Seminole Wekiva Trail, Florida
Built on the footprint of the Orange Belt Railway in central Florida, the Seminole Wekiva Trail
stretches nearly 14 miles near the western edge of Seminole County. Carpenter Jeff Sonksen,
whose parents live by the trail, began painting fence panels two years back with small murals
that celebrate iconic figures as well as moments in history and pop culture. Unsure whether he
would get in trouble for doing so, he hung his first panel over his parents’ back fence one night.
When nothing happened, he followed it up with another and another. Soon, trail users figured
out who was behind the fugitive artwork and began making requests for more.
“[
Although] I never asked permission from the county,” says Sonksen, “the Seminole
Cultural Arts Council awarded me Artist of the Year, and I was basically told that everyone
loves it and no one was going to stop me.”
Sonksen has created hundreds of murals so far, often using cast-off fence panels and paint
scavenged from the dump. His current goal is to cover five miles of trail fence with his paintings.
Jeff Sonksen (5)
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