Coral Gables is known for it's numerous plazas, entrances, and fountains from 1920's. That's why I…read morefind it so interesting to see what current works of art are being added. Anything new needs to harmonize with the beautiful features that George Merrick added in when he created the city. In 2014 the city approved two sculptures to be installed at the traffic circles along Segovia Street. They were designed by New York-based artist and sculptor Alice Aycock. The two installations are the first public art pieces to be added since George Merrick was alive. The sculptures are inspired by the passion flower and are constructed of more than 4,000 pieces of metal. The two sculptures are different. The sculpture on Biltmore is larger and has two flower designs. The Coral Way sculpture is designed to mimic a flower flowing in the breeze. More than 180 submissions were judged before a panel selected Aycock's design. The flowers have received mixed reviews from the community. Many feel that the modern art is not in keeping with the look of the city. A group of residents tried to have the sculptured removed but did not muster enough signatures for the ballot. Some of the complaints are that the sculptures are not Mediterranean and that accidents have increased at the traffic circles since the sculptures were installed. Others complain bitterly that they are not even able to choose a paint color for their house yet the city has moved away from the Mediterranean look of the city without consulting them. The city has decided to keep the sculptures despite the protest of some people who do not care for the look of modern art in their 1920's Mediterranean Revival city.

Interesting new metal art located near the golf course and situated on two roundabouts. There are…read moretwo pieces one on each roundabout - They are passions flowers. Other people here have told the history about them so I will leave it at that. However what I did read about on the net and thought was amusing - was some local residents were not very happy with them, thinking they did not represent Coral Gables mediterranean image, so they started a petition to get them remove. They did get over a thousand signatures but no where near enough to make an impact and get them removed. Looks like they are here to stay. I was not too keen when I first saw them and had a little chuckle to myself as the largest one is situated in front of a plastic surgery office (HE HE)...(apt? - you decide). However after walking around and actually really looking at them, the location, the area, they started to grow on me!...Let me know what you think - when you go for a look!

We love art! You got to--to appreciate this space. Great staff Rachel (so informative), Alex in…read morespray paint, and Alex -the one checking tickets- all sooo friendly and great. Rachel is above and beyond awesome. Beautiful art space outdoor and indoor (this was a great break from the heat). The outdoor fans, great idea but they aren't cold so not helping anyone cool off hehe On our second visit we brought the kids and did some spray painting on canvases and a skateboard. Such a great experience. Alex and her partner Andres were so helpful made the experience very enjoyable.

Wynwood Art Walk Tours isn't just walking past murals. It's walking with someone who knows which…read morewalls have stories attached, which artists took risks, which pieces cost the neighborhood something. The murals themselves are massive and they're professional, but scale alone doesn't make art work. Context does. Shepard Fairey's augmented reality layer is the differentiator here. It's not a gimmick. When you scan a mural with your phone, the piece opens up into layers and motion. It's the artist's way of saying "there's more here than what you see." It works because it's restrained, not constantly pulling you into your screen. You're still in the neighborhood. You're just seeing deeper. The guide we had knew the economics of gentrification in Wynwood. Knew which artists have been here for years and which are new money. Knew the politics of murals, why some walls get painted and others get buffed, why some artists collaborate and some don't. That knowledge cost something to build. You're paying for it. We took three teenagers, ages 14-17. Not a group naturally inclined to stand still for street art. They asked questions about technique, about why certain artists choose certain walls, about whether the AR experience changes how you see the piece or adds distraction. They engaged. That's not about impressive art alone, that's about the tour structure creating room for actual thinking instead of passive consumption. The neighborhood is dense and chaotic and intentional all at once. You'll see pieces that are technically flawless next to pieces that are deliberately rough. Some murals are massive, some are character-scale. Some artists are making statements about politics, some about beauty, some about ownership. The variation is what keeps it alive. A sanitized art walk would kill this. Walking it yourself is free and worth doing once. Walking it with the tour is $29 and worth doing if you want to understand why these walls matter to the city and why some artists chose to paint them. The difference is context. Context costs something, but you leave with more than photos. The sun hits different at 4 PM than at 11 AM, so timing matters if photography is part of your thing. The neighborhood gets foot traffic but it's not overwhelming. You're in a real place, not a theme park. That texture is part of why this works.

Riding my bike through the Riverwalk and stopped for a cold tea at Pura Vida where the giant THRIVE…read morecavelike stone sculpture proudly stands with green vines filling the sides of the cave. Im not really an art buff, but this sculpture by Daniel Popper was impressive. The stone sculpture depicts a woman cracking open her rib cage with both of her hands symbolizing transformation and hope. People can be seen taking pictures inside the cave. Its worth a few minutes to take a peek at this artwork if near Las Olas in Ft Lauderdale.

The Thrive Statue is one of those pieces that stops you mid-walk. It's powerful, expressive, and…read morequietly emotional--capturing strength, growth, and resilience all at once. The scale alone draws you in, but it's the details and posture that really make you pause and reflect. Set against the modern surroundings, it feels both grounding and inspiring, like a reminder to keep pushing forward even when things feel heavy. Beautifully done, thoughtfully placed, and absolutely worth a moment (or a photo) if you're in the area.

R&R is a mural created in 2022 by artist Nina Chanel Abney, an African American contemporary artist…read moreand painter. Abney was born in Illinois and currently works out of New York. She received an MFA in 2007 from the Chicago Art Institute and the Parsons School of Design. Abney is best known for colorful graphic large-scale paintings. Race, gender, pop culture, homophobia, and politics are common themes in her work. In September 2018, Abney curated a group exhibition highlighting current socio-political issues at the Jeffery Deitch gallery entitled Punch. The exhibition called upon current socio-political issues and featured art by Abney herself and some of her close friends. R&R was commissioned by Miami Worldcenter as part of its 5 million dollar Worldcenter public art program outdoor museum. Miami Worldcenter is a 27 acre, 4 billion dollar mixed use center with retail, luxury condos, hotels, public art and restaurants. It one of the largest private real-estate developments in the United States. The outdoor art museum is overseen by art dealer Jeffrey Deitch and Primary, a Miami-based curatorial collective that focuses on public art. This public art program was unveiled during Miami Art Week and the 20th anniversary of Art Basel Miami Beach. All of the art work chosen by Deitch depicts people so the viewer can relate and connect to the artwork. R&R uses graphic figures, bold color planes, and musical notes inspired by Overtown, a historic Black neighborhood in Miami. Overtown was incorporated as a colored neighborhood in 1896 during segregation. It was the place where Henry Flagler's black railroad workers lived while building the infrastructure of Miami. Overtown is the second oldest neighborhood in Miami. During the 1920's, it was home to D.A. Dorsey, one of the first black millionaires in the south. After WWII it became the epicenter of black culture and was known as the Broadway of the South. Many famous entertainers stayed here when performing in Miami like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nat King Cole. In the 1950's, the area suffered an economic decline and in the 1960's many residents were displaced by the construction of I-95. R&R is meant to remind people that gentrification has erased the rich cultural heritage of many primarily black neighborhoods. About her mural Abney has said "The impact of gentrification is greatly felt in its tendency to displace and erase the lives and legacies of Black and poor people. Few Black communities have been able to survive the political decisions and economic trends that exploit the cultural desirability of these often (but not always) already disenfranchised neighborhoods. In some cases only remnants of these communities remain, and this is after archival excavation. I created a pictorial language to depict a speculative narrative that investigates community 'renewals' and subsequent removals. The mural location, a tunnel formed by the dark passageway under the building, inspired me to consider the recognition of sacred spaces with story. I hope to spark a dialogue around gentrification and encourage a curiosity amongst viewers to engage with and learn about the previous and adjacent neighborhoods." This is a thought provoking piece and a great addition to the outdoor art museum at Miami Worldcenter.

Marc Quinn's "Broken Sublime," is a stunning stainless steel seashell sculpture on Las Olas Blvd &…read moreSE 6th Ave. The conch shell, a piece by British artist Marc Quinn stands over 7 feet tall & weighs more than 5,500 lbs, This larger-than-life stainless steel seashell sculpture valued at nearly $1 million graces the grounds of downtown's long-awaited Tunnel Top Plaza, an artificial turf zone that cost taxpayers $10.6 million. This new sculpture and sitting area is in front of the cheesecake factory. The beach is steps away and the new art here is meant to evoke positive feelings about the Fort Lauderdale seashore.

A giant stainless steel conch shell in a circular water fountain at the tip of Huizenga Park which…read moreis visible from E Las Olas Blvd. The sculpture was created by artist Marc Quinn in 2015. The shell was part of the Public Art and Placemaking Program in Fort Lauderdale. It seems every corner on Las Olas has either a mural or a sculpture that represents some sort of love, peace or community strength.

Green Turtle and Blue Tang is another one of the beautiful public art works in…read moreLauderdale-by-the-Sea by artist Laura Fisher Huck. I have always admired this piece at the entrance to Green Turtle Plaza, the home of one of my favorite sub shops, La Spada's. Laura Huck created several pieces for Lauderdale-by-the-Sea including the Coral Reef Arch at the town entryway. Town Manager Connie Hoffman first spotted Huck's work in Nova Scotia where the works were installed in 2002. Huck specialized in outdoor painted sculptures and has developed a process where they do not weather. She ended up designing five colorful sculptures for the city with inspiration drawn from her dives with scuba instructor Rene Bobadilla. Artist Laura Fisher Huck visualized, researched, designed, and then drew the art work. It was then cut and fabricated by a structural engineer. The pieces were made out of aluminum so it would not corrode, coated with zinc oxide primer, and then hand painted with UV protecting acrylic paint. During the last step, six coats of UV protecting epoxy were also applied. Green Turtle and Blue Tang was installed in 2013 and features a green sea turtle, the largest of the hard shelled turtles. They are unique because they are herbivores with a diet consisting of sea grass and algae. Green turtles are found around the world but their numbers have declined as they have been used for their meat and eggs. They have also lost nesting habitat due to coastal development. They are listed as an endangered species. Surrounding the turtle are colorful blue tangs, a fish often seen on Florida's reefs. The blue tangs are giving the turtle a bath by eating the algae off of its shell. In 2021 Lauderdale-by-the-Sea budgeted $200,000 to restore the Laura Fisher Huck sculptures by the beach. Green Turtle and Blue Tang has never looked better. I love the intricacy of this sculpture and it's theme. It's a great reminder to protect endangered sea turtles and keep your garbage off the beach. These and other sea turtles nest on the beach a few feet away March through October.

What a cool place! The Village Art Plaza boasts many unique outdoor art installations and…read moreactivities for the community. The location is significant as it is the location of Sunrise's first post office. My favorite piece of artwork was the upside down house, it was a replica of an upside down house built by Norman Johnson back in the 1960s to encourage people to visit Sunrise Golf Village. There is an augmented reality historic mural in which you can scan a QR code and the mural comes to life on your phone. There is a playground.

Absolutely stunning! The art poured into this space makes it so vibrant and gives it a unique…read moreenergy that's hard to put into words. The staff is knowledgeable, welcoming, and provides excellent service. Such a beautiful space for any event.

I was traveling through Wynwood and found Joen and his beetle! Very cool to see. Joen was made…read morein 2019 and has had a rough time here. Worn and loved and tagged in the art district. There was plenty of parking and the Wynwood district is awesome to see all the art murals around. I'm glad I got to visit him.

Traveled with a large group of International students. Spotted the sculpture and stopped to take a…read morephoto. Amazing sculpture.

In 2012 the City of Pompano Beach adopted an ordinance to place public art in the city. Works are…read morechosen by the Public Art Committee and the Old Town Mural is part of the public art program. It's so much fun finding new art popping up in different places in the city. There is a ten year master plan that proposes 27 new pieces of art. Periodically Pompano will list a call for artist submissions on their public arts page and at that time artists can submit their work for consideration for the next project. The Old Town Mural was created by South Florida artist Carlos Gonzalez. He won the competition held by the Public Arts Committee and his design was chosen. The mural is located on an exterior wall in the Old Town section of Pompano located across the street frrom the Pompano Beach Cultural Center. In bright colors, the 98 foot high mural depicts the landmarks and historic sites in Pompano Beach. Scenes include the Pompano Beach pier, the Hillsboro Lighthouse, fruilts and vegetables from when Pompano Beach started out as a farming community, historic buildings, and a Pompano fish. The best time to come and see this mural is during Old Town Untapped, a food arts, and shopping event held on the first Friday of every month. The city planted some flowers in front of the mural and it is the perfect back drop for taking pictures. I really love this mural and am excited to see what the committee approves next.

Kudos to the artist . We were near the mural in the small park listening to a free rock band …read more Apparently they have free monthly concerts near the old town mural . Yippy to free concerts and beautiful art .

If you are interested in outdoor public art, don't want to pay to see it like for Wynwood Walls in…read moreMiami, and would rather avoid paying for tolls for driving closer abouts Miami, check out the Downtown Hollywood Mural Project! http://hollywoodcra.org/188/Downtown-Hollywood-Mural-Project Looks like they offer a free mural walking tour at 6pm every third Saturday (weather dependent), but we downloaded a map and headed off on our own. We ended up using their map to get to the area, then we did the wandering tourist thing, and just happened upon the artwork nilly willy. It was fun!

Downtown Hollywood has vibrant wall murals everywhere from the Art Park better known as Young…read moreCircle to Dixie Highway along Harrison Street and Hollywood Blvd. The idea behind the Hollywood Mural Project was to transform urban space into public art. Its free and easy to take a self guided tour to find all the exhibits. We found five that really stood out and discovered their origin and creators.