This is a public art piece by Spanish artist Manolo Valdés. He is known for his artistic style that…read morecombines art with history. Valdés has been featured in many museums and galleries. His pieces are displayed in Valencia, Spain; Place Vendome, Paris; Berkeley Square, London; Taipei, Taiwan and Dubai and now in Miami Beach. Valdés is an internationally known artist and his work is supposed to represent multicultralism in the city. This sculpture features a head surrounded by butterflies. Valdés inspiration came from a chance encounter with butterflies in New York. "One day, while strolling in Central Park, I saw a group of butterflies that had landed on top of a sculpture and the idea of the headpiece was born." There is a larger version of this sculpture in Sunny Isles called Mariposas. I love the whimsical nature of this piece. I am also a fan of Valdés Infanta Margarita statues. Butterflies is dressed up extra special this week in celebration of the floral art exhibition Fleurs De Villes Voyage, on display at the nearby Bal Harbour Shops. Large butterflies covered in pink and white flowers from Blake Roses Floral Designs have been added to Valdés sculpture. You can see the added display of flowers until March 12th.

Worthy of a stop, if you pass by. I was in the area and was surprised to pass it. I therefore…read morepulled over as being English I miss historical buildings, especially as Miami is so modern. You can find this historic fountain, which is called Fulford-By-The-Sea Monument in North Miami Beach, Florida. It was built in 1925 as part of the development project by the Fulford-by-the-Sea Company. The fountain was one of the largest built in South Florida in the 1920s. There were intended to be 4 other similar fountains at other access points to the development. However, the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 and the end of the Florida land boom prevented their construction. The fountain is a Dade Historical Site and its image is part of the North Miami Beach city logo. On November 29, 2010, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Fulford by the Sea Entrance.

The historic Fulford-by-the-Sea fountain is located in North Miami Beach. It was built in 1925 by…read moreMerle C. Tebbetts and Edgar C. Linn of the Florida Cities Finance Company during Florida's land boom years when ornate Mediterranean Revival and Neoclassical Revival architecture like you see in this fountain were the fashion. At 32 feet it is one of the tallest fountains in South Florida and was built of cast stone. It was placed at the main entrance to the development. The plan had been to create four fountains and put them at the other entrances to the Fulford-by-the-Sea development which began selling lots in 1922. The Great Miami Hurricane in 1926 followed by the Great Depression put an end to the fortunes of Florida and the other fountains were never built. Features of the fountain include four triumphal arches on a circular base that contains a shallow pool. My favorite part of the fountain are the four unicorn busts around the mosaic tile dome. I never would have thought that I could find a unicorn let alone four of them in Miami. The fountain it still in operation today and pretty much in its original condition. It was designated a Dade Historical Site in 1983 and it is featured on the North Miami Beach city logo. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 2010. In 2017. Florida marker F-952, detailing the history of the fountain was placed next to it by the City of North Miami Beach and the Florida Department of State. In 2016 the fountain received a 5 month restoration by RLA Conservation of Art + Architecture that cost $100,000. It was paid for by state funding and donations to the city and the city had a dedication ceremony when it was completed. I love when I find a piece of architecture from the 1920's in Florida. Not a lot of it was preserved and unlike in Coral Gables, there is very little left in North Miami. It was a real treat stumbling on this exquisite fountain. It is worth a stop and a picture if you are in the area.

This is a large scale bronze public art piece by renowned Cuban artist Cundo Bermudez (1914-2008)…read more He is considered that last of the great Cuban master artists. His final 20 foot tall masterpiece, "Flora la Recogedora de Sueños," was dedicated to the City of Miami, a place he always felt welcomed. Cundo Bermudez was an immigrant to Miami and he wanted Flora to represent the hope all immigrants have and to show the love he had for Miami, a place that is very welcoming to people from all over the world. Abou the piece Cundo said ". "Flora just came to say, I'm here to stay. The meaning of this piece is very touching because it reveals our humanity. Despite all the problems in life, people are always hopeful and it is reflected in the artwork named Flora la Recogedora de Sueños, where dreams will be kept to see if they come true." I really like this quote by Cundo "Humans evaporate, but artwork will stand forever." I have always admired this sculpture in Maurice A. Ferré Park. There is something so regal about it and now that I learned the meaning behind it, I like it even more. Parking is available in Maurice A. Ferré Park for $5 and hour.

Romero Britto is a vivid pop artist and the founder of what he calls the Happy Art Movement. He…read morebelieves the purpose of art is to radiate happiness, fun, love, and hope while inspiring people. The New York Times has said Britto's art, "exudes warmth, optimism and love". Britto was born in poverty in Brazil in 1963. In 1983 he made his way to Europe where he was inspired by artists such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. In 1988 he moved to Miami where he still maintains a studio. Britto's earliest work was done on newspaper which was all he could afford and sold on the sidewalk. Inspired by the sunshine of Miami he began working in bright palates which attracted people to his work. He received his first major commission to design artwork for Absolut Vodka for a 1989 campaign that also had bottles that featured art by Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Corporate partnerships and licensing deals followed. His designs have been used by companies like Disney, BMW, IBM, Apple Computers, Grand Marnier, Pepsi, and Royal Caribbean Cruises and his art has been featured on cruise ships, cars, Barbie dolls and pet collars His art has even made it to the World Cup, Superbowl. and Olympics. Britto art has been exhibited art galleries and museums in over 120 countries but his brightly colored artwork has become synonymous with South Florida where you can find it everywhere from city vehicles, hospitals, parking meters, and lottery tickets. Britto Inc. generates 250 million dollars of sales annually. He has become the most collected and licensed artist in history. Britto works out of art gallery dubbed the Britto Palace in Wynwood. You have to win your way in for a tour through charities or Britto picks one person a week with a golden ticket to visit from anyone that spends $250 or more with him. I discovered this iconic Britto palm tree art in Florence C. Hardy Park on my way to breakfast at Bagel and Company a few feet away. Palm trees are a common motif in his artwork. I saw a bunch of them for sale in his art gallery on Lincoln Road in South Beach. The sculpture was donated to the city by the Reger family in 2022. Britto came out for the dedication and expressed his joy that more people would be able to experience his art in the beautiful park. As a fan of Britto and his brightly colored pop art and public art works, I think this installation really brightens this corner of the park. What a generous gesture by the Reger family.

On April, 29, 2022, Romero Britto erected one of his iconic sculptures on the grounds of Hardy…read morePark. The donation was made by Tarpon River resident Yasmine Reger.

This is a 18 foot high public art piece located in Central Broward Regional Park in front of the…read moreLauderdale Library and Performing Arts Center. It was created by artist Alice Aycock and it was installed in 2008 at a cost of $322,000. Aycock also has sculptures displayed at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Philadelphia International Airport, and JFK International Airport in New York. Of this piece Aycock said "I very much wanted people passing by to wonder about it, to say, 'What is that? I haven't seen anything quite like that." The sculpture is made of metal, steel, concrete and acrylic. It sits slightly above a 30' x 21' elliptical-shaped pool. The center of the sculpture is an acrylic sphere. 20 foot metal ribbons spiral around it before dipping below the surface of the water. Based on its appearance some people took to calling it "The Slinky.'' I love finding these large public art pieces in Broward, the county I live in. Broward has a robust art program and you can find may pieces all over the county. The art program is overseen by the Cultural Division which offers grant programs to eligible artists, non-profit organizations, and cities to promote the development of arts and culture in Broward County. At the time this art piece was created, the county had already spent millions on 230 art pieces. This piece is especially interesting to me because of the size and the water element. Looking at it, I think of the earth or another planet in the solar system. According to Broward's Public Art and Design website "This artwork is designed to generate a realm of wonder and curiosity; to be theatrical, poetic, delightful and magical. Integrating, nature, science, art and technology, its normal composition refers to the dynamic and tumultuous weather patterns in South Florida and the gravitational forces present on the earth and throughout the solar system, illustrating the expanding universe and underwater marine life." It is always fun to discover new to me public art pieces. If you are in the area come check it out.

I have been eagerly awaiting the installation of this public art piece and it is finally here. This…read morelarge, 8,000 pound bronze sea turtle statue was created for Dania Beach by environmental artist and conservationist Robert Wyland who was born in 1956 in Detroit, Michigan. He is most well known for his large outdoor murals, a series of 100 Whaling Walls throughout the country and world to spotlight the fragile ocean ecosystem. J. Milton and Associates as part of the City of Dania Beach's public art program, commissioned Wyland to create a sculpture of a Florida green sea turtle and the colorful reef fish and coral that are part of Florida's living reef. The sculpture was built over eight months and then shipped to Dania Beach. This turtle sculpture is part of Wyland's global public art project, which focuses on representations of marine life. Other Wyland pieces from this project are in Beijing, China and Hoonah, Alaska. This green turtle is swimming in front of Sea View Luxury Rentals. The pictures do not do this beautiful piece justice. I have been a long time Wyland fan and have visited several of the Whaling Walls. I love how this sculpture brings awareness to green sea turtles. They are the largest of the hard shelled turtles and 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.

I couldn't help but see the large scale Mariposas on a recent trip to Sunny Isles. Mariposas, which…read moreis the Spanish word for butterflies is a stainless steel 18 foot high head crowned with butterflies. It was purchased for 1.6 million dollars by J. Milton & Associates, a Miami real estate development company since 1963. Mariposas stands in front of the Milton Tower, a 14-story office building near NE 163rd Street and Collins Avenue. This artwork is part of Sunny Isles Beach's Cultural Master Plan, which was created in 2017 to bring more art to the city. Developers who apply for building permits of any size in Sunny Isles Beach are required to contribute an art piece valued at least $500,000. Mariposas was created by Spanish artist Manolo Valdés known for his style that combines art with history. Valdés has been featured in many museums and galleries. His pieces are displayed in Valencia, Spain; Place Vendome, Paris; Berkeley Square, London; Taipei, Taiwan and Dubai and now in Sunny Isles Beaches. Valdés is an internationally known artist and his work is supposed to represent multiculturalism in the city. I was really drawn the playfulness of this piece. It is very eye catching and fun to photograph at different angles.

An incredible piece of local art? Not too sure, but it's size alone is impressive…read more The 10 foot tall multi pastel colored "I LOVE YOU" artwork is positioned at the main entrance of the West Davie Branch Broward County Library. The exhibit was created by artists Rosario Marquardt and Roberto Behar. Ok, it was a cool eye catcher when I drove into the parking lot, but thats as far as it goes.

I Love You is a public art piece completed in 2012 at the Broward County Library Branch which used…read moreto be the home of Young at Art. This installation was created by wife and husband artists Rosario Marquardt & Roberto Beha from R & R Studios who create art, architecture, and design for cities. They also created the Living Room in the Design District in Miami and A Midsummer Night's Dream, in Balboa Square in Coral Gables. Florida. They have created many other public art arts all over the country and internationally. This is the artists statement "We weave together visual arts, architecture, design, landscape and the city. The ambition of our practice is to reclaim, enhance and develop the public dimension of the city. We seek to produce a public architecture that highlights the communal and civic dimension of life and erases boundaries between art and everyday life. We understand our work as experiments in public space, models of possibilities that might imbue the construction of the city with new meaning and emotion." This art installation was designed as a secret garden or an outdoor open room perfect for telling stories or secrets. In addition to the 10 foot high letters which spell out the words I Love You, the piece also has five brightly colored, flower shaped benches for seating. Although the children's art museum is no longer here, the letters still make the perfect backdrop for romantic photos. Come visit this unique and whimsical piece of art. "It's a love story, baby just say yes!"