CARROLLWOOD — Since 2022, the Carrollwood Cultural Center has partnered with young artists to produce large-scale murals on and around its campus. On April 9, the center and teaching artist Michele Renee Stone unveiled the fourth and latest — “Bean Seen,” a two-door mural designed and painted by teen artists Elliot Lefloch, Kali Collins-Burge and Giovanni Bryan.
This project is the most personal and reflective to date, one that explores themes of identity, visibility and belonging.
“The title emerged during a journaling exercise when students were asked, ‘What does being seen mean to you in today’s culture?’” Stone said. “A playful misinterpretation — ‘Bean Seen’ — sparked laughter and connection, ultimately becoming the name of the piece.”
The mural incorporates symbolism throughout. Repeating elements — four mushrooms, flowers, flying ducks and beans — represent each contributor’s presence within the collective work.
Stone has been an art instructor at the center since 2013 and launched the youth mural collaboration in 2022 to give teens the chance to explore public art while developing technical skills and personal voice. The class runs on a 12-week model, meeting once a week for two hours. It does not run every session, but the program has expanded each year.
The first mural, “Everglades and Oranges,” is a 15-foot installation on campus inspired by Florida’s natural landscape and cultural identity. The second, “The Evolution of Hope,” extended into the community as a 58½-foot mural in which students learned advanced techniques including gridding and large-scale composition. That mural has since been painted over after a property sale, but the experience remains a meaningful milestone in the program’s growth.
The third installation, “Illuminated Paintings,” transformed a series of parking lot light bumpers into eight individual yet connected works, demonstrating how creativity can bring beauty to everyday spaces.
“Students leave the program not only with new artistic skills, but with a deeper sense of self — and the powerful experience of being truly seen,” Stone said.