St. Johns County Celebrates Internationally Recognized Muralist
Kelsey Montague recently completed a mural for the Hastings Main Street and the Hastings Bike Trail.
On May 30, 2025, St. Johns County welcomed internationally recognized Muralist Kelsey Montague to the community of Hastings for the unveiling of a mural for the Hastings Main Street and the Hastings Bike Trail. It captures Hastings’s small-town charm, featuring local produce as well as an interactive bicycle on which the public is invited to jump on. The Office of Public Affairs produced a video to capture the celebration.
The St. Johns Cultural Council, the local arts agency for St. Johns County, captured the whole story.
The St. Johns Cultural Council has unveiled a new public mural in downtown Hastings by internationally acclaimed artist Kelsey Montague, offering residents and visitors a vibrant new way to engage with the region’s farming heritage. The interactive piece is located at 415 N. Main Street and marks Montague’s first agricultural-themed work in Northeast Florida.
The project is a collaboration between the St. Johns Cultural Council and Hastings Main Street, with funding provided by the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council (TDC).
Best known for her #WhatLiftsYou series and Taylor Swift’s iconic “wings” mural in Nashville, Montague brings her signature style to this historic farming town through a vibrant design featuring native crops, local wildlife, and an interactive vegetable cart. The cart is pulled by a real bicycle—donated by Drifters, a bike rental company based in St. Augustine Beach—inviting passersby to become part of the artwork.
The bike element also serves as a nod to the Palatka-to-St. Augustine State Trail, part of the Rails to Trails network, which passes through Hastings. Cyclists following the trail will ride past the mural, creating a built-in audience for the installation. The bicycle motif also connects to the Riding High exhibit at the Lightner Museum, which showcases vintage bicycles once popular in the 1800s. During the era when the Lightner building operated as Henry Flagler’s Hotel Alcazar, guests could take bicycle riding lessons in the area now used as the museum’s parking lot.
“This piece is really special,” Montague said. “I wanted to reflect the soul of Hastings—not just visually, but emotionally. The agricultural story here is one of resilience, family, and pride. I hope everyone stops by, takes a photo, and connects with the energy of this town.”
Hastings was founded by and named after Thomas Horace Hastings, a cousin of Henry Flagler, to supply winter produce—especially lettuce, cabbage, and potatoes—to the guests of Flagler’s nearby Hotel Ponce de Leon. The town quickly became a hub for potato farming in the early 20th century, earning it the nickname “Potato Capital of Florida.”
“Hastings has a long and proud agricultural legacy that deserves to be honored in a way that’s both creative and accessible,” said Jeff Potts, executive director of the St. Johns Cultural Council. “This mural not only brings that story to life—it also helps attract new visitors to our town. On behalf of the St. Johns Cultural Council, we’re deeply grateful to everyone who made this project possible, including building owner Sara Arnett for generously supporting the wall preparation; Great Expectations Realty for contributing to paint, materials, and lift rental; the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council; Hastings Main Street Inc.; Drifters Rentals; Doer Cabinets for providing the scissors lift; and Keith Pariani of the Lightner Museum for his support.”
Jena Dennis, chair of Hastings Main Street, played a key role in facilitating the project and working with local partners. “This was truly a community effort,” said Dennis. “From planning and logistics to donations and local business support, it’s been incredible to see how many people care about Hastings and wanted to make this happen.”
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