Did you know that Kamala Harris is here in Tallahassee? Well, not the actual vice president — but she is part of a mural dedicated to women at the Railroad Square Craft House.
Nick Seabolt has been making the world brighter with paintings for more than 25 years. Seabolt loves creating portraits but he said he’s willing to tackle new ideas, no matter how big or small. He has paintings all around Railroad Square that many pass by on daily.
He worked more than 40 hours on the mural. Seabolt says he wouldn’t change the person he decided to dedicate the mural to. Informing upcoming artists, people won’t always agree with your work no matter what message it conveys.
The mural of Harris, the first Black and first female elected vice president, was dedicated to women empowerment. But not everyone agreed on the artwork he has completed.
Facing backlash over the mural, many looked at it from a political aspect instead of the message behind it. “ We wanted to do something that showed the empowerment of women, but what better way than first female vice president,” Seabolt said.
Justine Spells, the CEO and co-owner of the Railroad Square Craft House, agreed on teaming up with Seabolt on creating the mural and dedicating it to the first female vice president. “The mural was acknowledging that a glass ceiling has shattered for women across the country, and little girls can say I can do anything,” Spells said.
Seabolt said that what he loves most about doing a mural is the emotional impact it can produce. It is something that stands out looking back at the viewers.
“I I wanted to create something that stops them and makes them take a picture,” Seabolt said.
This was not his first controversial piece. Seabolt previously did a portrait on the late 1980s film “The Blue Lagoon.”
“The filmmakers shot most parts of the movie in Tallahassee so, why not paint a portrait of it?” Seabolt said.
Alongside the Kamala Harris mural, Seabolt created other pieces around Railroad Square, like the Bruce Lee portrait located on Kung Fu Dojo’s building. He’s also responsible for the Railroad Art District painting that greets people coming into the area.
If you want to see more of his work, stop by the Railroad Art District and just look for Nick Seabolt’s artist signature.