Inspiration Way was envisioned by the city of Tamarac as a "museum without walls." It is a…read morecollection of 12 temporary sculptures that run along Nob Hill Road between Commercial Boulevard and McNab Road. The installations were selected by the the Tamarac Public Art Committee because they "promote appreciation of fine art, enhance outdoor spaces and enrich lives." All of the sculptures are for sale with 25 percent of each sale going to support the public art program. The current sculptures on display were unveiled on April 28, 2022 and they will remain until spring of 2023. Three of the sculptures that were displayed on Inspiration Way in 2021 were purchased by the city and are now installed elsewhere. I like many of the current sculptures which include a blue seahorse named Sea Dance by artist Robin Morgan. Made out of aluminum it is available for $7,600. Another stand out piece is a large white elephant by James Futrel. Made out of recycled metal it can be yours for $5,000. My favorite piece is a peacock by Flaminio Antonio and called The Elegance of Simplicity. When you look closely at it you can see it is made out of forks, spoons, car rim, and iron sheet. It is selling for $6,500. I stumbled on this art parade and I had to pull over and check it out. I stopped to take some pictures and soon some other people who were riding past on their bikes stopped to join me and talk. That is what I love so much about art, it sparks conversations. I really hope Tamarac chooses to add The Elegance of Simplicity to it's city wide art collection.

On Stage is a 30 by 60 foot mural across the stage doors of the Mizner Park Amphitheater In Boca…read moreRaton. It is one of the newest public art works commissioned by the city of Boca Raton. Artist Eduardo Mendieta know professionally as EMO was selected for the Mizner Park Amphitheater Stage Door Mural project. He has painted large-scale public murals for more than 10 south Florida cities and he was the featured artist in the XLVI Superbowl Indianapolis Mural Project. Submissions for the mural had to be ideas that would reflect the spirit of Boca Raton's art, history and culture. Mendieta's winning submission was chosen from the 29 submitted. The mural created with only cans of spray paint, features a yellow sun in between a musician playing a stand up bass and a ballerina whose tutu is morphing into ocean waves. In the background is Boca Raton's old historic city hall which is the nod to it's past. The mural has been here since January of 21 but with Covid I haven't been going to Mizner Park as often as I used to. Now that the shops and restaurants are alive again with people this colorful mural is the perfect anchor at the end of Plaza Real. I loved discovering it on this trip to Mizner Park. If you make to Mizner Park this month you can also see the new temporary art installation, Prismatica.

Guardian Towers is a large metal installation purchased by a private developer through the Coral…read moreSprings Public Art Program. You can find The colorful Guardian Towers on Wiles Road in front of Whispering Woods professional center. Since their first public art project, the covered bridge in 1963, Coral Springs has become one of the leading public art cities in south Florida. The art is paid for with fees for development and redevelopment in the city. Fees are collected from permits during building construction and renovations in the city. Guardian Towers was created by Columbian artist Gustavo Vejarano who said "Art is an instrument of knowledge, which not solely allows us to explore the inner and outer worlds and make them obvious, but also gives coherence to our vision." In addition to large scale installations like this piece, he also does paintings. This art installation is a triptych created in 2004 that represents elements of the universe, moon, sun. and fire. You may pass public art works every day and not even notice them. They are woven into the urban landscape and pop up in the most unexpected places. I will be running a mundane errand in the city and then suddenly spot one of these art pieces that always makes me stop and look. The large scale and bright colors of this piece makes Guardian Towers a stand out. There are even some inviting benches if you want to sit and contemplate the work. I really love the Coral Springs Public Art Program which seeks to not have art just be something you visit in a museum but is instead incorporated into our every day lives.

On February 3, 2023, the City of Deerfield Beach dedicated this unique public kinetic art piece in…read morePastor Willie James Ford, Sr. Linear Park. It is the first art installation that I have come across that is not only art but is also functional fitness equipment. The fitness court was created by National Campaign Fitness Court, a nationwide consulting organization that partners with cities and schools to create fitness hubs to improve the well being of the community. This piece is a part of the NCF's art and culture series which was created in 2020. NFC trademarked this seven station fitness court in 2012. It is an open air wellness center and is adaptable to all fitness levels. Your own body weight is used to give you an optimal workout. On the side of the court is an app you can download that will help you use the court properly. The app takes you to videos of workouts you can do to strengthen every part of your body. The beginner workout is seven stations where you do exercise for 45 seconds and then rest for 15 seconds before moving on. it is like having a personal trainer in your phone. I found the videos to be clear and helpful. On the outside of the court is art work by world-renown 20th century modern artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. The piece is titled Boy and a Dog in a Johnnypump and it was created in 1982. The piece sold for over a 100 million dollars in 2020. Basquiat created art in the 70 and 80's as part of the Neo-expressionism movement. A common theme of his art was the portrayal of historically prominent black figures. He was active in the art world until his death of a heroin overdose at the age of 27 in 1988. I am always looking for new ways to exercise so I don't get bored. This fitness court definitely peeked my interest. I love how it is art but also a place to work out. The only thing I was disappointed in is that there isn't any legal parking here. It seems to be mainly for the people who live nearby. I hope that my town gets one of these cool fitness courts soon.

Since their first public art project, the covered bridge in 1963, Coral Springs has become one of…read morethe leading public art cities in south Florida. The art is paid for during development and redevelopment in the city. Fees are collected from permits during building construction and renovations in the city. None of the art is paid with public tax dollars It is always fun to discover a new to me art installation when I'm out and about in town. I found this This triptych metal sculpture cwas reated by artist Hanna Jubran in 2005. The shiny metal and large scale caught my eye while walking into the library in Coral Springs. The city purchased the piece in 2009 and added it to the front of the Northwest Regional Library where you can also find a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King and 9/11. Across the street there are more public art walks in the ArtWalk on 31st Ct.

Home Sweet Home is a public art work in Worthing Park on East Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. It…read morewas created in 2011 by artist William DeBlizan. DeBlizan has been exhibited worldwide. His paintings and sculptures are sought after for their visual and emotional impact. DeBlizan is known for elongated abstract figures, rich texture, and a Caribbean-inspired color palette. Once you have seen DeBlizan's work it is immediately recognizable. DeBlizan has an art gallery on Atlantic Avenue and one in Laguna Beach. Home Sweet Home is a sculpture of four elongated figures. DeBlizan was inspired to create the art piece by his love for his four children and his desire to keep them close to him. I love the family centered message of the work. A low wall surrounds the sculpture that serves as seating for the parks many visitors who need a place to rest amid shopping, strolling, and dinning. You often see people sitting in front of Home Sweet Home in a way becoming part of the art work. I had passed Home Sweet Home many times driving by on Atlantic Ave and actually thought it was candles. It was until today when I took the time to stop and actually look at it that I realized it was people. It was nice to become familiar with the art of the talented William DeBlizan.

The Living Story of Coral Springs is a $150,000 public art piece that was installed this year in…read morehonor of Coral Spring's 60th anniversary in 2023. It is located next to the Coral Springs History Museum and across from Aiello Field in Mullins Park. Spanish artist Casto Solano (b. 1958) was selected to create the art piece. Solano has exhibited throughout the United States and Europe as he gained acclaim as a modern artist. He began his art career as a visual artist painting landscapes. Now he creates sculptures in corten steel. Corten steel also called weathered steel was designed to not need paint. Over a few months it transforms into a stable rust appearance. Solano's sculptures have precise shapes with natural rusted textures. Solano is now based out of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. This art work is made up of six book shaped sculpted panels that are 5.5 feet long and 8.5 feet wide. The panels feature engraved depictions of city history during the past six decades starting with On the Edge of the Everglades and ending with Looking to the Future. Another panel was Continuing to Grow. Scenes I saw included a festival Ferris wheel, the Coral Springs Covered Bridge, a person on horseback, and a Seminole tribe member. It was fun to try and see what images you could make out in the art. I noticed that the farther you moved back, the easier it was to see individual images. Sixty years doesn't seem like very much history but in that short tine Coral Springs has grown into a thriving city. This art work is a great representation of how far they have come as they develop even more great projects for future growth.

The Delray Beach Gateway was completed in spring of 2013 by San Antonio artist Michelle Newman. It…read morewas commissioned by the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency to flank the entrance to Delray Beach. This installation was part of the he Downtown Delray Beach Master Plan, adopted March, 19, 2002 which represents the citizens' plan for the unification and future growth of the downtown area. The total cost of the project, was $1,182,842, with the majority paid by the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency and $200,000 paid by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The purpose of the installation is to act as a gateway into downtown Delray Beach. The installation is six, 28 foot high free form pieces that represent the cultural history and natural beauty of Delray Beach. The geometric tiles resembles the mosaic work done by the Seminole Indians. Gladioli represent the long running Gladioli Festival, now called the Delray Affair and the pineapples are a reminder of how important they were to Delray Beach's economy in the pioneer days. Also added to the area as part of the project were sidewalks, landscaped berms, and trellises cascading with bougainvillea. At night the art work is lit up. I have always admired these columns when entering Delray Beach. Usually I am driving by too fast to catch all of the details. It was nice to finally park, walk around, and really look at them. The side walk running past the installation is a nice feature so you can safely walk down and appreciate how large scale these pieces really are.