After Pulse: Kathy DeVault

Posted on by Thor

Advisory: Please note that this post is about the Pulse Nightclub Massacre on June 12, 2016. It may contain sensitive and difficult to read content. Post written with narrator’s consent.  

Kathy DeVault is director of strategic partnership for the City of Orlando. She directed Camping World Stadium as it acted as a hub for victims families and survivors in the aftermath of the Pulse Shooting.

On June 11, 2016 Kathy was celebrating a college friend’s birthday. Her friend is very involved in the LGBTQ community. She loves to dance and many of her friends are gay men. She wanted a low key evening with five of her friends that night. They went to a desert shop in Ivanhoe Village. It as a relaxed evening with wine and desert.

The next morning about 4AM, the chief of staff, sent about 10 staff a text message that there was an active shooter  at Pulse and Mayor Buddy Dyer was on scene. Details were scarce. Her response was “I am here and will stay out of the way until I am needed.” She watched the news unfold that morning on TV.

She finally got a call from the deputy chief of staff that she was needed. She ran to city hall to get ear phones for the mayor. She parked near Chipolte south of Pulse and got through the barricades to get thing on scene. A lot of politicians were on site for the press conference and it happened to be an election period. Kathy was called to the scene too help greet and cater to the elected officials that were showing up. The mobile command center was a little south of Pulse.

At dusk the press conferences were over and city staff went to the emergency operations center. Kassandra, the press secretary, was overwhelmed by media inquiries, so Kathy decided to become her right hand woman. She spent the next several days answering calls from national and in international media. Media ascended so quickly because just the night before that had been covering the singer Christina Grimmie shooting at the Plaza in Orlando.

Later that week Kathy helped set up the Family Unification Center in the Beardal Senior Center. That is where families went to get updates form the hospital and FDLE about their loved ones. Media largely took over the parking lot and they got in the faces of family trying to get n and out of the center. The FBI and red cross wanted a more secure location. The decision was made to use Camping World Stadium. A city lead was needed. Kathy as recruited. A list of about 35 to 40 agencies was compiled who would become a part of the family assistance center. The Center needed to be open for families by 10 AM the next morning. Well, OK!

Leu Gardens Crowds: Business as Usual

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In 2017, Hurricane Irma blew through Central Florida blowing down a tree that damaged the roof of this historic Leu Garden Museum. The upper floors were water damaged. The historic museum has been closed for the past three years for restoration and repairs. At this time, there is no reopen date. The gardens however are open for business as usual.

While restaurants, bars, beaches, and Florida State Parks have been shut down because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the City of Orlando has for some reason left Harry P. Leu Gardens open. The city said it will close all city-owned and operated
playgrounds and the swan boats at Lake Eola Park at 5 p.m. Monday 3/23/2020 until
further notice, but Leu Gardens continues to draw big crowds. Last weekend 400 to 500 people crushed into the gardens each day to escape cabin fever. The gardens have replaced Orlando’s sports stadiums for people to crowd together.

Leu Gardens volunteers and staff are working hard to wipe down the surfaces in the gift shop and entry hall but it is hard to keep up. It seems extreme to expect Garden staff to risk their lives in the face of a pandemic for the City of Orlando. Things might not be so bad if people were practicing social distancing, but they are not. As one expert said, “If it were possible to wave a magic wand and make all Americans
freeze in place for 14 days while sitting six feet apart,
epidemiologists say, the whole epidemic would sputter to a halt.” It is human nature to want to hug and shake hands to greet friends, or to hold each other tight when grieving a loss.

“Our outdoor facilities, such as our city parks, Leu Gardens and
Dubsdread Golf Course are open to the public, but residents must follow
necessary social distancing measures while there,” said Karyn Barber, a
city spokeswoman. “We encourage residents to use these facilities
responsibly to get fresh air and exercise, which are important for
physical and mental health always, but especially during this uncertain
time.” I am left wondering, who enforces responsible social distancing? Does this responsibility fall on Leu Gardens staff?

Florida State Governor Ron DeSantis wants to avoid a state-wide lock down leaving local governments to decide what should close and what should remain open. DeSantis still believes targeting the counties hardest hit by the Covid-19 for the most extreme measures is the preferable path.

The Florida Department of Health said Monday 3/23/2020 that there are now 1,171 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Florida with 14 deaths. I put 14 caskets in my sketch in their honor. Stay home, Stay safe.

Rogers Building Celebration.

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I was hired to document a celebration at Avalon Island Gallery for Mr. Ford Kiene, chairman of City Beverages, who just donated the historic Rogers building to the City of Orlando under
the condition it be used for the arts for the next 20 years. I worked a bit larger that I usually do in an 18 by 24 inch sketch pad. Earlier in the day I purchased a frame and cut a white mat on which people could share their thoughts and well wishes for Mr. Kiene. At the end of the evening, I framed this sketch in the mat and it was presented to him as thanks.

This celebration was well attended which made the sketch a challenge. When Mayor Buddy Dyer took to the podium, I was faced with a wall of backs. I stood on tip toe to get the sketch of him and Mr. Ford at the microphone. The mayor pointed out that it is rare for the city to receive such a donation. Built in 1886 by Englishman Gordon Rogers and investors, the iconic green tin sided building,
which sits at the corner of Magnolia and Pine, will officially be
renamed  the Rogers Kiene Building. When Mr. Kiene took to the microphone, he described the painstaking work that went into preserving the 1886 floor boards.

The building is now managed by the Downtown Arts District (DAD) but their management agreement only runs through June 30, 2018. Barbara Hartley, the DAD executive director said that the building will remain a hub for the arts. Patrick Greene, who oversees the gallery, hosts monthly cutting edge music sessions in the venue between the hanging of art shows. This, “Inbetween Series” brings experimental contemporary music to downtown. It is unclear if the venue will keep producing such edgy programs after June. I have sketched so often in this venue over the years, that I could easily compile a retrospective book that documents the arts events held here. Just sketching every day, I have seen far too many arts venues fall to the wayside. Hopefully the building will continue to further our city’s efforts to expand our arts and culture scene.

Sustainability Mural.

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LeAnn Siefferman invited three artists to collaborate on a sustainability mural for the City of Orlando and Green Build Media on January 9, 2017. I was a participating artist along with Gladiola Sotomayor, Halsi and Charles Mighty. At our first mural meeting at Henao Contemporary Center, we each talked about our ideas about sustainability and how they might be visualized in the mural. We each created a few rough sketches on the spot, which acted as inspiration for the final mural concept. A second meeting I couldn’t attend, but Gladiola and Halsi worked on a more refined concept. I was sent that concept and layered my own ideas on top. Working in LeAnn’s garage, Gladiola and Halsi blew up the development sketch across four large boards. The next day I added my contributions using large Sharpies. 

On the morning of the sustainability conference in the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the panels were set up and ready to paint. Large drop cloths were taped down to protect the carpeting. We spent the entire day adding color with house paints and layering on more details under the watchful eyes of conference attendees. There was free coffee all day, which kept me wired. Most of my contributions consisted of showing Lake Eola, the skyline, and the “Patriot Garden” house in College Park. 

As the mural was being painted, LeAnn spoke to conference attendees about how the mural depicted sustainability. Sustainability is not just about making decisions today that prevent negative impacts tomorrow, but about making decisions that improve our tomorrows as well. Sustainability calls for love, respect and justice for the natural environment, for our communities and neighbors, and for ourselves and our families. She said each of you embodied these qualities in your work and in your personal statement, and expressed sincere desire to connect with and improve your community through the arts.

The
mission of Green Build Mediais to effect meaningful, positive change for a better world. As
advocates for sustainability, they provide mind-expanding information
that catalyzes and inspires commitment to sustainable living. Hopefully, the mural helped promote that idea.

Public Art is destroyed in Orlando.

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I first noticed the ancient light box as I drove to the Orlando International Fringe Festival this year. It was on Mills Avenue just north of the East West Expressway. I must have driven past it hundreds of times before but never noticed it since it blended into the desolate urban landscape on this barren stretch of road. The decades old abandoned light pole was something everyone ignored. But this day was different. It was exotic and beautiful, with porcelain birds perched all over it. Artist Brendan O’Connor had used social media to ask for donations of birds to be added to the sculpture. About 12 people plus the kids at misty forest donated birds. I felt a certain civic pride knowing this was such a community effort. I watched is blossom and grow each day I drove by.

The project titled “Put a Bird on It” was initiated by the Mills 50 District. The next day I spotted Brendan on site in the intense Florida sun with his large straw hat offering come protection as he was adding more tiles to the piece. I desperately wanted to stop and sketch but I had promised to sketch a Fringe show and was running late.

I did get back to the site, but unfortunately Brendan was gone. This sculpture is like a totem to creativity and freedom of expression. Many of the tiles still needed grouting and some pieces were taped in place waiting to be secured. After this sketch was done many colorful plastic flowers were also added to the sculpture. Brendan completed the piece on June 10th and the next day the city destroyed the sculpture under the pretext that it was too close to the street. It had been to close to the street for many decades. They claim to be looking for a new site for the sculpture, but many of the birds were shattered when the pole was felled. Mills 50 had an agreement with the City of Orlando and the Florida Department of Transportation to do whatever they wanted with the light. Some bureaucrat must have felt that the result was too playful and colorful to remain standing. Brendan invested $300 of his own money and volunteered 18 hours of his time over three weeks to create the sculpture that stood for one day before ending up as a pile of crumbs on the sidewalk. The FDOT removed the light box which was put into storage and the ceramic covered pole was left like a body on a battlefield where it fell. Roadside memorials featuring stuffed animals, and flowers ofter remain on Florida roadsides for years, yet this colorful explosion of creativity was considered a threat.

It is far easier to destroy art than to create it. Some people in power are threatened by creativity. As the Nazi party took power, artists, poets and academics were ushered to camps. Free thinking individuals can question policy. Thousands of paintings and sculptures were seized and destroyed because the party didn’t understand them. Works of expressionism were considered deviant. Recently ISIS video taped themselves destroying art to prove that they were a force to be reckoned with. The war against art rages on, but now in our own backyard.

All too often I am documenting art in Orlando that is painted over or destroyed. Murals going up all around Orlando seem to be making city officials uncomfortable. They want to edit and veto creativity. A committee was formed to address the problem allowing officials to take down and remove whatever they don’t like. The first amendment grants us freedom of speech and we all should be upset when creativity is crushed. I’m beginning to think I need to find a more progressive city to sketch and report about. Orlando seems intent on going back to the dark ages.

The Citrus Bowl Gets a Face Lift

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Driving on the East West Expressway to work, I’ve often glanced over to see the Citrus Bowl being stripped down to it’s cement skeleton. I finally decided I needed to get off at the next exit to sketch the work in progress. I know that Orlando plans to host another Bowl game this year, so I’m assuming the reconstruction needs to be done by then. About 90% of the stadium will be torn down and replaced, including
portions that have stood since its original construction in 1937. Only
the upper decks, which were added in 1990 and remain viable as part of a
modern facility, will remain.

The new Citrus Bowl will offer an enhanced fan experience at every
level, with wider, chair-back seating, new concessions areas and
restrooms, and new club and premium spaces throughout the building. 

When the stadium reopens in fall 2014, it will continue to host
signature events including the Capital One Bowl, Russell Athletic Bowl,
Florida Blue Florida Classic and Monster Jam. In addition, the new venue
will allow Orlando to pursue more high-profile sports tourism events
such as neutral-site college football games, NFL preseason games,
international soccer matches, big-name concerts and more.

November 2013

Pre-construction mobilization began.

January 2014

Demolition of lower seating levels began.

March 2014

New seating bowl construction began.

Late Spring 2014

Construction of new concessions, restrooms, team locker rooms and operation/support areas began.

November 2014

Substantial completion achieved (95%) in time to be operational for fall events.

April 2015

Target for 100% completion.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday March 1, 2014

2pm to 6pm Free. Artist Colony Day. Maitland Art Center, 231 Packwood Avenue West, Maitland, FL. 2-6pm Open Studios and hands on activities

2-6 MAC Wrap: help wrap the Maitland Art Center.

6 Founders tour Peter Banca.

2pm to 5pm $20.00 per Workshop. $35 for 2, $40 for all three! Dr. DJO BI teaches drumming and dancing at the Jammin! School. The Aikido Orlando Dojo 3764 Howell Branch Road, Winter Park, Florida 32792. Dr. Djo Bi has a unique talent and understanding of the rhythms and sounds of his culture. His parents were musicians, and he had a drum in his hands since he was a toddler. Around age 5, he was performing in church; and by the time he was a young teenager, he was invited to begin a professional career as a musician/artist among seasoned adult musicians and dancers. Having lived in Paris, France, for a dozen years, he was able to involve himself with a wide variety of musical experiences. He was even involved with the African Museum in Brussels, Belgium, as part of a research group with Curator Anne Marie Bouttiaux returning with him to his village to learn about mask dance culture. He is the preeminent Zaouly Mask Drummer in the United States.

7pm to 9pm $15. What’s Your Story? East End Market 3201 Corrine Dr., Orlando, Florida 32803. The Orlando Story Club (www.orlandostoryclub.com) is an organization formed to arrange storytelling events in various forms for the enjoyment of the Central Florida community. For their inaugural event they have joined forces with Jennifer Marvel and the Audubon Park Garden District (www.apgardens.com). The event will start at 7pm and will run for approximately 2 hours.

Anyone who wishes to be a storyteller will be invited to put their name in a hat starting at 7pm when the doors open. At 7:25p a local comedian/host will get the festivities started. He will select 10 storyteller names from a hat. He will also nominate 3 judges at random from the audience giving them each a set of scorecards. The first storyteller will start at 7:30p.

The stories are limited to 5 minutes. They must be told without notes and connect to the theme of the evening (Wild Adventures). The theme for this first event will be Wild Adventures. At the end of each story the 3 sets of judges vote and the total score is recorded on a scoreboard at the front of the room. Between each story our comedian will help bridge the gaps as the next storyteller gets ready and the judges tally their scores.

After 5 stories there will be a 15-minute intermission (for more drinks to be ordered). This is followed by the remaining 5 stories. At the end of the night the scores are added up and a prize is awarded to the best storyteller of the evening.

Sunday March 2, 2014

 10am to 4pm Free. Lake Eola Farmers Market. Every Sunday. The South East corner of Lake Eola park.

11am to 4pm Free. Art and History Center Art Car Day. Maitland Art Center, 231 Packwood Avenue West, Maitland, FL. Help Andrew Spear create the Art car.

11am to 6pm Free. DeLand Indie Market Spring Edition. Deland Indie Market at Artisan Alley Artisan Alley, DeLand, Florida 32720. The DeLand Indie Market is a curated event that is held 4 times a year showcasing Artists, Boutiques, Vintage and Handmade Vendors.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday February 15, 2014

9am to 11pm. Free for spectators. The Chocolate 5k. Jay Blanchard Park 2451 North Dean Road, Orlando, FL. NR Road Racing presents a chocolaty good time. We are offering you a sweet treats to keep you going throughout the 5k. Yes there will still be water stations, but for those of you with a sweet tooth, you can also have a little piece of joy. Enjoy a family friendly three mile course with your friends, family, and other choc-aholics strangers. Doesn’t matter how fast or old you are; everyone is welcome to participate and join in the fun!

1pm to 3pm. Free. Family Days at the Maitland Museum. Maitland Art Center 231 Packwood Ave W, Maitland, FL. Families will enjoy making Jasper Johns style flags together as they learn about this unique artist. Families are encouraged to stay and enjoy the A&H museums after the program concludes. Family Days at the Museum is held on the 3rd Saturday of every month, and each program is held in a different location within the A&H Museums. Join us for this afternoon of family fun!

6pm to 11pm. $25 Nude Nite. 639 W. Church St. (Large Blue Warehouse) Orlando, FL. The largest nude art show in the
country. Since 1996,  Nude Nite represents a new class of art show
inspired by the original inspiration, the nude. A nouveau art event
showcasing hundreds of fresh and sophisticated works and performances to
quicken the pace of your heart. Held annually in both Orlando and
Tampa, Florida the 3 nite visual event you don’t want to miss.  Visit http://www.nudenite.com or Become a fan at the Nude Nite Facebook page or keep up with NN on Twitter @nudenite. This is one event I never want to miss.

Sunday February 16, 2014

2pm to 4pm. Free, just grab a beer. Got Game? 😉 Red Lion Pub 3784 Howell Branch Rd, Winter Park, FL. Poker, board games, card games, Twister, etc. If you have a particular game that you want to play, bring it. I have poker chips, Scattergories, Scrabble, Pictionary, Fact or Crap, a question game (can’t remember the name), Uno, and a few others. Don’t have Twister anymore (you don’t want to know why, trust me). Oh, and feel free to bring your pet. ♥

5pm to 9pm. Free, but get some food! Orlando Food Truck Bazaar. Orlando Fashion Square, 3201 East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL. A parking lot full of food trucks! http://www.thedailycity.com/2011/05/thedailycitycom-food-truck-bazaar.html

9pm to 11pm. Free. Comedy Open Mic. Austin’s Coffee: 929 W Fairbanks Ave Winter Park, FL.  Free comedy show! Come out & laugh, or give it a try yourself.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday January 25, 2014

9am to 5pm Free.  Saturday and Sunday. Free. Steam Punk Industrial Show. Renninger’s Market in Mount Dora FL. Live Musical Performance by The Cog Is Dead. Visit the Time Machine from Rod Raylor’s Movie, “The Time Machine” and the “Daimler Airship”. Food, Fun, and Music!

10am to 11:30pm $10 cover after 8pm. Acme’s Indie Creator Con and New Talent Showcase. Acme Superstore 905 E. SR 434, Longwood, Fl. From 10am-8pm comic creators, independent publishers, indie filmmakers, and artists will be set up in Acme’s Danger Room with booths to sell their work or showcase their projects. The gallery walls will be hung with artists’ original creations featuring their own characters or unique works. We’ll also have indie film-screenings, workshops and family friendly activities throughout the day. All ages welcome and FREE to attend! Then, from 8pm-12am, 18+ can join us for our Acme After Hours: New Talent Showcase. Singing, dancing, live bands, comedians, freak show acts… If you’ve got a talent, BRING IT ON!!! Prizes awarded to audience favorites! Free beer & sangria for 21+ w/ID. Free sodas and water also included with cover. (Registered talent get in free.)

 6:30pm to 11pm General Admission: $95 per person. VIP admission: $300 per couple
(includes unlimited beer/wine, and name recognition).  PARTY AT THE PLAZA! a benefit for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra & The Plaza Live. Dress code is
informal/casual; no tie required. Join other Orlando music lovers for 5 stages of live music, silent auction, food and drink, dancing and more at this benefit for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra & The Plaza Live! https://orlandophil.org/events/party-at-the-plaza-2/

7pm to 11pm Admission is $10. Andy Matchett and the Minks Last Show, with Random Encounter Public. Cardboard Art Festival.The Orange Studio 1121 N Mills Ave, Orlando, Fl. One last Andy Matchett & The Minks show. This will get you access to the Cardboard Art Fest Gallery ( large modern warehouse space in the Mills/50 District will be filled with cardboard art hanging from the ceiling, stuck to the walls and sprouting up from the ground) and performances by Random Encounter and AM/TM. We’ll be playing The Apple Tree Circle, by Andy Matchett and The Minks in its entirety and pulling out all the stops. If you’ve seen one of our shows before, you know what that means…

Sunday January 26, 2014

 10am to Noon. Free. Super Joy Riders. Eastern entrance of the Lake Eola Farmers’ Market. You + Superhero Costume + Bike = Best Sunday Ever! Participants dress as superheroes and ride en masse around the city as they check off their scavenger hunt-like list of Do Gooder Duties; collecting litter, helping senior citizens cross the road, returning shopping carts, basically performing small acts of kindness for an hour and a half of hilarity and love. The Super Joy Riders: Do Gooder Bike Ride is an exercise in community organizing and active engagement. We hope to use the ride as an opportunity to show how helping people can be simple, fun, and easy, especially while wearing a cape.

http://www.superjoyriders.com/

6pm to 9pm $40.  Confectionfest. The Orange Studio, 1121 N. Mills Ave., Orlando, FL 32803. Enter in the rear. Come sample the best of Orlando’s dessert culture at Cardboard Art Festival! The entrance fee will give attendees an all-you-can eat pass to Sweetstown: population you. Then kick back and watch a movie with us on our Green Lawn of Awesomeness.