The Coral Springs Museum of Art will celebrate the community's multicultural diversity by getting residents of all cultures to join hands in painting the Mullins Park water tower.
The museum has plans to involve multiple groups, including high school students, professional artists, residents and businesses in the community. The project, titled "Art of Community," is being implemented through a Community Foundation of Broward grant.
"We want to use art as a catalyst to bring the community together," museum Executive Director Barbara O'Keefe said. "Painting water towers is a trend throughout the United States. In New York, they are painting well over a 1,000 water towers. They have individual artists doing it but we will do it as a community."
The foundation will provide $67,150 for the project. "We have to match it by raising half the money in cash and the rest in kind," O'Keefe said. "We will have the design ready by December this year. The dedication will be in March. We are planning a lot of events in between."
The grant proposal was put together by the museum's grant writer Syeda Baig with input from Wally Dale, who is on the museum director board, Jeff York, Julian Acosta and O'Keefe. Six professional artists, including Hong Nam, Anna Marie Goss, Janet Gold and Al Raza, will act as facilitators for different groups working on the painting that will celebrate the city's cultural diversity. The artists will also paint the upper part of the water tower.
"We are kind of comparing it to a barn raising," O'Keefe said. "We could have more than 500 people; the whole thing will be planned in such a way that there won't be any chaos."
There is plenty of excitement in museum circles about the project. "We have been trying for years to get a grant from Community Foundation of Broward," Dale said at a City Commission meeting. "Like the city, the museum is struggling to raise money and to make things work. We want to start raising money."
"We are expanding what we are doing," Dale said. "We have got board members who have contacts [and] that will help us raise money. We are changing gears; to make the art museum sustainable is our goal."
Mayor Roy Gold, who is an ex officio member of the museum director board, did not like the fact that the museum had applied for the grant without the commission knowing about it.
"It is best to let the commission know what you are doing," Gold said. "This is putting the cart before the horse. I have the responsibility to know the background when I vote on something. I haven't seen the site plan."
Vice Mayor Tom Powers, who was involved in discussions regarding the project, was quick to defend the museum. "There were many hoops to jump through to get where we are today. It was just an idea earlier [but] it had to be approved by all the folks along the way. There is no financial risk for the city. The commission and the public art committee will be asked to approve the design."
"We have been talking to the foundation about other projects," Dale said. "The foundation has $100 million and wants to give away $5 million every year, $2.5 million to art. Three organizations got grant money initially…We are also in discussions with Broward College to come and teach art classes at the museum."
"Some cultures are not used to civic engagement, but we want to change that," O'Keefe said. "Haitians, Chinese, Indians; we want people from all cultures to be part of this project."
The initial task for the museum is to raise about $34,000. "We will organize fundraisers and sell T-shirts," O'Keefe said. "We will also look for donations and seek sponsorships. It will be a challenge to come up with a design that will please everyone, but I am confident we will be able to do it."
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