ela's forest

The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art (The AGB) at Florida Southern College invites proposals for artists to create a new work of outdoor sculpture honoring the memory of Ela Friedman, a radiant little girl whose life was cut short by an act of domestic violence. Ela’s love of nature inspired a global community to plant Ela’s Forest. This living tribute of trees and rocks inspired The AGB’s 2019-2020 exhibit of the same name. Ela’s Forest in all its forms serves as a testament to the power of love, shared grief, and mutual support by symbolizing the resilience and beauty of Ela and her community.

Guiding Vision

This call for proposals continues the work of Ela’s Forest by inviting artists to create a new work of sculpture that embodies playfulness and wonder while acknowledging the profound loss that inspired the planting of Ela’s Forest. Art often serves as a response to injustice or a corrective to power, providing a vital reactionary function. However, while the tragic ramifications of domestic violence and injustices of the legal system should not be forgotten, this project seeks to expand possibility.

As poet and author Ocean Vuong expresses, art can be a catalyst for change by speaking first – not in reaction to power but by imagining new worlds altogether. This call for proposals asks artists to center imagination and childlike delight as a generative force. We invite artists to explore how curiosity and playfulness might illuminate the tensions and relationships between darkness and light.

The sculpture should not only honor Ela’s memory but also spark discovery and engagement among those who encounter it, inspiring reflection and connection. The Ela’s Forest Outdoor Sculpture will be part of the permanent collection of The AGB at Florida Southern College and may be placed on loan in other locations