Art Center Sarasota (ACS) is actively seeking an artist to design a mural for a collaborative initiative it recently launched with the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County. The selected artist will design the wall mural and outline the major details of the design. Youth who attend the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County will
then paint the mural, with supervision, over the course of four days in January. What’s the concept behind the project? Jane Harris, ACS’s education director, says it fulfills two Art Center imperatives: to engage young people in the process of creating art and to foster public art. Harris adds that the initiative is sponsored by Joe and Gwen Ziomek, who are enthusiastic supporters of the arts and the Boys & Girls Club. Kinsey Robb, ACS’s executive director, emphasizes that this project signals the launch of what ACS and the Boys & Girls Club envision as a biennial initiative, with the artwork changing every two years. She explains that a vital element of the project is to be able to offer a rare opportunity to young people to become intimately involved with an art project from conception to completion. “They’ll experience interacting with artists, learning about the inspiration behind the artist’s design—and also learn how to paint a large outdoor mural. Finally, since this mural will be on public display for two years, they’ll bask in a sense of achievement over a significant period. It’s a tremendous opportunity for these youth and Art Center Sarasota is thrilled to be part of the process.” According to exhibitions coordinator, Christina Baril, the mural will be painted on the west wall of Art Center Sarasota’s building, and will be visible from The Bay’s Mangrove Path, “welcoming the many visitors enjoying the revitalized bay park,” she says. Artists must be 18 years of age or older and live in Sarasota, Manatee, Pinellas, Hillsborough, or DeSoto counties. The artist’s commission is $2,800 and includes materials. Submission deadline is Sunday, November 20.

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