Cultural Council’s 45th Art Awards

The awards Heartspace has been nominated for include:

Robert Arleigh White Award for Advocacy – This award, named after a former executive director of the
Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, honors an individual who has educated the general public,
business leaders, and elected officials about the intrinsic and economic value of the arts and culture.

The Art of Giving Award – This award seeks to inspire a culture of giving by recognizing an outstanding
philanthropist who has graciously helped fund, support, or sustain arts and cultural programs and
organizations in our community.

People’s Choice Award -This award honors an individual or organization that the community feels has
impacted them the most.

In response to the nomination Heartspace submitted a short synopsis of our recent events and projects. What follows it the provided response.

Heartspace Art creates murals with a message; influential art that is positive & inspirational. Their desire is to inspire hope in their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and then travel worldwide, sharing their message of love, connection, and personal empowerment. They refer to this as the Conscious Heart Movement– a belief that choices should be guided by the wisdom of the heart in order to create harmony among all beings. The heart reveals the oneness of life. Heartspace Art practices this movement in the creation of Conscious Art.

Recently, Heartspace Art has worked with non-profits, businesses, and even independently to create messages of hope for the community of Jacksonville, Florida.

In 2020 Heartspace Art created a mural saluting our front-line heroes who have risked everything during the Covid-19 pandemic. Next, Heartspace Art created a huge chalk mural encouraging teachers with the message, “we love our teachers;” as they returned to school post pandemic shutdown. Heartspace Art also created a mural, “Hope for positive change,” that represented the injustice of police brutality and inspired hope for a future that is peaceful and has equal opportunity for all beings.

At the end of 2020 Heartspace Art, in collaboration with the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville, created a mural entitled “Stand True.” The mural/large scale painting represented the strength of LGBTQ individuals who have fought for equality and their courage in being their authentic selves. A portion of the murals proceeds were donated to the Cultural Council and the UNF LGBTQ resource center and ultimately the mural itself was given to the UNF LGBTQ resource center.

In 2021 Heartspace Art participated in Art in the Park at James Weldon Johnson Park where Ian Cleary created a mural with the message, “Every Voice.” The piece was a tribute to James Weldon Johnson and all of those who have devoted themselves to the movement for equality.

Also in 2021 Heartspace Art donated a mural to the Murray Hill community and created the piece with recycled paint. The mural entitled “Seeds of Sunshine,” depicts three sun lit sunflowers and represents being accepted and encouraged by ones family and community in being who you are; discovering your destiny. The mural was featured on the front page of The Resident newspaper in an article entitled, “Inspired by a Zest for Life.”

At the core of Heartspace Art is the belief that life is our most precious gift. Our art honors life and encourages others to find a renewed sense of value for their own lives and every life.

For more information see the Cultural Council website.