Press release from Maria Huff Edwards
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Green thumbs and art aficionados alike are invited to Gainesville’s historic Grove Street Neighborhood on Dec. 20 as volunteers of Dreamers Garden celebrate an art installation in the community garden.
What: Sculpture installation.
When: Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.
Where: Dreamers Garden, 920 NW 4th Street, Gainesville, Florida.
The artwork, titled “NOMMO,” is a wrought iron sculpture by artist and blacksmith Yaw Owusu Shangofemi, formerly of Hawthorne. Like much of Shangofemi’s work, it was inspired by the culture of West Africa, from where the artist’s ancestors hailed. Nommo are ancestral spirits revered by the Dogon people of Mali for their life-giving powers. They are often depicted as amphibious or fish-like creatures.
“This whimsical piece helps elevate Dreamers Garden as a sculpture garden and contributes to the richness of public art in Gainesville and in Alachua County,” said Maria Huff Edwards, the garden’s founder. “It also honors the special connection that exists between Yaw and this peaceful place.”
Shangofemi previously created two wrought iron gates for Dreamers Garden. His “Gate of Phillip,” which features elegant scrollwork across two panels, was installed in 2007. In 2024, Shangofemi’s “Gate of the Muses for Ray Charles” became the garden’s entry gate. The piece is decorated with musical notes and piano keys.
Susan E. Cooksey, retired curator of African art at the University of Florida’s Harn Museum, is scheduled to speak at the unveiling event. Also sharing her thoughts on Yaw’s art will be Dr. Jody Berman, who wrote her master’s thesis on Yaw, and Nicholas Frech, who assisted Yaw during the creation of the Gate of Philip.
Dreamers Garden acquired “NOMMO” through the Art Tag Grant program, which is facilitated by the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners and the Arts Council of Alachua County. The program funds public art projects in the county by combining a National Endowment for the Arts grant, sales of Florida’s “State of the Arts” license plates, and contributions from Visit Gainesville, Alachua County.
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