West Palm Beach Launches Major Renee Phillips Mural Project

The City of West Palm Beach has announced a monumental public art project titled “Color Field of Northwood,” an 8-story mural by acclaimed local artist Renee Phillips. Located at The Spruce, a new mixed-use property by Affiliated Development, the mural will brighten the Northwood Village neighborhood.

A City of West Palm Beach news release explains that this will be the tallest mural ever installed in West Palm Beach and it will make a “grand visual gesture that celebrates art” in the daily life of the community.

“This artwork represents everything we value in public art — it’s accessible and inclusive to the public,” Sybille Canthal, Director of Arts, Culture and Community Building, said. “The artwork is in conversation with the architecture and the surrounding neighborhood, and tells a color-field visual story of the community’s beauty, energy, uniqueness.”

Designed by Phillips, a West Palm Beach-based artist, “Color Field of Northwood” draws from the expressive colors, natural patterns, and layered textures of Florida’s coastal landscape. Inspired by the flora, fauna, and energy of Northwood, the work will feature abstract color fields, tidal curves, and organic forms — a visual experience intended to spark imagination and celebrate the essence of the neighborhood.

“I want the artwork to feel alive,” Phillips said. “Like the rhythms of the ocean, the sway of a mango tree, or the shifting forms of clouds. For me, connecting to the vibrant, layered and ever-changing elements of our natural world is essential. Northwood is an incredibly dynamic place, and my hope is that this mural offers an uplifting reflection of its spirit.”

Chalk and Brush, a husband-and-wife duo, will be installing the giant mural along with Phillips over the course of four to six weeks.

Phillips, who is a native Floridian with an international exhibition record, studied at the University of Miami, the University of Paris, and the School of Visual Arts in New York. Known for blurring the line between painting and sculpture, her process-driven style is distinguished by bold textures and fluid movement. Her West Palm Beach studio serves as her creative base, making this mural a uniquely local expression on a grand scale.

The mural installation is expected to begin August 11 at Spruce Avenue and 25th Street in West Palm Beach, with completion expected by the end of September.