Seacrest Streetscape Beautification Public Art Project

This project represents a partnership between the City of Boynton Beach, Boynton’s Community Redevelopment Agency, Art in Public Places and the community and funded with Federal Stimulus dollars. Art in Public Places contributed to this project a meaningful gateway public art located on the corners of North Seacrest Boulevard and Martin Luther King Boulevard that the community embraces. A Grand Opening Celebration is scheduled for Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 6:00 P.M. at Heritage Park on the southwest corner of MLK and North Seacrest.

The Public Art process
The Art in Public Places program hosted three charettes to engage Heart of Boynton community  members with artists Debbie and Len Marucci. Concepts were developed along the way and presented to the community who provided feedback. The final panel concepts were on display at the Sims Center for a three week period.  A suggestion box was available for the public to comment.

The concepts were approved by the Arts Commission and the artists proceeded to fabricate  the panels. Three panels measuring 18.6 “ wide x 30” high with the middle panel measuring 40” high were plasma cut from aluminum, welded together then layered in translucent powder coated colors. Heart of Boynton emerging artist, Jermaine Johnson, apprenticed under Debbie and Len Marucci to create a mural spray painted imagery for the middle panel.

The three mural represent “In the Beginning”, “The Journey” and “New Beginnings” and connect to the Butterfly Mandala sculpture that was chosen by the Heart of Boynton Committee and purchased by the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). The Butterfly Mandala also created and fabricated by the artists Debbie and Len Marucci is located in Heritage Park as part of the planned Seacrest Streetscape Beautification Project. Each of the panels are installed on the three corners at the intersection of MLK and Seacrest Blvd and serve as a gateway to the Heart of Boynton area. 

Butterfly Mandala sculpture that was chosen by the Heart of Boynton Committee and  purchased by the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency).
The kinetic sculpture will be placed in Heritage Park on the SW corner of MLK and Seacrest Blvd. as part of the beautification plans.

Each panel features a center image inside a  Heart, for the the area in Boynton Beach known as the Heart of Boynton. Heart of Boynton emerging artist Jermaine Johnson contributed to the project by apprenticing under artists team Debbie and Len Marucci.

In the Beginning (NW corner of MLK Blvd. and Seacrest Blvd.)

This panel represents the area in Boynton Beach known as the Heart of Boynton when it was inhabited by African American Seminoles and the Jeaga Indians.  Shown in panels are native foliage such as mangroves, ferns, hibiscus, reeds and grasses philodendron; waterways which native indians visited the area on long boat canoes fishing, hunting and trading and wildlife such as egrets, herons, rosetta spoonbills, land crabs, alligator and a marsh rabbit.  The sun in the middle represents the dawn of the beginning.

The Journey (NE corner of MLK Blvd. and Seacrest Blvd.)

This panel represents the area in Boynton Beach known as the Heart of Boynton when progress began represented by Henry Flagler’s railroad. Flagler employed African Americans paying them fair wages and building the railroad through the area allowing the community to have their crops distributed on rail. This image begins the “Timeline Mural” portion shown above on the left and right panels that are designated as a solid metal for airbrush HOB community mural artist Jermaine Johnson to paint. The “Timeline Mural” continues to depicts the indians cultivating the land transitioning to the railroad being laid, horses moving the church during the Jim Crow period transitioning to the strength of churches and religion depicted by stained glass windows, a preacher performing a sermon atop and “bible” pulpit with the historical bell at St. Paul AME’s church.  Moving to right panel the the truck taking vegetables to market with the extra being shared by the community represents abundance and a self sustain community followed by celebration of Kwanzaa and importance of education that liberates the community. This is represented with a book, key and graduate silhouettes with “the world map” behind them. It continues to transition to music and dance which is important to the community. In front of the two “Timeline Mural” panels the row of houses represent the unity of the community from the past during difficult times and into present times. These row houses are cut out and will sit in front of the “Timeline Mural” giving it design consistency and dimension. The center artwork represents the City of Boynton Beach sailfish logo with a heart surrounding it for the HOB.

New Beginnings  (SW corner of MLK Blvd. and Seacrest Blvd.)

This panel represents images that are important to the Heart of Boynton today and into the future, beginning with religion, abundance (vegetables and fish), music and hands man, women and child reaching up to hope and freedom celebrating “living the dream” which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. died for. The middle panel has the dove in the HOB heart and people rejoicing. Transitioning to the right, a panel shows a bright future with growth and development in the HOB community.