What Lifts You Hastings

What Lifts You Hastings is an interactive mural located at 415 North Main Street, directly across from the site of the historic railroad station from the 1890s. Completed during the first week of summer 2025 as part of Kelsey Montague’s Southeast United States mural tour, the piece invites visitors to engage with the art—whether by smelling a flower or hopping onto a bicycle.

The mural captures the vibrant spirit of Hastings, a town with a rich history intertwined with the Gilded Era in St. Augustine and a dedicated community committed to revitalization. Established in 1891 by Thomas Horrace Hastings—who was invited by his cousin, Henry Flagler, to grow produce for Flagler’s hotels—the town’s agricultural legacy is honored in the mural. Local vegetables fill the cart pulled by the bicycle, while oversized flora and fauna playfully tower above viewers in Montague’s imaginative creation.

Thomas Horrace Hastings (Hastings Founder) was also related to the young architect Thomas Hastings, who was selected by Flagler to design and oversee the building that houses the Lightner Museum. The mural is directly across from the St. Johns River-2-Sea Loop, the Railway turned recreational trail, which sparked Jena Dennis from Hastings Main Street to suggest featuring a bicycle. Both the subject matter and time period made an instant connection to Lightner’s Riding High: Vintage Bicycles from the Keith Pariani Collection. While Kelsey and her sister, Courtney, created the mural, they visited the collection to see firsthand the collection from the same period as Hastings’ founding. David Bagnall, the executive director of the Lightner, and Keith Pariani were excited to collaborate and highlight those connections between two gems of St. Johns County.

“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.” Kelsey’s family grew up visiting her family’s fourth generation farm in Colorado, and the Montague sister’s felt right at home in this blossoming community. Montague sisters talked about feeling a sense of community in Hastings and how special it was to experience throughout the process. They could feel the appreciation for their work and the vibrancy and life What Lifts You Hastings mural would inject into Hastings.

The mural project was a collaborative effort among both the Hastings community and St. Johns County communities. It came to life with the help of the St. Johns Cultural Council, Hastings Main Street, and the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council (TDC), as well as Sarah Arnett, Great Expectations Realty, and Doer Cabinets. The building wall was donated by the owner, Sarah Arnett, as the canvas. Arnett was in the process of refurbishing the entire building, home to the local barber shop. Drifters generously donated a bicycle to be an interactive element for the mural. Drifters is a locally owned and operated company located in St. Augustine. They supply bike and beach rentals to visitors and residents alike. The Drifters Bike made the journey along the River-to-Sea Loop from St. Augustine down to Hastings Main Street.

This is the only bicycle mural that Kelsey Montague, most known for her wings and swings, has ever created. What Lifts You Hastings is also Montague’s largest mural in the continental United States.