Artists Registry
Saint Petersburg FL United States
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Artist's Statement
Statement of Work
Philanthropist and artist Richard Sean Manning creates art to benefit others.
He has pledged to paint 3000 original works of 'Unity Art' as a memorial to all those who perished on that fateful date, and to help 501c3 organizations raise funds for worthy causes.
To open a dialogue about unity through art, he has committed to create and donate a series of '9/11 Twin Towers' to museums across the country to promote unity through art.
His greatest achievement is to be creating a nine foot pair of '9/11 Twin Towers' that will be the centerpiece of an exhibit of 'Tribute/Response Art' that will be situated at the conclusion of the primary historical exhibition at the September 11 Memorial Museum located in New York City.
"The mission of this display is to allow visitors -- who are probably weary from reading labels and the quantity of walking they must do in the museum galleries at bedrock - to take in the art-responses economically, without needing much context to grasp their emotional genesis. We think that the two
looming Tower forms (created by Richard Sean Manning) are instantly recognizable in this regard." as stated by Jan Seidler Ramirez, Chief Curator & Director of Collections at the National September 11 Memorial Museum.
Richard Sean Manning believes that first part of our lives are for learning, the second for earning and if we are fortunate enough, the third part of our lives are for returning.
His Mantras Include:
Lead by example.
Plant seeds of a global consciousness towards charitable giving.
Make it personal to make a difference.
Promote unity through art.
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ABOUT THE ARTIST - RICHARD SEAN MANNING
In 1985 Richard Sean Manning moved from upstate New York to the gulf coast of Florida and joined Jabil Circuit Inc., who had recently moved to St Petersburg after obtaining a contract to make add-on circuit boards for IBM.
His work ethic paid off as he worked his way up and into management, and by the age of forty he had retired to concentrate on his private investments, artistic endeavors and his philanthropic pursuits, and divides his time between office/studios in St Petersburg, Florida and Lockport, New York.
When in Florida, he works from office/studios located in a 31,000 square foot, historic 1926 seaboard train station, that he was involved in the purchase and the total restoration of, with his former wife, Beth Morean. He is proud to have been a part of this project which provides full facilities to a thriving art community, with studio and gallery space and an impressive selection of kilns, including a wood burning Anagama kiln.
ARTISTIC ENDEVOURS
Richard Sean Manning is a prolific artist who works in a number of mediums including ink, oil, acrylic, exotic and rare wood, metal and glass. He is also an accomplished ceramic artist who works with up to five tons of clay each year to produce art that is sought after by private collectors and museums.
DONATES ART TO MUSEUMS
He was inspired to create a series of one-of-a-kind ceramic '9/11 Twin Towers' and to donate them to museums across the country to commemorate 9/11 and to encourage a dialogue about unity through art.
The first permanent exhibit, valued at $65K, was installed to mark the tenth anniversary of 9/11 at the Great Explorations Children's Museum located in St. Petersburg, Florida. They were designed to be easy on the eye of young children, and are colorful, whimsical and stand seven feet tall rotating on a base of steel.
The September 11 Memorial Museum located at ground zero in New York City will be the next recipient of a pair of nine foot tall ceramic '9/11 Memorial Towers' as the centerpiece of an exhibit of 'Tribute/Response Art' that will be situated at the conclusion of the primary historical exhibition.
LAUNCHES THE MANNING ARTS
Cognizant of the need to raise funds for worthy causes inspired him to pledge to create 3000 original works of art as a memorial to all those who perished on 9/11. Even though his art is inspired by this tragedy, his paintings are diverse in color and content, and raises social awareness.
Richard Sean Manning and his business partner Laura Manning co-founded The Manning Arts which was launched at The Mahaffey Theater in February of 2011, with the support of Elizabeth Brincklow, Manager of the Office of Art and International Relations for the City of St Petersburg.
Two hundred and fifty works of 'Unity Art' were hung in The Mahaffey Theater Gallery for a reception with a 'Rest in Peace' work of art created to honor the memory of Christina Taylor Green, who was born on 9/11/01 and tragically lost her precious young life in Tucson, Arizona ironically on 1/8/11 (1+8=9/11).
Fifty five works remained on public display for 3 months with proceeds benefiting Class Acts which provides art education to more than 30,000 students each year.
POTENTIAL OF RAISING $400 MILLION
Any 501c3 organization can register online to participate in The Manning Arts innovative fundraising initiative that has the potential of raising over $400 million for worthy causes.
Each participating charity is assigned a unique URL which they can share with their supporters, who can choose any work of art from the online gallery.
Included in every purchase is a 66% charitable contribution from the supporter to the charity that originates the sale, which is instantly deposited to the PayPal account of the participating charity, at point of sale.
The Manning Arts receives the remaining 34% and the fulfillment team reproduces and ships the chosen art directly to the supporter, so all the charity has to do is get the word out. It's as simple as that!
COMMITTED TO TECHNOLOGY
Richard Sean Manning is known as an astute businessman who operates on a handshake. He is diversified in his business interests, but one common thread runs through his holdings. He is 100% committed to a technology driven consumer marketplace.
He holds a substantial share holding in specialized insurance technology/marketing company ClickAndBind who helps carriers add or enhance online distribution channels resulting in a 'hybrid' new profit center for carriers and agencies that cuts overhead and drives revenue with market speed.
GROUNDED IN HIS ROOTS
He spends at least one week each month at his Lockport, New York office/studios located on the grounds of his 200 acre family run vineyard on the bench of the Niagara Escarpment.
Seeing wine making as an art form, he and his brothers established Freedom Run Winery in 2005 as a family legacy. They are proud of the quality of their artisan wine which have won numerous international awards and they have had to increase the size of their production and barrels rooms, to accommodate upwards of 3500 visitors on wine trail weekends.
PLANTING SEEDS OF A GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS
He is actively involved in teaching the love of creating art, and takes pride in helping teachers to plant seeds of a global consciousness about charitable giving by encouraging youth to ‘make it personal to make a difference’.
MENTORS, ACADEMIC & HONORS
He is a self taught artist, and his mentors have been amongst an illustrious group of recognized artists and masters of ceramics such as Jun Kaneko and Don Reitz as well as the late Rudy Autio, Paul Soldner and Peter Voulkos.
Over the years he has been guided by ceramics Professor's John Balistreri of Bowling Green State University and Matt Long of the University of Mississippi, and he underwent an independent study with Professor Brian Ransom at Eckerd College of St Petersburg.
Richard Sean Manning graduated from Starpoint High School in 1980 and went on to trade school with the intention of becoming a machinist, which helped him to excel at Jabil. A born leader, he became the youngest president of the Lockport Jaycee’s at age 18.
He is honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Starpoint Academic Wall of Fame and Achievement Award for his excellence in his chosen field, and his outstanding contribution to humanity.
He is past president of the Art Center of St Petersburg and Live Arts Peninsula and is particularly proud of being the recipient of the coveted John Eckert Memorial Award.
A supporter of the arts, he has been on the board of the Mahaffey Theater, and the Palladium Theater and is past president of The Art Center of St Petersburg and Live Arts Peninsula. He is particularly proud of being the recipient of the coveted John Eckerd Memorial Award.
He is currently on the board of The First Tee of St Petersburg and actively participates to help teach core values to young people through the game of golf, to help them to excel in life.