribute to the diverse workforce and depicts the services provided by the Solid Waste Department.  Catch a glimpse into his process in the embedded video below. 

McKay Bay Mural In-Progress I
McKay Bay Mural In-Progress II
McKay Bay Mural In-Progress III
McKay Bay Mural In-Progress IV

New Mural in Seminole Heights!

Mural at Wayne Papy Gymnastics Center

Award-winning artist, Naomi Haverland, was commissioned by the City of Tampa to create a site-specific mural at the Wayne Papy Athletic Center in Seminole Heights.  Ms. Haverland worked with some of the young athletes that attend the center and developed an image that depicts an imaginary, joyful world created by a child. 

culture community cuisine

There's still time to submit your recipe to be considered for the Soulwalk Cookbook! Deadline is February 29, 2024. 

We welcome the public’s recipes, snippets of memories, profiles of people and businesses, and other notes about the preparation and consumption of food.  Submit your favorite recipe online, or mail us a copy of your recipe -  visit any of our Parks and Recreation Community Centers to get a self addressed stamped-envelope!

Soulwalk Logo
Soulwalk

Soulwalk is an arts and heritage “trail" that tells the rich history of Tampa's Black communities and highlights the diverse, thriving creative community in present-day Tampa.

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Mayor Castor and Chief Barbara Tripp recently dedicated “Tampa's LIGHT," a new mural commissioned by the City of Tampa, Arts & Cultural Affairs Division, showcasing a visual timeline of Tampa Fire Rescue's rich 128-year history. The mural is a captivating visual, that welcomes all visitors as they enter the headquarters of Tampa's premier fire department. 

The City of Tampa commissioned Frankie Gonzalez, a Tampa artist, to create a site-specific mural that pays tribute to the history and services provided by Tampa Fire Rescue. His mural invites visitors and employees at Tampa Fire Rescue to take a moment to honor and celebrate the individuals who dedicate themselves to the department's core values, which are integrity, honesty, loyalty, and trust.

The artist's use of vibrant colors and juxtaposition of imagery tells a cohesive story of the Department's evolution and impact on the community.   The mural location is in the lobby and 3rd floor of Tampa Fire Rescue Headquarters:  808 E. Zack St., Tampa 33602.

Ybor Speaks

"Ybor Speaks" is a unique public art project created to celebrate the immigrant experience in Ybor City from the 1890s to the 1980s.  The City of Tampa, Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs commissioned playwright Sheila Cowley and sound designer Matt Cowley to create immersive soundscapes and audio vignettes, to create this vivid experience.  The sights, sounds, scents and feel of daily life in Ybor through selections read aloud, and audio theatre shorts take the listener back in time through Ybor City history.  

"History Starts Here" by Tampa artist, Nneka Jones, is a sports-related design that reminds people to play, practice and persevere. The mural is located at the Gwen Miller Community Center at 6410 N 32nd St, Tampa, FL
Poetry Post Detail
Poetry Post

Post your poetry here! The Poetry Post is a mobile public art project that encourages people from across the city to jot down a poem, short story or haiku then post it in the box. The Poetry Post can now be found at the Barksdale Senior Center, located in West Tampa located at 1801 N Lincoln Ave, Tampa, FL 33607. Learn more…

Macfarlane Park
Macfarlane Park

Measured, by Edgar Sanchez Cumbas and Jay Giroux, represents many sports played at the park, such as basketball and tennis, but also highlights boxing, a sport that was popular in West Tampa years ago. 

The Fearless Four - Artwork by Pep Rally, Inc.
Fearless Four

In the 1970s, Tampa Police Officers Frank Gray, Rufus Lewis, Clarence Nathan, and James Dukes played pivotal roles in the City's implementation of fairer practices and policies to ensure all minority officers (and employees city-wide) had access to the same opportunities as their White counterparts. Learn more...

Circles Unity
Lights on Tampa

Lights on Tampa returns with critically acclaimed art in the downtown core.

Perry Harvey Park

Perry Harvey, Sr. Park

The art installations at Perry Harvey, Sr. Park in East downtown work together in an attempt to tell the story of the abundant contributions of the African American community and Historic Central Avenue. This artwork was made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

 Julian B Lane Park

Julian B Lane Park

One of Tampa’s premier downtown parks, Julian B. Lane Riverfront park features Public Art that is engaging, thoughtful and recognizes the foundations of the past, folklore and history of West Tampa.  Winner of the American Architecture Award, artists worked alongside planners on placement and content of their artwork.

Cenotaph
Cenotaph

American Indians throughout the Western Hemisphere have a unique and rightful connection to place The Cenotaph and Ceremonial Space in Cotanchobee / Fort Brooke, marks such a place. Apache artist, Bob Haozous, designed the large canopy sculpture and text panels were added by historians that recount aspects of  the site’s complex history’s including the Seminole Song of Removal, maps, and a muster roll. Read more Cenotaph information or watch the video.

Saga of St. Benedict - photo of Sisters of St. Joseph with children
Saga of St. Benedict

This site pays tribute to the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine who, in the era of segregation, taught the children of Afro-Cuban workers of the Ybor City cigar industry. In an effort to recognize the integrity, the history of the site, a poem by James E. Tokley, Sr., is engraved in the sidewalk at the original location of the school, north of I-4, at Columbus Drive and 20th Street.  This project also involves a complex historic preservation project spearheaded by the Florida Department of Transportation.  Saga of St. Benedict video

Sunrise behind 9/11 Memorial
9-11 memorial

Designed by Wilder Architecture, this memorial on Bayshore Blvd at Bay to Bay is a one-one hundredth the scale of the actual site of the World Trade Center and is an artifact recovered from the World Trade Center after the attacks on September 11, 2001 and is displayed in memory of the nearly 3,000 victims including over 400 first responders.

University of Tampa minarets in coloring book with crayons on top

Coloring Book

Grab your crayons! Download pages of Color Me Tampa! for a colorful way to learn about our city.

Story of Tampa Mural

Story of Tampa Mural

Artist Lynn Ash to create a large painting that would weave together many of the notable aspects of Tampa's unique character and identity.   


Updated: 03/05/2024