Embracing Our Differences at Bayfront Park

"Life in Prism" by BethAnn Lawson (WA); "Colors are separated
in laundry,but fashionably worn together." Shiela Denise Scott (MS)

For the past 20 years, Embracing Our Differences (EOD) has hosted an exhibit pairing art and quotations in Bayfront Park. This year the park is home to eighteen tripods featuring 50 billboard-sized images of the works. Talk about making a visual impact! 

I had the pleasure of hearing from Sarah Wertheimer, Executive Director of EOD, at a recent luncheon hosted by Arts Advocates. Sarah explained that the tradition began after the Florida Holocaust Museum – based in St. Petersburg – brought a traveling art exhibit entitled “Co-Exist” to the Park. The show was so well-received that the Sarasota community decided to continue the idea. Embracing Our Differences was founded and the rest is (ongoing) history.

"Be You" by Ms. Motta's First Grade Class (Sarasota);
"A Masterpiece is created by blending different colors and
strokes on a blank canvas." Colleen Joiner (FL) 

The exhibit has grown exponentially over the years. In its first iteration, the works were selected from a mere 124 submissions. This year’s selection committee had the difficult task of choosing from 13,732 submissions from 119 countries and 45 states. And it’s not only adults who participate. Students of all ages from more than 400 schools sent in artwork and quotes for considerations. Those participants included the students in Ms. Motta’s First Grade Class at Emma E. Booker Elementary School who created the colorful “Be You.” It’s hard to imagine anything exemplifying the theme of “Enriching Lives through Diversity and Inclusion” more than young children collaborating to create this artwork. 

"Perched Above the World" by Tade Tangou Brice (Cameroon);
"An ordinary person accepts change for the better. An extraordinary person
creates change to make things better." Iris Cross (Trinidad and Tobago)

Sarah shared the criteria that the volunteer judges apply for the selection of artwork for the exhibit. Artistic merit, message, impact and uniqueness of the idea/way of expressing an idea are key components. That came as no surprise. But here's a standard you might not immediately consider -- Will the work be immediately understandable when blown up to a billboard-sized image? I'd be curious to know how they learned that lesson. 

Embracing Our Differences has, well, embraced the opportunity to use the show as a teaching tool.  Local schools have the opportunity to take their students on a field trip to see the exhibit, where tours are led by student docents. Instead of just telling the kids what they’re looking at, the docents use visual thinking strategies, asking open-ended questions that engage the students and get them thinking. I love that they include students in the process. And let’s face it – kids relate better to other students than to parental (grandparental?) figures. And here’s something really cool. Schools outside of Sarasota can take advantage of this program by booking a virtual field trip or watching a tour on demand.

"The Divine Feminine - Resolute" by Kirsten Todd (England);"Courage
is speaking your truth when everyone else remains silent." Carly Newburg (OR) 

As if this weren’t sufficiently exciting, there’s more! These field trips are FREE to the schools. It’s not surprising that the actual tour is at no cost, but EOD also pays for the buses that bring the students from their schools to the exhibit. And if teachers want to extend their outing, they can participate in the “Make a Day of It” program. EOD has partnered with local organizations to allow students to participate in programs put together by local non-profits for the occasion. Participants include Selby Gardens, Mote Marine, West Coast Black Theatre and my personal favorite, Sarasota Art Museum. And did I mention that school art teachers can participate in a day-long program about EOD and the exhibit before the start of the school year and receive a continuing education credit and a stipend paid by EOD? This is truly an amazing program. 

"We Are All Pearls" by Whitney de Araujo (Brazil);
"Different people. Different ideas. Better outcomes." Denise Jiang (ND)

While the annual exhibit is EOD's program with which most people are familiar, it's only one part of what the organization does. In fact, with an annual budget of $1.3MM, the exhibit uses a mere $70K of those funds. EOD also sponsors two reading days each school year. The Bucket Fillers Reading Day in the fall and the Embracing Reading Day in the spring bring volunteer readers into pre-K through third grade classrooms across Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Volunteers (like me!) read a book aloud to the students and then talk with them about the story and its themes. It is seriously fun. And here's the kicker -- each child gets his or her own copy of the book to take home. Could there be a better way to promote reading than to kickstart a child's personal library? If you want to get in on the project, the next reading day is on March 7. To volunteer, click here. (While we're on the topic, another way to promote reading is through the Early Learning Coalition's Literacy Buddy Program, an initiative in which you are paired with a specific pre-school child.  They send you a drawing and a request for a certain type of book. You send them a book with a handwritten letter. It's easy and fun. For information on that program, click here.)

"Free Hugs" by Clifford McDonald (Sarasota);"I can't wait
for a world where the color of my skin doesn't determine
how much love I will get." Tyler Maroney (Sarasota)

The Embracing Our Differences exhibit is on display in Bayfront Park through March 12. Then, for the first time, EOD is taking the show on the road. Butler Park in North Port will host the show from March 22-April 19. It will then travel to State College of Florida in Bradenton from April 26-May 29. And in case you're wondering, once the exhibit has closed, the billboard banners are donated to schools for students' continued enjoyment. 

For more info on Embracing Our Differences and the exhibit, click here. Hope you get to visit the show!