SHINE
Artist: Hoxxoh, Photo: by Edel Mohr

Ya La Ford

About Ya La Ford

Based out of: St. Petersburg
Maintaining her studio work in both Tampa Bay and New York, Ya La’Ford is a professor, visual painter, installation artist and muralist, with a MFA from The Art Institute of Boston and a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Florida for good measure. Her work can be seen across the country from the Boston Public Library to the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum.

About the Mural

Golden Wave, by St. Petersburg artist Ya La’Ford, is on the back wall of the Morean Arts Center. The Center is located at 719 Central Avenue. The mural’s in the alley behind the building, between Central Avenue and 1st Avenue North, and 7th and 8th Streets North.

The back wall of this two-story building is painted black. In the middle of the wall is a door, set back a few feet into the wall with two steps leading to the doorway. The doorway isn’t rectangular – the top of the doorway slopes to the right, in a jagged curve.

Surrounding the wall like a halo is a thick circle of golden patterns, 25 feet wide and 14 feet high. The band of golden lines is several feet wide, creating a circle so big that the base is cut off by the ground. Golden lines sprawl across the threshold in front of the steps.

The circle is made up of thin golden lines, weaving and interconnecting. Though the circle itself is round, it’s made up of straight lines and sharp edges.

On the door itself, hidden from anyone who isn’t standing directly in front of the doorway, is another pattern of gold on black. This image is centered on the door, covering the top of the door and spreading up onto the ceiling of the set-back doorway.

The pattern is made up of straight lines and edges, forming a circle twice as wide as the door. The circle is made up of large open shapes across the top, crowded into a tighter maze at the bottom. A single bent line extends down the door, ending in a small jagged circle at the base – like the string of a balloon.

To the right of the mural is a golden plaque decorated with angular patterns and listing the artist’s name – Ya La’Ford – the name of the mural – Golden Wave – made possible by the Morean Arts Center.

“I always work with geometric shapes,” La’ford explains, “which is referencing this notion that we’re all interconnected. I look at civilization—where we’ve come from to where we are today—and try to remind people that we need to get back to this space where we’re actually thinking about how we’re more alike.”

She notes that slaves during the days of the Underground Railroad would try to find routes to freedom, and hang up quilts as a sort of code. “A lot of my work started there, because I quilt, too. So these codes and patterns, it’s just like I’m trying to create overall what is a universal language.”

Title: The Golden Wave, Muralopia

Address: 719 Central Ave

Building: Morean Arts Center

Installation Date: 2016

Abys2024

Cristi López2024

Emmanuel Jarus2024

Fintan Magee2024

Frankie Gonzalez2024

George F Baker III2024

Kris Markovich & Johnny Vitale2024

NeSpoon2024

Quinn Cale2024

Stevie Shao2024

Up & Over2024

Ya La'Ford2024

Zulu Painter2024

Naomi Haverland2024

Dwayne Shepherd & Brian McAllister2024

Artist Jones2023

Rhys Meatyard2023

Greater Public Studio2023

Andrea Wan2023

The Happy Mural Project2023

Kelly Quinn2023

Bunnie Reiss2023

HOXXOH2023

Chris Dyer2023

Max Sansing2023

Dave Bonzai2023

Fabstraq2023

Michael Vasquez2023

Chenlin Cai / 蔡陈林2023

Loretta Lizzio2023

Sarah Sheppard2023

Bryan Beyung & James Lee Chiahan2023

Hannah Eddy2023

James Bullough2022

MadC2022

Ben Johnston2022

Imagine2022

Marina Capdevila2022

123Klan2022

Reginald O'Neal 2022

Van Der Luc2022

Jeff Williams2022

Dream Weaver2022

Sydney Prusso2022

Ashley Cantero2022

Egypt Hagan2022

Tasko2022

Baghead2022

Nneka Jones2022

Amy Ilic-Volpe2022

Jason Harvin2022

Vitale Bros2022

Chad Mize2022

The Happy Mural Project2022

Greg Mike2021

Mwanel Pierre-Louis2021

Jenipher Chandley2021

Case Maclaim2021

Jared Wright2021

Bakpak Durden2021

Nicole Salgar2021

Ricky Watts2021

Gleo2021

Woes Martin2021

Jason Harvin2021

Miss Crit2021

Michael Fatutoa2021

Emily Ding2021

Reid Jenkins2021

Aurailieus Artist2021

Jujmo2021

Leo Gomez2021

Ya La'Ford2021

iBOMS2021

Chad Mize 2021

Brain Storm2020

Brian Butler2020

Lili Yuan2020

Happy Mural Project2020

BASK2020

Tatiana Suarez2020

Elle LeBlanc2020

Mason Schwacke2020

Alex Yanes2020

Kenny Coil and Marc Berenguer2020

Nneka Jones and Bianca Burrows2020

IBOMS2020

Cecilia Lueza2019

George Rose2019

Morning Breath2019

Vitale Brothers2019

Cory Robinson-CLEAN Campaign2019

SHOK-12019

Taylor White2019

Reda3sb2019

Princess Smith2019

Brian McAllister, Gibbs High Mural Club and Boys & Girls Club Members2019

JR-Inside Out2019

Paola Delfin2019

Jimmy Breen and Anthony Freese2019

Drew Merritt2019

Low Bros2019

Jay Hoff2019

Taj Tenfold2019

Leo Gomez2019

Palehorse2019

Blaine Fontana and Plastic Birdie2019

David Charlton2019

Todd Frain and Creative Clay2019

Haider Ali2018

Ya La Ford2018

Gibbs Rounsavall2018

Angela Faustina2018

Bekky Beukes2018

LOOK The Weird2018

Belin2018

Melanie Posner2018

Illsol2018

J and S Signs2018

Sarah Page2018

Nomad Clan2018

Tasko2018

Cecilia Lueza2018

Matt Kress2018

Michael Vahl2018

Noirs One2018

DAAS2018

Justin Wagher2018

ZuluPainter2018

Matthew Hoffman2018

Hueman2017

Joram Roukes2017

Jose Mertz2017

Stephen Palladino2017

Yok and Shero2017

Herbert Scott Davis2017

Jujmo2017

Lauren YS2017

Mikael B2017

ZuluPainter and Thirst2017

Axel Void and L.E.O.2017

Suarez Art2017

Cryptik2017

Daniel "R5" Barojas2017

Sam Yong2017

Ali Vasquez and Todd Frain2016

Angela Delaplane2016

Apexer2016

Arlin Graff2016

Pep Rally Inc.-The CLEAN Campaign2016

Daniel Mrgan2016

Pixel Pancho2016

Michael Reeder2016

Alex Pardee2016

Cecilia Lueza2016

Jade2016

Pantonio2016

Nosego2016

ZuluPainter2016

Dasic Fernandez2016

Caratoes2016

Mark Gmehling2016

Ya La Ford2016

Ink Werkz Crew2016

Andrew Spear2015

Chad Mize, James Oleson and Pinellas County Center for the Arts2015

Erik Jones2015

Hitnes2015

Hoxxoh2015

Michael Vasquez2015

Shark Toof2015

Morning Breath2015

Ricky Watts2015

Evoca2015

Carrie Jadus2015

BASK2015

Greg Mike2015

Tes One and Palehorse2015

123Klan2015

Ya La Ford2015

Carrie Jadus2015

Vitale Brothers2015

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