Don't worry, though: SPAA promised it won't change the name to the Salt Palm Development SHINE festival (and we thank them for that).
"We are purposely not rebranding the festival," John Collins, SPAA's executive director, told CL, admitting "it's unusual" to not name something after its title sponsor. "They are our main sponsor and they came on board first; they're matching the gift we got from the city."
The city of St. Petersburg helped SHINE get its legs with a $25,000 "seed" donation.
Salt Palm Development is a B corporation, which means — according to the B corporation website — they're "legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment."
"Overpasses create divides within a city, making people on one side of the overpass feel separated and different than those on the other. Dissolving and beautifying these divides brings a greater sense of unity among all St. Pete residents. What was once a blighted divide will now be an area for all to congregate and appreciate beauty,” Jared Meyers, chairman of the St. Petersburg-based company (they're at the edge of the Grand Central District), said.
"From SHINE we have planned a neighborhood beautification project in collaboration with our renowned local muralists the Vitale Brothers," Collins wrote in a press release Tuesday.
SHINE will continue to fundraise. SPAA pays artists for travel costs, hotel rooms, breakfasts and some dinners. Local restaurants donate food for lunches. In addition, every artists gets what amounts to a stipend. While these same artists may command $10,000 or more per mural, SHINE pays a tenth of that. The mural costs may vary slightly, but "generally, every artist makes $1,000. Everybody gets paid something," Collins said.
This year's fest will have a heavy mural focus and fewer events than last year, he added. To date, SHINE has unleashed 50 murals on the core of St. Petersburg.
The all-volunteer SHINE staff plans to finalize agreements with artists by the end of the month; as soon as we know, you'll know.
SHINE takes place Oct. 6-14. Learn more about the fest.
This article appears in Aug 2-9, 2018.