ART
POPULAR PROGRAM
City Mayor Gregory Oravec had high praise for the utility
wrap program when the city council approved new designs
in August, 2018 saying, “In my 22 years of public service this
is one of the most popular programs we have.”
Alessandra Tasca, community programs administrator with
the Neighborhood Services Department, recently confirmed
that the boxes are appreciated by city residents saying that,
“The project is very popular and has provided the residents
of Port St. Lucie with public art on a lot of streets and in
unexpected places.”
The Art in Public Places ordinance created a fund that
developments meeting certain criteria pay into so the city
has the money to buy art for city-owned land. Developers
can either contribute art placed in a public space such as a
roadside or on its premises but visible from public streets, or
put money into the city’s public art fund.
The city then uses the fund, which currently totals about
$500,000, to pay for art it chooses through a formal selection
process that includes recommendations by the Public Art Advisory
Board, the Planning and Zoning Board, and approval
by the city council.
The two globes on Gatlin commissioned by MidFlorida
Credit Union as its contribution to Port St. Lucie’s public
art program are good examples of privately commissioned
roadside artwork that is noticed and very much liked by the
public. For those who have driven by and wondered, the
globes, with LED lights inside, have names — Dark Planet
and Mantle. Both are by sculptor David Harber.
Home developer Del Webb installed an elegant sculpture
by David Harber called Hydra at the entrance to its community
in Tradition on the southwest corner of Village Parkway
and Open View Drive in Tradition.
Grove Park apartments, at 2033 S.E. Lennard Road,
privately purchased a curving bronze sculpture by Charles
Strain called Duo after approval by the city council. Abstractly
representing two people within its beautiful curving lines,
it is easily visible to anyone driving by.
The city approved several works of art proposed by
developers in lieu of paying into the public art fund in 2018
and 2019 for placement in visible locations. Among them are
submissions from A&G Concrete Pools on Glades Cut-off >>
Port St. Lucie Magazine 37
During a community
celebration in honor of the
opening of Crosstown Parkway
this fall, crowds came out to
celebrate. Many were able to
get an up-close view of the
beautiful Guy Harvey scene of
the Indian River Lagoon and
the metal sculpture depicting
seagrass with fish swimming
through it.
VISIT ST. LUCIE
Muralist Shannon Paul Wiley painted this wall in 2014 to hide the trash
collection site by city hall. It depicts the Indian River Lagoon, wetlands,
and peach clouds reflecting in the tranquil water.