Forever and Always was created in 2016 by nationally recognized artist Mark Fuller. Fuller is an…read moreenvironmental graphic and industrial designer. He created the glittery butterfly in Palm Beach Gardens and the obelisk at Legacy Place. He also designed the fish and lizard cutouts on the sound barrier wall along Interstate 95 and the Fish Out of Water sculpture along the water in West Palm Beach. Forever and Always was created for the Compassionate friends Memorial Garden in Palm Beach Garden. The sculpture features two hands in an open position, with the shape of a heart removed from the center of each palm. Between the hands, a heart with wings floats. The sculpture is on a 7 foot tall concrete pedestal. This sculpture is meant to give visitors to the garden a sense of hope and serenity. Fuller said that he designed the hands to be seen as in a praying position or as a gesture of letting go. A loved one's touch stays with someone even as they come to terms with the loss. You can find Forever and Always in the area along the lake near the Burns Road Recreation Center.

While traveling through Palm Beach Gardens, I noticed this interesting sculpture in front of Palm…read moreBeach Gardens Medical Center. Curious, I stopped to check it out. The name of this sculpture is Stent Tower. It was created by nationally recognized artist Mark Fuller, whose work has become somewhat synonymous with Palm Beach Gardens. Fuller is an environmental graphic and industrial designer. He created the glittery butterfly sculpture in Palm Beach Gardens and the obelisk at Legacy Place. He also designed the fish and lizard cutouts on the sound barrier wall along Interstate 95, a children's memorial sculpture at a Burns Road park, and the Fish Out of Water sculpture along the waterfront in West Palm Beach, along with many other pieces throughout Palm Beach County. Stent Tower is a 24-foot-tall sculpture of a heart stent filled with red and white blood cells. A stent is a tiny, expandable mesh tube that a doctor inserts into a clogged or weakened passageway in the body to help keep a vessel open so fluid can flow through it. It is a life-saving medical device frequently placed in arteries to allow blood to flow to the heart. To accurately create this piece, Mark Fuller took a behind-the-scenes tour of Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. The sculpture was installed in August 2009 and it is a powerful reminder of the lifesaving work being done at this medical center.

Sometimes an interesting discovery can happen accidently. While entering the PGA National Park, I…read moremade a wrong turn and came upon this stunning sculpture at the entrance to the Palm Beach Gardens Innovation Center. The massive stainless-steel robotic hand holding a polished globe immediately caught my attention. It looked like something straight out of The Terminator. Hand of Time is a stainless-steel sculpture created in 2017 by Slovak born artist Peter Garaj (1969-2022). Before becoming a renowned sculptor, Garaj was an international downhill ski racer representing Czechoslovakia. He moved to the United States in 2001 and eventually settled in Palm Beach County, where he became known for his polished stainless steel sculptures that give the illusion of flowing even though they are made of metal. Garaj specialized in ultra-contemporary industrial sculptures that blended geometric precision with organic movement. Works such as Hand of Time explore themes of progress, momentum, innovation, and the passage of time when displayed in modern architectural spaces. His ability to transform stainless steel into forms that appear almost fluid made his work recognizable once you see them. I enjoyed learning about Garaj who was able to beautifully blend technology, motion, and imagination This sculpture is also part of Palm Beach Gardens' Art in Public Places program. Under the city's ordinance, new nonresidential developments valued at $1 million or more must dedicate 1% of their construction costs toward public art. Developers can either install artwork on-site or contribute the equivalent amount to the City's Art Impact Fund, helping enrich the cultural and artistic landscape throughout the community.

The Mariner is the name of the distinguished looking sea captain who stands watch over the entrance…read moreto Phil Foster Park, one of the best snorkeling spots in South Florida. Who is he, and how did he end up here? Now that's a tale. The 10-foot tall Mariner statue was created in 1978 by local artist and World War II Army Air Corps veteran Cpl. Earl LaPan. During his long career, LaPan created hundreds of works of art that can still be found throughout South Florida. He began painting at an early age, launching his career in New Jersey before moving to Florida in 1933. He took a brief break from art to fight in WWII and after the war he returned to Florida and picked it up again. His artwork adorned hotels in Miami and across the region, and many of those paintings remain on display today. Earl LaPan passed away at the age of 97 on February 19, 1996, and was laid to rest at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. The Mariner was created as a tribute to Jerry Thomas, founder of Mariner's Bank and a former President of the Florida Senate. According to Thomas's son, Jerry himself served as the model for the sculpture. When Mariner's Bank closed, the statue was relocated to Phil Foster Park in 1983, where it has stood ever since. I've always liked this statue reminiscent of the Gorton's Fisherman and look for it when I drive past. Its placement beside the water feels especially fitting, as if the old sea captain is still keeping a watchful eye over the boats, divers, and snorkelers passing through the inlet.

Spirit of Invention is a large mural on the side of the historic 1926 Alexander Lofts building in…read moreWest Palm Beach. It was created by artist Tristan Eaton whose work has been exhibited in art galleries around the world. He began his art career by working as a teenager freelance artist in Detroit where he later attended the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. He worked for Fisher-Price where he designed his first toy at age 18. He went on to design Action Heroes and a line of fantasy toys. He then founded Thunderdog Studios, a design firm that worked on a variety of projects for companies such as Disney and Nike. One day he saw a blank building wall in Brooklyn and had the idea for a mural. He called the building owner who liked the idea and that is how he began painting murals. The Spirit of Communication was on a building used to be home to Bell Telephone headquarters so artist Tristan Eaton used that as inspiration to make an homage to Alexander Graham Bell. About the mural Eaton said "Alexander Graham Bell revolutionized how we communicate when he invented the Harmonic Telegraph in 1874, thus leading to the modern-day telephone and changing the world forever. For me, art has always been about communication. Art is a more emotional and visual form of communication, but it has the power to connect us just the same. Therefore, being asked to create a mural to celebrate Bell's life on the former West Palm Beach Southern Bell headquarters, I jumped at the chance and gladly accepted this honor. This method of portrait storytelling is fitting for someone with a life as grand and powerful as Alexander Graham Bell's. Within this mural I have sewn together many images both relevant to Bell and the specific location of the mural itself." To create the mural Eaton spent 15 days creating the art work and used 600 cans of spray paint. In March of 2016 half of the mural was destroyed when the bricks fell off the building due to a rusty iron rod. Four people had minor injuries. Eaton returned to repaint the mural and this time it only took him 6 days and 200 cans of paint. He renamed the mural Spirit of Invention. Eaton is committed to repainting and touching up any of his murals if they need it. The new mural features a hyperrealism head of Alexander Graham Bell made up of graphic designs of historic Southern Bell imprints and logos. The mural weaves together images specific to Alexander Graham Bell and the location of the mural. Eaton wanted his mural to honor both the legacy of Alexander Graham Bell and the City of West Palm beach. As a fan of both history and art I think he accomplished his goal.

I like public art so it gets five stars for brightening up the corner of 45th Australian Ave. This…read morepiece is located in district one. It is part of the "Hello Sunshine" installation which was chosen by the West Palm Beach Art In Public Places through a competition. There are five pieces in total installed at different intersections that serve as gateways to the city. The five pieces cost a total of $256,000 and the program is funded by private developers. While they all feature rays of sun each piece is different. They all are made of aluminum panels, reinforced with steel and a concrete base. They are yellow with a white interior. The artist behind the idea is Paulina Bouyer-Magana. She is part of an art collective out of Los Angeles called Aphidoidea. This is how they describe the project. "Here is "Meet "Hello Sunshine" - Hello Sunshine is the geometrical representation of the sunrise that is sectioned into five clusters of sunrays. Each cluster is unique and together they form the whole sunrise, but just like the notion of union, one cannot see the whole picture at once. You have to experience each part individually, in order to appreciate the whole thing. We want to give people the opportunity to go out and experience all five districts and see the whole picture that makes up West Palm Beach." This sculpture was installed earlier this year. It is so new that I found the instructions to put it together still stuck on it. Some community groups were outspoken against the project feeling that the money could have been better spent elsewhere. It definitely catches the eye and now that I know about it I'll be on the lookout for the other pieces in the city.

Downtown Stuart is a fun area for walking, listening to music, window shopping and dining. So many…read morehistoric buildings and beautiful walks along the St. Lucie River. We were able to park in the municipal lot so that worked for us. Some of these stores produce their merchandise by residents and the restaurants also supply farms with fishing local in order to maintain the freshness in the food that they offer. This is a busy downtown and their is live entertainment all year at the Lyric Theatre, the waterfront Riverwalk Stage. Arts and crafts festivals and special events all year long. While we were here, we listened to live music, looked at crafts at a festival and admired the very interesting buildings all about town. I was glad I walked around here!

Great place to hang out. Catch a bite to eat. Go for a walk on the dock. Overall great spot.read more

The Heights is a pizza slice shaped neighborhood of 1,500 single family ranch and two story homes…read morein Jupiter, Florida. The official name is North Palm Beach Heights but most people just call it the Heights. The Heights is located off of Donald Ross Road and is between I-95 and Abacoa. The Heights neighborhood really loves Christmas and Florida Power and Light really loves the Heights. Every December the Heights shows their love of the holidays by decking out their homes with lights, inflatables, and all kinds of decorations. Some of the highlights are the lighted arches that stretch over the street and street nicknamed Candy Cane Lane because every house on the street is lined with colorful candy canes. My favorite decorations included the robotic arm sleigh flying the rooftop, tropical Santa taking a break from the Christmas madness by lounging out on his beach chair, the lighted flamingos which is so Florida, and all of the Star Wars inflatables because you can't confine Christmas to just this galaxy. Be sure not to miss Hollywood and Pompano Streets. You could easily drive around for an hour and not see it all. Best of all, it is free fun that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Come out and enjoy the tradition of the Heights holiday decorations this season.