This was a fun exterior project started on March 6th, my first of hopefully many murals in Florida and beyond. The Flamingo Sports Bar and its previous incantations have stood in this location since the 1930's. The famed writer Jack Kerouac was a regular customer and apparently had his last drink at this old pool hall. Day one of the project was the only time spray paint or stencil was used on the wall everything else was done by hand, roller and brush. The old masters style I was taught in Savannah.
A charity non-profit group Called the Friends of Kerouac is raising funds to purchase and preserve the house Jack lived in which has remained frozen in time, untouched. They host events at the Flamingo on Kerouac's birthday and date of death with live music and poetry readings that draw in eclectic crowds. The next event should be October twenty-first at the bar, 1230 9th Street N, St. Petersburg, FL 33705.
I was honored and humbled to have the chance to paint this mural and dedicate it to the memory of my Tres Grandes; grandfathers Julian Rashkind, Jack Hartzell, and Prof Jorge Alvarez. Mostly importantly, the owner Dale Nichol loves the finished piece and the renewed interest it creates in St. Petersburg's unique history.
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