Mote and the Florida Keys Council of the Arts Host Virtual Event on March 4

The virtual event will  unveil a new mother nature-inspired sculpture at the coral lab

On Thursday, March 4th at 5 p.m., Mote and the Florida Keys Council of the Arts will host a free, virtual unveiling of a new  monumental art sculpture on the site of Mote’s internationally renowned coral laboratory in Summerland Key.  The aptly named sculpture ‘Gaea’, from the ancient Greek personification of Mother Earth, is now perched proudly onsite at Mote’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration and serves as a visual representation of the blended courtship of science and art.  Gaea is one of the 12 sculptures along U.S. 1  that make up the Florida Keys Sculpture Trail, curated by the Florida Keys Council of the Arts.

Gaea, created by Italian born artist Gaia Grossi, was created originally as a part of the “Model to Monument” program,  a partnership between the prestigious Art Students League of New York and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.  The “Model to Monument” program nominates advanced sculpture students to design, engineer, fabricate and install a sculpture that will be exhibited in New York City parks for about a year.  Gaea was displayed at Riverside Park in New York City prior to being selected by Key West philanthropists John Padget and the late Jacob Dekker, to add to the growing display of public art being thoughtfully placed throughout the Keys as part of the Florida Keys Sculpture Trail.

Elizabeth Young, executive director of the Florida Keys Council of the Arts, initiated the collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory’s director of regional operations, Allison Delashmit. The connection between the mother earth origins of the sculpture and the scientifically-driven restoration actively happening on our coral reef was “immediate and profound” for both Young and Delashmit. Young adds, “the vastness of the Cat. 5 laboratory only complimented the robustness of the sculpture. It adds an element of beauty in the bustle of hard ground-breaking scientific work happening at Mote.”  The sculpture, a massive concrete structure weighing around 30,000 lbs. sits next to a land-based coral nursery and outdoor classroom that hosts education groups from around the world at Mote.  “Mote’s coral reef science is adding a beautiful sculpture trail of sorts underwater throughout Florida’s Coral Reef, while the Florida Keys Council of the Arts is weaving art through the unique landscapes of our above ground communities.  Mote is honored to be part this collaboration,” adds Delashmit.

On Thursday, March 4 at 5 p.m. the two organizations will co-host a virtual event to unveil Gaea at its new home at Mote Marine Laboratory on Summerland Key. This event is free and open to the public.  During the 45-minute presentation, attendees learn about the creation of the sculpture and its journey to its  permanent home, take a mini-tour through Mote’s coral laboratory, and listen to the visionary Mr. John Padget and his thoughts on the importance of public art. The meeting will be via Zoom: (Please click to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81322814769?pwd=cDVnWGp5NUdCT0lxckJHenJvWmp2dz09

Passcode: 575848), and will also broadcast live on Facebook (Mote’s Coral Facebook Page “Protect Our Reefs” and Florida Keys Council of the Arts page “Florida Keys Council of the Arts”).  To find out more information about this event, visit mote.org/events.  To learn more about Mote, visit www.mote.org and follow on social channels, @ProtectOurReefs and @MoteMarineLab. To learn more about the Florida Keys Council of the Arts, visit keysarts.com and on social channels @keys_arts.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]