While walking along the shoreline in Sunset Park in West Palm Beach, I discovered Sun Salutations,…read morepublic artwork created by artist Vito Di Bari in 2021.He has created art in 25 countries worldwide from interactive 23 foot installations to underwater coral artworks in the Gulf of Mexico. The sculpture was inspired by the official seal and logo of West Palm Beach. It was crafted from water-jet-cut, powder-coated aluminum and dichroic tempered glass to create a celebration of light, movement, renewal, and the natural beauty of South Florida. What makes this artwork special is its interactive design. The sculpture rotates completely on its own axis, continually changing its appearance as the light shifts throughout the day. Sunlight passes through the central glass medallion, catching and refracting the rays into colorful reflections. It is especially captivating at sunset when it showcases a beautiful harmony between art and nature.

While driving through downtown Lake Worth, I spotted this historical mural on the side of Awe…read moreFlowers, a local floral shop. Its subject immediately caught my attention, so I had to stop and take a closer look. The mural proudly proclaims, "Lake Worth Where the Tropics Begin." The motto of Lake Worth Beach is "Where the Tropics Begin," a reference to the city's location in South Florida, near the transition between subtropical and tropical climates. The slogan brings to mind a city with palm trees, warm climate, and a tropical atmosphere. This mural was painted in 2011 by self-taught Lake Worth artist Karen Hetzer. It is packed with references to the city's history. At the center is a portrait of General William Jenkins Worth (1794-1849), an American military officer who served in the War of 1812, the Second Seminole War, and the Mexican-American War. Lake Worth Lagoon, the city of Lake Worth Beach, and Worth Avenue in Palm Beach are all named in his honor. To Worth's right is an image of a barefoot mailman. The Barefoot Mailmen were U.S. postal workers who delivered mail along South Florida's coastline from 1885 to 1893, walking barefoot along the beach between Palm Beach and Miami. The roughly 68-mile route took three days each way. Other details depicted in the mural include the Lake Worth Casino, the railroad, Town Hall, and the city's first school. Looking closely, I also spotted a small portrait of George Sherman Childs (1883-1960), an early pioneer and prominent architect who played an important role in Lake Worth's development. I love how this mural celebrates Lake Worth's history while incorporating so many fascinating local details.My only disappointment is that such a wonderful tribute to the city's history is tucked away hidden in an alley, where it's easy to miss. If I hadn't been stuck waiting for a light to change I would have missed it. A mural this interesting deserves to be seen.

Codes is a public art sculpture located in Flagler Banyan Park created by artist Joe O'Connell,…read morefeaturing colorful, mid-century-inspired glass spheres embedded in stainless steel. It is a notable interactive installation that engages West Palm Beach through art.

I discovered the colorful Codes in Flagler Banyan Park in West Palm Beach. This public art…read moresculpture was created by artist Joe O' Connell. O'Connell founded Creative Machines in his garage in 1995. Creative Machines designs and fabricates interactive experiences for museums. Creative Machines mission is "to create objects and environments that encourage creativity, support social interaction, and inspire self-confidence." In 2004 Creative Machines began making interactive sculptures and public art. They manufacture sculptures, interactive exhibits, and ball machines. I have previously seen their sculpture Cyclorama on the UCF campus in Orlando. Codes was created in 2019. It is made from glass spheres in colors meant to evoke mid century art glass and beach glass. The spheres are set into stainless steel rectangles of varying heights. The rectangles form a kind of outdoor wall at the perimeter of the park so that people feel like they are in an outdoor room but it is open so people can walk through it. According to Creative Machines "Codes spells out a message as you go north to south. Some pairs of codes may appear to be roughly the same north-south distance along Flagler but whichever part is northernmost counts. Each code has a number between 1 and 26 encoded in it, and that number stands for a letter in the alphabet. Each code has a long leg and a short leg. There are small, medium, and large spheres. The number of medium spheres (of any color) in the long leg counts for 10 and the number of medium spheres (of any color) in the short leg counts as 1."

Sometimes an interesting discovery can happen accidently. While entering the PGA National Park, I…read moremade a wrong turn and came upon this stunning sculpture at the entrance to the Palm Beach Gardens Innovation Center. The massive stainless-steel robotic hand holding a polished globe immediately caught my attention. It looked like something straight out of The Terminator. Hand of Time is a stainless-steel sculpture created in 2017 by Slovak born artist Peter Garaj (1969-2022). Before becoming a renowned sculptor, Garaj was an international downhill ski racer representing Czechoslovakia. He moved to the United States in 2001 and eventually settled in Palm Beach County, where he became known for his polished stainless steel sculptures that give the illusion of flowing even though they are made of metal. Garaj specialized in ultra-contemporary industrial sculptures that blended geometric precision with organic movement. Works such as Hand of Time explore themes of progress, momentum, innovation, and the passage of time when displayed in modern architectural spaces. His ability to transform stainless steel into forms that appear almost fluid made his work recognizable once you see them. I enjoyed learning about Garaj who was able to beautifully blend technology, motion, and imagination This sculpture is also part of Palm Beach Gardens' Art in Public Places program. Under the city's ordinance, new nonresidential developments valued at $1 million or more must dedicate 1% of their construction costs toward public art. Developers can either install artwork on-site or contribute the equivalent amount to the City's Art Impact Fund, helping enrich the cultural and artistic landscape throughout the community.

I don't typically find public art inside a shopping mall, but that's one of the things that makes…read moreThe Gardens Mall so special. In fact, It is the only major shopping mall in Palm Beach County with commissioned artwork permanently displayed on site. While grabbing a drink in the food court, I couldn't help but notice the gorgeous mural wrapping around the upper walls near the ceiling. It tells the story of Florida's history, and if you've read any of my reviews, you know that's exactly the kind of thing that grabs my attention. Installed in 2007, the mural, The Story of Florida, was created by Chicago based artist Augustina Droze. Her portfolio includes public art commissions for The Forbes Company, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Tucson Pima Arts Council, and Nagpur International Airport, among many others. Speaking about the project, Droze said, "I'm an artist for the people, and what better place to find a good cross section of people than at a mall?" Touché! The mural was commissioned as part of the mall's multimillion dollar renovation, which was completed the following year. Taking more than nine months to create, it guides visitors through Florida's history, beginning with the Indigenous peoples and the arrival of the Spanish explorers. As the story unfolds, you'll also find scenes of the Everglades, Henry Flagler's railroad, early pioneers, and the rise of Florida's citrus industry. Every section is filled with colorful details. I really enjoyed taking my time to study all of the images while sipping my drink. Public art has been shown to enrich commercial spaces by creating memorable experiences that encourage people to linger and spend money. All I can definitely say is that the mural adds something special to a typical mall food court.

The Heights is a pizza slice shaped neighborhood of 1,500 single family ranch and two story homes…read morein Jupiter, Florida. The official name is North Palm Beach Heights but most people just call it the Heights. The Heights is located off of Donald Ross Road and is between I-95 and Abacoa. The Heights neighborhood really loves Christmas and Florida Power and Light really loves the Heights. Every December the Heights shows their love of the holidays by decking out their homes with lights, inflatables, and all kinds of decorations. Almost every home in the Heights is ornately decorated but the most decorated of all award goes to the Who-ville Experience. Every inch of the property is covered in custom made How the Grinch Stole Christmas decorations, inflatables, and lights. "Snow" blows over the whole thing and the Grinch himself can be seen walking around. This is a walk through experience so take a minute and park and come in. The Who-ville experience is free to visit and runs until December 31st. Wednesday through Sunday 6 to 10 PM. I really appreciate this family for giving up their Christmas Eve and many evenings to make such a wonderful display for the community to bring families together.

This experience was amazing it is a must go to if you are in the Jupiter area!!!! We even met the…read moregrinch too and took picture go visit!!

The Mermaid is an abstract sculpture created in 2000 by local artist Claudia Jane Klein who…read moreattended Albert Lea College in Minnesota where she majored in art. In the 1980's she worked in fashion design and was recognized by the Fashion Institute of Technology for her unique designs. In the 1990's she decided to concentrate solely on sculptures and learned metal fabrication and welding in trade schools in New York and Florida. Today she creates metal sculpture in her studio in Lake Worth. I love mermaids so this sculpture caught my eye as I was walking back from the Snook Islands. This is not a classic sculpture of a mermaid but a more abstract form of a sea nymph although you can clearly make out the tail.The face of the mermaid is an open circle. Claudia Jane Klein thought a mermaid sculpture was perfect for Lake worth since it is directly on the Lake Worth Lagoon and ocean. She donated her time and money to create the piece and gifted it to the city in partnership with the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival who maintains it. You can find The Mermaid in Bryant Park across from the golf course. She is next to the fountain. I think she adds artistic interest to the park.

There is so much to do year round in Palm Beach County. It's easy to get to from the Palm Beach…read moreInternational Airport PBI, bright line train, I95 or the Florida Turnpike. Besides waterspouts, the museums, gardens, shops, international restaurants are impressive. Delray Beach is a hub of festivals, dining, nightlife & the arts. Boynton Beach offers boating, water sports & a year round laid-back vibe. Boca Raton is a dynamic city with art, architecture, culture, museums & fine cuisine. Billy Joel, Kevin James, Bon Jovi, Adam Sandler live here as well as Ariana Grande who was born & raised in Boca. West Palm Beach is the largest city & the government seat of the county. It is perched on the shores of shimmering Lake Worth Lagoon with arts, culture, entertainment, events, hotels, restaurants & nightlife. Just across the intercostal bridge is the island of Palm Beach, America's First Resort Destination. Historic hotels, luxurious resorts, the Flagler Estate, the Norton Museum, fine dining and Worth Avenue, one of the most iconic shopping districts in the world. Trumps Mara Lago, Sylvester Stallone, Rod Stewart, Howard Stern & Bruce Springsteen live here. Lake Worth Beach is the quirkiest beach town in South Florida & home to one of the region's largest LGBTQ+ communities. Wellington is to the west, and is known as the Equestrian Capital of the World. West is Lake Okeechobee & The Glades, with a slower pace & agricultural setting offer a lesser-seen side of Florida. In the northern most city of Palm Beach County is Jupiter a favorite for families as well as celebrities like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Serena Williams, Kid Rock, Celine Dion, & the late Burt Reynolds. Gorgeous beaches along with waterfront dining are perfect to watch yachts pass by at a local tiki bar. The Juno Beach Pier offers one of the best sunrises in Florida. Juno is the place to surf, fish or visit the turtles at Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Palm Beach Gardens offers world-class golf, shopping, resorts & is home to the Professional Golfers Association (PGA). Riviera Beach & Singer Island are ideal for snorkeling and scuba diving. There is no shortage of things to do here, there is something for everyone!