The Mural Project

A Collaboration with the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County

RIBBON-CUTTING EVENT
Check out WWSB-ABC 7’s coverage of the Mural Reveal event on Jan 19, 2023

Thank you to our guest speakers:

Phil Baker, Art Center Sarasota, Board Chair
Mayor Kyle Battie, City of Sarasota
Mary Davis Wallace, Senior city planner and lead of the office of Public Art at the City of Sarasota
Catrese Estes, VP Program Services, Boys & Girls Club Manatee
Bill Waddill, COO, The Bay Park Conservancy
Joe & Gwen Ziomek, Mural Project Donors

Thank you to New College of Florida for sponsoring the treats provided by Rise & Nye’s.

The Ribbon Cutting Event Gallery

Photos by Barbara Banks Photography

Artist Annie Dong and Exhibitions Director Christina Baril

Annie Dong cuts the ribbon!

Artist Annie Dong, City Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch, Executive Director Kinsey Robb, Mayor Kyle Battie, and sponsors Joe and Gwen Ziomek

Artist Annie Dong

Bill Waddill, COO, The Bay Park Conservancy, sponsor Joe Ziomek, and artist Annie Dong

Artists from the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee with muralist Annie Dong, and special guests and staff

Mural sponsors Joe and Gwen Ziomek

Executive Director Kinsey Robb, Mary Davis Wallace, Senior city planner and lead of the office of Public Art at the City of Sarasota, Sarasota Mayor Kyle Battie, and Catrese Estes, VP Program Services, Boys & Girls Club Manatee

Board Chair Phil Baker and mural sponsors Joe and Gwen Ziomek

Guests were treated to ice cream from Rise & Nye’s, sponsored by New College of /florida

Robert Rogers from the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee and board chair Phil Baker

Check out Linda Carson’s interview on WWSB ABC 7 with Kinsey Robb, artist Annie Dong, and Robert Rogers from The Boys and Girls Club.

Annie Dong was selected as the artist who worked on the mural project with the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County. This project furthers our mission to foster community and engage young artists. The mural was painted on the west facing wall of Art Center Sarasota’s building and is visible from The Bay’s Mangrove Path, welcoming the many visitors enjoying the revitalized bay park. We value the importance of public art and believe that bringing children into the creation of this project will help to broaden their horizons, benefiting the community at large.

Sponsorship for this project was graciously donated by Joe & Gwen Ziomek.

THE MURALIST

“It is an honor to be selected as the muralist for this project,” says Annie Dong, a self-taught artist who studies psychology and art at New College of Florida. “I am very grateful for this amazing opportunity to be able to bring my creative vision to life in collaboration with the youth participants and the community.”

Dong has created two murals on campus and a third at the Kung Fu Tea Café in St. Petersburg and believes art has always been a vital outlet for her mental health and wellbeing. She hopes to get involved with public art projects after finishing her education.

THE KIDS

Children from the Boys & Girls Club of Manatee met with muralist Annie Dong who will work with them as they paint within the lines of the design January 4, 5, 6 & 9, 2023.