The City of Ocala is preparing to release an educational guide about the Ocala Black History Mural at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex.
The city is working on the guide in partnership with the Marion Cultural Alliance, the College of Central Florida and Marion County Public Schools. The guide was funded by through the Levitt Foundation Community Bridge Grant and includes historical and artistic narratives describing the mural’s 27 panels, which all depict significant moments of Ocala’s black history.
The mural was originally completed in 2005 through a partnership between the Marion Cultural Alliance and the College of Central Florida, and in coordination with seven artists: Michele Faulconer, Valerie Fjalstad, Bob Hazelden, Leonard Palmer, Jillian Ramsammy, Trevor Ramsammy and Robert Williams.
In 2019, the Ocala Black History Mural was restored as part of the Levitt AMP Ocala Music Series, a 10-week grant-funded music series also supported through the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation, which takes place at Webb Field each April through June. The series is scheduled to return April 17 through June 25, 2021.
Since restoration was completed, the mural has been registered on the Florida Mural Trail and featured in the Florida Association of Public Art Professionals’ October 2020 News Brief.
The Levitt Foundation Community Bridge Grant provided the opportunity to complete, print and distribute an educational guide that could be incorporated into Marion County Public Schools curriculum. The guide meets Florida State standards under social studies, music and visual arts for grades K-12.
Thirty printed copies – enough for a full class to participate at a time – will be provided across 50 school media centers as recommended by the school district’s African-American History Community Advisory Team. The guide can also be accessed via the City of Ocala’s Cultural Arts webpage at www.ocalafl.org/culturalarts.
For more information, contact the City of Ocala Cultural Arts Department at (352) 629-8447 or artinfo@ocalafl.org.
The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation is a private foundation that exists to strengthen the social fabric of America. Through its support of creative placemaking, the Levitt Foundation empowers communities to transform underused public spaces into welcoming destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together and invigorates community life. The foundation’s primary funding areas include permanent Levitt venues and the Levitt AMP Ocala Grant Awards, an annual grants competition. During the past decade, the foundation has awarded more than $20 million in grants to support access to free, high-caliber live music experiences while bringing new life to public spaces. For more information, visit www.levitt.org.