Sarasota removed hundreds of sidewalk paintings this September, to comply with an FDOT directive.
By Dania Hefley
Original Air Date: December 3, 2025
Host: The arts community in Sarasota is still reeling from the erasure of hundreds of sidewalk paintings at Burns Court. Under the threat of the Florida Department of Transportation withdrawing funding from road maintenance and construction, the City of Sarasota jumped into action in August. Will a lawsuit be filed? Dania Hefley has this report.
Dania Hefley: The Avenue of Art in Sarasota was more than just chalk drawings. For four years, it was the largest public art installation in Sarasota County, telling the city’s history through nearly 300 paintings. It had the seal of approval of both the City of Sarasota and Sarasota County. But following a directive from the Florida Department of Transportation, the city removed the sidewalk paintings in September, leaving artists and organizers seeking justice. Denise Kowal, head of the organization behind the Avenue of Art, describes the project’s significance and the shock of its removal.
Denise Kowal
DK: I’m not sure if people realize that the Avenue of Art was the largest community public art installation ever created in Sarasota County, and it was the first time this type of artwork was created—this type of project where it’s like an outdoor exhibition with stories that accompany it—the QR codes—and it ran throughout the history of the city—that’s the first time a project like this was ever created in the world.
DH: The work was erased using grinders during a holiday weekend, creating a dusty environment in the artsy Burns Court neighborhood near downtown.
DK: They went about it in a way that—I don’t think they realized how much the community valued this project. When I say community, I mean Sarasota. I don’t mean just the area where it was. Our whole community valued this project. When you come into a neighborhood with grinders and you’re creating concrete dust throughout the neighborhood…
DH: This perceived lack of support has led artists to go beyond the court of public opinion and look at the actual courts. Kowal is actively supporting artists exploring a lawsuit under the Visual Artists Rights Act, or VARA, which protects the integrity of certain works of art. She believes the city lacked the courage to fight the FDOT mandate despite legal precedent set elsewhere.
DK: We have examples like Fort Lauderdale that fought against the memorandum to remove the artwork. Not only was it valued by the community, but their artwork was also approved by the agency that was demanding its demise, the FDOT.
DH: The ACLU of Florida confirms it is monitoring the situation, noting a troubling pattern of attempts to silence or censor artistic expression across Florida. Jayaram Law, with offices in Miami and New York, specializes in intellectual property. Vivek Jayaram confirms he is speaking with Sarasota artists. He told WSLR News:
“Indian Paintbrush” by Cathy Gallatin, recreation of an oil painting by Thomas Blackshear
“This is an important case, and while I’ve been talking with the artists, I haven’t been retained yet, so I can’t comment on the case.”
Most likely, the city would be the main defendant under VARA since it destroyed the art. But because the city says it acted under the orders of FDOT—a state agency—plaintiffs would probably try to include the state as well. VARA is narrow but not so narrow that the state transportation agency would be automatically off the hook.
Meanwhile, the City of Sarasota’s focus is on moving forward with its newly expanded Public Art Program. Ciera Coleman, the city’s Public Arts Administrator, shared that new opportunities like competitive mural commissions and digital art projects reflect their commitment to the arts, driven by a master plan approved in 2023.
Ciera Coleman: A key component of the Public Art Plan is outreach to local artists. I’ve been in this role for about a year now, and from the beginning, that has been a real priority of mine—to reach out to local artists, to offer these opportunities.
“Fredd Atkins” by Luther Rosebaro
DH: But are these new opportunities designed to make amends for the erasure? Ciera Coleman clarified that these initiatives are part of the Public Art Plan’s long-term priorities, not a specific response to the Avenue of Art controversy. The city’s official stance is that it cannot discuss the FDOT directive that led to the removal.
CC:I would say these are opportunities that are part of the public art plan and do reflect the public art plan’s priorities. Certainly, there may be an intersection there.
DH: The Chalk Festival is currently on hold, with organizers looking toward a potential return in 2026. The artists, meanwhile, continue to process the emotional toll of the city’s actions. Kowal read a Facebook post that she felt captured the sentiment.
DK: She wrote, “It’s so sad that this was done and how it changed the neighborhood and all of Sarasota. The graywashing, I felt it deeply and it’s become hard to walk those streets without feeling violated and deep grief. I can only imagine how the artists feel.”
“Pineapple Fish – 3D Illusion” by Santiago Hernandez
DH: The potential VARA lawsuit is actively being developed, with lawyers confirming they are in contact with the affected artists. As for the city, the Public Arts Administrator encourages all residents and artists to get involved with the new Public Art Program, emphasizing partnership as the key to success.
CC: In general, it requires a partnership and a collaboration with artists. We have to work hand in hand very productively and very thoughtfully to move these projects forward and to have them be successful.
DH: Despite the deep disappointment, Kowal remains defiant, viewing the removal as a challenge that will ultimately strengthen the arts community.
DK: Art is ever changing, and this will not break us; it will make us stronger, and you have to fight for what’s important to you.
DH: Reporting for WSLR News, Dania Hefley.
Disclosure: Public arts coordinator Ciera Coleman is the wife of Jesse Coleman, the station manager of WSLR.
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