Embracing Our Differences 2024 Exhibit

"Friendsheeps" by Ruth Schmidt (Hungary) 

The annual Embracing Our Differences art exhibit in Bayfront Park is always fun to explore. The exhibit features artwork from around the world with accompanying quotes. (Note: The quotes are submitted separately from the images, with the EOD curatorial team creating the pairings.) This year 16,603 submissions were received from 125 countries, 44 states and 584 schools. Selecting the artwork and quotes to include could not have been an easy task. But the committee once again did a great job putting together an engaging exhibit that can be enjoyed on multiple levels.

When I visited the exhibit for my second viewing, I happened upon a little boy laughing with joy and his equally happy mother. They were looking at Ruth Schmidt's "Friendsheeps." "Which one do you like the best?" I asked the little boy. Without any hesitation, he said, "The one in the middle." We both giggled over the sheep's funny hairstyle. (Note: If you enlarge the image by clicking on it you'll see that the sheep also has a triple piercing on one ear.) The mother's favorite was the second sheep from the right which is sticking out its tongue. More giggles all around. The mother later saw me and said, "Did you notice that there's a wolf in sheep's clothing in that painting?" I hadn't! Nice touch, Ruth. The encounter totally made my day. The accompanying quote for this work reads, "Similarities make us comfortable; differences make us fascinating." The words were submitted by Adyasha Giri, a 12th grade student from India. I assume creating quotes for this exhibit was a class project since Adyasha likely wouldn't have otherwise come upon the call for submissions. I love it. 

"Friends Untangle Life's Knots" by 5th Grade Class
at Emma Book Elementary School (Teacher Melissa Shaw)

Speaking of class projects, "Friends Untangle Life's Knots" was created by Mrs. Rodriguez' Fifth Grade class at Emma Booker Elementary School here in Sarasota. Art teacher Melissa Shaw was at the helm for the project. 

Each artist (in this case the class) submits a statement to provide some context for the work. Here's what these students had to say. "When the stress of life makes us feel like we are tied up in knots, it is easy to feel isolated. In this collaborative artwork, we wanted to show how important it is to reach out to others, especially when they are struggling. Our hope is that more people in the world will be a friend to those who need it most." These kids seem wise beyond their years. Canadian Jenniffer Twu provided the accompanying quote, which reads, "Watch children make friends. You'll learn so much from them." 

"Remembering John Sims" by Anita Wexler (Sarasota)

I came upon an unexpected tie-in between the EOD exhibit and the "Impact: Contemporary Artists at the Hermitage Artist Retreat" exhibit now on at Sarasota Art Museum. Both celebrate the art and life of John Sims. 

Sims moved to Sarasota from Detroit when he was a young man and spent the rest of his too short life here. (He passed away from a heart attack two years ago at the age of 54.) He is best known for his multi-media work known broadly as the "Recoloration Proclamation." When he moved to Sarasota, Sims was struck by the number of Confederate flags proudly displayed. One of his artistic responses was the recoloration of that flag in black, red and green, the colors of the Black Liberation Movement. Another involved a reimagining of the Confederacy's favorite song -- "Dixie." In case you can't summon the song to mind, it starts, "I wish I was in the land of cotton, Old times there are not forgotten..." Sims re-recorded the song in 13 different genres of Black music, including Blues, Gospel, R&B and Hip Hop. Both components of Sims' Recoloration Proclamation are included in the exhibit at the Museum, with a listening station to hear the music. For excerpts of the revised versions of the song, click here. 

The words of Willa Abraham, a 10th grader from Houston, were paired with Wexler's remembrance of Sims. They read, "Our time is limited, but our impact remain infinite." The use of the word "infinite" is particularly apt because Sims was a mathematician as well as an artist. It's a clever pairing by the folks at EOD. 

"Ramadan Meals Among Syrian Ruins" by Mouneb Taim

I'll leave you with a striking photograph by Dutch photographer Mouneb Taim. It's entitled "Ramadan Meals Among Syrian Ruins." As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Still, the words of Sandy Chase of Bradenton were well worth including. Chase wrote, "Arms can destroy lives or embrace others. Decide which to use." 

Kudos once again to the team at Embracing Our Differences both for putting together this wonderful exhibit and for all the other hard work you do to make our community a more accepting place. The exhibit runs at Bayfront Park through April 14th. Don't miss it.