The City of Miami Beach is pleased to announce that Christina Pettersson has been selected by the Art in Public Places Committee (AIPP) to create a commemorative artwork for Marjory Stoneman Douglas Park. Pettersson will design and install a mural honoring the activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, in recognition of her contributions to South Florida.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas was a poet, journalist, women's rights advocate and passionate environmentalist who lived in Miami for most of her life. Her relentless advocacy for the natural preservation and restoration of South Florida, including her influential book The Everglades: River of Grass, led to Everglades restoration efforts and inspired movements to protect the area's wildlife.
Dr. Lynette Long, Chair of the Miami Beach Commission for Women, proposed to the city's Art in Public Places Committee that Douglas be honored with a mural at her namesake park in South Beach. The committee accepted artist Christina Pettersson's proposal to create a concrete vinyl mural honoring Douglas, installed on the exterior wall of one of the park's facilities.
Artist Christina Pettersson was raised in Miami and has spent a lifetime exploring the Everglades. Her work — which spans large-scale drawings, videos, installations and collaborative performances — delves into Florida's hidden histories and endangered ecosystems, reflecting a reverence for the natural world and wild beauty. Rooted in public engagement and cross-disciplinary collaboration, her practice invites audiences to connect more deeply with the landscapes and stories in their own backyards. Her proposed mural depicts Marjory Stoneman Douglas relaxing in the habitat she spent her life protecting.
"A voracious reader of local history, as well as an avid naturalist, birder, explorer, my art evolves from the Everglades landscape I've explored since childhood," says Pettersson. "I am thrilled to honor Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, who was such a passionate conservationist and whose life's work enabled me to explore that landscape. Much like Douglas herself, I aim to reconnect audiences with our wild places and wild selves. We love what we find beautiful, and we protect what we love."
"Marjory Stoneman Douglas was a pioneer for South Florida's natural environment, and it's only fitting that her namesake park reflects her legacy," said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. "The planned mural will be a meaningful addition that connects our community to its history while enhancing one of our city's beloved parks."
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