The 23rd Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition was displayed on the Lemon Street Promenade and at the Lakeland Public Library throughout 2023. In the fall of 2022, artists submitted applications through an online application process for consideration in the 2023 show. A jury comprised of City staff, Polk Museum of Art representatives, and members from the local arts community gathered to review the submissions. Artists submitted over 70 sculptures for review, with the jury picking 11 of the best to display.
For the second year, the footprint of the exhibit space expanded to include one sculpture at the Lakeland Public Library on Lake Morton. The remaining ten sculptures cover three blocks of Lemon Street between South Florida and Massachusetts Avenue. The artwork along the Lemon Street Promenade and Library provides a great aesthetic that can be enjoyed on a weekend stroll or as a diversion while visiting the swans on Lake Morton.
Pam Page, Deputy Director of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts, said, “The sculptures on Lemon Street were introduced to provide free access to public art for all who live and visit our community. We are fortunate to live in a City that recognizes the value of public art that introduces culture and well-being.”
Previous years:
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Thanks to all who voted and congrats to this year's winner:
Morning Glory Pink Flower Whisper Bench from sculptor Jim Gallucci.
Voting ended May 31 at 4 PM EST
Moonlight Sonata
Medium: Stainless Steel
Artist's Description
Morning Glory flowers are symbols of love, life, happiness, and good luck. This bench showcases the beauty of nature while sending messages thru the whisper horns and pipes to viewers sitting on the bench."
Learn More
Morning Glory Pink Flower Whisper Bench
Medium: powder-coated steel
Artist's Description
Morning Glory flowers are symbols of love, life, happiness, and good luck. This bench showcases the beauty of nature while sending messages thru the whisper horns and pipes to viewers sitting on the bench.
Artist's Statement
I have been a sculptor for 40 years and work full-time designing and creating/fabricating sculptures in my Greensboro studio, assisted by a staff of 6 people. My commissions can be found in public, corporate, and residential spaces throughout the country. I am currently showing my work in 32 sculpture shows across the country.
Learn More
When One Door Closes, Another Opens
Medium: Steel
Artist's Description
When one door closes, another door opens (Opportunity Doors) and explores unexpected opportunities that come from unfortunate events. All of us have had these difficult events happen. Often times, patience and a resilient attitude lead to new opportunities that would not have been possible before or without such a setback. These opportunities might not present clearly, and they may take time to be discovered, but their parts are all there. Keep looking at everything that happens during and after a difficult situation as building blocks for a new opportunity. When the time is right you will have enough parts to build a new and previously impossible perspective and move forward. These three aged doors with deep patina represent this timeless scenario, a closed door hinting at the possibilities that lie beyond if you are willing to be patient and approach with an open mind from all angles to find a new and unique perspective that will change and improve your life.
Learn More
Tropical Encounter
Medium: Cast Bronze, Cast Glass, Cast Stainless Steel, Granite
Artist's Description
Tropical Encounter originated from a fishing trip in Miami. You will see a bull mahi-mahi cast in both bronze and aluminum. Foliage from Florida is cast in bronze and winds around the sculpture.
Artist's Statement
The theme of my sculpture is the placement of myself in relation to nature. While working in materials such as metal, stone, and glass, I am telling three-dimensional stories that capture my life experiences immersed in my perception of collective consciousness. It is my intention that these stories, spoken through an expression of form, texture, and color, will enter into human consciousness.
Learn More
Shanti ( Peace)
Medium: Aluminum, epoxy powder coat, marine urethane
Artist's Description
Shanti, through individual relentless effort, focus and attention, peace and harmony can momentarily actualize, calming and balancing endless cosmic diversity and total chaos.
Learn More
Key Winds
Medium: Fabricated steel
Artist's Description
This is my second endeavor to create a highly sculptural wind chime. I enjoy the idea of wind passing through this piece which was originally intended as a doorway. Now, it serves that same function but for the natural elements instead of man. I feel that the subtle chimes of this piece are in perfect harmony with the architectural structure and iconic design of the form.
Artist's Statement
My sculpture is concept driven and is often highly viewer interactive. The conceptual component of my work is often derived from some memory that was stirred by the shape of some memento that I have held on to since childhood. These things bring up thoughts and experiences that challenge me and guide me through the creative process. There are elements in much of my larger works that are derived from my love of fantasy, escapism, and pop-culture imagery.
My sculpture does range in size drastically from minuscule to monumental. Some of my sculptures only require the viewer to watch as they see themselves reflected atop a difficult and imposing staircase which could represent the challenges we face in order to achieve our goals.
In whatever way my viewer chooses to engage my work, I find that it is not always necessary to me that the viewer understand my concept, but it is important to me that I provide an experience that might encourage the viewer to see and engage with art more often.
Learn More
Invasive
Medium: Steel and Aluminum
Artist's Description
Invasive- An homage to my family members and others who have endured cancer, Invasive is simultaneously beautiful and somewhat strange. The work refers to the experiences of my sister and mother, who both, after a breast cancer diagnosis, were faced with the terrible decision of how to treat cancer. The cell pattern of the petal forms reflects the challenge of fighting something so tiny that every cell counts.
Artist's Statement
My work is about chemistry and the tiniest building blocks that make up our world. I’m interested in exploring the
minuscule, unseen chemistry of our bodies- recreating those tiny connections on a massive scale, inserting them into the context of our built environment. How does something so small, invisible to the human eye, start changes in cells that create changes in the body resulting in large-scale changes in our personal lives: the creation of life, the start of a disease, the end of a life. Undoubtedly, I have been influenced by my husband, a Ph.D. chemist and research professor at the University Of Florida College Of Medicine. In our life together, we explore the curious place where art and science intersect. We have three children together, a real-life experiment and a symbol of art and science
together.
Learn More
Dragon Flower
Medium: Steel and Paint
Artist's Description
DragonFlower-Inspired by tropical plant growth, Fibonacci spirals, seashells, flowers and the idea of perpetual motion.
Artist's Statement
I am a sculptor in Athens, Georgia with a Masters of Fine Arts/Sculpture from Indiana University and undergraduate studies at UGA. My work is shown throughout the United States; including New York, Fort Lauderdale, San Francisco, the “Art Prize” in Grand Rapids, Michigan and abroad in Italy, Columbia, Peru, Poland, and Ghana, Africa. I lure the viewer in with luscious colors and materials to contemplate content in close proximity. My sculptures are hybrids, mythologies, and metaphors about flowers and plants. Science is my architectural inspiration as seen in organic flowing structures and constructs based on anatomy and botany. As an artist and educator I feel that art is an important social responsibility to create a response from the public audience ranging from delight; introspection; questioning; inspiration for future inventiveness, to the memories of things we saw as children that affected who we are as adults today.
Find out more:
Red Bear
Medium: Metal
Ascension/Resurrection
Medium: Fabricated bronze rings, stainless squares, aluminum base
Artist's Description
I’ve always maintained that my artwork needs to stand on its own. This piece certainly does, but many times people ask me for the meaning or the stories behind the work.
The meaning of this sculpture is multi-layered between subject, form, and movement. The subject is literally the name of the piece: “Ascension/Resurrection” Historically, there have been several examples of biblical prophets escaping death by ascending directly to heaven. In terms of form and movement; by starting wide with the base and tapering thinner as it goes up, the implied motion connects to the open wings indicating flight. Structurally, the wings carry the bronze rings and stainless steel squares, which form the main subject of the sculpture; relationships. The bronze rings represent infinity, and the squares make up a cross. (There are actually seven crosses in the overall composition) It’s the combination of the two individual elements as they are interlocked together that make up the relationship. In this case, the relationship is a marriage since it is meant to be permanent and similar to a “ship in a bottle” composition, the elements can never be separated.
Artist's Statement
I like to work in metal. I find the materials architecturally interesting. When I am working on small sculptures with my hands; I am actually thinking big in my mind. I visualize them large scale. I'm always contemplating the best dimensions for any individual piece as I shape them and that's important because there is always a sweet spot. Just as tempo is important to a song, finding the sweet spot for dimensions in full scale is the same. And not just from the nuts and bolts perspective of construction materials and techniques but also from the conceptual side of subject, and how it, and the object itself, interacts to its environment. It's best when things work together organically. I also use architectural materials for their durability. That means 'storm proof' in south Florida. I use aluminum for its high strength to weight ratio because it allows you to do cool things that you can't do with heavier metals; but bronze and stainless steel are forever, and bronze you can patina.
Learn More
WAVES (2022)
Medium: C0r-Ten steel
Artist's Description
Contemporary large-scale Cor-Ten steel sculpture. The rusted patina will keep changing while it is exposed to outdoor elements. The sculpture consist of multiple pieces welded together with grace and balance.
Artist's Statement
Domenico Belli was born in Italy, Patrica (FR). He started his work as a metal worker at the age of sixteen and showed an early interest and talent for his job. He emigrated to the USA with his family and worked as a metal fabricator and welder and developed his skill as an artist and designer. His career as a self-taught artist began experimenting with figurative recycled materials and old tools sculptures, but his artistic maturity was obtained when he experienced an evolution towards abstract conceptualism. Timeless works of the highest quality are made in rusted Cor-Ten steel and stainless steel inspirational shapes that catch the viewer's attention. He shows his contemporary large sculpture all over the United States. He attends about 25 of the most important Fine Arts Festival in the USA, and his sculptures are in private collections as well as in public spaces. One of the most important installations is in Italy in his hometown. It is a 20ft tall Cor-Ten steel sculpture.
Learn More
Covering three (3) blocks of Lemon Street between South Florida Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, a visit to the FLOSC sculptures on the Lemon Street Promenade is perfect for a quick weekend outing or during a lunch break.
Added in 2022, additional sculptures can be found at the Lakeland Public Library. The library's location, just south of Lakeland's downtown core, can be a leisurely walk or short drive from the Lemon Street pieces.
Which sculpture is YOUR favorite?
Developed by the City of Lakeland's GIS Team, this GPS-enabled map will allow you to walk through the Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition either virtually or in-person!
Powered by the Otocast app, you can download and install the app to find the Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition tour with voice recordings from the artists talking about each sculpture.
Find it on Google Play | App Store (Apple)
