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Sarasota sculptor on 'Purpose'
FOX 13 Photojournalist Barry Wong reports.
SARASOTA, Fla. - During a Friday morning in February, sculptor Angela Mia had the chance to meet the person who purchased one of her creations, a sculpture titled ‘Purpose.’
"I was walking by and saw some of her statues and had to come in and fall in love with them," art lover Shelly Schwarz said.
The backstory:
The "where" was the Milan Art Gallery in Sarasota. The "what" was a piece created by long-time sculptor Angela Mia. ‘Purpose’ is a sculpture telling the story of ballerina Izzy Martin, who battled bone cancer for two years.
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"She was a crusader against it. She was an incredible activist," Mia said. "Her family really wanted people to know about Izzy's story, to continue the fight that she'd been so passionate about, and so they wanted to have a sculpture created in her honor and installed at her school."
Dig deeper:
The sculpture at the school is life-sized. Mia created a collection of 12 smaller sculptures. Two will go to the Martin family, while the other 10 are for sale, with proceeds going to the TeamIzzy Foundation.
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The foundation fights childhood cancer through funding and education. Martin became a huge advocate for cancer research and support during the end of her battle.
What they're saying:
"When I heard the story about Izzy, that she was a real fighter, it just struck me to the heart because my husband was also a fighter and passed away from cancer," Schwarz said. "I'm all about my husband's legacy building, so I want to help build Izzy's as well."
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Schwarz's purchase is the first "Purpose" to be sold.
"For 'Purpose', I see Izzy's beauty, her story, and the depth of her family's love when I look at it," Mia said. "That's what I hope other people see and just remember to be kind and uplifting and advocates for one another like Izzy was."
The Source: Information in this story comes from interviews done by FOX 13 Photojournalist, Barry Wong.