JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New art is coming to the River City with a goal of making a bold statement, and you can get involved.
Art Republic is partnering with the Jessie Ball duPont Center and another nonprofit to bring culturally and socially relevant pieces of art to public spaces through the “Lift Every Voice” project.
“Art is the one language that everyone speaks. Everybody can understand. If you want to get a point across, you use art to tell that story,” said Malcolm Jackson, creative director for the project.
Local, regional, and international artists are coming together to change narratives in the River City through art.
The “Lift Every Voice” project is working to empower the community through much-needed representation.
“When you can see someone who looks like you doing something that you thought you’d never be able to do, it inspires a whole generation,” Jackson said.
Art Republic CEO Jessica Santiago said the project has a unique opportunity to share the history of Jacksonville through four large-scale art exhibitions that will be unveiled in a special ceremony Oct. 24.
“We must actively work to tell the stories of all of our community,” Santiago said. “These exhibitions will be created by local and regional artists with a diverse cross section of community engagement.”
The project kicked off in August and will wrap up in November. So far, five murals have been added across the city -- put up in direct correlation to the Confederate monuments that were taken down.
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“The truth is an artwork is a message expressed by an artist, that’s pretty much what it is,” regional artist Golden 305 said. “And it’s important because it allows the community to see culture, to understand, to feel sensations, to remember people.”
By the end of the project, Art Republic will have contributed 50 public art works to the community.
In addition, Art Republic launched a new app designed to help you stay connected to the art scene that features mural maps, artist profiles and social locations. Search “Art Republic” to find it in your app store.
To connect with Art Republic, check out the agency’s Facebook page.