ORLANDO, Fla. – Swans, oranges, and water lilies have appeared on walls around South of Downtown Orlando over the past week, as artists create three new murals funded by a federal grant awarded to six Main Street districts across the city.
The South of Downtown (SODO) Main Street district received up to $100,000 from the Community Development Block Grant program to boost the neighborhood’s appearance with large-scale murals and improved banners.
“SODO has made the decision to do three large focal murals as well as improving our banners in the district to give some visual lift to the area,” said Misty Heath, executive director of SODO Main Street.
The murals, located in high-traffic areas, include a water lily mural at 1400 S. Orange Ave. in partnership with Orlando Health, a mural featuring large swans and oranges at the intersection of Kaley and Division streets, and a building shaded in oranges at 315 W. Grant Street.
The new murals come amid recent actions by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which has been painting over colorful crosswalks statewide — including some in SODO — citing concerns about distracted driving.
Heath told News 6 the mural project has no connection to those FDOT actions.
“This was a grant that was bid in 2021. It has nothing. It really isn’t connected to that,” Heath said.
Regarding concerns about driver distraction, Heath referred to a 2022 Bloomberg study indicating public art actually reduces the number of crashes caused by distracted driving.
The grant funds collaborations with local artists, residents, and private businesses to create public art that fosters community pride.
“I think the call to private property owners is going to be even stronger now that if they want to see beautified spaces, then it’s going to be up to them and community partners to make it happen for the time being,” Heath said.
With all three murals expected to be completed by the end of September, Heath hopes this project will be a catalyst for further neighborhood improvements.