When local artist Alma Ramirez was selected to create a public mural celebrating Northeast Florida’s waterways, she approached the commission with both creativity and purpose. Known for her contemporary style that blends structure with softness, Ramirez drew inspiration from the region’s historic architecture and fragile coastal ecosystems- exploring the delicate balance between what we see above the surface and the life thriving below it.
The finished work is a striking three-panel installation, now permanently housed at the St. Johns County Building Department at 4040 Lewis Speedway. Each panel, measuring 60 by 84 inches, stands on its own as a cohesive composition, yet together they form a layered visual narrative that highlights the importance of environmental awareness. Through geometric forms and subtle abstraction, Ramirez creates a sense of movement that mirrors the flow of water itself. Woven throughout the mural are references to native wildlife, aquatic vegetation, and architectural details that nod to the region’s history. At its center, a manatee and her calf serve as the emotional anchor of the piece—a quiet yet powerful symbol of connection, protection, and continuity. The inclusion is especially meaningful in Florida, where manatees are considered a threatened species, facing ongoing challenges from habitat loss, watercraft collisions, and environmental changes, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Ramirez’s work invites viewers to look deeper, encouraging reflection on the unseen systems that sustain both the environment and the community. The interplay between above and below- structure and fluidity- echoes the unique geography of Northeast Florida, where rivers, marshes, and estuaries shape daily life in ways that often go unnoticed. It’s this subtle storytelling that gives the mural its emotional weight, balancing scientific awareness with a sense of quiet poetry. Public art like this plays an increasingly important role in community spaces, transforming functional buildings into places of connection and conversation. By situating the mural within a county facility, the project ensures that residents and visitors alike can encounter the work in an unexpected, accessible setting- bridging art, education, and civic life.
For those who want to bring a piece of the work home, limited edition prints are available through Ramirez’s website and locally at Plum Gallery. But in its full scale, the mural remains a destination in itself- an invitation to pause, observe, and consider the intricate, often invisible relationships that shape the world just beneath the surface.
