Rolling Canvases: Turning PedalPub into Public Art

A community art project bringing live-painted murals to the streets of St. Petersburg.

Hi, I’m Eric Olson, owner of PedalPub St. Pete. Rolling Canvases is an art project that turns PedalPub vehicles into mobile art, created by local muralists with creative support from artist and astronaut Nicole Stott.

I’ve seen how simple, unexpected ideas (like PedalPub) can create joy, connection, and unforgettable shared experiences. I’ve also been a lifelong astronomy enthusiast—drawn to the sense of wonder you get when you look up and imagine bigger things.

This project brings those ideas together by transforming PedalPubs into rolling art, painted live by local artists and shared with the city.

Even a $5–$10 contribution helps turn this PedalPub into a rolling piece of public art.

What we’re doing

Rolling Canvases will commission a local mural artist to create an original exterior mural on a PedalPub vehicle, turning it into a mobile artwork that moves through St. Petersburg.

Nicole Stott is supporting the project on the creative side, offering design input, helping select the artist, and working with the artist on-site on painting day. The mural itself will be fully artist-driven.

“I’m drawn to projects that spark curiosity and invite people to experience art in an unexpected ‘space’. Rolling Canvases brings our place in space to life through creativity and into our community through an artistic process that turns our streets into a shared studio that’s visible, public, and joyful.”

— Nicole Stott, Astronaut and Artist

Why this matters

St. Pete is known for its creativity and public art. Rolling Canvases brings that spirit directly into the streets—highly visible, openly shared, cheerful, and supportive of working local artists.

Our creative ecosystem depends not only on artists but on the organizations that support them. Recently, Creative Pinellas, a leading advocate for local artists and public art, experienced a major reduction in public funding. Rolling Canvases is a small, direct way to help—by paying artists fairly now and supporting the creative infrastructure that keeps our art visible, accessible, and alive in our community.

How funds will be used

This fundraiser exists to pay artists fairly and cover materials and basic project costs.

Funds raised will be used for:

Artist compensation (time and labor)

Paint, supplies, and protective coating

Any funds raised beyond the cost of the mural will be donated to Creative Pinellas, which supports working artists and public art throughout Pinellas County.

Our goal

$2,200 to fully fund the artists to create murals on each side of the PedalPub and the barrel as well. All funds in excess of this amount go to Creative Pinellas.

Timeline

This campaign will run for 30 days. Once funding is secured, the artist will complete the painting in a single day, with the PedalPub set up as a live, public workspace. Everyone will be invited to stop by and watch the mural come to life in real time.

If this idea makes you smile, we’d love your support. Every contribution—large or small—helps create a rolling piece of art and puts real dollars directly into the hands of working artists.

— Eric