06.19.2024

Today’s Forecast

87º | 50% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:31 a.m. | Sunset 8:27 p.m.

It’s a walk of art

Take a walk of art at the Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition

Four outdoor sculptures include a bike, a woman in a red dress, a flower-like form, and abstract pipes and shapes.

The sculptures “Hey,” “Daydreamer in Red,” “Alien Flower,” and “Ker-Plunk” are all made of steel. | Photos courtesy of the City of Lakeland

If you’ve taken a stroll down Lemon Street, you might have noticed new sculptures dotting the promenade. The art kicks off the start of the 24th Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition.

Artists submitted over 60 sculpture designs to a local jury made up of staff from the city, Polk Museum of Art, and other art community members, who narrowed down the crop to the top 11. Applications opened in the fall of 2023 and the competition once again includes a piece on display at the Lakeland Public Library.

A collage of three sculptures: A metal horse rearing up, a large black metal flower, a spider, and a geometric design. — Themes vary from nature to the abstract, as seen in “The Wild One,” “Vuida,” “Maman Quest,” and “Perspective Portals.”
|
Photos by LALtoday

The remaining 10 dot three blocks along Lemon Street, between South Florida Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue, through the end of the year. It’s completely free to walk the promenade and take a closer look at each sculpture.

The 11 sculptures include:

“Live LARGE” by D. Keith Williams of Lakeland, FL
“Show Horses” and “Nave” by James Futral, of Fort Myers, FL
“Einfühlung Loss” and “The Wild One” by Jessica Bradsher, of Greenville, NC
“Vuida” by Joni Younkins-Herzog of Athens, GA
“Maman Quest” by Adam Walls of Tryon, NC
“Perspective Portals” by Matt Moyer of Columbia, MO
“Angular Separation” by Hanna Jubran of Grimesland, NC
“Eve” by Claudia Jane Klein of Lake Worth Beach, FL
“Urban Forest” by Richard Herzog of Athens, GA

A collage of four sculptures: One made of blue and red shapes, an abstract steel sculpture, one with seats around a chapel shape, and a cubism-style tree. — It’s free to browse these art pieces — including “Angular Separation,” “Eve,” “Nave,” and “Urban Forest” — through the rest of the year.
|
Photos by LALtoday

Learn more about the artists, their sculptures, and the design behind them. Then, stay tuned to find out who will win the People’s Choice Award.

Asked

Which sculptures do you think will win the People’s Choice Award?

Make your guess and stay tuned to see if you chose correctly.

Guess the winner

Events

Wednesday, June 19

Silent Book Club | Wednesday, June 19 | 5-6 p.m. | Pressed, 213 E. Bay St., Lakeland | Free | Join fellow bookworms for an hour of silent reading time.

Thursday, June 20

Yogadance | Thursday, June 20 | 4-5 p.m. | Lake Crago Outdoor Recreation Complex, 525 Lake Crago Dr., Lakeland | $0-$5 | Dance to music from around the world in this uplifting exercise class — Silver Sneakers members get in free.
Girls Night Out | Thursday, June 20 | 6-9 p.m. | Downtown Lakeland | Price of purchase | Pick up a Shopping Passport and sip cocktails while you browse downtown stores — VIP options available.

Friday, June 21

Reggae Got Soul | Friday, June 21 | 7 p.m. | Union Hall, 1023 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland | $10-$175 | Firelight will perform reggae renditions of classic songs.
Under the Midsummer Moon | Friday, June 21 | 8-10 p.m. | Bonnet Springs Park, 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland | Free entry | Experience the Strawberry Full Moon with high-powered telescopes, shop from vendors, and enjoy drink specials.

Saturday, June 22

Women’s Brunch + Guided Writing Workshop | Saturday, June 22 | 12:30 p.m. | COhatch Lakeland, 211 E. Main St., Lakeland | $75 | Network with other writers at this workshop hosted by Miss Lakeland USA, Karolyne Roberts.
Juneteenth Celebration Of Freedom | Saturday, June 22 | 1-5 p.m. | Donald Brunson Community Center, 124 Brunson Trl., Polk City | Free | Observe the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation with a festive + educational celebration.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Today Is

Juneteenth — a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Honor this holiday + celebrate Black culture with the help of our Juneteenth events guide, and expect city office closures.

Traffic

US Highway 98 North is being widened, meaning periodic lane closures are taking place from West Socrum Loop Road to Rockridge Road. Expect a longer commute if you’re heading through north Lakeland this week. (The Ledger)

Community

Registered nonprofits can now apply for Lakeland Electric’s Community Giving Grant Program. Apply by Sunday, August 18 for a chance at a $1,000 grant to be disbursed in October.

State

Polk County organizations were expecting part of the $32 million in approved statewide arts + culture grants, but the line item was vetoed. As they work to recoup budgets, support the local arts community at an upcoming event or performance. (The Ledger)

Shop

Pair your flat white with flowers at The Petal Co.'s pop-up bouquet bar. Head to the southside Black & Brew location this Saturday, June 22, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., and get 10% off your bouquet when you make a food or drink purchase .

Drink

What’s the password? The Polk Theatre will transform into the chilling Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy July 18-20. Enter the immersive experience to sip cocktails and watch as Poe’s stories are brought to life on stage.

Health

After serving 76,000+ patients last year, Central Florida Health Care is opening another facility on Monday, July 1 in downtown Bartow. The center at 1190 E. Church St. will offer accessible medical services, a lab, and a pharmacy.

Try This

Make the friendship bracelets at the Cruel Summer Taylor Swift party at The Gallery at Rowan and Plum (101 E. Mahoney St., Plant City). The fun starts this Saturday, June 22 at 12 p.m., featuring bracelet making, singalongs, and sweet treats.

Beauty

PROVEN Skincare analyzes 47 unique factors to create a personalized three-step regimen just for you. Take the quiz today. Bonus: get 50% off with code PROVENPARTNER.*

Travel

⛵️ Come sail away

Beachy road trip destinations within three hours of Lakeland

An aerial view of beach houses on Anna Maria Island near the blue and green ocean in the distance.

Take some time from your beach trip to explore the city. | Photo by @onceuponabeachami

Need a summer getaway? Here are even more beachy destinations within three hours of Swan City recommended to us by our readers and followers.

📍 Clearwater Beach | 1.5 hours from Lakeland

Check out the menu of the day at Heilman’s Beachcomber Restaurant, an upscale spot with a piano bar that opened in 1948.

📍 Fort De Soto Park | 1.5 hours from Lakeland

Take a self-guided tour of Fort De Soto, which was completed in 1900, and the Quartermaster Museum.

📍 Siesta Key | 1 hour 45 minutes from Lakeland

Rent a boat or jet ski from CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, or take your vacation up a notch by going parasailing.

📍 Daytona Beach | 2 hours from Lakeland

Got a need for speed? Hop in a race car for the NASCAR Racing Experience at Daytona International Speedway.

The Buy

The Buy 6.19.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Too Faced’s coveted Better Than Sex Volumizing Mascara, which is newly available on Amazon.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Connor

From the editor

I love seeing what artists come up with each year for the Florida Outdoor Sculpture Contest, and I’m happy to see a Lakeland artist featured this year. You probably recognize the work of D. Keith Williams, the artist behind “Live Large” who also created the iconic Dixieland Dragon.

Missed our previous newsletter?

›

Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY