Home > News > Call For Sea Turtles Artists

Call For Sea Turtles Artists

By Matt J. Weiss, July 26, 2008 @ 02:00 AM (EST)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Child Guidance Center is excited to announce it will be producing the largest public art exhibit ever to hit northeast Florida.

Larger-than-life sea turtles will begin nesting on the First Coast in January 2009 when the area will serve as an urban habitat to 40 painted and whimsically-designed fiberglass sea turtles.

The sculptures are designed by local artists on fiberglass forms, which are installed in prominent locations throughout the area. Turtles will be visible throughout Jacksonville and the surrounding areas, both indoors and outdoors.

This dynamic exhibit will be promoted through maps, special newsletters, walking tours, contests and extensive media coverage.

A local business, community organization or individual will sponsor each sculpture. These sponsors are actually patrons in that they have paid for the sculpture to be created, but do not own it. Following the display period, the Turtles will take a brief vacation, and will be cleaned and repaired in anticipation of the grand finale, a live auction of the creatures to their forever homes.

The mission of Child Guidance Center is to provide quality mental health and social services, including foster care programs, to deserving children and their families on Florida's First Coast. Turtle Trails is expected to not only raise much needed funds for this worthwhile non-profit organization, but also encourage children and families to come out f their shells and discuss topics that are often times not addressed out of shame or embarrassment.

It's No Shell Game

Anyone with the creative desire and a bit of artistic creativity can be part of Turtle Trails. WJXT, Channel 4, is hosting a contest to design one of its turtles. To enter the design contest, please complete this submission form in its entirety and return to Channel 4 by the deadline.

If chosen as the winner, in accordance with a services agreement, the artist will be provided with a larger-than-life-sized blank fiberglass sea turtle form on which to recreate his or her pre-approved and selected design. The winning artist whose work is selected to be created on a sculpture will have their name and image of their finished sea turtle posted on TurtleTrails.org, as well as in additional collateral materials, including a plaque on the statue and auction catalog.

Additionally, the winning artist will receive a $750 honorarium, per the artist agreement. Fifty percent of the honorarium will be paid at the time the artist takes delivery of the blank sea turtle form. The remaining 50 percent will be paid upon completion, delivery and approval of the decorated sculpture.

The Details

Specifications : There will be one pose for the sculpture. The fiberglass sea turtle measures approximately 60 inches high, 60 inches wide (front view) and 50 inches thick (side view), and will weigh approximately 95 pounds. When placed in public, the Sea Turtle will either be attached to a solid concrete base (weighing more than 250 pounds) or the sea turtle will be attached to an interior/exterior wall or building.

The sea turtles are manufactured using a mixture of resin and chopped roving fiberglass over an initial brushed-on layer of polyester gel coat, then several layers of chopped strand-matting fiberglass are hand-laid, wet with the laminating resin to the point of full saturation. Steel may be placed at specific stress points. The sea turtle pose may be altered by the artist, so long as it remains structurally intact and secure, and permission is first given by the art review committee prior to the modification.

Comments

Be the first to add a comment to this article.

You must be logged in to comment.