The Osceola County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller’s Office on the second floor of the Osceola County Courthouse is visited by over 90,000 people annually. Those can be happy trips — for a passport or marriage license — or not so happy, to pay fines or a ticket.
As of last week, that trip can now be pleasant, as the second floor now doubles as a de facto art museum.
The courthouse is now home to the N.E.S.T. Gallery, which stands for Neighborhood Exhibit for Student Talent. Hundreds of square feet of available wall space now showcases the art work of 18 Tohopekaliga High School art students, 25 pieces in total.
The goal is to brighten the hallways of what can be a sterile government space and spark creativity and conversation among customers.
According to the Clerk’s office, its team will work with the Osceola County School District to curate and rotate artwork among each of the county’s high schools.
Clerk and Comptroller Kelvin Soto has a heart for the school district, as he served two terms (201220) on the School Board.
“This is the culmination of the effort of a year. I wanted to see what I can do in this role to advance the education in this community. This was one of the initiatives, highlighting the artwork of the young people of our community.”
Tohopekaliga High artwork now lines the walls of the second floor from end to end, which could extend what might be a quick courthouse trip. The artwork spans a multitude of genres.
“Without the strong support of (school superintendent) Dr. Debra Pace’s belief in the arts, we would not have this,” Soto said.
Wednesday’s unveiling also included a sampling of Tohopekaliga High’s other fine arts programs — chorus, its jazz band and theatre groups.
THS senior Sara Jaramillo’s stirring painting of a hand from above, symbolizing the hand of God, pulling another hand from a body of water, is one of the pieces.
“It’s a metaphor for when we are drowning, maybe in sorrow or our own thoughts,” said Jaramillo, who will attend Valencia College through the Osceola Prosper program. “This is my favorite piece from my portfolio, a personal and powerful piece.”
She said that she feels amazing to have her work included in the N.E.S.T. Gallery to be seen by thousands of Clerk’s Office customers.
“It’s a great feeling,” she said. “Even if it’s one glimpse, it’s crazy to me how all of us were able to make it this far in our art, from just regular students to being part of a gallery. And maybe we can calm someone who’s here to pay a ticket. It’s just an amazing feeling to inspire confidence in our own art, and the students who will come after us at Toho.”
