They came, they saw — and they liked what they saw.
The estimated attendance at last week’s One Spark crowdfunding festival was 250,000 people, about double the attendance for last year’s debut.
Before the festival began, Visit Jacksonville CEO Paul Astleford said the five-day event would be an opportunity for people who don’t regularly come Downtown to visit the neighborhood and discover what Jacksonville’s urban core has to offer.
Based on votes from the public and the decisions rendered by the jurors, some Downtown projects were the winners.
Shaun Thurston’s Project Atrium: One Spark mural at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville took the top prize in the juried art competition. The public also liked his work, casting enough votes for Thurston to secure third place in the art category.
Combining the jury prize and the crowdfunding prize, Thurston received $11,766.41. Before the festival opened, Thurston said he intends to donate half of his winnings to MOCA to support future exhibits.
One Spark attendees were inspired by a project to renovate and re-use Snyder Memorial, the historic former Methodist church at Laura and Monroe streets. A group would like to use the building as an entertainment venue, recording studio and education center. The project got more crowdfunding votes than any other entry in the Innovation category and a check for $13,772.65.
A proposal to construct a world-class aquarium attraction at the Shipyards site along East Bay Street took the top prize in the “Science” category crowdfunding vote. The entry earned a check for $13, 794.15.
For the complete list of winners and prizes awarded, visit beonespark.com.
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