#iHeartTally Project

Since 2007, the Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI) has been making positive change in the Tallahassee community. KCCI brings together a diverse group of community “Catalysts,” change-agents in the Tallahassee community who implement “sense of place” projects that help retain, attract and harness talent, revitalize, engage, or activate an area of Tallahassee, and increase entrepreneurship and enhance Tallahassee’s economic mobility.

The Department’s Arts Administration Doctoral student Charlotte Waters was chosen as a Catalyst for the 2017 KCCI project, #iHeartTally, which will be breaking ground this winter. The project involves enhancing the community’s sense of place, enhance Tallahassee’s economic vitality, and raise awareness of Tallahassee’s offerings by creating an urban park experience with the hashtag as outdoor art.

The #iHeartTally KCCI Community Catalyst team, including Waters, will bring the prominent hashtag to life by designing, implementing and promoting a life-sized, 3-D representation of the #iHeartTally characters. The team started in  January and has scouted and selected a location for the urban park experience that focuses on and includes the South Monroe area between Florida A&M University, Florida State University and the Florida Capitol. The team has also designed a smaller mobile version that will travel around the community beginning in the next few months.

In addition, by working with local craftsmen, The #iHeartTally KCCI Community Catalyst team is identifying ways to bring the designs to life. In May, they made downtown more colorful with the #iHeartTally mural at Kleman Plaza, designed and painted by KCCI Community Catalyst and artist Cosby Hayes.

After securing a location for the installation of the life-size #iHeartTally structure, the team has begun fundraising efforts in late June 2017. The letters were created by team member and designer Ryan Sheplak and artist Cosby Hayes with input from the KCCI team and the community. The structure will be built by local artists at the FSU Master Craftsman Studio.

If interested in supporting the #iHeartTally KCCI Community Catalyst team and to bring the #iHeartTally design to life, consider donating to the project!