National Scrollathon
Sarasota Art Museum
Sarasota, Florida 2022

You and Me, Me and You, All of Us Together, 2022, fiber, rubber bands, pins, glue, wood, paint, 96 x 96 x 3 1/2 inches

Steven and William Ladd launched the National Scrollathon in Sarasota, Florida, at the Sarasota Art Museum at Ringling College of Art and Design, marking the state’s contribution to America’s Cultural Project and the national goal of Uniting America. This expansive, nationwide collaboration will culminate in 2026 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States—the Semiquincentennial.

In October 2022, more than 500 participants from across Florida engaged in sessions where they created individual artworks expressing their personal stories, contributed to a Collaborative Masterwork—a legacy artwork representing Florida for the Semiquincentennial—and had their photographic portraits created as part of the initiative.

The Collaborative Masterwork, You and Me, Me and You, All of Us Together, was installed at the Sarasota Art Museum as part of an exhibition showcasing the history of Scrollathon. The installation was accompanied by a Portrait Mural and a Signature Plate bearing the names of all participants.

Rooted in the belief that every human being has creative potential and that there is power in coming together and working in community, Scrollathon was founded by artist-brothers Steven and William Ladd in 2006. Partnering with hundreds of stakeholders and institutions, Scrollathon has since engaged more than 10,000 participants nationwide.

The National Scrollathon extends this mission on a monumental scale, uniting people of diverse ages, backgrounds, and abilities across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories. This unprecedented initiative will culminate in 2026 with a historic national commemoration of art, community, and collaboration for America’s 250th birthday.

Walter’s Story

“You look at this scroll, it’s black and white. It’s not separate, it’s together.

I grew up here in Sarasota, Florida, in a segregated school system up until the point I was in tenth grade. At that point they closed down the local black school, and they integrated the two high schools here in Sarasota. And one of them was in this building…. 

I’m emotional because I know what we went through, and it wasn’t easy. That emotion came out so raw and so unexpected. I don’t even know where it was coming from. As I think back, I know why it came out, because it needed to come out.”

Community Groups
All Star Children’s Foundation
ALSO Youth
Alzheimer’s Association, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
CreArte Latino Cultural Center
Easterseals Southwest Florida
Girls Inc. Sarasota
Gulf Coast Latin Chamber of Commerce
IMPACT Theatre
Indigenous in Music and Arts Inc.
JFCS of the Suncoast
Kutya Major SAM Teen Arts Council + Family
Manasota B.U.D.S. (Bringing Up Down Syndrome)
Memory Disorder Clinic at Sarasota
Memorial Hospital
Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s
New College of Florida
Planned Parenthood of Southwest and
Central Florida
Ringling College of Art and Design
Sarasota Art Museum
Sarasota County Health and Human Services
Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office,
Second Heart Homes, Inc.
Senior Friendship Center Sarasota
Southside School Foundation for the Arts
Streets of Paradise Sarasota

Photos below: Daniel Perales for the Sarasota Art Museum