Downtown Bradenton roads are now showing off their artistic side.

  • Colorful 'bubbles' pop up on downtown Bradenton roads
  • Artists added 'road art' to attract visitors to village of the arts area

Colorful 'road art,' or what some say look like bubbles, have been added to the streets of West Bradenton, giving the area a pop of color and character.

A team with Realize Bradenton wanted to bring people from the well-known downtown area and Riverwalk to the quiet and creative village of the arts.

“If curiosity gets the best of you too, and you follow the pattern all the way to the end, you’ll find yourself here, in Bradenton’s village of the arts,” said Johnette Isham with Realize Bradenton.

Many residents said the road art seemed to pop up overnight—and it did.

The team worked overnight Monday to add the colorful patterns to the streets.

“I just recently noticed them. They’re very vibrant and they bring an awareness of the street,” said resident Gina Gier.

Visitor George Borden said, “We were kind of surprised to find this little artistic enclave right in the middle of Bradenton.”

The road art is one of a handful of new public art pieces installed in the last three weeks.

“Public art and artists are an important part of downtown Bradenton and this is the way to showcase our resources and this is a way for people to discover and rediscover the village of the arts,” Isham said.

The art pieces were applied using a commercial-grade thermoplastic—the same material used to stripe roads.

They are expected to stay there for about ten years.