UNDERPASS MURALS

Original murals commissioned and created by 10 local artists were installed on the walls of Walton County’s first pedestrian underpass at U.S. Highway 98 in Inlet Beach, which opened to the public in early September 2024. The 136-foot-long underpass frames the east end of Walton County at the high-traffic corner of Hwy. 98 and County Hwy. 30A, both designated scenic corridors.

The installation includes artworks by Francisco Adaro, Katherine Boggs, Heather Clements, Bradley Copeland, Olga Guy, Wes Hinds, Sarah Page, Andy Saczynski, Andrea Scurto and Lindsay Tobias. Artists were selected from the CAA’s pre-vetted Public Artist

Directory and each created a mural measuring 20 ft wide x 8 ft high.

The public art component is part of the Florida Department of Transportation’s greater $5.6 million Underpass project and was created in collaboration with Scenic Walton, Walton County Board of County Commissioners, and Walton County Tourism Department. Additional support was provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, St. Joe Community Foundation, Rosemary Beach Realty, Market 30A, 30A.com, Morning Star Foundation, 30Avenue, the Howard Group, John & Nina Freer and John Paulson Family.

The installation also includes Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) replica sculptures, Common Chord from Vince Tatum sponsored by St. Joe Community Foundation and The Grayt Pineapple from Rachel Herring McCord sponsored by Rosemary Beach Realty, installed on the north and south entrances of the underpass. Produced in partnership with the South Walton Artificial Reef Association, the UMA was the first Art in Public Spaces project for the CAA.

Coastal Currents: Lives in Motion

Olga Guy

This mural reflects the rhythm of everyday life and the deep connections we share with both each other and the natural world around us. As you follow the curved road in the painting, you’ll see people of all ages—skating, walking with loved ones, teaching a child to ride a bike. These simple, yet profound moments capture the essence of community and the journeys we all share. On the water, the presence of paddle boarders, boats, dolphins, and turtles speaks to the harmony between humans and nature, reminding us that we are part of something larger than ourselves. The coastal setting of Walton County provides the perfect backdrop, where land and sea come together in a dance of motion and connection. This piece is a tribute to the beauty of shared experiences and the ever-changing currents of life, both on land and in the waters we call home.

SPONSORED BY:

Walton County Tourism

Culmination

Sarah Page

For this mural, I wanted to capture the moment at the end of the day when the sky puts on a show. When the sun dips into the horizon over the Gulf and innocent beach goers can’t help but stop to admire its beauty. For those brief few minutes, regardless of where we came from or where we’re going, we are all unified in our awe of this cosmic wonder as we pause together to take it in. In that moment, we are one audience watching Nature’s brilliant production. And our spirits cry in unison, Encore!

SPONSORED BY:

Scenic Walton

Day in the Life

Andy Saczynski

An expressive representation of life in South Walton.

SPONSORED BY:

Market 30A

Local Love

Heather Clements

In my art I explore humans' connection with nature, so this was the perfect opportunity to blend a portrait with a number of our native species. I played with transparencies to blur the lines between human and nature, and relished the details of the ferns, palm fronds, egret, and lupine flowers.

SPONSORED BY:

Walton County Tourism

Look At Us Now!

Wesley Hinds

Inspired by the people of the Emerald Coast. A melting pot of races and cultures and coming together for one big celebration of togetherness and having fun partying and having a good time wherever and whenever.

SPONSORED BY:

Morning Star Foundation

Phoning Home

Bradley Copeland

To represent the relationship between humanity and nature, I referenced Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo depicts God bringing Adam to life with the touch of his finger. Since these hands famously represent the beginning of humankind, I used that imagery to represent humanity and our essential connection to nature. The vibrant hand on the left symbolizes humanity, and the green, plant-filled hand on the right symbolizes Nature. In my version, Nature takes on the role of “God” because, in more than one way, nature is the source of life. We come from nature, and we will return to it. It’s the force that sustains us. By illustrating our origin and our dependence on nature, I hope my mural serves as a reminder and a reason to respect our planet like the holy thing it is.

SPONSORED BY:

Howard Group

Summer Dream

Francisco Adaro

I’m at the beach, sitting on a chair with my feet in the water. Doodling with my pen and paper, watching the waves come and go, playing with the lines, letting the drawing tell me his story.

SPONSORED BY:

The 30A Company

Tangled

Lindsay Tobias

Hands are the most captivating things to me. We speak with our hands, we love with our hands, we create with our hands, we use them as tools, as comfort, as weapons. I wanted to combine hands, how we feel and know the world around us, to the wildlife living in our city. These birds are fun little guys I get to see on every beach walk, so I loved getting to paint them interacting with the human element.

SPONSORED BY:

Walton County Tourism

Untitled

Andi Scurto

A Haiku about the mural - we empty ourselves collectively connected nature’s color fills

SPONSORED BY:

John & Nina Freer and John Paulson Family

Untitled

Katherine Boggs

With the idea of connecting themes of community and nature pertaining to the area, I wanted to reflect the fun whimsical nature of 30A. I love that the area brings together people that both value high end cultural and arts events, as well as those down to get a little salty by grabbing life by the fins.