Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Art topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Atlantic Beach committee approves Turtle Crawl plan; assigns locations and research tasks
Summary
The committee confirmed a contract for a 24‑piece Turtle Crawl public‑art project (six designs, four copies each) and divided research and write‑up tasks for 24 locations; the project will include QR‑linked educational content once the contract is signed and the first payment is made.
The Arts, Recreation & Culture Committee advanced a public‑art project called the "Turtle Crawl" on Oct. 8, approving a contract arrangement and assigning members to research locations and content.
Staff said the artist and foundry (Jenny Hager, UNF art director) will begin designs when the city signs the contract and makes the initial payment. The sculpture program comprises 24 turtles in six designs (four copies of each), to be placed at parks, historic sites and other locations around Atlantic Beach as a scavenger‑hunt‑style public engagement piece.
Committee members reviewed the proposed location list — including the William Morgan House, the Dune/Hobbit House, Veterans Memorial Park, Sunset Pier and several park walkovers — and debated whether some spots should remain fixed versus community‑nominated candidates. Two locations were flagged for public input because one is a transient native garden and another might not be permanent.
The committee divided the list and asked members to gather historical facts, native‑flora information and draft text for the turtle descriptions and QR content before the next meeting. Staff said a QR code will link each turtle to an online write‑up and that the project will be both educational and designed to drive local visitation.
Next steps: the contract will be finalized, staff will schedule production after the first payment, committee members will submit location research in advance of the next meeting, and staff will prepare public‑input messaging for the community‑nominated spots.
