Statue of Liberty

Posted on by Thor

At a artist workshop at Urban ReThink, someone asked why there is tiny 8 foot tall, Statue of Liberty, at the intersection of North Orange and Magnolia Avenues on the shore of Lake Ivanhoe. I’ve passed this oddity many times and never given it a thought. It isn’t a very creative choice for a public sculpture. It makes it seem like Orlando idolizes gift shop trinkets. This town seems to want to be something for everybody. Like Epcot, we don’t feel the need to travel the world to see the rel thing. The proportions on the tiny statue are a bit off. The extra large torch Lady Liberty is holding makes her seem a bit child like. The money invested in the rock work and gadening alone must have cost a fortune. The Kiwanis Club of Orlando paid for the base.

The statue was donated to the city in 1953 by the Central Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America. It was one of about 200 such replicas installed across the
nation in the 1950s through a Boy Scout program called “Strengthening
the Arm of Liberty,”  The program was part of the Scouts’
40th anniversary celebrations it replaced a big orange concrete ball supported by two stilt-like pillars, built by the Works Progress Administration sometime between 1934 and 1936 that quickly became a victim of graffiti. It must have been a reminder of Orlando’s Citrus industry. The ball, by the way, was moved to a fruit stand in Maitland and later destroyed. A new ten foot high ball shaped sculpture was recently installed at the Orlando County Regional History Center.

.The statue was refurbished in the mid-1980s. She seems to have survived any touch of graffiti and the shrubbery is neatly clipped. Robert G. Neel, president of Woodlawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home, led efforts to restore the statue, which he first noticed while stopped at a traffic light.

This is a busy intersection and I got to stare at each new driver that had to stop at the stop light. Each driver looked at me like I was a mad man. During the hour or so that I was sketching, one pedestrian did walk by on her way to the bus stop. She took quite an interest in what I was doing, and she even had advice on where I could find a better camping stool. A ramp behind the stature leads up to Interstate 4 and the cars are always lined up, rushing  to get on Orlando’s primary artery. 

Take Me Home

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On September 19th I did the last sketch of Urban Rethink (625 East Central Blvd. Orlando FL) which unfortunately has since been shut down. I went to a Filmmaker’s Brown Bag Lunch as part of the Global Peace Film Festival. I assumed I would get to learn about each filmmakers project with some kind of presentation. The dozen or so filmmakers gathered and chatted with each other on the couch and lounge chairs. When the brown bag lunches arrived, they continued their conversations in the conference room and at the scattered tables.

With the sketch finished, I realized that I hadn’t learned a single thing about any of the films. As I was leaving, I stopped to write down some information a poster about some “Shampouch” dog washing event that might be fun to sketch.  A gentleman entered ReThink and glanced around in frustration. I let him know that all the filmmakers had just left five minutes ago. He let out a deep sigh, he had hoped to speak to someone about the film he was involved with. His name is Rick Peete. He had been homeless on the streets of Orlando for two years. Now he helps father John feed homeless people at the Greek Orthodox Church on Robinson Street right across from Lake Eola. In past years, the food sharing program helped 150-200 people a night. That number has swelled to 400 to 500 people a night. On any given evening 15,000 people go to sleep hungry in Central Florida, of those, many are children.

Director Fabian Morales-Botero spent a year and a half producing a documentary film called, “Take Me Home” that interviewed many of the people who make up the homeless population, who find shelter where they can in Downtown Orlando.  Getting to know these people shattered his stereotypes about “the homeless” and allowed him to see them as individuals with compelling stories to tell, with talents and contributions to make to their community and with fates that could befall many of us given the difficult economic recovery. He also got to know the workers and advocates fond dignity,r the homeless, trying to give them the hand up they need. These people may not have a home, but they have heart and dignity.

A week later I saw Rich Peete walking towards the Greek Orthodox church where he helps to make a difference. I remember how his face glowed as he explained to me how helping others changed his life for the better.

PechaKucka Orlando

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I usually write a commentary about events I sketch. This time I felt that Darren’s entire talk from the Friday September 20th  PechaKucha needed to be shared. 20 slides, 20 seconds a slide, a wide variety of presenters.

Imagining Real

By Darren McDaniel

“Over the past two years, a particular image has played a prominent role
in my life.  It’s the wallpaper on my phone, the art on my kitchen wall,
the sticker on the back of my laptop, and the ten-foot tall mural high
on the wall at 625 E. Central.

I’m
the founding director of Urban ReThink, a community workspace and
programming hub in Orlando’s Thornton Park. When I got the news a few
weeks ago that we’d be losing our space, the thing that hit me the
hardest, of all things, was the thought that I’d no longer have daily
access to this mural that I know as GoogliAnn.

I
teach Digital Storytelling to designers at Full Sail, and I preach the
power of symbols—how a simple icon or graphic could be loaded with
meaning, representing far more than its collection of marks, or—in this
case—scribbles.

In
the 18 months it’s been on the wall, the mural has been a fueling
station for me.  It reminds me of why I do what I do.  The artwork came
from a self-portrait my niece, GraciAnn, had given me on her 5th birthday. 
It’s come to embody my immense affection for my nieces, for our
community, and for all that’s been accomplished under GoogliAnn’s over-lordship.

Here’s
how it happened.  Upon returning to Orlando, I crudely Photoshopped
GraciAnn’s art on the wall and shared it with my sister, asking her to
get GraciAnn’s reaction—a reaction that turned out to be all-too
matter-of-fact: “It’s not real.”  I took this as a challenge.  And I
thought, “Yeah, but imagine if it was…”

And
I shared the notion with Dina, and Pat, and Kitty, and Kim, and Fiona,
and Ryan, and Julia, and Anna, and dang near anyone else who happened
through.  “What if?”  What do you think?”  “Can we do it?”  “Surely, we can do this.”  And thanks to their affirmation, support, and resourcefulness, we made a way.

Karen
Rigsby helped me figure out the eyes.  Anna McCambridge-Thomas said she
knew the perfect artist, and she wasn’t kidding.  Carolyn Schultz was
every bit as impressive as the art she produced. In a day and a half,
she swept in, climbed up, and made the magic happen, one grid-square at a
time.

As
it neared completion, I got giddy and sent a picture to Cris
Phillips-Georg with the caption “the audacity of play,” and she said
that’s what you should call it.   “The Audacity of Play.”  A dedication that marked the first anniversary of Urban ReThink…and a bold new theme for the year ahead.

Months
later, GraciAnn was coming to town, and, much to her surprise, we
staged a grand unveiling.  Kathryn Neel even made the eyes work.  And
Thor was there sketching and my family and friends, and the moment I’d
dreamed about since “It’s not real.”: the big reveal.  From astonishment to head-burying embarrassment on GraciAnn’s end; from triumph to tears on mine.

Then:
discovery.  The mural was complete, and the eyes moved.  Regulars would
jump when they caught a first glance.  When kids would come in, I’d
point up to it and watch their expressions turn from perplexed to
wide-eyed.  I’d tell them “Somebody your age drew that,” and I’d see the
possibility swirl around them.  “Can I put my art on a wall?”

One
of my favorite pastimes became juxtaposing the events and speakers with
the googly-eyed girl.  The PBS Newshour’s nationally-televised debate
panel.  The chief data scientist from bit.ly.  Business meetings.  Coworking. Highfalutin parties. And, of course, Gloria Steinem.

Less
than 2 weeks from now, the doors close on Urban ReThink, and—unless I
can find a way to liberate a ten-by-ten-foot piece of drywall from its
well-secured perch—her always-welcoming arms will be waving goodbye, her
eyes will close, and she’ll forever lurk behind who-knows-what paint.

But you know what, Orlando?  Symbols carry their meanings.  And we’ve still got ours.  And
we’ve got high-res pictures, and we’ve got printers, and the
Transformation Village in Bithlo ready to become GoogliAnn’s next home
in some form or fashion.  Beyond that, we’ve got the legacy we’ve built,
and we’ve got each other.

I
moved back home to Central Florida a dozen years ago and made a feature
film. When it was over, I wanted to do something to give back to this
community that helped make my dream possible—something that could make
many more dreams possible through gathering and cross-pollenating
enterprising creatives from all walks of life.

Forty
months ago, an opportunity finally arose to make that real. The time
since has seen scores of collaborations and hundreds of cultural events.
It’s brought the majority of tonight’s presenters and so many other
treasures into not just my life but each other’s.  It’s inspired
visitors to shift their Mickey-Mouse views of Orlando and even move
here.

At
the surface, there’s something rather ridiculous about a googly-eyed
vision.  Untethered, quixotic, not always on the same page…  But it’s
also a vision with broader perspective and heightened possibility—one
that honors imagination and contributions from even the most unlikely of
sources…

My
mission continues : To gather and showcase Orlando’s
independent-minded, community-spirited doers for economic, community,
and intellectual growth. Why?
Because we have treasure in our midst: from the talent pool of recent
graduates, transplants, and the underemployed on one hand to the
creative, the curious, and the volunteers-to-be on the other. I call
them gappers. I’m one of them.

And
I’m minding the gap because our support structures haven’t kept up with
the societal change that’s creating more gappers by the day.  Yet, it’s
gappers that will ultimately generate our solutions.  After all, we’re
the entrepreneurs, innovators, and enhancers.  It’s in our collisions,
conversations, and collaborations that imaginations become real.

One thing is certain: There’s a need for
an Urban ReThink and for opportunity structures like it.  There’s a
need for a new social institution—something that fuels gappers by
combining elements of work, play, family, school, church, and library.  We’ve pioneered that—right here in Orlando. But we’re not finished.  And I’m not stopping.

As Urban ReThink, we’re losing our space and our scope, but not the
audacity of our play, nor the tenacity of our purpose. GoogliAnn. 
She’s the spirit of our future.  And she’s looking to us to get her
where she needs to go.  People say things happen for a reason.  Let’s
make that reason.  Imagine the possibilities.  They’re real.  And
they’re spectacular.”

Darren’s talk had me in tears. I felt a warm glow knowing so many family and friends who create and inspire change. I hunt for collaborators and creatives, and the resources found in Orlando are unlimited. ReThink was a creative epicenter that fueled my daily sketch habit. I have over 50 sketches that were done there. The bricks and mortar might change ownership but the people who see and bring about change are still here.

Mark Your Calendar! The next PechaKucha is February 7th at 7pm at The Orange Studio, (1121 N. Mills Avenue, Orlando, Fl).

Lake Eola Sunset

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On August 28th I found myself downtown with several hours to spare before going to an artist paint out in front of Loft 55 Gallery and Boutique (55 West Church Street, suite 114, Orlando, Fl). Walking around Lake Eola I was struck by the amazing sunset and decided to do a straight forward landscape sketch. I avoided line much of the time trying to just capture the play of warm and cool colors in the sky and on the buildings. The city has invested in brand new swan peddle boats which must have cost a fortune. Joggers and people walking their dogs circled the lake.

There were several other events I could have been sketching, like an Urban ReThink Town hall meeting and a Social Media Club Meeting.  Sadly, Urban ReThink has had to close its doors, but It will be returning in a new form at the recently refurbished Cameo Theater (1013 E Colonial Drive Orlando, FL). I was playing hookie. It felt good to slow down and take in the sunset.

The Artist’s Survival Guide

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The Artist Survival Guide, organized by Brendan O’Connor, is an Urban ReThink Signature Series event recurring monthly. It aims to provide artists and the artistically curious with the building blocks needed for professional creative careers in Central Florida, and will culminate in a printed Artist’s Survival Guidebook after 12 months of programming. Artists art enthusiasts, and the artistically curious gathered to find out about the building blocks needed to be successful in Orlando and Central Florida.

The first installment was an introduction to the Arts in Central Florida. Panelists included:

Jessica Bryce Young the Arts and Culture Editor at the Orlando Weekly, Devin Dominguez the Director of Development at the Art and History Museums of Moorland, Flora Maria Garcia, President and CEO of United Arts of Central Florida, Donna Dowless, Official Ambassador of Love for the City of Orlando an accomplished local artist and art supporter, and Terry Olson, Director at Orange County Arts and Cultural Affairs, at the Maitland.

Flora noted that the arts in Orlando, tend to be overshadowed by the theme park industry. Private funding isn’t as high as it is in similarly sized cities. The problem is that people in Orlando come from other states so when they invest in the arts they first consider their home state or city. People come and go from Orlando in a constant stream. Donna insisted artists need a stiff spine. If a creative idea is shot down, the artist should realize that “No” is just the first step. Keep asking and pitching ideas until “Yes” is the answer. Jessica noted that since Orlando is a smaller city, it is much easier for an individual artist to make a difference. Terry briefly spoke about a program that Cole NeSmith started that brought the arts to the streets of Orlando every day for a week. Devin restated something Andrew Spears had told her, that an artist needs to be creative daily. Donna pointed out that one thing most artists need, and some never find, is a “voice” that permeates all of their work.

The gallery scene in Orlando still is a mystery to me. Most paintings I see are on the walls of bars and restaurants. I’ve read of instances where patrons have censored and stolen art on restaurant walls. It amazes me that artists pay to exhibit their work at City Arts Factory. Donna said that the cost to exhibit art work used to be much higher.

ReThinking the City: Main Streets and Town Halls

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ReThinking the City is a monthly symposium on new ideas and updates in urban ism held at Urban ReThink ( 625 E. Central Ave, Orlando, Florida). The June 25th meeting featured a remote presentation by Hesse McGraw, curator of the innovative Carver Bank Town Hall Project in Omaha Nebraska, which seeks to create a space for public participation and creativity. Also presenting was Pauline Eaton, curator of Orlando’s Main Street USA program, on how the program is developing and helping local communities. Eliza Harris tried to get the Skype hook up working but there were several tech issues that kept us from connecting to Omaha.

Pauline Eaton stepped in and told us about the Main street USA program while folks struggled with the computer. Founded in 1980, there are now 2000 Main Street programs nation wide.  There are about 5 different neighborhoods that are a part of the Main Street USA Program, like, Ivanhoe Village, Mills 50 District etc. The Milk District is spearheading its own neighborhood initiatives, learning from the developments in other neighborhoods. The point of the program is to improve the urban feel of the neighborhoods. It can be as simple as adding a bike rack to painting utility boxes pretty colors. The “BAT Team” is the mayor’s better assistance team. The dream of pie in the sky ideal initiatives and then settle for what can be done with the present politics. Pauline joked that the “R&D” department, (Rip off and Duplicate) will take ideas that work in other cities and hope to duplicate them in Orlando. Orlando is a urban area designed for keeping automobiles moving quickly. The primary concerns are usually automotive sight lines. There was some lamenting that sometimes the only way to make improvements is to wait for incumbent politicians to die or leave office. Scottie Campbell who works for Ivanhoe Village was surprised to find that there are Main Street groupies who admire the work that is done. He felt like a rock star for the night.

The computer link to Omaha started working and Hesse McGraw showed us a slide show of the renovation to the first African American Bank in Omaha. Volunteer labor was leveraged to bring the building back as an active creative community hub. Old high school gym flooring was used to cover all the floorboards.. Slate from chalk boards was also used throughout the 100,000 square foot space. The building now offers residencies for artists. There are 15,000 applicants a year for 35 spots. The residency challenges artists to think of how their work effects and engages the community. Lamont Hamilton took 75 photo portraits of living artists he considers iconic. There is a sandwich shop inside and a mix of gallery and office space. I couldn’t help but think of how similar the place sounds to the Urban ReThink ideal. Eliza spoke to me about her hope that someday local artist’s work would welcome people arriving to Orlando in the airport. It would be awesome to get work in front of so many new fresh eyes. Now the work starts researching how to make that vision a reality.

Sanford Art Walk

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On every fourth Friday between 6pm and 9pm, there is an Art Walk in Downtown Sanford that features fine and funky art. I went to the June Sanford Art Walk with storm clouds looming. As I walked down 1st Street it began to pour, so I slipped inside the Jeanine Taylor Folk Art Galley (211 East 1st Street, Sanford FL). As I was looking around, the woman behind the counter asked if I was Thor. It was Mary K. Shaw. I had sketched her once as part of the Sketchbook Project Library which was set up for a few days at Urban ReThink. I had never met her in person, yet she was a Facebook friend. Since she knew of my sketch a day project, I felt comfortable asking her if I could sketch the gallery to promote the Sanford Art Walk. It was hard to find a spot where I wouldn’t be blocking any art. I snuggled up next to a water pipe and got to work.

There are artist’s studios all around the outer edge of the gallery. I particularly liked the work of Cherie Dacko. Her ” Bent Realism” distorted faces as if using the liquefy filter in Photoshop. Features melted and swirled. She also incorporated fabric that gave the work an added dimension. I got to meet the artist and she used to work in the front studio that had a window to the street. Passers by would actually stop in to complain saying they found her work disturbing. That is a major accomplishment to get such a visceral reaction.  She now has a studio upstairs where she can work in peace. I purchased a bottle of “Cheer Wine” which is actually a local soda that I have never been able to find in a supermarket. I met Joe Waller, who makes “Cheer Wine” in his home state of North Carolina But I never had the chance to taste it. Now I knew what all the fuss was about.

For the Art Walk, two Folk Artists were exhibiting their colorful work in the far corner of my sketch. That evening there was also going to be shuffleboard matches at the Sanford Senior Center with vintage attire encouraged. The shuffleboard is rain or shine, thanks to covered pavilions, so
anyone can come out and rattle the sticks and pucks tonight. Free and
fun til 9pm. A small French Bulldog named Frankie was the welcome ambassador to the Folk Art. He slobbered on my bag and checked on my progress fairly often. A Day of the Dead mask of Lady Catrina was made by an artist who wears it in October and walks 1st Avenue to promote the gallery. This is the place to be come Halloween. There were $20 magnets by Artist Carl Knickerbocker. I had one of these on my car once but it was stolen. Tin can fish swam through the cavernous gallery and black face iron sculptures stood behind an ancient travel chest.

The theme for the month at the
Sanford Welcome Center was,“Art Show About Nothing”, abstractions abounded, they didn’t care what it was, as long as it was NOT SOMETHING. It’s a different theme
each month. A small card on the counter had a map that showed all nine stops on the Art Walk. Having experienced just one venue, I have every reason to go back. Tonight’s Art Walk (Friday July 26, 2013), theme is “Breakable”- a tribute to all things breakable, broken or pieced back together. This is Central Florida’s only monthly juried art show with both a “Best in Show” award chosen by a panel of judges and a “People’s Choice” award chosen by the attendees of the show. Head to downtown Sanford, pick up a map at any gallery, and mingle with the artists as you enjoy live music, food and lots of ART. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

2nd Annual Broomstick Pony Derby

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On Saturday May 4th, (Kentucky Derby Day), The Broomstick Pony Derby was held on the street in front of Urban ReThink (625 E Central Blvd, Orlando, Fl). The Broomstick Pony Derby is a season-long celebration of Orlando’s
play-spirited, civic-minded, try-curious, tri-athlete, road racing and
audacious-arts-appreciating community. The Derby route was over the bricked blocks of E. Central Blvd in Downtown
Orlando, roughly between Summerlin and Osceola Ave. These roads were closed off beginning at 2:00pm on Derby Day.

During the Broomstick Pony
Derby, folks of all ages create and race handmade broomstick ponies,
zebras, ostriches, you name it. Where do the ponies come from? They were made during our spring Broomstick Pony Workshops led by local
artists, including Ibex Puppetry and Clay Curiosities. The
festivities celebrate community and creativity and will raise funds,
friends, and awareness for enhancing Urban ReThink’s operations and
programming.

People and ponies danced in the streets to music provided by DJ Si Rajadhyax  Food and drink specials were offered by Thornton Park businesses, there was a Raffle, Pony parade, featuring pony marchers and an all-kazoo band.

When I got there, the DJ was getting set up. There was a threat of showers and when I felt a few drops, I took cover under the ReThink awning. Necole Pynn assured me that there was no way it could rain on Pony Derby day. People’s broomstick ponies were all lined up along the fence. The rain never came and by the time I finished sketching the DJ the street was crowded. The pony parade involved all the racers gathering in a large circle and passing the pony’s around so everyone got to see the handiwork. A couple was dressed as salt and pepper shakers. One horse rode a broomstick human. There were Unicorns and a sea horse. Some kids were in costume with cowboy hats, frilly dressed and a Bo Peep outfit. In the relay, the Hot Llama Mamas and the amazing kids from Misty Forest were hard to beat.  Contestants were told not to run, but in the heat of the race the fine line between a fast skip and a run was blurred. The youngest contestants, trailing the pack often got the most boisterous cheers as they approached the finish line.

The Sketchbook Project Mobile Library

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The Sketchbook Project Mobile Library rolled into Orlando on July 2nd and 3rd at The Gallery at Avalon Island (39 S. Magnolia Ave.
Orlando, FL). The library was open from 5pm to 9pm. It is an interactive art exhibition on wheels, featuring a rotating selection of work from The Sketchbook Project installed in a custom-crafted library trailer filled with 4,500 sketchbooks.

The event was free to attend. Steven and Sara Peterman, co-founder of the Sketchbook Project and the director of Brooklyn Art Library were inside helping people check out sketchbooks. The sketchbooks were cataloged by theme, material, mood,  artists names, tags, city, country and more! “It’s like a taco truck but with sketchbooks.” Orlando is one of 30 cities that the Mobile Library will visit in 2013. There were three steps to participate. 1 you get a library card, 2 you check out books using a computer to pick a theme, city or artist, 3 you’re given a sketchbook to flip through.

I submitted a sketchbook to the Brooklyn Art Library in 2009. All of the sketches from that sketchbook were posted on this site. Because I visited the Sketchbook Project when it came to Full Sail and Urban ReThink in past years, I already had my library card. I just had to laser scan it and pick out some sketchbooks.

First I searched by city, looking for sketchbooks from NYC. I was given, “Into the Forest” by Lily Feng. She had precise photo real pencil renderings of women in forest settings. She had to have spent an eternity getting the wide range of values right. I was given a second, arbitrary sketchbook of sketches done in Saint Marten. This sketchbook was part collage and part sketchbook documenting an island vacation. As it grew dark more people showed up to check out sketchbooks. Part of the fun is to see what quirky sketchbook a friend is flipping through.

Patrick Greene, the new curator at Avalon Gallery interviewed TrezMark Harris as I sketched. By the time I finished my sketch, dark grey storm clouds had rolled in. The warm light inside the truck illuminated the threatening gloom. An E-Z Up pop up tent was leaned up against the truck in case it rained. I checked for a sketchbook from Orlando and was given one by Lilah Shepherd. It was full of abstract pen line drawings with light watercolor washes. A second arbitrary pick was from Kelly Zarb from Melbourne Australia. She sketched some of her favorite things like terrariums and owls. Spreads highlighted inspirational sayings like, “Don’t hide your beauty, let the world see you.” And, “See the beauty in the everyday.” I can relate to that. As I returned the sketchbooks, it began to rain. I popped up my umbrella and headed home.

ReDesign

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On April 2nd I went to Urban ReThink (625 E Central Blvd • Orlando, FL) for an evening discussion, facilitated by Adam Call, the Herman Miller Collection National Lead and Curator. The evening featured prerecorded conversations with mid-century design icon George Nelson. George’s legacy, and approach to design were discussed, along with the processes that helped define post-World War II modern design. When I entered, Adam apologized letting me know that the time posted for the event was wrong. The discussion was wrapping up.

Several sleek chairs were on display across the room so I assume George was a furniture designer. With the talk over, I continued to sketch as people got up and mingled. I did catch Adam reading one reminiscence where George discussed a brain storming session where sketches were done and each designer jumped in to contribute ideas. It would have been nice to learn more about Georges creative process.