Miami-raised artist Christina Pettersson chosen for Marjory Stoneman Douglas mural
The City of Miami Beach announced on July 22, 2025, that Christina Pettersson has been selected by the Art in Public Places Committee (AIPP) to create a commemorative artwork for Marjory Stoneman Douglas Park. Pettersson will design and install a mural honoring the activist Marjory Stoneman Douglas, in recognition of her contributions to South Florida.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas was a poet, journalist, women’s rights advocate and passionate environmentalist who lived in Miami for most of her life. Her relentless advocacy for the natural preservation and restoration of South Florida, including her influential book “The Everglades: River of Grass,” led to Everglades restoration efforts and inspired movements to protect the area’s wildlife.
Lynette Long, Chair of the Miami Beach Commission for Women, proposed to the city’s Art in Public Places Committee that Douglas be honored with a mural at her namesake park in South Beach. The committee accepted artist Christina Pettersson’s proposal to create a concrete vinyl mural honoring Douglas, installed on the exterior wall of one of the park’s facilities.
Artist Christina Pettersson was raised in Miami and has spent a lifetime exploring the Everglades. Her work — which spans large-scale drawings, videos, installations and collaborative performances — delves into Florida’s hidden histories and endangered ecosystems, reflecting a reverence for the natural world and wild beauty. Rooted in public engagement and cross-disciplinary collaboration, her practice invites audiences to connect more deeply with the landscapes and stories in their own backyards.
Her proposed mural depicts Marjory Stoneman Douglas relaxing in the habitat she spent her life protecting.
“A voracious reader of local history, as well as an avid naturalist, birder, explorer, my art evolves from the Everglades landscape I’ve explored since childhood,” Pettersson said. “I am thrilled to honor Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, who was such a passionate conservationist and whose life’s work enabled me to explore that landscape. Much like Douglas herself, I aim to reconnect audiences with our wild places and wild selves. We love what we find beautiful, and we protect what we love.”
About Christina Pettersson
Christina Pettersson was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and raised in Miami, Florida. She creates large-scale drawings, videos, installations, and collaborative performances that delve into Florida’s hidden histories and endangered ecosystems.
Rooted in public engagement and cross-disciplinary collaboration, her practice invites audiences to connect more deeply with the landscapes and stories in their own backyards. Her work reflects a reverence for the wilderness of a bygone era and the haunting beauty of a world in decline.
Pettersson is a Fulbright Scholar and the recipient of numerous awards, including a Knight Arts Challenge Grant, a Wavemaker Grant, two Ellies Creator Awards, and three Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowships.
Her work is held in the collections of the Pérez Art Museum Miami, Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, Bass Museum of Art, the Margulies Collection, and the Four Seasons Hotel.
About the City of Miami Beach Art in Public Places Program
Art in Public Places Committee is a seven-member city board responsible for the commission and purchase of artwork by contemporary artists in all media. The program allocates funds totaling 2% of hard costs for City projects and joint private/public projects. Funds from construction projects may be aggregated into the Art in Public Places Fund and allocated for artwork at public sites and for collection maintenance.
