Previous Artwork:
Florida Cracker Cattle
Sarasota Lighthouse
The archetypical bold image of flamingo, orange, water view and lighthouse is clearly Floridian. However, there are no lighthouses in the county... well that is except for a lighthouse on the former property of Dr. Thomas and Scarlet Dickinson, now deceased.
Dr. Dickinson was the area's leading (and for a time only) opthalmologist. He was also an ardent conservationist and a founder of Save Our Bays.
Dr. Dickinson had an abiding love of boating and became a licensed captain through the Coast Guard. His friendship with another boating enthusiast, the architect Tim Seibert. Seibert was one of the founders of the movement that came to be known as the Sarasota School of Architecture. He designed the addition of the three-story lighthouse that was added to the property in 1977.
The master bedroom suite was at the base of the lighthouse and a spiral staircase led up to the top of the tower. From the tower balcony you could glimpse Sarasota Bay through the trees.
The lighthouse is located in McClellan Park, which is a historic neighborhood within the City of Sarasota, was developed by two sisters, Katherine and Daisietta McClellan from Northampton, Massachusetts, who had visited Sarasota as early as 1910. When they came back in 1913 it was to build a 56-acre, high-end residential community at the southern end of Orange Avenue between Osprey Avenue and Sarasota Bay.
The centerpiece of the neighborhood was a clubhouse that was built on an Indian mound. Because of its connection to the early Native American presence, the sisters gave some of the streets names such as Seminole, Mietaw and Sioux. The 3,000-foot clubhouse hosted weekend dance parties and teas. In 1930 the clubhouse building became a private school.
Another family friend, the esteemed builder of wooden boats, George Luzier, crafted the family’s front door of the lighthouse. At one time Seibert, Dickinson and Luzier passed boat ownership back and forth of a Luzier-built boat that eventually ended up with Luzier and is destined for a museum.
Edward J. "Tim" Seibert designed many important buildings in Sarasota include Bay Plaza Condominium, The Siesta Beach Pavilion, The Cooney House on St. Armands Key, the Hiss Studio and Devries-Craig House in Lido Shores, an addition to the Field Club and a Siesta Key house for novelist John D. MacDonald.
As of this writing we are not certain what remains of the lighthouse as the property sold out of the family.
Artist
Brian Morris
Brian Morris, born and raised in Frankfort, Kentucky. US Air force Retiree, Construction Project Manager and full time artist. His life-long, internal passion for creativity has helped guide him through life’s journey. Brian’s work has grown over time from years spent in the tattoo industry, custom paintings and pet memorials in photographic detail to large scale art displays. With new opportunities always evolving, Brian discovered a new passion in street painting and sidewalk chalk art, and continues to grow as a featured artist in the field. He continues to try and make the world a better place, one art piece at a time. As most artist's I assume feel, I have always thought my gift is the ability to give back. To provide experience to others and hopefully capture a feeling in a moment of time. This opportunity was no different. I have a new found passion for street painting and when I heard about this opportunity to volunteer, I knew I had to attend. It is an amazing project being undertaken and the amount of support is extraordinary. To see so many artists come together and express the history of this community is epic. The feeling that is expressed by the community while hours are spent adding colors to the bland facade of the walk is unmatched. Their kind words and joyful expressions of happiness make the hours spent creating these pieces of work worth every minute. I cannot wait until Phase 2 begins so that I can participate and relive this experience over again. I discovered a vintage travel poster for Sarasota depicting the wildlife, and the natural feel of the area and the state of Florida. The bold use of solid colors drew me to the piece and I felt it would provide a dramatic look and hold up well to the elements.