The Project

The film "The Observer & The Observed" shows what happened behind the scenes of the community art and diversity project of the same name.  The project, designed and directed by Anne Ferrier, was sponsored by Sarasota Partnership for Children's Mental Health in partnership with Art Center Sarasota.  The goal was to provide a venue in which the Sarasota community could start a conversation about mental health and diversity.  Art was used as the medium to visually represent the variety of perspectives and judgments that exist about families with differing realities and challenges.  And on an individual level, the interactions among the families and artists in the project gave people from different walks of life the opportunity to learn about one another.

All families and artists involved in the project were volunteers.  The artists received a small stipend for supplies.

Anne Ferrier & The Observer concept

Anne Ferrier, M.Psy., NCC, ACC, Cultural & Linguistic Competence Coordinator for Sarasota Partnership for Children's Mental Health, designed and led the Observer & the Observed community project.  Her Observer concept provided the theoretical framework for the project.  The Observer concept posits that each of us has a particular lens through which we perceive the world, or an "observer", that shapes what we see and colors our judgments.  Our observer is made up of all the elements of our personal history - family, ethnicity, education level, economic situation, experiences, and more. 

Anne is available for consultation to assist communities in replicating the Observer project. She will facilitate an initial  “Observer” training for the Project team, families and artists and provide coaching during all the different stages of the process. She is also available for CLC training and consulting.  Please contact her at 941-228-3885 or email her at: Anne@TheObserverandTheObserved.com

Brad Bryan - Film Director

The documentary film "The Observer & The Observer" was written, edited, and directed by Sarasota filmmaker Brad Bryan.  Brad graduated from New College of Florida.  His film work includes many narrative and documentary shorts as well as public service and educational films.  He often works in the art department of television and independent film productions.   “The Observer & The Observed” is his first feature-length documentary.

Sarasota Partnership for Children's Mental Health

The Partnership is a network of community partners, agencies, and families working together to change the way children with social and emotional issues are helped and understood.  The Partnership is financially supported by SAMHSA, the federal Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, and Sarasota County is one of only six communities in the United States to receive this special funding.  The partnership focuses on children from birth through age eight, and its services and support systems are family-driven, strength-based, culturally sensitive, and individualized to the child and the family.

The Partnership's Cultural & Linguistic Competence Workgroup works to bring awareness to diversity in the community through education and by building linkages among individuals and organizations with similar missions.  The Workgroup facilitated The Observer & The Observed project and is made up of Partnership staff and community volunteers.  Workgroup members include Anne Ferrier (Coordinator), Marilyn Anderson (Chair), Marina Bunch, Sherl Craft, Kim Falco, Maria Jose Garcia-Casellas, Liza Leonard, and LaKieffa Williams.
 

Art Center Sarasota

Art Center Sarasota promotes the importance of creativity as an essential element of a thriving community. Through innovative and inclusive art exhibitions, art education programs and services Art Center Sarasota connects people as artists, audiences and lifelong learners.

For "The Observer & The Observed" , Art Center Sarasota helped identify many of the participating artists, provided space for meetings, and put on the final exhibition of the work created for the project.