In the fall of 2020, artists submitted applications through an online application process for consideration in the 2021 show. A jury comprised of City staff, Polk Museum of Art representatives and members from the local arts community gathered to review the pieces of art. Artists submitted more than 80 sculptures for review, with the jury picking 10 of the very best to be displayed along Lemon Street.
The 10 pieces of art cover three blocks of Lemon Street between South Florida and Massachusetts Avenue. The artwork along the Lemon Street Promenade provides a great aesthetic that can be enjoyed on a weekend stroll or during a lunch break. This year’s sculptures provide some pops of color and a range of different mediums. You won't want to miss Richard Herzog's tree making a run for it ("Moving On") or Lakeland's own Keith Williams' sculpture "Live a Little," inspired by his own mischievous dog.
Pam Page, Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation, 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.”
Einfühlung
Artist: Jessica Bradsher
We asked the community to cast your vote for your favorite sculpture(s) in the 2021 Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition on the Lemon Street Promenade! Simply "like" or vote for your favorite sculpture(s).
Thanks to all who voted! Voting ended May 14, 2021, at 5 p.m. EST.
A Note from the Artist
Einfühlung (#1) is part of a series representing human emotion. Even when engaging with human representation, such as in movies and the arts, we are often moved to empathy. The exercise is more important now than ever. This figure offers a real face/an essence to be engaged with and reflected upon.
FLOSC Sculpture
Einfühlung
Medium: Cast Iron, Forged Steel
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A Note from the Artist
The two forms standing in front of me remind me of two sisters standing together as they enter an event. Their dresses are similar in form but each as their own color and shape that give each a personality.
FLOSC Sculpture
Two Sisters
Medium: galvanized and painted steel
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A Note from the Artist
The idea of this sculpture is to carry on the concept of time, the elements of the universe from the micro to the macro. It is a continuation on the theme of life and rebirth of the stars from the basic elements and gases that formed the planets. the sequence of life stages that an organism undergoes from birth to reproduction ending with the generation of the offspring the idea of day and night male female I create sculpture that indicates an understanding of nature, natural law, myth, culture and history and expresses universal concepts. I want the viewer to transcend the formal qualities of the object and freely engage in its intrinsic meaning of the symbols and metaphors. If a goal is sought either consciously or unconsciously in the form of a work of art, one must solve innumerable problems and make innumerable decisions in order to achieve that end. One of many decisions we have made is maintaining and preserving the natural quality of the materials.
FLOSC Sculpture
Life Cycle
Medium: Stainless Steel & Bronze
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A Note from the Artist
Tree Branches: Tree Branches is another adaptation of the Feather design, although more complex as I stray from the singular post and add “branches” sprouting from a main “trunk”. In keeping with the Feather panel style, I use geometric shapes lined in black, with fields of swirling and fading colors inside. These colors repeat themselves in a kaleidoscope fashion, emanating from the center of each panel, and are symmetrical. They have a strong tie-dye or wax batik look. A very organic and psychedelic feel, warm and inviting. Similar to the Feather, the Tree Branches sculpture can either be anchor bolted to a concrete pad by its base plate or can stand embedded in the ground using a 12” diameter x 5’ deep concrete footer. Whichever method we choose, it is bound to be a source of interest and curiosity! So far, there are two versions of Tree Branches “out in the wild”, one is part of the Alamosa Artscape 2020-2021 sculpture on loan program in Alamosa, CO, the other in downtown Georgetown, TX for the 2021-2022 season.
FLOSC Sculpture
Tree Branches
Medium: Steel, MDO Board, Polycarbonate, UV Inks, Epoxy Resin
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A Note from the Artist
Think Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones combined with my now 46 year old son in his High School rock band and my 14 year old grandson's wild hair. This piece emerged slowly over six years, the legs and posture and guitar were there from the start. He is composed of peeling, rusty and painted scraps that invoke leather, sequins, tie dye and a sweaty shirt. Play a fave rock song on your phone while you visit with him. Stairway to Heaven?
FLOSC Sculpture
Rocker
Medium: welded steel scrap, paint
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A Note from the Artist
Artist Carole Eisner welded the monumental sculpture Bird Song (2012) from recycled scrap metal, painted in her signature bright color palette. Standing 11 feet tall by 7 feet wide, Bird Song commands a strong presence. Sitting atop the base, formed with a brilliant green central pipe and curved I-beams, are fanciful and intricately cut steel fragments. The top of the sculpture is inspired by flocks of birds flying overhead--lyrical and light. The latticed metal contrasts with the weight of the base. Carole Eisner has worked with scrap and recycled metal for over 40 years creating elegant, abstract forms welded in steel. The artist's compositions reflect the surprising malleability she finds with metal. She works with “the debris of our civilization,” reclaiming and reassembling disregarded fragments of buildings and bridges into art.
FLOSC Sculpture
Bird Song
Medium: Painted welded, bolted steel and rolled I-beams
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A Note from the Artist
Magnify: This interactive, kinetic sculpture acts as a giant magnifying glass, except sunbeams, pour through the colored lens as the viewer swivels the rings into position to catch the light, casting a stained glass reflection on the ground. Made from a 1/2” thick piece of CNC cut, circular, clear polycarbonate acrylic with designs directly printed on, nestled in between two, welded steel rings, this piece is rugged and meant to be enjoyed outdoors by the general public. The entire sculpture can be secured to a concrete pad using a welded base plate, or embedded in the ground using a concrete footer. Magnify instantly becomes an education tool as it demonstrates the concepts of transparency, light reflection, and refraction, even the physics of mobility with its rotating top. In conclusion, Magnify is an invitation to explore, play and have fun. It invites the curious, inspires the creative, and adds wonder to the everyday domesticity of life. Imagine passing this piece by a park, sidewalk, or city street. If seeing it for the first time, you are going to check it out. You will investigate. It’s inevitable. Does it move? Can I spin it? What’s it made out of? Who put it here? All those questions and more spring to mind. In this serious and sometimes frightening world we live in, I am drawn to the clever street art I see all over Instagram, the memes on Facebook that make me chuckle, and the playfulness of work like this. It’s a reminder of how we are all made to create, connect, and to produce beautiful things, together. That there is commonality in all of us.
FLOSC Sculpture
Magnify
Medium: Steel, Polycarbonate, UV Inks
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A Note from the Artist
Composed of recycled and retired metal parts, this German Pointer taking a selfie while carrying a fire hydrant reminds us to live a little. After a tumultuous year, this depicts the small joys of being silly and embracing abnormal normals like this mischievous dog.
FLOSC Sculpture
Live a Little
Medium: Metal and retired parts
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Covering three (3) blocks of Lemon Street between South Florida Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, a visit to the FLOSC sculptures is perfect for a quick weekend outing or a quick lunch break.
According to City of Lakeland Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Pam Page, “The sculptures on Lemon Street were introduced to provide free access to public art for all who live in and visit our community. We are fortunate to live in a city that recognizes the value public art introduces to our culture and well-being.”
Which sculpture is YOUR favorite?
