Tampa Bay Arts Passport Podcast – Episode with Hilary Frambes

Host: Avery Anderson
Guest: Hilary Frambes

Avery Anderson:
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Tampa Bay Arts Passport podcast. We really need a shorter name because that’s a mouthful. Today we’re talking with Hilary Frambes, who I’m super excited about. She and I recently collaborated on some merchandise featuring her art. She’s a local muralist, chalk artist, visual artist, and arts educator. We were connected through a friend — and I love when friends create more friends. That’s all we want in life. Please enjoy this episode, and remember to like, follow, subscribe, or even tell us if you hate us — at least that’s engagement. We are your local guide to all things arts and culture in Tampa Bay.

Hello, Hilary! How are you?

Hilary Frambes:
I’m good. I’m great. Thanks for having me — I’m excited to be here.

Avery:
We were just talking about how gray and cloudy it is today, so I was like, “I need sunshine.” And you said you’d bring it.

Hilary:
I’m here for it.

Avery:
So you wear a lot of hats — artist, chalk artist, muralist, portrait artist. How do you introduce yourself artistically?

Hilary:
I usually say I’m an artist and an arts educator. I’ve taught children and adults. I do a lot of chalk art and chalk festivals, which eventually led into murals. I also paint portraits, houses — anything people want creatively on canvas. If you want me to paint something, I can paint it.

Avery:
Did your journey start with chalk art?

Hilary:
Not exactly. I went to the Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio and studied illustration, although I’ve always leaned more fine arts. I thought picking illustration would be the “safe” choice career-wise, but I kept drifting back to fine art. That’s still where I see myself.

Avery:
As someone from performing arts, I’m fascinated by how visual artists pick their lane — illustration, fine art, murals. How did you figure out what direction to go?

Hilary:
It’s similar to performing arts. You try different mediums, experiment, and evolve. Nobody in the arts sits still for long — we’re always moving and discovering.

Avery:
What drew you to murals and chalk art?

Hilary:
For chalk art, the large scale is exciting — and it’s public. People watch the piece evolve in real time, which makes it feel almost like performance art. Murals have a similar energy: large scale, public, and interactive. With murals, you also have to think about the space — its history, the environment, the building, how it will live there permanently. Chalk is temporary, so it’s more flexible, but murals require deeper planning.

Avery:
Have you had a project where you were like, “This is massive… where do I even start?”

Hilary:
All the time. You learn something new with every project. For chalk art, the weather is huge — rain, heat, wind. I have about eight weather apps on my phone. With murals, you’re planning things like scaffolding and lifts. You don’t just show up and start drawing. Some artists can do that — show up and create these incredible pieces on the fly — but I’m a planner.

Avery:
I love Tampa Bay’s love of chalk art. Why do you think our region is such a hub?

Hilary:
The weather. In Ohio, you have maybe April through early fall. Here, you can work outdoors almost year-round — except July, when the pavement will fry you. Chalk art thrives here because the environment allows it.

Avery:
When you were young, did you imagine this career?

Hilary:
No. My father was a painter as a side hustle — he once paid our rent with paintings — but he never pursued it as a full career. He encouraged me, though. In ninth grade, I told my art teacher I wanted to be an artist. She said, “I wouldn’t do that.” That set me back for years. Her opinion mattered to me, and at 14 you take every adult seriously. I eventually found my way back when someone asked me to paint a small mural around age 19 or 20, and it went well. That’s when I decided to finish my degree and return to art.

Avery:
What was the transition like from college to making a living as an artist?

Hilary:
Not a straight line. I worked briefly in digital design at a marketing company, then helped with my parents’ business, then had kids. I couldn’t work from home with a newborn the way I imagined, so I stepped back for several years. Later, I started subbing in schools and teaching after-school art programs. That’s how the arts-education piece began.

Avery:
Do you still teach?

Hilary:
I haven’t recently. Freelance work has kept me really busy. I’d love to return to it someday.

Avery:
Any recent projects you loved?

Hilary:
Yes — over the summer I completed an outdoor Art Deco-style mural for the amphitheater in Estero. It featured local flora and fauna. The design was pre-approved through the Fort Myers Mural Society, who I love working with. I also met so many people walking by while I painted — that interaction is one of my favorite parts of mural work.

Avery:
How do you find chalk and mural gigs?

Hilary:
Mostly online. People contact me through Instagram or my website. Local arts organizations post calls. Chalk Art Nation — which I’m part of — posts event lists. There’s a rhythm: fall festivals, spring festivals, etc.

Avery:
We connected through our mutual friend Laura Thomas, who is a magical connector of humans. You met her literally while chalking?

Hilary:
Yes — and that’s common. Chalk artists bond quickly. We’re all outside together, sweating on pavement, sharing materials, giving each other chalk when someone runs out. It’s a great community.

Avery:
Our collaboration — the “Tampa Chicken” — came out so beautifully. Walk me through how you created it.

Hilary:
I wanted something iconic to Tampa. I thought: sports, skyline, flamingo, Gasparilla — all the things people associate with the city. I started with the chicken and then added these elements collage-style. Public art is important to me, so including Phoebe the flamingo felt right.

Avery:
And you painted it by hand. I originally thought it would stay digital, but you said, “I can paint it,” and my brain exploded.

Hilary:
I painted it so it would feel like one cohesive piece — the colors, blending, and style unify everything. When designing digitally, it’s a collage of separate elements. But when I paint it, it becomes one artwork. Florida makes me think of bright, warm, inviting colors, and I wanted that in the piece.

Avery:
Why are opportunities like this important for local artists?

Hilary:
Exposure. Getting your name and work out there matters. And honestly, in times like these — for artists especially — promoting local art is essential.

Avery:
All right, let’s end with some rapid-fire questions. First: what does “artistic community” mean to you?

Hilary:
Collaboration and connection. The Chalk Art Nation community is amazing. Artists share techniques, materials, everything. It’s a very giving environment.

Avery:
In one word, what’s your hope for the arts in Tampa Bay?

Hilary:
Resilience. After last year’s hurricane — which devastated homes and delayed events — I saw communities rally for artists. And now, during this political climate, artists feel like the canary in the coal mine. The Sarasota sidewalk art being ground away was painful. I had five pieces erased. Resilience is essential. Keep creating. Say something with your art.

Avery:
Last one: if you could have dinner with any artist, living or dead?

Hilary:
Georgia O’Keeffe. She was a strong female artist whose work evolved constantly. Her use of color and perspective influenced me a lot. I’d love to know what made her see the world the way she did.

Avery:
That would be an incredible dinner. Hilary, thank you so much for being here and for this collaboration. I’m so glad Laura connected us.

Hilary:
Thank you — I’m grateful for the opportunity.

Avery:
And thank you all for listening to TBAB — please get your TBAB vaccine! Just kidding. Go support local chalk art and murals, tag artists, credit their work, and keep the creative community strong. We’ll see you next time.