What’s a mural drive-in like?
A Q&A with John Collins, executive director of St. Petersburg Arts Alliance.
The press release which arrived in my inbox a couple of weeks ago outlined a “drive-in mural tour” in St. Petersburg (“St. Pete”), Fla. The tour allows “cultured travelers worried about social distancing” to enjoy local art, it added.
“Forget the stuffy indoor galleries and warehouses, and enjoy the latest frontier of art exhibition: the drive-in art gallery!” it stated. This wasn’t exactly music to the ears of this art critic, who admittedly doesn’t like stuffy spaces of any sort, but would spend all day in art galleries and museums if he could.
Still, the idea of more than 80 outdoor murals that collectively amount to a “drive-in theater art gallery experience” intrigued. So I posed a few questions, which John Collins, executive director of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, responded to by email. (Aside from a few minor style edits—including cutting each double space after a period in half—I left his responses as is.)
Courtesy: Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.
Before the Q&A, a few other points. The curatorial effort here is SHINE Mural Festival, and the murals feature a new technology called PixelStix, which appends a three- to five-minute “digital narration” about each work and its artist. (Viewers experience this “all from the comfort and safety of their own car”!)
As you’ll see, I learned social-distanced drive-in doesn’t mean everyone will stay in the car with the windows rolled up:
MW: What does it mean for the viewer experience to see the art in this way—through glass windshields or windows, within a car? Are there things viewers ought to account for as they think of themselves in relationship to the murals in time/space given these circumstances? Should they—as one does in a museum—take works in both in whole from a distance, and come closer to take in details?
JC: I cannot speak for the viewer. I do hear consistently that our viewers are amazed at the quality of the art and that it completely changes their notions of street art.
Art speaks to each person through that person’s own experience. The murals are much, much larger (with exceptions of course) than what is in a museum, and so of course must be experienced at a distance. I assume participants will roll down the windows, and often after they listen to the audio, they will get out of the car. Many touch it, that you cannot do in a museum, and it seems everyone wants to take a photo or selfie.
Courtesy: Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.
MW: Given the differences of opinion on technology in museums (purists vs. technophiles?), what are some things that those who opt for the tech component here will gain? Does one miss something in experiencing the work if one forgoes it?
JC: Just as a museum tour with a guide or with headphones on, the mural viewer learns more about the artwork, which can only heighten his or her experience. Historical context is often important, for example, and Pixelstix technology delivers context and much more. The SHINE Virtual Tour experience, whether in the car, online, or in person is designed for accessibility. The descriptions are written in vivid language by local playwrights, Sheila and Matt Cowley, and voiced by local actress Eugenie Bondurant. (Tigris in Hunger Games is one role).
Vivid language attempts to describe what the sighted person takes for granted: the colors are described, and the size of each mural is given for those who may be visually impaired. For example, many people are color blind. (Our first group test of our vivid virtual tour was with the Southeastern Guide Dogs chapter.)
For those who may not be able to get out of the car because of the Florida heat, or for those who have disabilities, the in-car experience makes our outdoor art exhibition accessible. And people anywhere in the world can take the tour on their computer or phone from their home.
As a benefit to the artists, PixelStix links to the artists’ info, so the viewer can explore their work later, and perhaps purchase art.
MW: For those who want to spend some real time experiencing a particular artwork and given the humidity in St. Petersburg, what do the organizers and/or artists think of the impact here of cars idling while taking the art in?
JC: We also have walking tours of the murals and bicycle tours that to date bring far more people out to the murals than cars, however the self-guided auto tour provides a safe way to get out during our pandemic and enjoy the art. We are not organizing caravans, nor are they are parked together like at a Drive-In. We hope down the road to provide electric cart tours once the Arts Alliance moves to new quarters with parking in the Warehouse Arts District.