Name: Lakeland muralist says changes to city art program hurts artists and businesses
Uploaded: 2025-11-21T03:51:04.534Z
Duration: 2 min 40 s
Description: A Lakeland mural artist says recent changes to a city program are shutting down opportunities for local creators and small businesses.

A Lakeland mural artist says recent changes to a city program are shutting down opportunities for local creators and small businesses.

Tampa Bay

Lakeland mural artist John Sierra has raised concerns about recent changes to the city's community redevelopment agency (CRA) art infusion program. The new requirement mandates that businesses invest $25,000 in facade improvements before they can qualify for mural grants, which Sierra says has already caused him to lose two major projects.

Sierra argues that the rule not only restricts opportunities for local artists and small businesses but also negatively impacts his livelihood. He is urging the CRA to reconsider the stipulation to make public art more accessible to all businesses, regardless of their financial capacity.

Lakeland muralist says changes to city art program hurts artists and businesses

Lakeland artist says recent changes to his city program is now shutting down opportunities for local creators and small businesses. And Tampa Bay 28 Polk County reporter Rebecca Petit spoke with the muralist who says he's now losing money. Lakeland based mural artist John Sierra tells me new rules for participating in the community redevelopment agency's art infusion program is costing him his livelihood. Some of us are still blossoming and some of us are fully blossomed for years. John Sierra has been turning blank walls into colorful murals across Lakeland. He says growing up around graffiti culture in new york taught him that public art is never just decoration. It showed me that public art can inspire, can bring positivity, can bring community to an otherwise boring or blank space. The Lakeland community redevelopment agency's art infusion program is a grant created to support artists like Sierra by funding murals to beautify commercial corridors and boost economic development. Give local businesses the opportunity to receive a grant to to have public art in their space. It also gave local artists the opportunity to help put their imprint or you know contribute to the art landscape. But Sierra tells me a new stipulation is now threatening that mission. The C. R. A. Now requires businesses to invest $25,000 in facade improvements before they can qualify for the mural grant. Sierra says he's already lost two major projects because of this right on south florida, right on the main main strip um and would have been been an awesome addition to the landscape of Lakeland. But those deals were killed as soon as they found out that they had to pay an additional $25,000 as a full time artist. He says the new rule doesn't just slow down public art, it hurts his livelihood and limits which small businesses can participate. I provide for my family, for my three kids um through art, through design, through everything I do in the community with my art. This definitely hurts my business, it hurts my income. I called and emailed the Lakeland community redevelopment agency and was told the C. R. A. Manager was the only person knowledgeable on the program and is currently out of the office. Sierra is calling on the C. R. A. To reconsider and make the program more accessible to all businesses, not just those who can afford the price tag. Art was meant to be public, not just to be shared for those who can't afford it in Lakeland. I'm Polk County reporter Rebecca Petit Tampa Bay 28

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