Thrive
Sunline Public Art Program reimagines Pinellas Trail
Community members envision the St. Petersburg section of the trail as a linear outdoor museum.
Former SHINE Mural Festival director Jenee Priebe believes that art can help activate the St. Petersburg portion of the Pinellas Trail. A member of grassroots organization the Sunline, she outlined the coalition’s Public Art Program at a Florida Greenways and Trails Council meeting today.
The Sunline is focused on enhancing the Pinellas Trail, Priebe said during her presentation, and making it a “people-centered” public space that supports connectivity and shared prosperity.
“There are a lot of ways to activate the community, but art is a really great way to do that,” she explained. “We are talking about artists and residents co-creating spaces that reflect the local identity and pride in St. Pete.”
Priebe and the Sunline team envision the trail section, which begins at Demens Landing Park (at Bayshore Drive SE. and 2nd Avenue SE.) and runs throughout the city, as a “linear outdoor museum.”
This could help bring people of different backgrounds together. Art can become a “common ground,” Priebe said. The Pinellas Trail connects neighborhoods and the EDGE, Warehouse Arts, Historic Gas Plant and Central Arts districts.
Installing an open-space gallery can “spark dialogue,” she added. “It forces you to have an opinion on the art, whether you like it or don’t like it. You’re going to tell your friends and everyone online.”
Commissioning permanent and temporary work from local, national and international artists, Priebe argued, can help St. Petersburg become a “world-class destination” for “contemporary public art.” These pieces would be hand selected.
Jenee Priebe. Photo provided.
More importantly, they would be free and accessible for people to view.
“There’s no barriers to experiencing this type of art,” she explained. “You are able to introduce people to art, who otherwise may not seek it out. They may never go to a museum or gallery.”
Priebe, the founder and owner of consultancy company No Good Deeds Art, currently works with business owners, property owners and municipalities and helps pair them with qualified artists for projects. She served as the director for the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance’s SHINE Mural Festival from 2018 to 2025. The yearly event has led to many of the city’s public art displays.
“I know from experience that people will go where the art goes,” Priebe said. “It’s a great way to get people out exploring. You may see a picture of a piece of art online and go to some weird alley or backroad that you would have never gone to otherwise because you wanted to experience that art for yourself.”
Consequently, public art can encourage more people to walk and ride on the trail. This can have a health benefit and increase community physical activity. Additionally, it can help connect individuals with nature.
New York City’s High Line park and the Atlanta Beltline trail have served as inspirations for the organization’s Public Art Program. An outdoor “museum” can also support the St. Petersburg area economy.
Commissions provide paid opportunities for artists. Additionally, the project can encourage them to experiment with their work beyond murals. They can create multimedia pieces, sculptures, mosaics and floating waterfront installations.
A Pinellas Trail gallery can offer an unique tourism opportunity, she added, encouraging guests to stay longer and visit local restaurants and shops.
While the initiative is only focused on the St. Petersburg section of the trail, Priebe said, there is an opportunity to display public art throughout the county dependent on conversations with other municipalities.
