TAMPA, Fla. (WFTS) — A once-plain gray wall in Seminole Heights is becoming a colorful celebration of community spirit.
Local teens are spending their week off transforming the wall into a mural that captures the essence of their beloved neighborhood.
WATCH: Kids transform blank Seminole Heights wall into vibrant community mural
The project, led by art teacher Spenser Hensel, brings together students from his classes at the Corner Club to create something that represents the tight-knit community they call home. Armed with brushes, paint, and plenty of enthusiasm, the young artists are working from 9 a.m. to noon each day this week to complete the mural by Friday.
"We're making a big mural on the corner club wall to help give back to the community and help spread some art and joy," said Amelia Bravo, one of the student artists participating in the project.
For many of the students, this blank wall has been a daily reminder of missed potential. Bravo passes it every day on her way to school.
"When I'm driving it's just like a sad blank wall, you know?" Bravo said. "I think it will spread joy to people to have a fun little mural that represents the community."
The mural isn't just random artwork either. Every detail is deeply rooted in Seminole Heights imagery and community symbols. Students are painting local wildlife like neighborhood guinea fowls Gary and Ash, coyotes, and other elements that represent their neighborhood. The centerpiece message reads "We're Better Together," which Hensel believes should be the slogan for both the Corner Club and Seminole Heights in general.
"It helps show our little community in the neighborhood, like, you know, the little guinea fowls over there, Gary and Ash, love them, the coyotes and the just everything," Bravo said. "I think it really represents this neighborhood very well."
The community-specific nature of the artwork resonates deeply with the young artists, who see it as more than just decoration.
"Well, it helps, like, show our little community in the neighborhood," Bravo explained when asked about the importance of neighborhood-specific imagery.
Eighth-grader Gabby Palermo sees the project as an opportunity to showcase young talent in the community and challenge preconceptions about youth capabilities.
"It's great. It's showing to the community that just because we're young doesn't mean that we're any less talented than any of them are," Palermo said.
The planning process has been just as meaningful as the painting itself for many students. Palermo found the design phase particularly rewarding, noting how everything connects to the neighborhood in meaningful ways.
"The painting is definitely going to be fun, but the planning out of it and seeing everything and how it connects to the neighborhood is really cool," Palermo said about her favorite part of the process.
Like many of her fellow artists, Palermo has long seen potential in the blank spaces around her community, viewing empty walls as canvases waiting to be transformed.
"Yeah, I do that to most of the walls. My room is covered in paintings," Palermo said when asked if she had previously noticed the wall's potential. "This giant blank wall is just kind of sad, and we could probably do something really cool with it."
Kyle Velasco, who lives nearby and passes the wall daily, has long seen potential in blank spaces around the community. His connection to the project runs deeper than just artistic expression.
"Every day needs art," Velasco said when asked how often he noticed the blank wall. "Every day, when I drive home from school, you pass this."
For Velasco, the opportunity to create lasting art in his own neighborhood holds special significance beyond the immediate creative satisfaction.
"I really like to be like part of something that's lasting. It's gonna stay here for a while. It's really nice," Velasco said about what it means to put art about his community in his community.
During the painting process, Velasco worked on the mural's detailed elements, including representations of local recreational facilities.
"The water tower. And I just started a little bit of the top of a volleyball poster for the park that's over there," Velasco explained while describing his current work on the mural.
Despite being early in the week-long process, Velasco expressed optimism about the final result.
"I mean, yeah, it's pretty good. We just started. We have another six days of it, but I think things gonna turn out well," Velasco said about the experience so far.
The project takes on additional significance given recent changes to public art in the area. The city previously painted over ground murals throughout Seminole Heights, making this wall mural an important way to restore artistic expression to the community.
"I was pretty upset when the mural over there got covered up, so I'm glad we can make this one here," Velasco said, referencing the loss of previous public art in the neighborhood.
Spenser Hensel currently teaches private art classes at the Corner Club, where the owner opened her doors to support arts education.
He sees art as a fundamental human need and believes communities benefit from beautiful, meaningful public displays that go beyond mere decoration.
"It's something I've always done. I've always had a passion for creating art. I've always enjoyed seeing other people's art," Hensel said. "I think it's something we share as a human race, like we just love to be inspired and just see something, even just beautiful, even if it doesn't have a whole lot of content or concept behind it."
Beyond creating something beautiful, Hensel uses the project to teach valuable life lessons about problem-solving and community engagement, particularly in response to recent setbacks in public art.
"And also just to teach kids like certain things are worth preserving. We painted over the city, painted over the murals in the ground. Well, let's put another one up on a weekend," Hensel said. "There are things we can do to solve some of these problems and to add value back into the community. It's fun to teach kids that lesson too."
As the week progresses, the once-blank wall continues its transformation into a lasting testament to community pride, youth talent, and the power of art to bring people together. The mural serves as both a beautiful addition to the neighborhood and a reminder that sometimes the best solutions to community challenges come from within the community itself.
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