Who doesn’t like street art or street murals or graffiti art. To me, it’s all fantastic, no matter what you call it. Recently my sister took my mom and I on a trip to the Eau Gallie Arts District in Melbourne, Florida to check out some amazing street art. If you don’t know where Melbourne is, you can find it in Central Florida, just before you cross the bridge to the East Coast. It always surprises me to see art that is so fantastic. There are some seriously talented people in the world.
Eau Gallie Arts District Melbourne Florida
Why Murals
The Eau Gallie Arts District in Melbourne, Florida is a fun neighborhood with little galleries, art shops, churches and other businesses. It is in a rebuilding phase and as such, it has had some local and international artists paint some really great murals on the buildings. The idea is to draw people in for the art and then they can stay awhile and explore. It’s a great idea to me.
My Favorite
While I hate to pick favorites because there are some seriously wonderful murals in the Eau Gallie Arts District, the mural above is my favorite and the first one I saw. The mural was painted by artist Cody Monahan, who has murals all over Florida. Can you tell why I love it so much? You’re right. Turtles! Check out his Instagram account for more greatness.
A little disclaimer here, this particular mural is on Eau Gallie Blvd, but across the bridge and closer to the beach. It’s on the north side of the street.
Art to Make You Happy
There are different themes, but not set by the district but by what the artists want to paint. Some are just to make you happy. This one is so simple and very uplifting to me. Not simple like I could paint it, but simple like there’s not a bunch of unnecessary stuff going on. I think it’s great!
The beach is always a favorite thing for me. This depicts the perfect scene. To top it off, someone has added a sign telling The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore to go home. That poor guy. You know things are getting serious when he shows up. I hope he has a loving home to return to.
Divers
You know there are loads of divers in the Florida area. There are a lot of sunken treasures out there. Here is a mural recognizing this, along with a lot of foxes. I don’t really get the foxes, but that’s okay. Maybe the artist just likes them.
Space Art
Since East Central Florida is called the Space Coast, it stands to reason that there would be some murals in the space genre. This one is really neat because not only is it awesome, but you can see the church next door reflected in the astronaut’s helmet. (see next picture) How much talent would that have taken?! Way more than I have, that’s for sure.
Support Local Businesses
There are loads of other murals to discover. I just wanted to give you a taste. While you’re walking around enjoying the art, be sure to support the local businesses. There is a cute pie shop, a few restaurants, the art shops and galleries. Take your time and just enjoy the day in the Eau Gallie Arts District. Do you love street art like I do?
Street Art and Graffiti does fascinate me. It gives a unique character to the wall / building and makes for an istagrammable location too. I too loves the first one the most, the one with the turtle and shark. Kinda reminded me of my divemaster days in the Gili Islands 2 years back.
I’m a sucker for sea turtles, so when I see a mural, I have to stop. I’m glad it took you back a little bit in your history.
I love seeing different street art in the places I visit. They really give certain areas of the city a different feel. Some of my favourite street art was in Helsinki, there was a walking tour you could go on that took you to all of the most popular ones.
Oh, that would be so fun! I will have to find that tour if I’m ever in Helsinki again. The last time I was there, street art wasn’t so popular. Now I have a new reason to visit.
These are so cool! Every year in my former town, Sacramento, there is a competition for street murals, they take weeks to paint. It’s so neat to watch them go up and then to see them throughout the town. I think it makes towns look more welcoming!
That’s very cool. They have that in Cincinnati too, but I think every other year. I found that out while I was exploring before the world closed. I would love to be in a place when they have the competition.
I am always amazed by the talent it takes to create murals like these. They certainly add charm and personality to the area, and as you mentioned, the art draws people in and might encourage them to stay a while!
Me too! I just love seeing it all, especially when it is true to the area you find it. Those pieces seem to be my favorites. I think it’s a great idea to revive the down town areas of cities.
Street art is always so endearing and is a great reflection of the cuture of the region. One of the interesting things that we look out for on our travels is street art. Eau Gallie Arts District has some really vibrant and colourful street art. I really like the contemporary and in some cases even futuristic look of the works.
I’m so happy that the Eau Gallie Arts District decided to add the street art. I felt like I wanted to explore the area more that than before they had it. A plus to the neighborhood for sure.
I love street art and the works you are presenting here are truly exquisite. I love how they include parts of the surroundings into their pieces. Thanx for sharing, truly wonderful.
I love that they include what is local to the area, like the sea life and space. There are some really talented artists that shared their works.