Union is one of 9 sculptures that are part of See Art Orlando, a permanent contemporary collection…read moreof art that was unveiled by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the See Art Orlando Board of Directors on November 18, 2013. The art project was launched by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and art lover Jennifer Quigley. They hoped that adding public art to downtown Orlando would bring pride, boost the economy, and strengthen the city's cultural core. The art is mainly displayed around Lake Eola. Union is located at Robinson Street and Eola Drive in Lake Eola Park. Union #2 was gifted to the city by the Harvey and Carol Massey Family. Union was created by sculptor, Ralfonso who is world famous for his kinetic, light, and interactive sculptures. Union #1, #3, and #4 are located throughout China. Ralfonso has been designing environmentally interactive art since 1980 and since 1999 he has been concentrating solely on kinetic and light sculptures for public places from his studios in West Palm Beach, Florida and Geneva, Switzerland. Once you see Ralfonso work you will know it. I instantly recognized Union because I had already visited a piece that looks very similar called Reflections that Ralfonso made as part of a 1.15 million dollar art project to create kinetic and interactive art to bring cultural tourism to Boynton Beach. Union is a group of six wind driven 25-feet tall steel aluminum poles with 30 curved wings at the top that move and reflect light. It is made out of mirrored polished stainless steel. The sculpture has programmable RGB LEDs, Hourly Light Chime, and is synchronized to the City Color Program. I love the height, movement, and drama of this piece. It is always different depending on the environment. It is so fun to explore and try to find all of See Art Orlando's pieces.

This particular piece of art is located on the edge of Lake Eola Park and just across the street…read morefrom the Persimmon Hollow Brewing Company. A little bit more clarification is that it sits on the corner of Robinson Street and Eola Drive. Lake Eola park has a lot of public art. These displays of public art help to give a community a sense of personality. I also firmly believe that these particular pieces of art will stand out in memories a people who grew up here in Orlando. The interpretation of art is left to each person who looks at it. For me, this particular piece looks towards the future and what our evolution can look like. If you are in Lake Eola Park, come check this piece out. See what it says to you. Art teaches us to look inward, it teaches us also to look outward at the world around us.

Located behind the concession stand called The Cantina in Oviedo on the Park, this piece of public…read moreart pays tribute to Oviedo, Florida. When I move to Orlando, Florida back in 2001, Oviedo was a small almost rural community on the outskirts of the northeastern part of Orlando and really did not offer much instead of being the town with chickens walking around it. The chickens are memorialized in this piece of art and rightfully so. Oviedo looks nothing like I remember it. It is now a Suburban area filled with communities much like this one. I think it is a positive. I am sure some of the old timers probably miss the area they grew up in, but as we step into each new tomorrow, progress is inevitable. The area where this mural is a perfect example. This little Park was not here. Now it is and it is surrounded by nice apartments. There are a lot of restaurants choices and things to do. As Orlando grew, the whole area did, as well. Come check out this park and while you are here, check out this piece of art.

HeartandSoul is a mural by a local artist that is a part of the creative infusion Disney Springs…read moreArt Walk. The pieces area spread through the popular Disney springs outlet shopping and entertainment district. This particular piece features a very brightly colored flower on a blue background. It is kinda hard to make out what it is. But is very lovely to look At. Overall a really good piece that is part of a cool art initiative in an area that will attract a lot of viewers.

This is a neat and happy mural located on the outside of Infusion tea in Orlando. Orlando has many…read moremurals all around town and this is a pleasant and colorful one. The mural gets plently of traffic in front of it so keep that in mind when trying to view it.

I found this cool piece of public art right before you enter the pier in St. Petersburg, Florida…read more This large free flowing net sculpture is very eye catching. The piece was made by internationally known, Tampa Bay native Janet Echelman. The title of the piece, Bending Arc is taken from Dr. Martin Luther King's words "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." Echelman decided to honor the civil rights movement because the site where the sculpture hangs was a location where local citizens protested segregation in the 1950's. The protests led to the 1957 US Supreme Court ruling that allowed people of all races to use the city beach and pool. According to the artist the new pier was designed to be welcoming to everyone. She has said "When I look at the piece moving in the wind you see these arcs move across as the wind blows through. It's a moment to contemplate the interconnectedness of the entire human race. And it's a reminder for us to be grateful for and celebrate the courage of the people who came before us. Who brought us to where we are and the job that we have to do bring ourselves forward again." The art installation was created to coincide with the open of the new 26 acre St. Petersburg Pier. Echelman has created several other net sculptures that are located all around the world. She took inspiration for this piece from historical postcards that had blue and white striped beach parasols and combined the colors with the geometric forms made by colonies of barnacles growing on the underside of the pier. When the wind blows it changes the shape of the soft sculpture. Bending arc is made of 1,662,528 light weight fiber knots and 180 miles of twine. It is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), an engineered fiber which has been turned into a thread like textile. The strands are braided together and wrapped around sewing bobbins to form the mesh netting that is knotted by hand. The sculpture is 424 feet long and it is 72 feet at its tallest point. It covers 47,500 square feet and weighs a total of 5,330 pounds. The sculpture was paid for by private donors and its infrastructure was part of the new Pier District project. Echelman's contract for the piece with St. Petersburg was for $1.47 million dollars. During the day Bending Arc is blue and white. At night it is illuminated with LED lights so that it appears purple and magenta. You can see it across the water from the parks lining the bay. There are some chairs set up under the sculpture so you can sit and watch the wind blow the netting overhead. I love public art and this is just one of many interesting elements that have been added to the new pier.

During my travels I have visited a lot of Veteran Memorials but this is the first war dog memorial…read morethat I have found. This memorial is located in front of the Avon Park Community Center and it was dedicated on November 9, 2018. It was donated to the City of Avon Park by the Battle of the Bands and the Loyal Order of the Moose. The Battle of the Bands is an organization created on February 15, 2005 in order to create an annual display that honors veterans on Main Street every holiday season. The monument features a 5 foot tall soldier, German shepherds, collies, and other breeds of dogs. At night the memorial is lit up. As a huge dog lover this memorial instantly caught my attention. It not only recognizes how dogs have served in combat but also how they have offered emotional therapy and support to our soldiers. I love this touching tribute to mans best friend.

I am so ashamed and triple embarrassed! OMG Steven B, what did you do?…read more I've lived in this teeny tiny town for five years and I'm a lifelong dog lover and I've been a member of the Loyal Order of Moose for many years. I've driven by this wonderful memorial maybe a thousand times and for some strange reason it's never "clicked!" Along comes my good Yelp friend https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=lvthTfCQGD0qaEk6jCdRdQ from considerably out of town and she writes the very first review! I am so ashamed! Thank you, Ariel W., for bringing me to my senses. This is an awesome and well-deserved memorial for our four-legged friends that is co-sponsored by the local Moose Lodge. War Dogs have helped humans for hundreds of years, saved countless lives and provided much needed emotional support to our soldiers. The memorial is very nicely done in bronze. I've stopped by twice now and I'm not ashamed to say that I've shed a tear or two!

My family and I stopped by the Greetings from Tampa postcard mural and it instantly felt like one…read moreof those must see spots in the city. The colors are bold and vibrant, and each letter tells its own little story about Tampa which makes it fun to stand there and take it all in. You can tell a lot of thought went into the details, and it really captures the personality of the area. It is also a perfect photo spot. Whether you are just passing through or exploring the city, it is one of those places that makes you glad you stopped. Super easy to find and definitely worth a visit if you are in Tampa. Good spot for sure

Ahh! It's just a cute little mural that is a neat attraction!! I found it and wanted to stop and…read moresee it!! If you're thinking about going and seeing it, GO!! Totally worth it, and there's free public parking as well!! 10/10

A wonderful commemorative mural in the overflow parking lot for track shack off of Mills Ave. It's…read morealways nice to see not just artistic murals but ones with a meaningful purpose as well! This one is a tribute to the Pulse incident and shows our city's pride and solidarity despite the things we've faced. This one is located next to another beautiful mural across the way from the main track shack building in their 'overflow' lot. They don't have much parking on site so this lot is where most people park anyways so it's super easy to get to and take a snap. Overall: A++ Love this meaningful and well done mural!!

On June 12, 2016 hate and anger reared its ugly head in my city. I am still processing my feelings…read moreas it was such a shock to me that something like this can happen. I know I will never truly understand it and it will forever live in my mind, heart and soul. But, what I am taking from it is nothing but love. I will continuously pray for those lost, their loved ones and our city as a whole. I am so very grateful to live in a city that is so inclusive and supportive and we are truly blessed to see the outpouring of love and respect that has risen from this terrible time. I adore this brand new addition to our loving city so that we keep this reminder close; that Love will ALWAYS win! Graffiti artists, Luce Sky and HepsFury have made this gorgeous tribute mural on the southern side of Pho Hoa. Go check it out and support our City Beautiful!

"Rhythmic Colors" consists of 68 18-foot powder-coated steel pipes anchored in concrete…read morefoundations. Creating dynamic patterns in concert with light and shadow, the installation offers drivers and pedestrians an impressionistic panorama of the city in motion. Viewed from above, the installation resembles a strand of Winter Park DNA, a marker of its past and a signpost of its future. I love seeing this piece when I drive down Fairbanks to i4! So colorful!

RLF designers were inspired by the iconic architecture and distinct colors of Winter Park, Florida…read more This modern art installment honors the city's rich history and landscape, acknowledged its current diversity and looks forward to a vibrant future. RLF was founded by James Gamble Rogers II in 1928. He went on to design some of the city's most recognizable buildings. ‍ The art is a respectful nod to the past, woven deftly into the city's diverse present. "Rhythmic Colors" consists of 68 18-foot powder-coated steel pipes anchored in concrete foundations. Viewed from above, the installation resembles a strand of Winter Park DNA, a marker of its past and a signpost of its future. Life is great with unique and meaningful public art!

I have been looking forward to visiting Calliope Street ever since I heard about the wine slushies…read moremade there. I had finally made it in and it was worth it. As we walked in the store, my eyes wandered from wall to wall. There are displays, paintings, glassware and other items that grabs your attention. We were greeted and spoke with the owner of the store for a while. I ordered The Raven specialty slushie. It is made from mango, strawberry, lemon, rum and triple sec. It was delicious. I had to keep reminding myself to pace myself and not to drink too fast. It was that good. It was not too strong and tasted great. Calliope Street offers painting classes. You only need 4 people minimum for a private party. They not only provide slushies but also offer other alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages for purchase. Now is the time to visit and enjoy everything Calliope has to offer. Calliope Street will be closing after December as the owner is retiring.

I love Calliope Street! It's a fun paint and sip place in the Oviedo Mall. They can host small or…read morelarge groups for events such as birthday parties. I have been a couple times with friends! Process is simple. Make your reservation online. Show up at that date and time and all your supplies are included- canvas, paint, smock. The instructor walks through how to paint that night's painting. They have alcoholic and NA drinks available for purchase. You can bring in food if you would like. I would happily go back to paint again!