Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/264109
The public will have the opportunity to watch sculptures being built and cheer on their favor- ite teams in Westfield Southgate Mall on Friday, Feb. 28, as part of a national program called Canstruction®. Teams of local design professionals — includ- ing architects, engineers, interior designers and students — will put their skills to the test by constructing original themed sculptures, all made of cans of food, a news release points out. The project has been orchestrated by the Florida Gulfcoast chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the release notes. The build-out will begin at noon. It can be viewed right up until the mall's closing time. The food sculptures will be on display in the mall as a giant art exhibit from March 1 through March 10, the release notes. At the end of the exhibit, all food will be donated to All Faiths Food Bank, the release adds. In conjunction with those activities, Bob Harrigan, popular weather forecaster on WWSB ABC7 TV, will be the master of cere- monies on March 1 for Canstruction® Soirée, which will feature food by Mattison's, drinks and live music, the release continues. That event will be the setting for the presentation of a series of design awards to the winning teams. The party will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the space once occupied by Restoration Hardware in the mall, the release says. Judged by local professionals, the competi- tion's award categories are Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, Jurors' Favorite, People's Choice and Most Cans. Tickets to the soirée are available to the pub- lic at $55 per person. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit aiagulfcoast.org/ canstruction, contact event chairwoman Lisa Hess at LHess@trojb.com or call 315-8242. All proceeds from the soirée will also be donated to All Faiths Food Bank, the release points out. Canstruction was founded in 1992. Since then, it "has grown to become one of the largest and most consistent canned food contributors to food banks in the world," the release explains. Canstruction events have been held in more than 150 cities worldwide, donating more than 21 million pounds of food to feed the hungry. EVENT DESIGNED TO HELP FEED THE COMMUNITY'S HUNGRY The Canstruction website offers examples of 'canned food' art. Image courtesy construction.org Sarasota News Leader February 21, 2014 Page 79