Rita head

Rita Mann

Rita is a community artist - she enjoys the art of expression (storytelling, visual articulation). She was inspired to move to Sarasota this year because of its cultural richness and natural environment. She did not expect the people to be so warm and kind as well. At dusk during 2020, people in my downtown Denver neighborhood walked out onto their porches at dusk to howl like wolves. It brought the people together and was a comforting experience during the darker days of Covid. To pay homage to this practice, I organized a "Chalk & Howl" event. For six blocks, people walked quietly outside at the appointed hour and chalked on the sidewalk whatever was in their heart at the time. Support for essential workers, expressing hardships, and LOVE. This project reminded me of that. People coming together for the love of a place, time and one another. A stained glass window in Mary's Chapel at Historic Spanish Point. I love this place! Mary's is intimate and soulful. The bell rings clearly and the stained glass windows are magnificent. As with all things Sarasota, the church has a beautiful story.