NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 95
Rainer Hildebrandt, a West Berliner
who created the Checkpoint Charlie
Museum in Berlin to tell the story of those
who tried to escape communism to seek
freedom, helped Cal Worthington of the
CIA purchase about 500 feet of the wall.
Worthington shipped 300 sections, each
weighing about 1,000 pounds, to Maine
for storage. One-third of the pieces had
been painted by three Russian artists in
1990. Some sections were donated to the
city of Portland, Maine, but the remaining
sections were sold to Warren Johnson, who
gifted them to his daughter Elizabeth Glass
of the Tampa Bay area. Not knowing
what to do with the art, she contacted Jay
Goulde, then-president of the Outdoor
Arts Foundation in the Tampa Bay area.
The foundation was known for its public
arts projects, such as the 2002 “Tour of
Turtles.” Jay and Elizabeth agreed to have
artists from all over the world paint the
cement segments from the Berlin Wall,
then have the collection go on tour before
being sold at auction. When no sponsor
could be found, the collection was sold
to Dr. Jack Jawitz of Bradenton.
In 2008, Tampa Bay artists painted
20 wall sections. Some of these pieces,
along with the Russian-painted pieces,
and unpainted pieces are on exhibit at
Westfield Citrus Park mall in Tampa,
in addition to paintings about the Cold
War by artist Terri Lynn “Blue” Bluebird.
The educational experience is free. It is a
fascinating example of how art can serve
to illustrate and preserve history. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: To contribute to the
Outdoor Arts Foundation to help preserve
and exhibit this collection, call Lonnie
Homenuk at (831) 220-9985, or visit
outdoorartsfoundation.org.
Four leaders involved in the
Berlin Wall were French President
Charles de Gaulle, American President
Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime
Minister Winston Churchhill and
Russian President Joseph Stalin.
Russian artist Vladimir Smachtin created Step Right Up Folks!
LONNIE HOMENUK