Saturday November 11, 2023

This Saturday was the 10th annual Public Eye Soar here at Gulf Coast State College turning our campus into a canvas for local artists to showcase their visual art for the community.

Ciara Davis, student ambassador and psychology major at GCSC who was working the event, explained how the Public Eye Soar is the artistic part of a nonprofit, The Public Eye, and that the event is there to “Bring the community an art event.” But for the artists, like Angel Cervantes, it’s more than that. This was his second year participating and he described what it’s like to see his artwork displayed on buildings rather than the traditional mediums. “Seeing it outside kind of completely pulls it into another dimension almost….it takes those things that are kind of intangible and makes them tangible because you have to go, you have to come out here to see it.” 

A big part of what keeps bringing him back is the interaction with those who come to appreciate the artwork. “Social media is great and all but having that community and getting to share it in person amplifies that experience…That sense of community is really felt. You don’t get that from behind a screen sometimes.” Another aspect of the artwork being outdoors and on structures is that the lines between life and art are blurred. Seeing ants marching on a screen that make them look large as well as reconciling the sight of a realistic, brightly lit, forestry scene next to a stairwell under a dark sky are somewhat disorienting but also profound and beautiful.

Conversely, the parts of the college that are generally open green areas with trees were instead filled with the throbbing bass of electronic dance music coming from the DJ booth, turning this area into a laser light show.

Many of the exhibits were also interactive which allowed you to sort of become part of the artwork yourself or, as is the case for the “Yellow Room”, help you experience art the way someone else does. The yellow light that saturated the room forced everyone’s eyes to experience briefly what their artwork would look like if they found themselves colorblind.

The event drew a large crowd of both students and those from the local community and the reception of the artwork was positive across the board. Having an event like this allows people to have a momentary escape from the stresses of life and brings together a divided humanity with something that transcends all borders. Even the borders of a canvas.