Bloomberg Philanthropies has selected Orlando as one of eight cities that will receive $1 million as part of its Public Art Challenge to raise awareness around food insecurity across the nation.
Last week, the city of Orlando announced that it was one of eight recipients to be awarded the grant by Bloomberg Philanthropies as part of its Public Art Challenge.
Through the grant, the organization hopes to support temporary art projects that “address important local civic issues” in the country, according to a press release issued by the city of Orlando.
“We are so excited to be selected for this grant opportunity and utilize art to shed light on a local issue and transcend a community challenge into a community conversation to help create and inspire change,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
The city was selected out of 150 project proposals received from cities in 40 states across the nation. The city, whose proposal was selected out of 150 other project proposals from different cities across the nation, says it will use the funding to implement its art installation project entitled, “Art Pollination: Building Food Justice through Creativity.”
“Art Pollination” is a collaborative public art project in partnership with various local non-profit organizations, including Black BeeHoney, 4Roots, Hebni Nutrition Consultants, Ideas for Us-Fleet Farming, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Orange County.
As part of the project, the city will employ artist Juan William Chávez to help create installations that focus on food cultivation, beekeepings and pollinator education, food waste exploration, and Augmented Reality activations, among others.
The eight cities selected will create their projects over the next two years. Bloomberg Philanthropies grants will cover “project-related expenditures including development, execution, and marketing,” according to city officials.
To learn more about the project or the other cities that were selected, visit the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge online.