The City of Lake Wales has two nicknames, the Caladium Capital of the World and the Town of Murals…read more The second nickname came from the Lake Placid Mural Society. Bob and Harriet Porter got the idea for the Lake Placid murals in the early 1990's during an motorcycle trip to Alaska. The couple made a chance stop in Chemainus, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Inspired by the towns collection of mural they decided to try and create murals on the buildings in Lake Placid to draw tourists to the town to revitalize the economic downturn. The couple founded the Lake Placid Mural Society in 1992. Since its inception, the society has placed 142 pieces of artwork in town, including over 33,000 sq. ft. of murals. The murals have increased tourism which has had a positive economic impact on the town. Many of the murals depict important people and events throughout the history of the town. Others depict the flora and fauna of Florida. Some of my favorites are Stuck in Time and Town of Murals How it all Began by Keith Goodson, Lost Bear Cub by Terry Smith, and Train Depot by Dan and Peter Sawatzky.

There are more than 40 murals throughout Lake Placid, which has caused Lake Placid to now be known…read moreas the "Town of Murals." It's managed from here, founded in 1992, when residents Bob and Harriet Porter founded the Mural Society. More like an open air painting gallery, the murals are on external walls throughout the town. The requirements are that they tell a story about the local culture or the history or agriculture or the notable figures from the city. If you can find them all, great. If not, just wander about and you'll spot them here and there. Worth it. [Review 449 of 2025 - 2092 in Florida - 24011 overall]

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

The Whispering Giant Calostimucu is an art piece carved from a 20 foot Enterolobium Cyclocarpum…read moretree known as the elephant ear or monkey pod tree. The tree is said to be similar to mahogany. The piece was commissioned in 1974 by Fred Babcock who owned the Holiday Inn. He discovered the tree damaged by lightning on his land in 1973 and he had seen Hungarian artist Peter Wolf Toth's work in Georgia. Toth had experienced repression in his native country and was shuttled among various refuge camps. When he immigrated to Ohio he became interested in Native American culture because he saw a parallel in the way they were treated and what he experienced. Toth traveled the country over 20 years and donated at least one work in each state and two in Canada. His first carving was a stone Native American head in a cliff in La Jolla California in 1972. After that he switched from stone to wood. His last carving was number 58 in May of 1988 in Haleiwa, Hawaii. The collection of large works is called the Trail of Whispering Giants. According to Toth "The statue is not just to honor Native Americans; it's to represent all people who have suffered injustices." The carving took three months to make and it sits in front of the historic A.C. Freeman House. It originally resided in front of the Best Western, previously the Holiday Inn until Hurricane Charley in 2004 damaged much of the hotel. The carving includes the emerging dream of a dying bison on it's back coming out of the top and eagle with a broken wing meant to represent the prejudice and injustice Native people have faced. The sculpture also features the faces of a Native American man and woman. It was Toth's tenth piece and the only one to feature two faces. The artwork was first dedicated in 1974. It was rededicated on January 20, 2006 and a time capsule was buried at the base.

This piece of public art for display is really cool! Directions tell you to pull into the parking…read morelot behind the Italian restaurant and if you can't find it the artwork is on the corner by the road in front of the yellow house behind the restaurant.

I love discovering public art and thanks to Bruce K. I was pointed to this large, 12 foot high…read moregranite circular piece titled Sun Gate created in 1998. It is located at the entrance to the River District on Main Street. Sun Gate was carved by artist Robert Sindorf who was born in Amsterdam in 1951.His family came to the U.S. when he was five. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in art history and philosophy from Columbia University, where he also obtained a Masters of Architecture in 1977. Sadly he passed away at the young age of 57 in 2008. Sindorf used a circle in almost all of his art work. He preferred to use circles because of their perfect geometry and because they have no beginning or end. Circles represented to him the sun, heaven, and the circle of life. I love the theme of this piece. The sun is also a symbol of Florida which has the nickname Sunshine State. I like how you can make the sculpture interactive by sitting in it or going through it. The granite evokes the feeling of nature. Sun Gate is a great addition to the downtown public art scene.

Twelve feet tall and wide, this large granite sculpture is between the Lee County Community…read moreDevelopment building and the Lee County Justice Center. There is no street parking immediately nearby but if you're here, you've probably already found parking. The art piece is by Robert Sindorf. Virtually all of Sindorf's sculptures incorporate a circle as their primary geometrical shape. "It is perfect geometry and has no beginning or end," Sindorf stated. "It is a peaceful, restful form that transcends time and becomes eternal. It is a symbol of the sun, heaven, perfection and, especially, the cycle of life." Which explains why Sun Gate also Sun Gate Front ViewLgoes by the name "Wheel of Life." Note that you're allowed to climb through the "hole" in the piece and the "back" side of the Fun Gate is finished where the "front" side is not. [Review 13326 overall, 644 of 2020.]

Fire dance is a large piece of public art located in Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers. In…read more2012 it was the first commission given to an artist by the City of Fort Myers Public Art Committee. Artist David Black is a proto-architectural monumental artist. He started his career in 1980. His art has been shown in galleries and museums throughout the United States. He was a professor emeritus in art at Ohio State University for 30 years and he has won many prizes and awards. His largest piece is a memorial to the Wright Brothers first powered flight, in Dayton, Ohio. David Black spoke about his inspiration for the 25 foot high bright red sculpture. "My wife, and I first visited Centennial Park at night We walked right into a jazz festival. Fire Dance incorporates the sounds of the music and the noise of the crowd." The sculpture is supposed to convey the energy and excitement of Fort Myers during events. David Black said "It is my hope that Fire Dance will lift each viewer's spirits and deepen their sense of community with Fort Myers by engendering a sense of civic pride." The sculpture was designed to be interactive because you can walk it through it. Inside the piece are four hidden spirals. Of the sculpture David Black said "It is my hope that Fire Dance will lift each viewer's spirits and deepen their sense of community with Fort Myers by engendering a sense of civic pride." Right now the sculpture is enclosed by a fence surrounding Centennial Park. The park is undergoing a million dollars of improvements including upgrades to the restrooms, landscaping, new children's play equipment, and construction of a new amphitheater. They are expected to be finished in spring of this year. Before they closed off the park they had to remove the large homeless population that resides in the park. Homelessness has long been a plaque on this area so it will be interesting to see how the city deals with this issue when the park reopens and going forward.

Located in the center of Centennial Park at the end of Bay Street (beyond the Cleveland Ave…read moreoverpass), this bright red metal artwork "evokes the energetic rhythm and vitality of Centennial Park, which combine to lighten the spirit of its visitors. Internationally recognized for this monumental, complex public structures, Black describes his work as proto-architecture in that the work combines both architectural and sculptural components." The tall artwork is surrounded by benches. Take a break and appreciate it. [Review 13329 overall, 647 of 2020.]

Many neat murals all throughout the town. We really enjoyed exploring and seeing all the colorful…read moremurals

ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA is home to one of the largest collections of Street Art I've seen anywhere…read morein the South. The sheer range of styles is sure to please a wide audience from mural fanatics to newbies! --- At my core is a wild & eccentric looking guy dressed in casual clothes (probably made of linen) and holding a DSLR camera in one hand and an artists paint brush in the other. I have been into the arts for as long as I can remember. I spent many a morning as a child sketching everything from the scenery outside my window to abstract thoughts that lodged into my mind. My ability to tap into my right brain continued to be developed through my high school years where I created some of my best pieces only to find them stolen after being submitted to a local art fare. I honestly don't think I ever recovered and for a long time I tried to recreate those pieces, but couldn't. As an adult, my focus shifted to architectural, landscaping  & interior design as well as photography. On ANY given day you will find me designing my dream home or working on photobook projects of my family or sketching landscaping plans for friends, family, and neighbors or hiking in beautiful scenic trails as I immerse myself in the beauty of God's artistry. My love for art is deep and infinite. You probably could not separate the molecules that make me a person from those that make an artist an artist. They are in every fiber of my being. So when I came across the mural project going on in downtown St. Pete around 2015, I nearly leaped out of my car (as I was driving) just to be among the colors and thoughts of those who created each of the individual pieces. The displays range in size from small street planters to the entire sides of buildings. In 2015, most of the murals were concentrated in alleys between Central Avenue and 1st Avenue North, from 4th Street all the way to 24th Street... but now they are literally all over the city. SHINE is a not-for-profit mural art project made up of local artists and members of the community and they have been hosting festivals for a number of years now. Each year new murals have been created and continue to enhance the city landscape for the enjoyment of local businesses, residents and tourists like me. There are paid walking tours available, but if you are crafty, you will find maps online that will self guide you on your own [free] walking tour. 2017 Mural video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVZjedi4wBg --- FINAL THOUGHTS I am completely in my element each time I wondrously drifted through the streets, alleyways and parking lots of St. Petersburg. Time seemed to be irrelevant as I was lost in each of the pieces and the creativity of the artists vision. I truly believe EVERY city should have a mural project that continuously expresses the beauty of thought. I'm so grateful my hometown of Atlanta has such a program. I am also grateful to have witnessed the beauty of this artistry alive all over St. Pete and happy to see it continues to expand and grow. If you have the capacity to truly appreciate the power of expression through art, you should make it a priority to experience these murals for yourself. But if travel is not possible, I've documented as many as I possibly could in the following pics. ENJOY! 2021 / 92

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.

All things pineapple make me happy. I quick spotted this one time driving around Sarasota & and I…read morevowed to come back. Too bad I couldn't find it, and I couldn't find it listed on the internet anywhere. Finally found it again and it is as beautiful as I thought it would be. You will find the across from pineapple park which is now known as Paul N. Thorpe Jr. Park. I made a listing for it too. This is located on the corner of Pineapple & Lemon. Check this beauty out!

It is funny how you can embrace a small, what many might call it an insignificant thing, and look…read moreforward to seeing it when visiting a city or town. It is these little pieces of local art that help define the personality of a city. The pineapple mural is directly across from the Paul N. Thorpe Jr. Park and definitely something that will make you smile.

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.

Quite a surprise for teeny tiny Avon Park! The college has an enormous campus here with dozens of…read morebuildings. Read on for why you should visit. Location- With so many buildings it can be a little overwhelming. Let your GPS do its thing along with the picture I posted, and you'll have no trouble spotting it. Plenty of easy parking. Time Commitment- This is a small museum. Ninety minutes and most folks will be done. What to Expect- As the name suggests, expect the focus to be on Florida including the artists. It's a great way to learn about this wonderful state! Cost- Every time I have been here it has been free with donations requested. Hours- Extremely limited. Check first before you go. This is not a "Destination" location. It's the kind of place you visit when you are in the area and have a few minutes. Yelp will give you plenty of places for lunch within five minutes of here. What a great place to walk off that huge platter of Gator Bites & giant pitcher of beer!