The ‘Interconnectivity’ Mural on Cultural Council HQ

A new mural celebrating the “interconnectivity of all people” is now being painted on the south-facing wall of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County’s headquarters at 601 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth Beach.

The Council selected West Palm Beach-based professional artist Craig McInnis to create the large-scale public art project. The artist has already begun painting the new fresco on the Council’s historic Art Deco Robert M. Montgomery Jr. building. The work should be completed by the end of August.

The artist said his design concept called “Interconnected” represents “the interconnectivity of all people and all things. People from all different walks of life are gathered together in a circle that represents a utopian scenario of peace, love and health.”

“The table in the middle,” he explained in his submission to judges, “speaks to earthly elements – growth, grace, mortality and power – some of the things that connect us all. The figures are enveloped in abstract flower petals, a representation of the protection that connection provides human beings.” 

Following a months-long selection process, McInnis’ concept was chosen by a panel of visual arts professionals from among proposals of three finalists. The public participated by providing input and feedback on all finalists’ designs.

“As Palm Beach County’s designated local arts service agency, our mission is to support and serve creative professionals and cultural organizations in the Palm Beaches,” said Dave Lawrence, Cultural Council president and CEO. “Craig’s work will be a wonderful new addition to the public art in Lake Worth Beach.”

“We’d like to encourage everyone to stop by the Cultural Council over the next few weeks and watch as Craig creates this exciting public art project on our building’s southern exterior wall.”

McInnis’s creation will not be the first mural to adorn the Council’s structure. In 2017, internationally known Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra painted the “I Have a Dream” likeness on the rear of the Cultural Council’s headquarters as part of the CANVAS mural festival. The event’s theme was “Unity” and Kobra’s contribution was his rendition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech given during the March on Washington in 1963.

Only scheduled to be on the building for one year, the mural intrigued residents and visitors alike until its decommission and removal in 2024. The Florida sun had seriously faded the artist’s original design. Cracks, graffiti and other damage forced the mural to be decommissioned and removed. 

However, the artwork lives on in a permanent display inside the Council’s headquarters.

The original mural, 54 feet wide and nearly 40 feet tall, was created using an aerosol-based application (spray paint) unique to this artist which made it nearly impossible to restore. Still, the Cultural Council hired locally based professional artists to touch up the mural which sustained graffiti tags and weather damage. Not only was the mural extremely faded, but the building was also in need of repair. 

The mural’s original artist was informed about the state of the artwork and the plan for decommission. It was determined to be cost-prohibitive to bring him and his large team back to Florida to create new artwork, in addition to the significant cost of repairing the building. 

In April, the Council hosted a commemoration and community celebration to honor the Kobra mural. Prior to that, the Council hosted a series of community conversations about the building’s condition and discussed the process for commissioning a new mural.

The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is the official support agency for arts and culture in The Palm Beaches. The organization presents stirring year-round exhibitions and performances featuring artists who live or work in Palm Beach County. 

The Council is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information and a calendar of cultural events in the Palm Beaches, visit palmbeachculture.com.