Michael Parker’s Installation at Perry Harvey Park in Tampa is a memorial to seven African American Leaders from the historic Central Avenue neighborhood.
By Agrippina Fadel
The Social Justice Wall inside the new Tamarac Village Park will reflect the spirit of the community.
Designed through the public art initiative, the wall includes portraits and quotes from social justice leaders, highlighting their contributions to equality in communities across the nation.
The city of Tamarac asked for the residents’ input and invited the middle-school students to participate in an essay contest. All entries were due by Friday, December 3. However, Michael Parker, an artist behind the project, encourages residents to stay in touch.
“For projects like these, I like to involve the town residents as much as possible in the beginning stages so that the end product reflects the community where it will be located,” Parker said.
The Tampa-based artist plans to attend local events and connect with Tamarac youth groups to discuss how living in the city overlaps with themes of social justice.
“The further along we get in designing the wall, the ideas become clearer through stories, interviews, and meetings. Certain details will start to overlap, and at some point, the image and the concept would start to emerge,” he said.
Parker said the final art concept should present ideas that span a few generations and make both young and old residents feel connected.
“Involving the community creates a deeper sense of pride in the final product. This way, people know where this art is coming from and what it is inspired by,” he added.
He often takes on large community-based art projects similar to Social Justice Wall. His “Leader’s Row” at Perry Harvey Park in Tampa is a memorial to seven African American leaders from the historic Central Avenue neighborhood.
The construction of Tamarac Village Park, which will house the Social Justice Wall, is slated for completion by Spring 2022. It’s part of the development by JKM developers that includes new residential and retail constructions, public areas, and the Town Center located at Commercial Boulevard and NW 94th Avenue.
The art fabrication and design of the Social Justice wall will be approximately 86 feet and finished by the early fall of 2022,
Parker invites Tamarac residents to reach out to him with any ideas or suggestions by phone at 813-846-2000 or email at michael.parker1@me.com.
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