FOLIO
Compassionate St. Augustine, the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum, Flagler College, and The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida will present Obelisk Art 450 commemorating the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine. The Obelisk Art 450 Tour of Compassion public art project will formally open on First Friday Art Walk, September 4 from 5:30-9pm. The exhibit, located at 48 Sevilla Street in historic downtown St. Augustine, will remain on display through Friday, September 18. The public is invited to attend, and there is no charge.
The Obelisk Art 450 Tour of Compassion is a collection of 25 eight-foot-tall obelisks embellished by professional artists and completed for a public art exhibit scheduled for the permanent installations in September. The Obelisk Art 450 Compassion through the Eyes of Children is a collection of 28 four-foot-tall obelisks ornamented by elementary schoolchildren in St. Johns County.
The September exhibit will be the only opportunity for viewers to see all artist- and student-created obelisks in one location before the art pieces are displayed at a variety of public and private donor locations throughout St. Augustine. From October 2 through January 31, 2016, the Obelisks will be on view at each patron site with some sites to have limited viewing hours. Brochures and maps will be available at hotels, attractions, and the St. Augustine Visitor Information Center. Information will also be available online during exhibition dates at www.CompassionStAugustine.org.
The obelisks are replicas of the 30-foot Monumento de la Constitucion obelisk on St. Augustine’s public square. The professional artists and schoolchildren have been encouraged to interpret the four foundational values of the monument, originally dedicated in 1813: freedom, democracy, human rights, and compassion.
The 25 professional artists selected to participate in the Obelisk Art 450 Tour of Compassion include Dustin Harewood, Hiromi Moneyhun, and Liz Gibson, among several other notables. Many of the artists selected through an extensive Call to Artists process have significant experience in local, national and international museum and gallery shows. For additional information, visit the website at www.compassionstaugustine.org/artists.html.
Follow FOLIO!