This is a public art piece by Spanish artist Manolo Valdés. He is known for his artistic style that…read morecombines art with history. Valdés has been featured in many museums and galleries. His pieces are displayed in Valencia, Spain; Place Vendome, Paris; Berkeley Square, London; Taipei, Taiwan and Dubai and now in Miami Beach. Valdés is an internationally known artist and his work is supposed to represent multicultralism in the city. This sculpture features a head surrounded by butterflies. Valdés inspiration came from a chance encounter with butterflies in New York. "One day, while strolling in Central Park, I saw a group of butterflies that had landed on top of a sculpture and the idea of the headpiece was born." There is a larger version of this sculpture in Sunny Isles called Mariposas. I love the whimsical nature of this piece. I am also a fan of Valdés Infanta Margarita statues. Butterflies is dressed up extra special this week in celebration of the floral art exhibition Fleurs De Villes Voyage, on display at the nearby Bal Harbour Shops. Large butterflies covered in pink and white flowers from Blake Roses Floral Designs have been added to Valdés sculpture. You can see the added display of flowers until March 12th.

When entering Miami Beach you can't help but smile when you spot this cheerful mural. This is the…read morelargest mural ever approved by the city of Miami Beach and is 50 feet high and 120 feet long. Completed in October of 2016, the Welcome to Miami mural was painted by David "Lebo" Le Batard. Lebo was born to Cuban immigrants and was raised in South Florida. Inspired by American cartooning, fine art, indigenous art and Egyptian hieroglyphic, his art work includes murals, paintings, and sculptures. He is a pioneer of Postmodern Cartoon Expressionism, an art form that uses cartoon imagery, rich color, and unique lines to create layers of meaning. Lebo has a showroom in Wynwood and a studio in Miami Beach. His art can be found all over the world and his has done corporate partnerships with Norwegian Cruise Lines, Lulu Lemon, Harley Davidson, Audi, Google, Microsoft, Redbull, Ketel One, Bacardi, and Ferrari. American. Murals are on display at the Airlines Arena in Miami, Calle Ocho, Hart Plaza in Detroit and Hotel de Artes in San Francisco. About his art Lebo has said "'My aim in creating is to explore the purest, most spiritual elements of the arts and sciences (from astronomy to history, from music to physics) and to interpret them through the language of cartoons, giving them a unique and vibrant voice. After all, cartoons are a primordial form of expression that have always combined images in order to tell stories. We have only to think of rock paintings, hieroglyphics or religious iconography for our proof. In reality, even when we look at Picasso's work after 1905, it all becomes very hard-edged yet organic. The very essence of cartooning. The Welcome to Miami mural is on the side of the historic Roosevelt Theatre along the Biscayne Channel. The left side of the mural features a monk parakeet. Native to Argentina, Uruguay and other South American countries, they were introduced to South Florida in 1969 through the pet trade. On the right side of the mural is a native Florida flower, the night blooming jasmine. Lebo said that "A big reason I chose to highlight the Monk Parakeet for this project is its unique nature as a tropical species. Not only can their interesting squawking be heard throughout the area, but you can also see their family nests located in palm trees all around Miami Beach. Below the parakeet and night jasmine blossom is a stylized wave pattern inspired by the Art Deco movement, another trademark of Miami Beach. The lifeguard stand also captures another Miami Beach highlight with its delightful one of a kind feel, as it stands dotting the Atlantic". I really like the pop art feel of the mural which gives vintage postcard vibes. Since its creation the Welcome to Miami Mural has been a landmark for visitors to Miami Beach. Take your picture in front of it and let everyone know you are in Miami.

As a fan of public art, I was delighted to discover this gorgeous wildlife themed mural on the side…read moreof World of Beer in Miramar Park Place. It features one of my favorite artistic subjects, native wildlife. Curiosity is by artist Ernesto Maranje. I recognized his style because he also painted another mural I admire, Rebirth in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. Maranje is a Cuban-American artist born in Chicago, Illinois in 1983 and raised in Miami, Florida. He discovered his interest in art at 27 while serving in the Coast Guard. The subjects of his murals focus on flora and fauna, biological evolution, and plant and animal relationships. Maranje has created murals all over the United States and abroad. Curiousity features a native Florida panther and Monarch and Zebra Longing butterflies. The mural takes its name from the curiosity the panther has for the butterfly. The mural also represents the fascination we have for the wildlife around us. Native firebush which attracts zebra longwings and tickseed surround the panther. I loved finding the Monarch on the panther' neck in the mural because I plant milkweed at my house to help them on their journey. This beautifully rendered mural really brightens up an otherwise unused space in the plaza.

I was driving through Davie when this beautiful mural caught my eye.. Run is a public art mural…read morefeaturing colorful horses painted on the side of the Robert H. Bamford Sports Complex on Pine Island Rd. Run was painted by Nicaraguan artist, Luis Valle. Luis Valle aka El Chan Guri, was born on April 16, 1977 in Managua, Nicaragua. He grew up in Miami where he was drawn to the arts from an early age. During his teen years he began painting as a graffiti artist. He went on to take art classes at Florida State University in Tallahassee where he graduated with a BFA in Visual Arts. He later went on to receive a Masters in Arts Degree from New York University. The Town's Open Space and Recreational Activities Committee (OSRAC) gave direction and approved the design. The 1,000 sq. ft. Run mural depicts four 20-ft. tall horses representing Davie's equestrian history.. The horses appear to be galloping straight off the wall as they head towards the viewer. When Davie was settled its economy was based almost entirely on agriculture from farm land and cattle but now the farms and livestock are disappearing to make way for new commercial developments. Davie hasn't forgotten its western roots entirely however. It is still home to the Bergeron Rodeo, you can see western inspired architecture in the downtown, and so many people own horses that you can find horse tie ups and corrals in the the local parks. While these horses gallop off the wall, you are likely to see the real thing walking down Pine Island Road.

I love this equestrian themed public art work. Silhouette Herd consists of 5 life size cut outs of…read morehorses galloping, cantering, trotting, and leaping down Pine Island Road. Silhouette Herd is the vision of artist Wendy Klemperer. Klemperer earned a bachelor's in biochemistry at Harvard before moving to NYC to pursue art full time and earning a B.F.A. in sculpture at Pratt Institute in 1983. She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY and Nelson, NH. Klemper has had exhibitions in NY and throughout the country and her permanent installation are displayed in MA, ME, MT, and Xinzheng, China. To create Silhouette Herd, Klemper first designed five horse sculptures based on her previous drawings. The pieces were then fabricated by Eric Small and his team at EES designs who plasma cut them from steel and stainless steel plates. Cut outs were chosen because they worked with the budget Davie had for the project while sculptures would have been much more expensive. Silhouette Herd was installed in 2022. The city added a paved walkway and benches behind the horses so it is very park like. Klemperer is known for her animal sculptures. The horses in Silhouette Herd were inspired by Davie's history as a western town. When Davie was settled it's economy was based almost entirely on farm land and cattle but now the agriculture and cows are disappearing. Davie hasn't forgotten it's western roots entirely however. It is still home to the Bergeron Rodeo. Like these horses that saunter down Pine Island Road you may still see the real thing as many people in Davie own horses that they ride in the area.

The Design District has some of the best public art in Miami and this blue glass building façade is…read moreno exception. Completed in 2014 and spanning 17,000 square-feet, it is located over two floors in Palm Court, linking the storefronts with the courtyard in the southern part of the Miami Design District. It was designed by noted award winning Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto who takes his inspiration from nature such as forests, nests, and caves. He seeks to combine nature with architecture. For this piece he was inspired by waterfalls and Miami's torrential rainstorms which is represented by a series of glass fins. I love the blue color and how it cascades over the front of the buildings transforming ordinary store fronts into art. It is one of my favorite pieces to photograph in the Design District. It is so much fun to play with when taking pictures. You can shoot it at different angles and even through it to make creative photos. It is also a great backdrop for portraits and selfies.

Across from Mad Art museum is this five foot stone sculpted replica Olmec Colossal Head. The…read moresculpture faces South Federal Hwy to turn heads of every driver. Perfect for a picturesque opportunity with a cool piece of art. The original stone pieces weigh 40 tons from 400 - 1200 BCE made by mesoamericans. Only 17 known originals are in existence.

Worthy of a stop, if you pass by. I was in the area and was surprised to pass it. I therefore…read morepulled over as being English I miss historical buildings, especially as Miami is so modern. You can find this historic fountain, which is called Fulford-By-The-Sea Monument in North Miami Beach, Florida. It was built in 1925 as part of the development project by the Fulford-by-the-Sea Company. The fountain was one of the largest built in South Florida in the 1920s. There were intended to be 4 other similar fountains at other access points to the development. However, the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 and the end of the Florida land boom prevented their construction. The fountain is a Dade Historical Site and its image is part of the North Miami Beach city logo. On November 29, 2010, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Fulford by the Sea Entrance.

The historic Fulford-by-the-Sea fountain is located in North Miami Beach. It was built in 1925 by…read moreMerle C. Tebbetts and Edgar C. Linn of the Florida Cities Finance Company during Florida's land boom years when ornate Mediterranean Revival and Neoclassical Revival architecture like you see in this fountain were the fashion. At 32 feet it is one of the tallest fountains in South Florida and was built of cast stone. It was placed at the main entrance to the development. The plan had been to create four fountains and put them at the other entrances to the Fulford-by-the-Sea development which began selling lots in 1922. The Great Miami Hurricane in 1926 followed by the Great Depression put an end to the fortunes of Florida and the other fountains were never built. Features of the fountain include four triumphal arches on a circular base that contains a shallow pool. My favorite part of the fountain are the four unicorn busts around the mosaic tile dome. I never would have thought that I could find a unicorn let alone four of them in Miami. The fountain it still in operation today and pretty much in its original condition. It was designated a Dade Historical Site in 1983 and it is featured on the North Miami Beach city logo. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 2010. In 2017. Florida marker F-952, detailing the history of the fountain was placed next to it by the City of North Miami Beach and the Florida Department of State. In 2016 the fountain received a 5 month restoration by RLA Conservation of Art + Architecture that cost $100,000. It was paid for by state funding and donations to the city and the city had a dedication ceremony when it was completed. I love when I find a piece of architecture from the 1920's in Florida. Not a lot of it was preserved and unlike in Coral Gables, there is very little left in North Miami. It was a real treat stumbling on this exquisite fountain. It is worth a stop and a picture if you are in the area.