Maren Mitzer, Student Work

For this piece I was inspired by a parade held in Saint Augustine, Florida in the early 1900s celebrating Ponce De Leon's discovery of a new land.  The St. Augustine Garden Club participated in the parade as well. It was customary for a Saint Augustine family to ride a float and act as the King and Queen of Spain. I was inspired by the ornately decorated float and throne-like chair Catherine Canova, a local community member representing the "Queen of Spain", was seated in. Catherine Canova was also a member of the Saint Augustine Garden Club. I highlighted the settlement of Saint Augustine by the Spanish crown through the use of dirt and a red velvet chair. The red velvet chair, decorated with flowers and outfitted with a cape, symbolize the monarchy. The dirt spread out before the chair represents the earth, landscape, colonized by royalty. The site for installation was chosen due to the proximity to the parade route as well as the grandiose grounds, situated behind a gate. 

Caroline McClellan, Student Work

This work is a response to a mass held in St. Augustine on September 8th, 1565 by Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales. After studying paintings and drawings depicting the event, I decided to focus on the idea of rituals within a ceremony and created a large scale object to represent this moment. The mass was held outside, with ceremonial objects placed on a large, wood table.  The large, box form appears weighted and heavy. The top area depicts "traces" of ritualistic objects: candles, a bible, and a monstrance. The labyrinth is significant as it communicates ritualistic undertones. The box sits perfectly in the center of the labyrinth, highlighting its central importance to the concept of a mass celebration. 

Conrad Kane, Student Work

Site-Specific Art Work

Collaborative Art District, Riberia Street, St. Augustine

Palm Print, 50″ x 150″ bed sheet, suspended on two 20-foot shrimp net poles.

The piece references the history of “Tree Pirates” in St. Augustine.

Ilyssa Harrington, Student Work

Indigo Fields

In response to the indigo crops worked by slaves in Northeast Florida. 

Installed at Collaborative District, St. Augustine, Florida. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx_CTs-pWRw

Christian Ard, Student Work

DO NOT FORGET

A Site-Specific Art Work

St. Augustine, Florida

April 2018

I highlighted civil rights by creating a replica of the podium that was used by Martin Luther King Jr. to deliver his "I Have A Dream" speech. I decided to incorporate sound into the piece since I was setting up in a busy, public space. I wanted MLK’s voice to be heard among a crowd of present day visitors to St. Augustine. I made an audio file that included excerpts of MLK's speech and MLK speaking to the owner of the Monsoon Motor Lodge in St. Augustine. I looped the video and placed a Bluetooth speaker inside the podium.

The Monsoon Motor Lodge in St. Augustine is a nationally recognized site of racial discrimination. The owner of the lodge poured acid in the pool while African Americans were swimming. MLK visited the site and held a peaceful protest in response to segregation and was later arrested for his action of protesting. 

I chose to present this piece at the site of the Fredrick Douglas Marker on St. George Street. Frederick Douglas played an important role in the ending of slavery. Douglas visited St. Augustine and spoke about emancipation. The marker on St. George Street acknowledges his presence. 

After an hour and fifteen minutes at the Frederick Douglas Marker, two police officers approached me and I was asked to remove the podium. At a later date, I re-assembled the podium and photographed it front of the house that MLK stayed at during a visit to St. Augustine. 

Annie Thompson, Student Work

SHE IS WE

A Site-Specific Art Work

Corazon Cinema and Cafe, St. Augustine, Florida

2018

Link below to watch the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kvi2-KinxM&t=6s

Statement:
The piece consisted of a video presented in the Corazon Cinema and Cafe. The video was looped on the public able to view during First Friday Art Walk. 

The video showcases the depiction of women throughout film history. Inspired by the history of the site as a movie house, I created a short film that highlighted female roles in cinematic history. Prior to housing the Corazon Cinema and Cafe, the building housed Pot Belly's Theater. The history of the building is rooted in a site that functioned as a visual culture source for the community of St. Augustine. The power of film to relay messages about social constructs while providing moments of entertainment is significant to the medium.  

As a woman, I felt a necessary impulse to promote positivity that uplifts the female gender. Currently in 2018, much unsettling news about sexual harassment and assault has come to light. The "Me Too" movement was birthed from the wretched acts of assault against woman. Although these unfortunate truths need to be exposed, I have felt a weighted grief that these situations even exist, and in such a commonly high quantity. Thus, She Is Weis a video that brings a sense of contentedness and positivity to the viewer. Connections between clips and the diverse characters that women play allow the viewer to feel a deep sense of celebration for the glory that woman are. I aim to expose the many contributions women have made to film. 

Corazon Cinema and Cafe

The building when it was Pot Belly's. 

Jake Carlson, Student Work

H.E.R.E

Site Specific Performance

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A re-occurring theme in my work is the metaphorical relationship between aquarium tanks and transparent walls as a social and political commentary. As I matured in age, a sense of rebellion grew inside as I began to disagree with certain standards that American culture holds dearly: the obligated respect one needs to have for this land, the stigmatism that citizens have towards power, but above all, a need for a profit motive to survive. I disagree with the monetary value system that has been created in our society, as it leaves room for corruption and manipulation. This system of values is transparent towards everyday consumers; they cannot see this boundary without a sense of realization. This was my goal for this artwork.

The water tank acts as a metaphor for America, freedom within a contained and trapped space. The color orange acts as a symbol for incarceration. This concept is emphasized through the orange construction fencing and traffic cones, the pathway covered in pennies forces the viewer to not only make the decision to enter the space, but to disrespect this monetary system. The pathway is intentionally narrow so that only one person can enter or exit at a time.

The exit scene demonstrates a birth of a new identity after suffering within this particular space. Draining the space afterwards acts as a diminishment of value towards the water tank and contemporary culture. The attire of the orange hoodie, black Nikes, and barcoded mask are symbolic for illustrating my imprisonment within our current society, but as a more realized human being. The person inside the tank is not the same person who exits.

Link here to watch video.

Hannah Laakso, Student Work

Grass Glass

Glass panes on grass

Appx. 3' x 11" Next to San Sebastion River, St. Augustine, FL

For this piece, I was interested in the industrial framing, flattening or displaying of nature, and the reflections from the glass. I enjoy the one where you can see the building in the glass, as it juxtaposes the natural with the unnatural.

Joe Joe Provenza, Student Work

One of the main themes of this piece is altering expendable objects that don't ever seem to change. I picked two bricks that live outside of the art building at Flagler. These bricks would be easy to replace but they have been in the same place since I remember.

Milk is a metaphor commonly used in my work as a symbol of cultural lust and the extraction of consciousness. The idea of milk teeth revolves around a certain conditioning to this lust for insignificance, almost showing a reversion to Freud's oral psychosexual phase in which one only has the mental capability to worry about themselves.

The white lighter was a found object which has an eerie cultural significance and also symbolizes man's greatest innovations reduced to an expendable plastic object.

Jake Carlson, Student Work

Artificial Roses

Three foot tall sculpture placed in ground at Palm Garden on Flagler Campus.

Jake Carlson, Student Work

Video Link:

https://youtu.be/fpzPfM8C0b0https://youtu.be/fpzPfM8C0b0

N.O.W.
This performance questions the identity of figures made into statues, while paying a respect to them in a way to create meaning. Across the country we see statues of typically the upper class bureaucrat, standing on land that was once utilized by Native American tribes. It is site specific in the sense that it took place at the statute of Pedro Melendez in St. Augustine, however it uses this site to steer the viewer of questioning the identity of statutes around them. The idea of brushing off the shoes of this statute enhances the power that this figure had and continues to evoke. History books recite a narrative that sites such as Mount Rushmore are iconic landmarks in America, however they are carved into sacred land once belonged to native tribes. As a student in 2017, this performance illustrates the idea of contemporary power. The power of institutions, wealth and corporations. The power of establishing identity only for the profit of one’s self. Earning respect in our current landscape is based off of a value system that has been corrupted. Statues are permanent, worshipped symbols of power. Who was powerful, who gained respect, and who established their power. This performance questions the burdened respect that statues demand. ​

Liz Burris, Student Work

Dimensions & Materials : (5) 18"x12" Foam Blocks, Acrylic Paint

Site: Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, Florida

Artist Statement:

As an artist I feel it is important to have a voice.

I was motivated by Donald Trump's 2018 Budget Plan and my personal stance against it. For this piece I created five tombstones, made from foam blocks and painted them with acrylic paint. The five tombstones represent the death of just a few of the important programs and organizations Trump plans to completely eliminate next year; The National Endowment for The Arts, The National Endowment of Humanities, The United States Institute of Peace, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and The Global Climate Change Initiative.

The money, taken from decreased funding and the totally eliminated programs (approximately $54 billion) will, according to the budget, be put towards our massive military, bringing its total budget up to a whopping $654 billion. With this budget increase, the United States' military budget alone will equal the size of the next eight largest military budgets around the world combined. I felt it was important to bring these tombstones to one of the places Trump has frequently visited during his time as President, the Trump International Golf Club located in West Palm Beach, Florida.