Is Lakeland becoming the new Wynwood?

The City of Lakeland is planning to paint the town red...and green, yellow, blue, and an entire slew of other colors. To accomplish this, the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency has announced the Art Infusion Grant Program for the Downtown Lakeland + Dixieland area.

This means that over the next few years, a stretch of S. Florida Ave. (from George Jenkins Blvd. south to Lenox St.) will be transformed by the installation of new facades, awnings, and of course, murals — all funded by half a million dollars.

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Quoted: “Dixieland has experienced an explosion of infill renovation projects over the last couple of years that brought us Born and Bread Bakehouse, Patriot Coffee, and Union Hall. We also owe it to the longstanding family businesses, boutique shops, eateries, and residents that have helped Dixieland hit its full potential over the last few years. For this project, we created a set of color palettes inspired by Old Dixieland. Art is a known contributor to revitalizing communities and we have a mission to add art to every redevelopment project. We’re excited about the buzz going into this and when it is all said and done, the facades will pop!” — Alis Drumgo, CRA Manager

The project, which launches on Feb. 15, was inspired by the Wynwood Arts District in Miami. The world-renowned Wynwood Walls — once a former warehouse district — is now considered a city-scaled art exhibit, boasting over 70 galleries and an incredulous number of murals + artwork from famous street artists.

The “Hello Beautiful” mural in Wynwood, Miami by @queenandreaone | Photo via @wynwoodwallsofficial

In Lakeland, business owners looking to apply for improvements can do so on Feb. 15 + artists looking to contribute can apply to do so here.

Get an idea of what Lakeland could one day look like by clicking here and scope out countless over Wynwood murals.

Now (Van) Go(gh) tell all your pals that Lakeland is getting a maybe Miami-style makeover. 🎨

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