The Public Art of Skip Dyrda
A Visual History of Stuart Florida
This percent‑for‑art project in Historic Downtown Stuart, Florida involved creating more than twenty murals on the exterior of a new building. Working closely with the developer, the second and third stories were designed with built‑in stucco niches specifically for the artwork. Seven large niches—each approximately 11 by 12 feet—were placed on the building’s corners, and fourteen standard‑size window niches were added for additional murals. The large niches highlight key elements of Stuart and Martin County history, including the Osceola Indians, local movie star Frances Langford, the city’s legacy as the sail fishing capital of the world, and the notorious Ashley Gang, Florida’s version of Bonnie and Clyde. In the smaller window niches, at least nine of which are visible from the street, I painted portraits of real people: my daughter (twice), my wife, the construction superintendent and his lead man, members of the interior painter and his two sons, and even a local cat. All murals were painted with proprietary mineral paints using traditional brushes.
The Historically Relevant Corner Murals
Chief of the Osceola Indians stands above a balustrade in this corner niche, with a second panel below featuring symbolic elements connected to the tribe’s history in the Stuart area.
A tribute to Frances Langford, the Hollywood actress and beloved Stuart local, shown greeting her fans as a peacock—her favorite—rests on the balustrade beside her.
A fisherman in the upper niche battles a sailfish exploding out of the postcard scene below—a nod to Stuart’s sailfishing legacy.
This niche depicts members of the Ashley Gang, with Big John leaping over the balustrade holding a moneybag and Little Laura stepping through the doorway with a shotgun, while two accomplices look on. The lower niche features a movie poster inspired by their story.
The Window People
This little girl looks like she’s up to no good…and she is. If you look at the next photo, you will see the water balloon that she dropped and is about to hit the poor lady below.
And her’s that poor lady (my wife) about to meet up with a wet balloon. Her dog Picasso sits by patiently.
This cat belonged to the owner of the art gallery next door.
And…well, I’m not sure if this is connected to any particular person. I honestly forget. Probably not.
Her you see my daughter…I have no idea what she’s doing, or why.
This guy was the project manager for the entire building. It was still being finished by the time I was done. The portrait on the wall is of his son, who was about to leave to be stationed on the Mid-East.
And here we see yours truly, standing on a box to paint one of the fake windows. Wait…is that me or an imposter?
This dude was the painter for the interior. He and his two sons worked there for much of the time I was there and they were certainly characters. He’s supposed to be lowering a bucket of paint down to his sons.
And here are his two sons, not exactly paying attention.