History and Culture Trail Artful Celebration
One of the single largest infusions of outdoor public art in Tallahassee history
October 13, 2022
Today, Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency, Leon County Government, and the City of Tallahassee launched the History and Culture Trail along FAMU Way with an artful celebration. The community joined local leaders by making their mark on the "We Are All One" mural at Lake Anita.
During the celebration, the seven artists selected to create public artworks as part of the History and Culture Trail were announced. This project will be one of the most significant infusions of outdoor public art in Tallahassee-Leon County history, with a dozen individual artworks planned, including three murals and nine sculptures. The artists and works are:
- Yasaman Mehrsa (Toronto, Canada) - "We Are All One" murals (installation underway)
- Alisha Lewis (Tallahassee) - "FAMU Woman Activist" sculpture (fabrication underway)
- Joseph Cowdrey (New Jersey) - "A Stroll Through Seaboard" mural (installation complete)
- Bradley Cooley (Lamont, Fla.) - "Tallahassee Jazz Tribute" sculpture (fabrication underway)
- Julia Sinelnikova (New York) - "Dream Waves" sculptures (fabrication underway)
- Mark Dickson (Tallahassee) - "In Honor of the Worker" sculpture (fabrication underway)
- John Birch (Tallahassee) - Wood sculptures (fabrication underway)
After years of extensive research and community engagement, the 1.5-mile trail, located between South Adams Street and North Lake Bradford Road, will include public artworks that will honor the resilient neighborhoods, civil rights advocates, and economic engines of the communities located adjacent to the FAMU Way Corridor.
"The History and Culture Trail will artfully represent our local history, adding another layer to the area's vibrancy," said Blueprint IA Board Chair and Tallahassee Mayor Pro-Tem Curtis Richardson. "Thanks to extensive community engagement, this is part of $350 million in investments the City, County and Blueprint are making in Tallahassee's Southside."
The History and Culture Trail is part of Blueprint's Capital Cascades Trail Segment 3 project, which began construction in 2013. The trail represents a $1.1 million investment that leverages a $350 million infrastructure investment in the Southside and is expected to be complete in early 2023. Once complete, the History and Culture Trail will join a host of amenities along FAMU Way, including the Skateable Art Park, the Coal Chute Pond Trail, a playground, a splash pad area and more.
Artistic interpretive panels along the trail will include images and historical material about the neighborhoods, businesses and individuals who lived and worked in the area, which was gathered through years of extensive research. The trail's public artworks are vital components in further enhancing and interpreting historical accounts while offering additional opportunities for engagement.
"I feel blessed to be one of the selected artists for the History and Culture Trail," said Yasaman Mehrsa. "For the design of the "We Are All One" murals, I wanted to focus on bringing the community together, making residents feel part of the neighborhood."
In 2021, Blueprint partnered with the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) to solicit global proposals from artists. More than 60 individual artwork proposals were submitted by 36 local, state, national and international artists. Volunteer jurors reviewed eligible applications, then scored, discussed and made recommendations.
"The trail reflects the rich history and culture along FAMU Way and expresses our deep and long-lasting appreciation for the contributions of these communities," said IA Board Vice Chair and Leon County At-Large Commissioner Carolyn Cummings. "I am proud today to chronicle these accomplishments because they are integral to the history of Leon County."
The History and Culture Trail will create a new experience each step of the way for visitors. The public artworks will call attention to specific neighborhoods, businesses, landmarks and themes, including the Allen Subdivision, FAMU, the Civil Rights Movement, the Seaboard and Stearns-Moseley neighborhoods, the Railroad Depot, Tallahassee jazz icons, Villa Mitchell Hill, Coal Chute Bridge, Shingles Chicken House and the Elberta Crate Factory.
"The History and Culture Trail represents Blueprint's dedication to go above and beyond standard infrastructure by incorporating history and arts in projects around the community," said Blueprint Director Autumn Calder. "Our partnership with COCA made it possible to identify talented artists from across the globe to turn this idea into a reality."
Blueprint engaged independent arts consultant, Amanda Karioth Thompson, to assist with this enormous public art effort's planning, logistics, and implementation. With more than 16 years of arts administration experience and numerous completed public art initiatives, she brings a unique specialization to the project.
"It's inspiring to see how the artists, both close to home and further afield, translate the rich history of this underrepresented part of our community," said Thompson. "The murals and sculptures created will help keep these stories alive in the public's collective memory and provide an intersection between the past, present, and future."
The History and Culture Trail will celebrate a grand opening early next year.
For more information about the project's history and other Blueprint projects, visit blueprintia.org.
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