SMOA ARTmuse seeking colorful cardboard for January project

Think twice before throwing that Fruity Pebbles box in the recycle bin. Sarasota Museum of Art needs it. Upcoming ARTmuse installation artist Lisa Hoke will use any non-crinkled, non-ripped colorful cardboard you can offer: misprinted posters, shoeboxes, Pokémon cards, etc.

New York-based Hoke will arrive to transform this trash into a large-scale installation beginning Jan. 15.  She will erect it inside a double sized classroom on the first floor of the southwest end of historic Sarasota High, the future home of Sarasota Museum of Art/SMOA.

"Patrick Dougherty did a wonderful job to create awareness, and people came to the site because we had something on the outside of the building," Wendy Surkis, President of Sarasota Museum of Art/SMOA, says. "And my thought was that we should have people now come inside the building."

Doughtery created the imaginative crepe myrtle huts in front of the building last year. His project enlisted members of the community to build it. This year, Hoke will use just a handful of volunteers to help cut cardboard, but Sarasota Museum of Art will also need docents. There will be docent-led tours daily toward the end of January — Surkis estimates Jan. 21. Hoke will create this project through Feb. 4.

Surkis thinks transforming what would have been recycled is poetic when juxtaposed with SMOA’s efforts:
"We’re transforming historic Sarasota High School and giving it a rebirth — it will be a new destination where we’re going to have modern contemporary art and classroom space for continuing studies," Surkis says.

The installation will remain until renovation begins — Surkis estimates 2014.
   
"It's still on track and at this point we raised $16,884,954.34, and what remains is $5,115,045.66." With just 5 million left, SMOA could use your financial assistance in addition to your fruity pebbles carton.

Where and when to drop it off:
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 14, at historic Sarasota High School, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

To become a docent:
Call 309-7662 for more information.

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To read about last year's ARTmuse sculptor Patrick Dougherty, click here.

To view photos from last year's ARTmuse installation, click here.