Osceola Arts’ ARTisNOW Public Murals Project has expanded beyond downtown Kissimmee, its original epicenter, and last week cut the ribbon on its newest work, an ambitious five-panel mural painted on the Orange Gardens Community Center in Kissimmee.
Venezuelan artist Deivi Sanchez brought a nature scene complete with a stunning butterfly to the center. But his brushes and paint only touch the surface of how this piece comes to life.
By accessing the QR code near the mural, and selecting the “Augmented Reality” option and pointing your phone’s camera toward the ground, a nature scene with butterflies pops up that another person in the shot can be immersed in. (Trust us, going in person is the only way to do it justice.)
Osceola Arts Public Arts Coordinator Brian Camacho said the whole thing—location, size, immersive feature—has helped create a “cultural renaissance” in Orange Gardens, a decades-old neighborhood west of John Young Parkway just north of Osceola High School. The five-wall mural features a butterfly, flowers, and an outstretched hand filled with blooms, representing collaboration and collective growth.
“This mural transforms this space into an attractive environment, and gives Orange Gardens a sense of identity,” Camacho said.
Meanwhile, it was a labor of love for Sanchez, who began the mural over the summer— working on the painting, and his tan.
“This was my gym,” he said. “Yes it was big, but after getting the inspiration from the city, it felt like it painted itself. I’m very excited how it turned out, and am grateful for the city. And the immersive piece of it is great!”
It won’t be just be neighbors who will see the mural each day. Kissimmee Parks and Recreation Director Steve Lackey said city staff who work in the Civic Center will move there around February as demolition crews will begin the Azure hotel and convention center project downtown.
This week, OsceolaArts announced the next mural project at 700 Main Street about two blocks north of Neptune Road, where Jordan “JJ The Artist” Jones has begun creating “Naturally Round,” a “celebration the cyclical essence of life” on the exterior walls of YoCuba Travel & Services.
For more information about Osceola Arts’ mural program, visit https://www.osceolaarts.org/murals.
