ART
ART EVERYWHERE
Port St. Lucie is solidly on board with
the art in public places movement
Mantle, a sculpture by David Harber, shines brightly at night on Gatlin Boulevard. It is one of two globe-shaped sculptures MidFlorida Credit Union bought
and installed as its contribution to Port St. Lucie’s Art in Public Places. The two are very well liked by motorists passing by.
BY SUSAN BURGESS
As the sun drops behind the horizon, two eye-catching
globe-shaped sculptures gleam with interior
lights near the MidFlorida Credit Union on Gatlin
Boulevard. They were contributed by the credit
union to the city’s Art in Public Places program — a program
many residents don’t even know exists.
But the day is coming when they can easily learn a lot
about it because the city plans to create something it doesn’t
have right now: a list of all public art and its locations. Eventually
people may be able to take self-guided art tours by
bicycle or car or even in some cases, on foot.
The gleaming globes near the credit union are popular with
drivers. “These two sculptures on Gatlin get a lot of compliments,”
says Patti Tobin, the city’s long range planning administrator.
“They are more noticeable at night with the lighting.”
They were installed where motorists can easily spot them,
as required by Port St. Lucie’s growing public arts program.
The program aims to help beautify the city while improving
residents’ quality of life and attracting visitors to the city,
thereby helping businesses succeed.
PROMINENT SPOT
Nobody will have any trouble spotting the new art on the
elevator tower at the Mets stadium in St. Lucie West when
it’s finished. Topped by the Mets’ iconic “home run top hat”
with a shining red “Big Apple” sitting partially in it, the art
pays homage to Shea Stadium, the ball team’s former home
in Queens, N.Y., with a tile design taken from the nowdemolished
34 Port St. Lucie Magazine
stadium. LED lights outline Manhattan’s famous
skyline on the big apple. The artists are multi-award winning >>