The City of Orlando and the Mennello Museum of American Art are set to host a three-day series of free events and exhibitions under the Art Pollination public art project. The initiative, which begins on Friday, October 10, 2025, aims to use art to highlight and address food insecurity and hunger in the community.
The programming is supported by a $1 million grant from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. This funding enables city leaders, residents, and artists to collaborate on temporary public art projects that tackle significant civic issues.
The event series opens with the major museum opening of “Art Pollination: Juan William Chávez,” along with the unveiling of the “Art Pollination: Worker Bees” mural by Luca Molnar. Shawn Welcome, former Poet Laureate for the City of Orlando, will perform at the exhibition’s opening night.
The schedule continues on Saturday with “Live at the Oak: Poetry, Performance, and Pollination,” a collaborative event under a 350-year-old live oak tree known as the “Mayor’s Tree.” Performances will be given by Shawn Welcome, Emily Johnson, and Juan William Chávez.
On Sunday, choreographer and activist Emily Johnson will lead a community quilt-making activity with fashion designer Korina Emmerich. Attendees will have the opportunity to write their thoughts on hunger and food insecurity onto fabric swatches to be included in a large-scale quilt.
For more information about Art Pollination, including artist biographies and event details, visit Art Pollination | Bloomberg Connects. Additional details are also available at Orlando.gov/ArtPollination.
“Programming is part of public art project to help fight hunger,” organizers said.
All events will take place at the Mennello Museum of American Art, located at 900 East Princeton Street.
