Parramore Arts Spotlight: Sabrina Dessalines

by Susan Moynihan

An artist goes full circle. From Unity Mural apprentice to CrownScape Collective founder, Sabrina Dessalines is providing new opportunities for large-scale mural commissions for artists of color.

The leap from canvas to a 1940s warehouse facade

In August 2020, Haitian-American artist Sabrina Dessalines was juggling college and a night-shift job at the hospital when she got a text from Maureen Hudas. Maureen was the lead artist for a new mural in Parramore, commissioned by Ryan Young, CEO of Interstruct, to beautify a vacant building until construction could begin. The project’s goal was to spread the message of community and hope following the murder of George Floyd. In keeping with the theme, Maureen invited a group of apprentice artists to work on the project that would become known as the Unity Mural to learn how to create large-scale murals.

Sabrina said yes to the offer, not knowing what she was getting into. “When I went in to meet Maureen and she told me what the actual mural was going to be about and what we were doing it for, I was like, ‘Okay, this is going to be cool!’” For the duration of the project, she would go down the site whenever she had time to spare. “I would make it a point to go there and learn — start understanding what it’s like to create a mural and understanding what it’s like to do something for the community,” she says.

It was a fantastic learning opportunity. “There are so many different tools that you can use that makes your life (as a mural artist) easier, and that takes the intimidating aspect out of it,” she says. “There are a lot of things that I used in my own art but I didn’t know could be used the same way, on such a grand scale.”

Equally empowering was being involved with the community. While the team was working, passers-by would stop to engage with the artists, asking what they were doing and sharing their own stories of hope. “They understood (the message) of the mural, and appreciated it,” she says.

A Ripple Turns Into a Wave

When the Unity Mural was completed, she posted about it on social media and to her surprise the post blew up. That led to more opportunities, and eventually she was able to become a full-time artist.

“I’ve realized there are a lot of different avenues for muralists,” she says. “We have people that collectively understand that we all have the same values, we all want to produce the same products, we all want to be creative.”

An idea sparked: How could she help create opportunities for artists — and especially artists of color — to participate and be able to make a living from making murals? Her solution followed the same ethos as the Unity Mural. “There are so many people that appreciate our talents,” she says. “You just have to create a space and a community,” she says.

A New Endeavor Is Born

Enter CrownScape Collective, which launched in August 2025. Sabrina’s new company is a one-stop shop for clients seeking to commission large-scale murals, and for artists seeking to work on them.

Part of the task involves educating potential clients on what it takes to create murals, from drawing up contracts to getting permission from government and property owners to negotiating fair pay for the artists. “There are a lot of things that we have to do just to get things in motion,” she says. “I’ve done almost 50 murals, so I’ve been able to make my own checklist so that each client understands what is expected of us.”

She also keeps an eye out for any red flags, such as unrealistic expectations in terms of pricing, timeline or resources. “I have to vet these people out just as much as they have to vet me,” she says.

As she speaks with clients, she can dial in on the scope of the project and help connect them with a lead artist whose style will best fit that project. She can also assemble a team of artists to execute the project, and ensure fair compensation.  

Another key part of the collective is creating an apprenticeship for aspiring muralists, where they can learn the craft at the hands of other artists — following the process she learned from her role in the creation of the Unity Mural.

Big Murals, Bigger Plans

Sabrina’s largest project to date was the Still I Rise mural in Parramore. Created in 2024 in partnership between Advent Health, the Orlando Magic, and CREW Orlando, the seven-story mural showcases 13 Parramore residents who helped the neighborhood survive during segregation and economic hardship. She and four other artists — all women of color — brought it to life over a three-month period.

Sabrina’s aim is to make CrownScape Collective a national resource for clients who want to commission large-scale murals. She’s creating a network of artists in Florida but also across the country — and she dreams of taking the company international as well.

It’s a big task, but that’s the point. “I want to do huge projects,” she says. “I’ve learned so much from each project, but especially those large ones — those are the ones that make a really big impact in an artist’s life.”

She sees it as a vital path for artists, and especially artists of color.

“I really care about representation, and I like to see people that look like me,” she says. “I was in a place where I was able to become a full-time artist, but I know so many people that still work out of survival. I just want everybody to have a piece of the cake.”

Learn more about Sabrina

Connect with Sabrina and explore her website. Follow her on Instagram.

Dig in to the backstory of the Unity Mural and the artists who brought it to life.

Parramore Arts

Parramore Arts is a gallery without walls to showcase free public art installations at Interstruct’s redevelopment site located at 802-816 W. Church Street in Parramore. Though the original Unity Mural was decommissioned when the building was renovated, it now lives in Augmented Reality as part of the City Unseen AR[t] Project. Elements of the mural have returned to the facade at 814-816 W. Church Street and are a permanent part of Interstruct’s HQ on the West Church Corridor.

The ArtCube

While Sabrina has not created for the ArtCube™, it is a vital piece of Parramore Arts. Since the premiere installation in May 2023, Interstruct has been refining the architect-designed shipping-container micro gallery as a 24/7 public art experience. Ten installations later, they’ve proven the concept: the ArtCube™ activates streets, connects communities, and gives artists a stage to push their creative boundaries. Now, Interstruct is taking it to the next stage — bringing the ArtCube™ to market so it can live in more neighborhoods, campuses, public spaces, and development projects.

Sabrina shows up at most ArtCube opening night receptions to support her fellow artists and Orlando’s thriving creative community.