Starfish Shuffle 

(Port Everglades: Broward County Public Art and Design Program, Cruise Ship Terminal 2, Hollywood, FL)

Starfish Shuffle, a series of eight wall-mounted ceramic murals, creates an awareness of the vibrant marine life that abounds in the natural environment just offshore from Broward County’s blue wave beaches.

Passengers arriving at Port Everglades Terminal 2 will now find it easier to make their way through the cavernous terminal by following the path shown by colorful ceramic starfish, shuffling on their journey from the sand towards the sea. Starfish Shuffle is a series of eight unique ceramic murals mounted on the walls in the security screening area, created by artist Xavier Cortada. Each 4’x 8′ mural is comprised of 288 uniquely painted tiles; each deeply textured, carved, and then hand-painted with multiple layers of glazes to achieve a brilliant and fluid effect that is suggestive of the warm tropical waters that cruise passengers eagerly anticipate on their voyage.

The public art work helps to stimulate cultural tourism by improving the cruise passenger experience. The mural series accompanies passengers as they go through the processing sequence from security towards ticketing and through the terminal to the ship, thereby serving as a type of way-finding device.

Starfish Shuffle fulfills the following requirements for functionally integrated public art projects as defined in the Broward County Ordinance, Section 1-88 (b)(1): (i) develop and create an awareness of the unique aspects of a place’s built and natural environments and fulfill the civic responsibility of the County to provide art and design for livability, accessibility, beauty, and comfort; (ii) stimulate cultural tourism, community pride, and shared positive identity with such structures as gateways, landmarks, cultural heritage landmarks, memorials, and way-finding devices.

The objective of the Port Everglades Cruise Ship Terminal Renovation Projects is to design, build and install art features that have a function such as improving wayfinding at the terminal, help to promote tourism by improving the cruise passenger experience, appeal to a diverse audience as well as the specific audience based on Carnival Cruise Lines brands, that evoke a sense of place that is warm, tropical and lighthearted.  The project was an open competition and 208 artists applied. The artist will be using fabricators, suppliers and other service providers primarily based in Broward County and other South Florida areas.