Change the Trash Guaranteed and Yoga 4 Change were each
awarded for art, education, health and science, music, social
good and technology.
But the true spectacle was the entire seven day, 20-squareblock celebration of local creativity; for anyone with even
passing interest in entrepreneurship, charity, art or supporting
local businesses, One Spark continues to be a gold mine.
In fact, for some Creators, the true draw of the “world’s
first crowdfunding festival” is community involvement. One
such Project called “Inside Out” by I Still Matter thrived off
of the support of passersby to carry its message through a
comprehensive puzzle.
“We’re trying to minimize the stigma of mental illness with
our project by asking people to help us paint blank puzzle
pieces,” said Carmen Marino, the founder and president of
post-launch startup. “The idea is to write a feeling or emotion
on the back and to depict that emotion through art on
the front. We want to minimize the stigma so that we can
encourage people to seek help.”
The puzzle was completed and displayed in the Snyder
Memorial Church for festival goers to see -- they were also
welcome to paint a piece of their own and add it to the evergrowing puzzle.
The atmosphere is friendly and supportive, but the
competition is still fierce. This year, over 550 creator projects
30 June - July 2015 | First Coast Register
were in the running for funding, publicity and investment
opportunities.
Other Projects ushered in participants throughout
downtown. Mobile art workshop Champaint solicited the
help of visitors by encouraging them to add their own touch
to a single canvas to create one collaborative masterpiece.
Full S.T.E.A.M. ahead, a free community-based program that
offers postsecondary STEM and arts preparation for middleand high-school kids, employed a dancing penguin mascot to
spread their message.
But no matter what their means and methods were, One
Spark’s participants can unanimously agree on the benefit
of exposure and personal communication. Jacksonville’s
ground-breaking festival brings the city’s brightest and most
curious minds together year after year.
“It’s kind of eye-opening, you know? Walking around and
seeing what people have come up with,” said Olivia Johnson, a
first-time One Spark visitor. “I’ve always felt like there are a lot
of determined and creative people in Jacksonville so seeing
everyone’s projects makes me feel hopeful. Makes me feel
inspired.”
For more information about One Spark’s 2015 festival,
and to find out what Projects can still be funded, visit www.
onespark.com