Public Commissions

Growth & Strength

Scrollathon: The Power of Art: Coral Springs & Parkland, Florida

2019

Commissioned by: Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge
Locations: Coral Springs and Parkland, Florida
Medium: Fiber, rubber bands, pins, glue, paint, wood frame
Dimensions: 60 × 84 × 3 inches (Collaborative Masterwork); Signature Plates, each 17 × 22 inches
Photograph: Courtesy of the artists
Created in: Coral Springs and Parkland, Florida
Artists’ Registration Numbers:
Collaborative Masterwork: 2019.077.001
Signature Plates: 2019.020.001–2019.020.005
Mini Portrait Mural: 2022.179.001
Exhibition History: The Power of Art: Inspiring Community Healing After Gun Violence, Coral Springs and Parkland, Florida, 2019–2020

Commission Overview
Steven and William Ladd brought Scrollathon to the cities of Coral Springs and Parkland, Florida, as part of The Power of Art: Inspiring Community Healing After Gun Violence, a curated series of large-scale public art projects designed to support long-term community healing following the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge and rooted in the Coral Springs Museum of Art’s Healing with Art program, the initiative sought to use hands-on artmaking as a tool for connection, reflection, and resilience.

Over the course of two weeks in April 2019, the Scrollathon unfolded across multiple sites, including Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the Coral Springs Museum of Art, engaging students, educators, healthcare workers, veterans, seniors, and community members in a shared creative process.

Artistic Approach
Participants took part in guided Scrollathon sessions in which each person created an individual scroll using two fabric trimmings, rolled tightly together by hand and secured with a pin. The simple, repetitive act of rolling became a grounding gesture—quiet, physical, and intentional—allowing participants to focus inward while working side by side with others.

Following individual making, participants gathered to contribute additional scrolls to a larger collaborative landscape. These scrolls were assembled into Growth & Strength, a unified composition built from hundreds of individual gestures. The work’s rhythmic surface reflects accumulation and care, with each scroll retaining its individuality while contributing to a collective form.

The title Growth & Strength was offered by a student from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, whose words articulated the emotional core of the project:

“In the past year, I have found strength through my community. We were broken into a million pieces, but together we have grown from the tragedy. My scroll represents growth and strength.”

Engagement and Impact
More than 900 participants took part in the Scrollathon across Coral Springs and Parkland, representing a wide range of ages, backgrounds, and lived experiences. Through shared making and story exchange, participants found space for reflection, vulnerability, and mutual support.

The act of rolling and assembling scrolls became a collective meditation—transforming grief, memory, and hope into a physical form. The completed artwork was exhibited for one year at the Parkland Recreation and Enrichment Center before being replaced by a reproduction, allowing the original work to travel throughout the community and continue its role as a catalyst for dialogue and healing.

Community Partners
Atlantis Academy Coral Springs; Broward Health Coral Springs; City of Coral Springs; City of Parkland; Coral Glades High School – National Honor Society; Coral Springs Artist Guild; Coral Springs Museum of Art; Coral Springs Senior Center at Sartory Hall; Crystal Lake Middle School; Evolve Learning Community; Girl Scout Troops 10883, 10350, and 10351; Girl Up; Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School; Professionals United for Parkland; Saint Andrew Catholic School; ScentsAbility; Shine MSD; The Preserve at Palm-Aire

Special Thanks
Aliza Schiff; Anita Contini; Charles and Barbara Ladd; Christine Hunschofsky; Cristina Grajales Gallery; Emily Bloomenfield; Jacquelene H. Lieberman; Jodi Moise; Mari and Gary Teeter; Randee N. Lombard; Scott Brook; Stephanie Dockery; Coral Springs Museum of Art; Via Partnership

Acknowledgments
With gratitude to the Scrollathon team

Context and Legacy
Growth & Strength stands as a powerful example of Scrollathon’s capacity to support collective healing through art. Rooted in participation rather than representation, the work offered a way for individuals to process complex emotions while contributing to something larger than themselves.

As a cornerstone of The Power of Art initiative, the project reinforced the role of socially engaged art in public life—demonstrating how shared creative action can foster resilience, empathy, and connection in the aftermath of trauma. Growth & Strength remains a testament to the strength of community and the enduring power of making together.