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What is the Economic Impact of Public Art to Fort Lauderdale?Guest Panel:
> Nilda Comas, Internationally recognized Master Sculptor of bronze and marble sculptures, whose work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions, museums and galleries in the U.S. and abroad. Internationally recognized for her work, she maintains studios in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Pietrasanta, Italy. Considered by many to be the sculpture capital of the world, Pietrasanta offers access to the finest marble, skilled artigiani and bronze foundries.
Her works are part of public and private collections in the U.S., Europe and South America. Comas divides her time between Fort Lauderdale and Pietrasanta, Italy, where she has studios, sculpts, paints, and teaches workshops.
Locally, her statues (marble or bronze) are
1) Seminole Indian Girl a tribute that honors The Seminole Indian’s 500’s years in Florida; located on the New River across from the Stranahan House in Fort Lauderdale.
2) Various religious statues – full Carrara marble 10 ft. sculpture “Our Lady of Gaudalupe” for the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Doral, Florida
3) 4 feet tall on a platform, “Li’l Blader”- a life-size bronze statue of a young girl “seems to be posing for the camera as she twirls around on her roller blades in City of Fort Lauderdale’s Colee Hammock Park.
4) Equestrian statues
5) Recently, and most famous, is an 11 ft. marble statue of Mary Bethune Cookman for Statuary Hall in Washington, DC.
> Steve Glassman, City of Fort Lauderdale Commissioner, District 2.
Prior to Steve’s election to the City Commission, he was an administrator for the Broward County Cultural Division where he worked closely with elected officials and business leaders to further the quality of life in all of Broward's major cities through the arts and culture..
Steve has served on the City of Fort Lauderdale's Beach Redevelopment Advisory Board (three years) and the Planning and Zoning Board (six years) where he grew to understand the importance of building consensus and working as a team to get things done. Over his many years in various civic leadership positions, including President and founder of the Broward Trust for Historic Preservation, Steve has come to understand how vital Neighborhood Associations are in our City’s civic and economic development. This understanding was driven home time and time again in Steve's seven-year tenure as the President of the Central Beach Alliance where he worked in close partnership with many of the City's most prominent neighborhood and business leaders. Steve has also served as President of several beach condominium associations including his current 11-year tenure at the Sapphire Condominium.
> Phillip Dunlap, Director of Broward County’s Cultural Division, a local arts agency which manages the county’s investment in the arts through grant making, public art initiatives, and arts education.
Prior to his appointment to this position in April of 2019, reserved for 12-years as Director of Education and Community Engagement for the non-profit organization, Jazz St. Louis.
An advocate for the Arts, Phillip served as President of the board of Missouri Citizens for the Arts (MCA), Missouri’s primary arts advocacy organization. In his position with MCA, he directed state-level advocacy initiatives in collaboration with the board and the organization’s lobbyist. During his time as MCA President, the organization successfully lobbied to extend the sunset of the Non-Resident Athlete and Entertainers Tax, which funds the Arts on the state level in Missouri.
Also having a passion for teaching, Phillip served as adjunct professor at the University of Missouri St. Louis, Webster University, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he taught Jazz History and Music Business. In 2016, he created a course for the Entrepreneurship program at the University of Missouri St. Louis called Business in the Arts, which examined business concepts as they appear in the non-profit arts and culture industry.
He has served as a cultural envoy for the US Department of State and has taught and performed in Afghanistan, Guyana, and Thailand. He currently serves on the board of Jazz Education Abroad, an international jazz education NGO.
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Sponsorships are welcome - see https://ftlforum.org/board-of-directors/
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Fort Lauderdale Forum, 111 E. Las Olas Blvd, 12th floor,Fort Lauderdale,FL,United States
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