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New mural changing conversation in Riviera Beach

Posted at 8:11 PM, Nov 15, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-16 04:20:19-05

At the Marina Village in Riviera Beach you will find a new piece of art that's making a big splash.

"What we try to do is celebrate the culture around us," Caron Bowman said. 

Bowman is the curator of Street Art Revolution. She along with her collective designed and painted the Calypso Project -- the first public art in this city. 

"Everything from manatees to tropical fish to sea turtles," she said.

The Community Redevelopment Agency came up with the idea and contacted Bowman, a Riviera Beach native, with the hope of painting the city in a new light.

"People have a misconception about this city," she said. "There's a lot of rich cultural heritage here and wonderful people."

So she made sure to include that in the piece.

"Each one of these as you can see here has an African mask embedded into the design of the tropical fish," Bowman said.

For her, this is the start of transforming the conversation.

"The city is going through a renaissance and this is a game changer for the city," Bowman said. "I think we are moving in the right direction."

Bowman says she's working with the city on more public art projects. She says each one will highlight the culture in the community.