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Screenshot of online 3D galleries featuring submissions for the City of Cape Canaveral’s 2021 Virtual Student Art Show.
The Umbrella Art Project brought together artists of all ages and abilities to create art displayed at businesses around Clermont.
St. Augustine Beach’s Art in the Park featured free entertainment from the Lonesome Ride Band.
COMMUNITY
Putting Art into Action
Cities engage residents through public creative projects by Brittni Johnsen Florida League of Cities
M
ore and more cities in Florida and throughout the country are realizing the power and potential of public art. Whether to engage the community, respond to current events, honor a holiday or celebrate a city’s history, public art is a multiuse tool for local governments – and an effective one, too. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, cities used art for everything from hosting entertaining activities and communitywide contests to sharing important information and providing financial relief. While some projects were launched in response to COVID-19, others were reimagined annual events and initiatives. The City of Cape Canaveral has been hosting the annual Cape Canaveral Student Art Show for more than two decades. Rather than canceling the event due to COVID-19, the City decided to take it online. Its 2021 showcase received more than 130 submissions from nearly a dozen schools featured in 3D galleries online. The artwork was divided into three galleries: kindergarten to sixth grade, seventh to 12th grade and a gallery that illustrated the theme of “resiliency.” With the City of Weston, the Arts Council of Greater Weston also hosted its annual art showcase virtually. The 2021 Virtual Student Artist Showcase featured more than 150 works of art. Eleven schools were represented in this year’s exhibit, and every grade from kindergarten through 12th grade participated. Teachers were asked to submit a maximum of 10 photos of their students’ artwork. Submissions included drawings, paintings, digital art, photography, sculptures and more. The City of West Palm Beach’s Art in Public Places program launched “The Commons: 15 Artists, 15 Spaces,” a public art project that aimed to provide financial relief to local artists during the pandemic. “The project brings work to the local creative
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community, provides monetary relief during these challenging times and launches a new wave of public art in West Palm Beach,” the City shared. After issuing a “call for artists,” 15 artists were selected, and each received $6,000. The artwork was displayed in 15 public places. Another public art project that provided support during the pandemic was the Umbrella Art Project from the City of Clermont. Local nonprofits, schools and arts-and-crafts businesses were invited to transform a plain umbrella into art. Nearly 30 umbrellas were designed and submitted. The umbrellas were displayed at participating local businesses that made up the “Umbrella Art Project Trail.” Residents visited stops along the trail, took photos of their favorite umbrellas and submitted them to the City in exchange for a free T-shirt and the chance to win a $50 gift card. The City of Tampa used art during the pandemic to share important information with the community. The City’s Sidewalk Chalk Art Public Messaging Campaign featured short public safety announcements and positive messages in temporary spray chalk along sidewalks in high-traffic pedestrian areas. These messages included physical distancing reminders, words of encouragement and messages thanking local first responders and health professionals. EVENTS
The use of art by Florida’s cities goes far beyond COVID-specific efforts. “Art in the Park,” a community art fair hosted by the City of St. Augustine Beach, displayed sculptures and original artwork throughout a city park. Residents were invited to stroll through the park among the unique artwork. Pottery, stained glass,
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITIES OF CAPE CANAVERAL, CLERMONT AND ST. AUGUSTINE
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