Muralist hired to beautify Inwood Terrace bulkhead
In an effort to combat graffiti and make the bulkhead near the St. Johns River at the end of their street beautiful, residents of Inwood Terrace have engaged an artist to paint several murals on the city right-of-way.
Nicole Holderbaum, an accomplished muralist who has painted other wall scenes throughout the city, has been selected to paint a variety of murals on the bulkhead near Inwood Beach.
Holderbaum was one of two artists recommended by Jacksonville Cultural Council Executive Director Tony Allegretti when he met several residents at the site in March. Included at the meeting from Inwood Terrace were Jason Judge and his wife, Kelly Dyess, Norma Hagan and Daryl Gottlieb and his wife, Tessa.
A graduate of both Alexander W. Dreyfoos Middle and High School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Holderbaum, 25, made her way to Jacksonville five years ago. She majored in education at the University of North Florida for two years before dropping out to pursue art fulltime. A popular muralist who recently completed a kid’s panorama at St. Paul’s Catholic School in Riverside, Holderbaum said she is very excited to be hired to pretty up Inwood Beach.
“I think she’s displayed her competence in the downtown art scene. We are very honored and excited to have her help us, and she is very excited about the project,” said Daryl Gottlieb.
Although no date has been set for Holderbaum to start the project, Gottlieb said he expects her to begin the mural within the next month.
Inwood Terrace raised the money to pay Holderbaum through a crowdfunding site, established by Gottlieb.
Setting a goal of $2,500, the residents raised all that and $50 more in just a few days, thanks to small donations from several San Marco residents and a large $1,500 gift, which put them over the top on April 15. Giving the hefty donation were former Inwood residents Kevin and Martha Jakab in the name of Kevin Jakab’s San Marco law firm Jakab Law, PLLC. The Jakabs were long-time Inwood Terrace residents, having lived in two homes on the street for over 10 years before moving last year to the Granada subdivision in Miramar.
“My wife and I got our start on Inwood Terrace, said Kevin Jakab. “When I read in The Resident about the problems they were having at the end of the road, we wanted to help out. We still have a lot of friends on that road. Anything good for Inwood Terrace and for San Marco in general we are okay with. That’s where we got our start, and we just wanted to give something back.”
Holderbaum outlined her ideas for the array of murals in an email to Daryl Gottlieb. According to her plan, the area will be divided into five sections. The first will be a “kid’s wall” on the left side of the bulkhead under Norma Hagan’s fence.
“For this section I want to do an image of a turtle under water with other small sea creatures and starfish and coral, etc.,” she wrote. Local children will be asked to fill in her drawing with colors ranging from seafoam green, pink, salmon, light yellow, lighter green, turquoise. “It will be a great mix of colors that won’t be too contrasted and will set a very mellow tone for the wall,” wrote Holderbaum.
Also on the left side, further out where people sit to fish over the water, she plans to paint the area a lighter color of salmon/coral and possibly add palm leaves.
On the “Let it be” wall, where a mural already has been painted, she plans to paint over the existing picture with a colorful background of turquoise with a mandala pattern on top, while keeping the quote, “Let It Be” written around it in order to preserve the theme.
A water scene including dolphins and other aquatic animals will be painted on the bulkhead on the right side of the beach near the water, while a sunset image will transform the rough wall to the left and right of the stairs facing the river.
Gottlieb said several other artists have inquired about painting the bulkhead, including the Florida University student who painted the existing mural. He said he plans to have them consult with Holderbaum as to the form of the finished product. “Nicole has no problem working with other local artists,” Gottlieb said, noting that no image is set in stone and everything is “subject to change.” “We chose her because we wanted someone we could give direction to,” he said.
Once the murals are finished, the residents intend to cover them with an anti-graffiti coating to protect them from additional unwanted artwork. Gottlieb said the residents also intend to install benches on the beach site and are requesting donations from local nurseries of trellises and vines, which can be planted near Hagan’s wooden fence to help deter any unwanted graffiti in the future.
By Marcia Hodgson
Resident Community News
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