SHINE
Artist: Hoxxoh, Photo: by Edel Mohr

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

About Brian McAllister, Gibbs High Mural Club and Boys & Girls Club Members

Based out of: St. Petersburg, Florida
Shining bright in the Deuces Live District, SHINE will partner with the Boys & Girls Club at the Royal Theater to produce a mural on a wall of the historic Quonset hut. Designed in collaboration with the surrounding community, artist Brian McAllister and students from the Gibbs High Mural Club will paint alongside participants of the Boys & Girls Club program.
Built in 1948 to serve as one of the only movie theaters for African Americans, the historic Royal Theater still operates as a social and cultural landmark on the Deuces.

About the Mural

At 1011 22nd Street South, in the heart of the historic 22nd Street Business District, a long blue mural as high as a person stretches the length of a surprising, World War Two-era Quonset hut-style building, topped with a curving half-moon corrugated metal roof.

The mural on the Royal Theater is 6 feet high and 133 feet long. It’s the first historic building to become part of the SHINE Festival.

The Royal Theater opened in 1948, in the heart of St. Petersburg’s African-American community. The 700-seat movie theatre served African Americans during the segregation era. Films, live entertainment and talent shows played to packed crowds in its heyday.

The theater closed in 1966 and underwent a major renovation in 2003. It now houses the Southside Boys and Girls Club, part of the national nonprofit focused on helping kids succeed in school, live healthy lives and become leaders.

The Royal Theatre was hailed as “an inspiration for the whole community” when it opened. It’s now a focal point of the revival of the 22nd Street South neighborhood.

Artist Brian McAlister worked with the community on the design. McAlister teaches at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School, and leads the Gibbs High Mural Club. Brian was allowed to take 10 students each day out of school as a field trip, to paint the mural along with members of the Boys and Girls Club program.

The background of the mural is black. It starts on the left with the history of the movie theater – and an old-fashioned black and white reel of film so large it’s cut off by the top and bottom edges of the mural.

Beside it is a giant bottle cap, several feet across – because back then, if kids brought in a bottle cap, they could see the movies for free. Other bottle caps fly are scattered, in motion, along the wall.

The words of the Boys and Girls Clubs motto – ‘Great Futures Start Here’ – spread across the wall in wide squared-off capital letters outlined in white and as high as the mural, filling the space with just a narrow strip of black above and below.

The mural is a panorama in vivid motion – with images in shades of grey, like an old black and white photograph. Inside the letters that spell Great Futures Start Here, the images continue uninterrupted, but in shades of blue.

A giant scattering of popcorn. Actor Angela Basset in a sleeveless 1940s dress, hair flowing down her back, smiling at us over her shoulder. A ticket to the Royal Theatre curving through the air. Football players on a field, tennis player Serena Williams, with splashes of paint surrounding flying tennis balls like cartoon explosions. Palm trees, a detailed trumpet with a geyser of sound splashing up from the bell. An enormous paintbrush laying down a stroke of paint. A huge old-fashioned microphone. Two little girls, writing, concentrating, as a kind teacher between them leans over to help. And at the far right edge, after the word Here, a pelican looking back over his shoulder, shaded by a palm tree with an abstract wave breaking in the background.

All the people represented on the mural have some connection to St. Petersburg or to the Boys and Girls Clubs. The little girls working with their teacher are students in the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast, Royal Theater Club.

The mural shows the building’s history unfolding like a film, starting as a movie theater and becoming an arts program.

Title: Great Futures Start Here

Address: 1011 22nd St S

Building: Royal Theatre

Installation Date: 2019

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

Support SHINE®

If you’re interested in supporting St. Pete’s most vibrant event, sponsorship at all levels is still available. Please contact Jenee Priebe at [email protected] or visit our SHINE Sponsorship page