In March of 2007, the Outdoor Arts Foundation, a Safety Harbor (FL) based non-profit community arts organization acquired what is believed to be the world’s largest private collection of authentic Berlin Wall Sections. The bulk of the collection consisted of 3’ x 8’ x 3 5/8” sections from the East-German side of the Wall.

After two years of meticulous research and development, the acquisition was made with the intent of organizing several initiatives, each with a primary focus of educating people about the history of the Berlin Wall as well the cultural and geopolitical significance of what it’s fall represented.

The first of these initiatives is titled “Beyond the Wall.” The purpose of Beyond the Wall is to provide artists throughout North America with an opportunity to reflect upon the values that the fall of the Wall represented and express their thoughts using an actual piece of the Wall.

Beyond the Wall has been divided into two separate but similar projects. The first is titled and focuses on exhibiting the works of professional artists on 18” x 24” sections of Wall. The second is titled in which twenty students are given the opportunity to first write about their thoughts about the fall of the Wall, and then, to illustrate these thoughts on a 6” x 6” piece of Wall.

Beyond the Wall began in late 2007 as a project throughout the Tampa Bay Area, where artists and students from around Central Florida were asked to participate in the two projects. Now, thanks in part to word of mouth and some of the generous National media attention that we have been receiving, Beyond the Wall is being organized throughout North America.

Our first satellite project was organized in Old Saybrook, CT and we are now working diligently to bring on board similar arts organizations throughout the country to participate in this unique event.

All of these projects will be exhibited throughout 2009 and will culminate the week of November 9th, 2009, the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Wall. A live auction and concert to celebrate both the anniversary date and the artists accomplishments is tentatively scheduled for the weekend of November 13th, 2009 at the Sirata Beach Resort and Conference Center on St. Pete Beach (FL).

Because we are now organizing multiple projects in multiple cities, we have developed this website to help you to easily find the different projects, where and when they are being displayed, who is participating and how you can organize one or both of the Beyond the Wall projects in your city. All of the pieces created in each city will be auctioned off through a live and web-based auction and we would like to encourage you to keep visiting our website for more details and information.

If you have any questions, please contact our Executive Director, Jay Goulde at jgoulde@tampabay.rr.com; or, if you would like to organize a project in your city, please contact our Development Director, Mary at (813) 313-7196.