New public art in Ocala celebrates the Ocklawaha River

Ocala Star-Banner
·1 min read
Mural artist Drake Arnold puts some finishing touches on his new work, which lines Northeast 36th Avenue near Fort King Street in Ocala.
Mural artist Drake Arnold puts some finishing touches on his new work, which lines Northeast 36th Avenue near Fort King Street in Ocala.

Artist Drake Arnold has created the new "The Wildlife of the Ocklawaha" mural along Northeast 36th Avenue in front of Fort King Presbyterian Church, located at 13 NE 36th Ave. in Ocala.

The creation process took about eight weeks. The mural, 420 feet in length, depicts plants and wildlife that call the Ocklawaha River home.

Arnold did this work for free. "It's a passion project for sure and it's been fun," he said.

"Materials and maintenance funding was donated through the Fort King Presbyterian Church by anonymous donors," organizers said in a news release.

The mural was dedicated as a gift to the City of Ocala during a ceremony on Dec. 19 and has now "become part of the city’s extensive public art collection," the release said. See the full photo gallery at this shortened URL: https://tinyurl.com/bdzdr6te

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: ‘Wildlife of the Ocklawaha’ mural at Fort King Presbyterian in Ocala