Billboards of Creativity: Jenée Priebe on the Art (and Chaos) Behind St. Pete’s Murals

by Avery Anderson

We pass them every day—towering birds, cosmic jungles, surreal portraits splashed across old brick and stucco. St. Pete’s murals are more than city decor—they’re cultural currency. But how do they actually happen?

Jenée Priebe knows. As the former director of the SHINE Mural Festival and now founder of No Good Deeds Art, Priebe has helped bring more than 180 murals to life across the city. Her mission? Championing public art that’s driven by artists, not advertising.

“People don’t always realize what goes into a mural,” Priebe says. “It’s not just showing up and painting. It’s permits, surface prep, equipment rentals, color orders, weather—plus making sure the artist is paid fairly and on time.”

The Shine Way

At SHINE, Priebe and her team flipped the script on how murals are typically commissioned. Instead of dictating concepts or brand alignment, they offered artists something rare: total creative freedom. “We weren’t selling a product,” she explains. “We were offering up public space as a canvas—for art’s sake.”

That meant no logos, no slogans, no filters. Artists were selected for their consistency and vision, not their willingness to take feedback. “It was like putting up a billboard,” Priebe says, “but instead of selling something, it was selling nothing but creative expression.”

Hurricanes and Boom Lifts

The job wasn’t always easy. In 2024, Hurricane Milton hit the day before the festival was supposed to begin. Priebe evacuated with her two kids, her mom—and three international artists. “One had just landed. I said, ‘Hi, welcome to Florida, get in the car,’” she laughs.

Also caught in the chaos? A 150-foot boom lift, valued at half a million dollars, that had to be privately hauled to Tampa before the storm. “If that thing got damaged, it would’ve bankrupted us,” she says.

Still, every mural got painted. “Just… later.”

What People Get Wrong

Murals may be free to view, but they aren’t free to make.

Priebe says the going rate is $15–$30 per square foot, not including lifts, prep, base coats, or weather delays. “It adds up fast,” she says. “But this is skilled labor. It’s a profession. And we’re still pushing back on this idea that artists should work for exposure.”

Another misconception? Ownership. “The murals may be public,” she says, “but the copyrights still belong to the artist. You can’t print them on a tote bag or use them in an ad without permission.”

What’s Next for Jenée

Priebe recently launched No Good Deeds Art, a consulting firm that helps connect property owners with artists—and educates both sides about what murals truly cost. She’s currently working on a series of five temporary murals at the St. Pete Pier to celebrate its five-year anniversary.

But the big dream? A permanent mural park.

She and her collaborators—Johnny Vitale of the Vitale Brothers and Jay Turner of Ankor Skate Supply—are developing City Art Walls, an indoor-outdoor venue for rotating murals, artist residencies, and creative community programming. “Think Wynwood Walls,” she says, “but right here in St. Pete.”

Post-COVID, she’s seen property ownership shift away from local hands, making mural approvals trickier. “It’s harder to knock on a door and get a yes,” she says. “So we want to build something that preserves creative freedom regardless of what happens to the city around it.”

Want to Help?

“It’s still early,” she says, “but eventually we’ll need investors. Right now, what helps is hiring artists, supporting mural tours, and speaking up about why this matters.”

She leads trolley and walking mural tours in St. Pete and Tampa, and encourages locals to do what they can: book a tour, commission a mural, collect original art, talk to your city council.

“Art doesn’t stay unless we fight for it,” she says. “So fight loud.”