Alachua County is advertising a Call-to-Artists for a Sankofa statue in honor of the late Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn on an existing 12x12 concrete slab on the West Lawn of the County Administration Building (12 S.E. 1st Street, Gainesville). Artists must submit three to six high-quality (at least 600 x 900 pixels) digital photos of an existing outdoor sculpture you have created made of durable, vandal-resistant materials with an estimated life expectancy of 100 or more years. The photos should be of the same sculpture, both close up and distant, showing details, height, and 360 views of the work.
Submittals will be accepted through
Monochronicle until Wednesday, February 16, 2022, no later than 2 p.m.
Submittals will be ranked by the Alachua County Arts Council, and the top three sculptors will be paid $150 to sketch the proposed sculpture (due within 30 days of notification). The three sketches will be presented to the Alachua County Commission for final selection.
The budget for the project is $75,000.
Dr. Patricia Hilliard-Nunn was an adjunct associate professor for the University of Florida, African American Studies Program. She studied Media and Culture, Audience Analysis, Enslaved Africans in Alachua County and African American History in Alachua County. Her creative practices included Media Production, West African Dance & Mixed Media Art. Before teaching in African America Studies, she taught Black Women and Film in the Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research at the University of Florida. She served various populations while working as a Community Organizer in Alachua County.
A Sankofa refers to the Bono Adinkra symbol represented by a bird with its head turned backward while its feet face forward carrying a precious egg in its mouth. The
Sankofa bird frequently appears in traditional Akan art representing the need to reflect on the past to build a successful future.
Sankofa literally means “to go back and get it.” The egg represents the “gems” or knowledge of the past upon which wisdom is based. It also signifies the generation to come that would benefit from that wisdom. There are several overlapping interpretations: Taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge. Going back and reclaiming our past so we can move forward, and understand why and how we came to be who we are today.
Monochronicle, also known as GNV URBAN ART LLC, is a Gainesville-based, female-owned company founded by a 2018 graduate of the UF Warrington College of Business, selected as one of the top four winners of the 2021 Big Idea Gator Business Plan Competition. The platform connects home/business owners with artists.
Monochronicle has streamlined the traditional artist submittal and selection processes. Monochronicle uses technology and rating systems to promote equality, avoid biases, and ensure transparency in public arts.
For more information, contact Assistant County Manager – Chief of Staff Gina Peebles at 352-337-6279 or
gpeebles@alachuacounty.us.