Seminole Heights Street Art Trail

South Seminole Heights has always been a haven for artists. For many years Tempus Projects, a non-profit nurturing established and emerging local, national, and international artists, called South Seminole Heights home. In 2019 they moved to Ybor Heights. Our own local legend, John Moll, owns many properties, but the one he and his wife Patricia call home has many works of art in the yard, which frequently evolves as the couple’s collections grow.

The 2017 South Seminole Heights Civic Association Board embraced the artistic culture and the next year installed the first-ever street mural in Tampa. Street murals are designed to discourage speeding and reduce pedestrian casualties. The SSHCA street mural is located at the eastern edge of Rivercrest Park on North River Blvd at West Louisiana Avenue.

In 2018, following our inaugural Heights Unites Music & Arts Festival, the first-ever neighborhood art trail in Tampa was created within the boundaries of South Seminole Heights.

The Seminole Heights Art Trail features local artists who have previously contributed their talents to improve the aesthetics of our community through their art through murals, paintings, sculptures, and more. The SSHCA Art Trail is anchored by the previously mentioned street mural alongside Rivercrest Park but stretches outward along North Boulevard and North River Boulevard, also extending alongside Ignacio Haya Linear Park.

Local artists were selected to repurpose stormwater inlets with bright, vibrant paintings. Their efforts led to South Seminole Heights Civic Association receiving a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to expand the street art trail to 13 stormwater inlet paintings to date. Other organizations, such as Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, whose headquarters resides in South Seminole Heights, commissioned additional stormwater inlet paintings to contribute to the art trail. South Seminole Heights Civic Association will continue to facilitate new artistic installations throughout our community.

Seminole Heights Art Trail Installations

Installation: July 15, 2017
Location: North River Blvd and West Louisiana Ave
Sponsored by: Hillsborough County Neighborhoods
Artist: Catherine Thomas
About: The mandala design for the street mural was chosen by residents from a pool of artists who had submitted designs for consideration. Catherine Thomas, the local artist who made the winning design says “the mural was designed to represent the beauty and vibrancy of the Seminole Heights community… Since this is a community project, I felt as though a mandala would be a great symbol of bringing the community together to create something beautiful that everyone will be able to enjoy, while also learning something along the way.”

Installation: June 22, 2019
Sponsored by: Red Star Rock Bar
Artist: Skylar Suarez, Nuclear Sky Art
About: 


Installation: June 22, 2019
Sponsored by: Brew Bus Brewing
Artist: Samira Pinto
About: This painting was created to represent the importance of Oneness in the world. Here, a chameleon arises from the plants; however, he also dissipates right back into them. This transition takes place within a mandala, which is a symbol that has been long used in history as a metaphoric interpretation of the Universe. Therefore the balance and center of the union between beings and plants/ mother Earth are one and the same. When we look deep inside, we find that we are completely interconnected to one another and to our amazing planet.  Please, respect all life forms so that we can try to preserve life on Earth, as we know it. Because, where we come from, we also return…

My name is Samira Pinto and I love art!!!
My mission as an artist is to bring imagination and curiosity into the energetic realms that are invisible to the human eye. I enjoy questioning how everything is tied together in infinite consciousness and aim to spread love through my work. My love for the world continues to be daily motivation to help create positive change. Whether through paintings or tattoos, I always strive to share a piece of my heart… one piece at a time.