Alix Mathia had no idea what she was going to do with the mannequin when she first got it.
She knew she wanted to keep her usual art style because she felt it was part of why they invited local artists to contribute.
Mathia was one of 24 Gainesville artists who turned mannequins into works of art, now being called “Rainbow Spirits.” The mannequins were from the former The Oaks Mall Macy’s and would have been thrown into a dumpster if Terry Fleming didn’t have a dream about a better use for them.
Fleming, co-president of the Pride Community Center, called his friend Tom Miller about a dream he wanted to turn into a reality. The result of Fleming’s dream is an event Saturday at 7 p.m., Artists Supporting Pride -- Rainbow Spirits.
The event will be revealing and auctioning the Rainbow Spirits to raise money for Pride events. Food, wine and refreshments will be served, and a book featuring each mannequin and the artists will be displayed.
Miller, a local artist and the event co-organizer, said an event incorporating Gainesville’s arts and LGBTQ+ communities, hasn’t been done before. He helped organize the event and also contributed a Rainbow Spirit of his own.
Miller and his fellow co-organizer, Brian Wilson, created a webpage to recruit the artists, Miller said. He was surprised at how many artists “just stepped right up to the plate.”
“When you see these mannequins, they are so stunning. It is unbelievable,” he said. “The whole presentation collectively could easily be in the Harn or the Chicago Museum of Art. They are that good, these pieces. Nobody held back.”
Mathia, a local muralist and elementary school nurse, regularly participates in art markets and art walks in town. Her mannequin piece is called “Innerlight,” which has a removable candle-holder at the Rainbow Spirit’s neck.
She used a common theme in her artwork for her mannequin -- colorful, acrylic-painted faces with closed eyes. The closed eyes are symbolic of not looking through lenses of difference and seeing that everyone shares similar feelings inside, she said.
“It was just nice to see the (art and LGBTQ+) communities come together for this because I feel like we all have a very similar goal, which is absolute expression and freedom of choice, which I think art is truly about,” Mathia said.
The money from the auctions will go to the Pride Community Center and Pride 2018, Miller said. The Pride Community Center provides HIV testing, support for people with AIDS and support groups for the LGBTQ+ community.
“Pride has a very strong presence in this community, but it’s very insulated. It kind of lives in its own bubble,” Miller said. “Diversity is a strength, and that’s what the entire country is founded on, and yet we’re just so focused on dividing each other. That’s why I think this is such a great event.”
Follow Angela DiMichele on Twitter @angdimi and contact her at adimichele@alligator.org.
Second-hand mannequins were turned into artwork for an exhibition entitled 'Artists Supporting Pride -- Rainbow Spirits.' Proceeds from the show will go toward funding future Pride events.
