Council on Culture & Arts on behalf of the City of Tallahassee.

In early 2020, COCA announced a show titled Tallahassee Proud, inviting artists to submit works that reflected what they loved most about Tallahassee, FL. As a strong advocate for the power of education, Jessica Utley submitted a piece titled Cosmic Colleges, which earned an honorable mention from the Mayor of Tallahassee, John Dailey.

Cosmic Colleges is an abstract representation of the three major higher education institutions in Tallahassee. From left to right, the artwork features garnet and gold in the background, representing the artist’s alma mater, Florida State University. Next, blue and gold symbolize Tallahassee Community College, which plays a crucial role in laying the foundation for students to pursue higher education. To the right, green and orange represent Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

The light blue flowing through all three sections signifies the heartbeat of the city. This piece encapsulates the artist’s belief that education is the cornerstone of Tallahassee’s beauty and vitality.

Jessica’s piece Cosmic Colleges hung in City Hall in the first half of 2020 until it was sold.