From the Editor’s Desk

Horse Fever coming to the finish line

The last leg of Horse Fever 2020 is upon us, with three of this year’s herd, known as the Giving Collection, set to be raffled off Friday, June 4, at the Brick City Center for the Arts. It will be the finish line for the latest edition of a civic project that has spanned two decades, raised millions locally for the arts and, in the process, changed the face of Ocala.

Part arts fund raiser and part public art project, the success and the staying power of Horse Fever is remarkable. The first Horse Fever was launched in 2001, drawing national acclaim as a public art project and creating a fund that led to the emergence of the Marion Cultural Alliance, as well as hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for cultural arts groups and individual artists. Later, when artists and their support organizations were struggling at the height of the Great Recession, it was resurrected and, frankly, was salvation for many in the arts community.

Horse Fever 2020, once again, is raising money for the arts. Except this time, the horses no longer stand out as unusual on the landscape of Ocala and Marion County.

“What an amazing thing that happened over time,” said Gene Hotaling, a local artist who has participated in all three Horse Fever exhibitions. “Twenty years ago, we had very little interest in the arts in our community, and now it’s a full-fledged art community. And I really have to give Horse Fever and the artists who participated in it a lot of credit. This has brought us forward as far as art recognition and the importance of art in our community.”

Today, Horse Fever is known as “the art project that inspired a movement,” an art movement. Sculptures grace our parks. Murals emblazon our buildings. Galleries line the streets of our downtown. The cultural arts have become a cottage industry that pumps more than $50 million a year into the local economy. The impact is so significant, the City of Ocala just approved a 10-year Arts Master Plan to keep the arts movement growing. Ocala is now recognized as an art-friendly community that is seeing artists from around the country move here because of the Horse Fever-inspired culture.

Of course, every good idea that succeeds requires a strong guiding hand. When Horse Fever was first rolled out to the community in 2001, Paula King and Laurie Zink knocked on doors, talked to groups, generated excitement and, importantly, convinced the community to buy-in. It was a huge success, largely because of King’s and Zink’s dogged work.

But while King and others have stepped back over the years, Zink has continued nurturing Horse Fever. She has led the Horse Fever 2020 event with undisputed authority and energy.

Tammy Gantt, associate vice president of member services and events at the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, co-sponsor of Horse Fever 2020, says Zink is the linchpin to Horse Fever’s success over a generation.

“I can’t give Laurie Zink enough credit,” Gantt said. “She’s a visionary. She’s a powerhouse. And she does it with a heart and love.”

And the result of Zink’s leadership?

BY BRAD ROGERS

“It brought the community together, all of the community,” Gantt said. “The arts community, the horse community and the business community.”

The community will have one more chance to come together and celebrate Horse Fever at 6 p.m. Friday, June 4, at the Brick City Center in downtown Ocala when three horses will be raffled off, with the proceeds going to the Marion Cultural Alliance. Tickets are $100 apiece and there are 300 tickets per horse. Tickets can be purchased at the event.

Sunny Daze Artist: Ronda Richley