KCCI’s SeeTallahassee Team Reveals New Frenchtown Mural
Frenchtown Heritage Hub is the site of the capital city’s newest wayfinding mural. The 12-foot painting that shows points of interest in Frenchtown was presented to the community this past Saturday during the Frenchtown Farmers Market.
The Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI) SeeTallahassee team has commissioned four murals around the city to encourage a sense of place for each district, including Midtown, Southside, and Market Street. The team has also placed a large artisanal map of the entire city in the Tallahassee International Airport.
“The [team’s] series of district murals highlight nearby, primarily walkable, locations within Tallahassee’s iconic neighborhoods,” said Paige Carter Smith, chair of SeeTallahassee.
Frenchtown joined the group of artistically-represented local treasures. The KCCI SeeTallahassee team enlisted a young artist with a Frenchtown connection to perform the work.
Kadija Christie, a 25-year-old native of Miami, is a recent graduate of Florida A&M University. Also a wonderful musician, she holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry. Christie began painting three years ago, studying under FAMU professor Nan Liu. She sells her paintings on Etsy and also at the Frenchtown Farmers Market, where she offers her vegan baked goods as a Frenchtown market vendor.
“This is perfect synergy,” said Michelle Gomez, director of Frenchtown Heritage Hub and former KCCI catalyst. “Two KCCI projects come together, and Frenchtown is beautifully represented by one of our own.”
The historic points of interest depicted in the Frenchtown way-finding mural were chosen by neighborhood residents and board members of the Frenchtown Neighborhood Improvement Association (FNIA). Frenchtown Heritage Hub is an economic development program of FNIA, advanced in partnership with the City of Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).
Frenchtown Heritage Hub is home to the Frenchtown Farmers Market, and soon the KitchenShare rental program. Now the site of a SeeTallahassee mural, Heritage Hub delivers yet another reason to come see what’s fresh in Frenchtown.
Created in 2007, KCCI selects and trains volunteers, called community catalysts, on economic development concepts designed to attract and retain creatives and young professionals. With a new class annually, KCCI has led a variety of successful sense of place projects throughout Tallahassee. KCCI is a program of the Village Square, funded through public and private donations. For more information, visit www.kccitallahassee.com.