Client: The City of Ocala’s Cultural Arts and Sciences Division

Overview

Ernesto Maranje teamed up with the City of Ocala’s Cultural Arts and Sciences Division to create a mural on the west-facing wall of the Brick City Center for the Arts.

The mural features lots of vibrant Florida wildlife: a Florida black bear, roseate spoonbills, monarch butterflies, bald cypress trees and sabal palms.

rnesto worked with fabricator Mike Zeak and horticulturist Suzanne Shuffitt to bring the mural to life. Trellises were installed to hold plants, making the mural three-dimensional and truly turning this piece into living art. You can see the plant installations on the bear’s ears and nose.

The mural’s vivid imagery portrays the unity of animals and plants by pulling different segments from each and making them a cohesive whole. Not only is the result pleasing to the eye, it reminds the viewer of our connection with nature.

The mural is approximately 30’ high and 70′ long.

Goals

To integrate live plants into a mural that would attract visitors and make residents happy.

Process

Ernesto created a concept with the city's input that included plant installation.

He painted the mural, and worked with fabricator Mike Zeak and horticulturist Suzanne Shuffitt on the trellis and plant installation.