Sculpture

Galactic Bloom

The City of Pompano Beach commissioned Tyler FuQua Creations to design and fabricate a light pole sculpture to be installed on 11 NE 1^st Street.

Space Plants first appeared in Portland Oregon in 2000. In 2024, a seed ended up traversing the US and ended up in Pompano Beach! The Plant seems to have evolved slightly along the way, resulting in this Galactic Bloom! This Space Plant stands about 12 feet tall and has 4 blossoms at various heights and is made out of stainless steel.

About the Artist Team: Founded in 2007 by Tyler FuQua, TFC is made up of a select group of skilled individuals hailing from the Portland, Oregon region. Tyler, initially delving into the realm of crafting giant puppets using materials found around his home, quickly directed his efforts toward constructing increasingly ambitious creations. Collaborating with Jason Hutchinson, another inventive builder, Tyler assembled a team of exceptionally creative and diligent individuals, transforming TFC from a solo endeavor into a collaborative powerhouse. Constantly seeking fresh and thrilling opportunities, we strive to expand our creative horizons.

Underwater Sculpture Garden Artwork Round 2: Mechan H2O

Tyler FuQua Creations, Inc., an artist team from Portland, Oregon, was commissioned to design, fabricate, and install a sculpture entitled “Mechan H2O” which weighs about 700 pounds. The sculpture is made out of steel and depicts a robot scuba diver. “Mechan H2O” was displayed on land at the beach, just south of the Pompano Beach Pier for one year before it was submerged into the water and attached to Lady Luck as part of the Shipwreck Park underwater art exhibition.

Lady Luck is a 324 foot tanker vessel that was sunk on July 23rd, 2016 as an artificial reef 1 ½ miles off Pompano Beach’s shore. This ship is one of the biggest contributions to Florida’s artificial reef system and one of the most easily accessible major dive sites in the nation. The ship is the centerpiece of what is known as Shipwreck Park, surrounded by 16 other existing wrecks covered with marine life. Shipwreck Park is a unique underwater cultural arts park with rotating underwater art exhibits. The ship includes specific themes, exciting underwater events, artwork and rotating art exhibits to create a unique dive experience for local and international tourists.

Shipwreck Park is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the creation of an underwater park system establishing artificial reefs, utilizing public art to raise awareness of the need to preserve and conserve our natural coral reef system. The purpose of Shipwreck Park Pompano is to develop and protect our coral reefs. For more information on Shipwreck Park, visit https://shipwreckparkpompano.org/.

Le Corsaire

Artist: Linda Serrao

Location: Ali Cultural Center

The Public Art Committee created a Call to Artists looking for a prefabricated artwork that represented the Ali Cultural Arts Center’s performing arts background. Linda Serrao’s Le Corsaire was a perfect selection for this theme as the bronze artwork represents a dancer in flight.

Built in the 1930s, Ali Cultural Arts is a rare surviving example of early 20th century architecture that once comprised a thriving commercial district along Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (historically named Rock Road).The Mission of the Historic Ali Cultural Arts is to both celebrate the history and culture of the African American community in Pompano Beach and to enhance local access to the cultural arts, with a focus on dance, music and the spoken word, including poetry, storytelling and theater, as part of the Downtown Pompano Creative Arts District.

Ali Cultural Arts is a platform to enrich the community through visual and performing arts. Visual art exhibitions feature the best in local, regional, national artists, while intimate receptions will engage patrons in creative dialogue as they enjoy eclectic musical programs.

The artist describes the work as figurative and realistic, meant to capture a moment in time and to reflect our relationships to other peoples, other creatures, and to the environment which we all share. Beauty comes in many forms in the world around us—in people of all sizes, sexes, colors, ages, and cultures, in animals both familiar and unusual, and in creatures both real and imagined. The artist uses this rich variety to create unique, expressive sculptures. She believes art should reveal a little about the times and values in which it is created, and strives to subtly imply a symbol or story or situation within her figures. For more information on the art, please visit https://www.lindaserrao.com/ .

Gather

Artist: Michael Szabo

Location: Mayla Residences in Pompano Beach, 11 NE 24th Ave, Pompano Beach, FL 33062

This sculpture is part of the City’s Public Art Density Bonus Project. The City worked with the Grover Corlew and artist Michael Szabo to install this 28 foot by 8 foot by 8 foot stainless steel and bronze sculpture. The sculpture creates a gathering area for residents where they can come together to relax and work.

Michael Szabo Studio creates large-scale, site-integrated sculptures that speak to the environments they inhabit. A native of the Bay Area, Michael earned his degree in fine art at the Rhode Island School of Design and soon returned home to establish his San Francisco studio in 2004. Working predominantly in stainless steel and bronze, he also incorporates elements such as stone, glass, water, and landscape integration. The resulting aesthetic and material language prompt a conversation between the works, the physical spaces, and the humans they engage with. For more information on the artist, please visit https://www.szaboworks.com/ .

Hazel Armbrister Dedication Bust

Artist: Brodin Studios

Location Ali Cultural Center Hazel K. Armbrister Courtyard

Pompano Beach Arts worked with Brodin Studios to create a memorial for Hazel K. Armbrister. This memorial, in the form of a bronze bust, resides in the Ali Cultrual Center’s Hazel K. Armbrister Courtyard.

Ms. Armbrister exemplified a steadfast dedication to her community throughout her lifetime. Without her advocacy, The Historic Ali Cultural Arts Center would not have been preserved and transformed into the vibrant cultural hub it is today. This bust honors her commitment to preserving the community’s history .

A native of Perry, Florida, Armbrister resided in Pompano Beach's Liberty Park neighborhood for over 60 years. Encouraged by her late husband David C. Armbrister, she pursued education, and obtained degrees from Miami Dade Community College, USF, and Miami-Dade College.

Armbrister dedicated 31 years to teaching in both Dade and Broward counties, positively influencing numerous generations. Her extensive community involvement led to numerous awards, including induction into Broward County’s Women’s Hall of Fame and the Senior Hall of Fame. She co-founded the Florida Black Democratic Caucus and the Gwen Cherry Women’s Political Caucus and was an active member of various local organizations.

Throughout her life, Armbrister tirelessly advocated for women’s and black rights, notably participating in the “Wade-In” protests against segregated beaches in Fort Lauderdale during the 1960s. In 2017, she was appointed as the “Pompano Beach City Historian” and played key roles in preservation efforts and on cultural committees. She founded the Rock Road Restoration Historical Group, housed in the Ali Cultural Center, a landmark she passionately fought to preserve.

Her legacy endures through her unwavering commitment to community service, education, and advocacy. While her absence leaves a void, her impact remains deeply woven into the fabric of her community.

About Rock Road Restoration

The Rock Road Restoration Historical Group, Inc. 501(c)(3) was created to collect meaningful artifacts, preserve history and educate others about the past, present and future contributions of Black residents west of Dixie Highway in Pompano Beach, Florida. As it continues to highlight the history and culturally enhance the community, Rock Road Restoration Historical Group, Inc. will continue to act as a change agent in preserving local heritage.

About Bodin Studios

In 1978, Brodin Studios began as a small company founded by two brothers, Neil Brodin, a Minneapolis police officer and artist, Roger Brodin. In 1982, they were joined by a third brother, John, a sergeant with the MPD at the time they were developing their first miniature statue for police officers, in what would become known as “The Law Enforcement Recognition Program.” Today hundreds of police departments, fire departments, and federal agencies have bronze miniatures and monuments created to honor law enforcement and fire/rescue. Today the company is owned and operated by Nick Christensen in Kimball, MN. He started sculpting for Brodin Studios in 2003. For more information on Brodin Studios, please visit https://www.brodinstudios.com/.

Family Roots

Artist: George Gadson

Location: E. Pat Larkins Community Center, 520 NW 3rd St, Pompano Beach, FL 33060

In 2003, the community in the northwest area of Pompano Beach had a sculpture custom created and installed by artist George Gadson at the E. Pat Larkins Community Center. This public artwork pays tribute to the community by depicting preservation of family heritage and identity.

Gadson states he creates art with a purpose. Gadson said. “This sculpture was created to empower the community with knowledge of their culture and heritage. A community without knowledge of their history is like a tree without roots.”

E. Pat Larkins Community Center is dedicated to Elijah Pat Larkins, the City’s first African American Mayor who served 19 consecutive years as City Commissioner and 7 terms as Mayor of Pompano Beach.

Self-taught artist George Gadson’s artworks express different spiritual aspects and values of life. His unabated passion for creating translates into exuberant and joyous figurative sculptures, abstracts, photography and more, inspired by his surroundings, people and their environment, and mundane objects of everyday life that often go unnoticed.

Drawing on many sources and ideas for his work, including his personal life story and experiences makes the creative process to be as equally important as the final work. The process allows him to feel, explores, and discovers, the insight, enchantments, and spiritual empowerment that the experience of creating brings.

Gadson seeks to bring to life the forgotten history found in many communities and capture civic memories through creative design works for public spaces. Such efforts aid in rebuilding the tangible and intangible characters of a community, bringing disparate groups together, creating safer neighborhoods, promoting a greater sense of place and belonging, and breathing new life into the “soul” of a community and its residents. For mote information on the artist, please visit https://georgegadsonstudios.com

Barefoot Mailman

Artist: Mario Chiodo

Location: Hillsboro Inlet Bridge

The legend of the Barefoot Mailman dates to the original mail carrier route for South Florida during the late 19th century. Nearly 28 miles of the route was traversed by boat and by walking along sand as there was no road connecting the areas at the time. It was referred to as the "barefoot route." The statue, which rests atop a nearly 21-foot concrete pedestal, cost $75,000.

The bridge design and artwork were inspired by two significant historical icons of this area — the first being the Hillsboro Beach Lighthouse which was originally constructed in 1906 and is today prized by Pompano Beach, Hillsboro Beach and Lighthouse Point. The second is the Barefoot Mailman.

For more information on the artist, please visit https://chiodoart.com/

We Go Together

Artist Team: Gillie and Marc Schattner

Location: Pompano Beach Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Located at the south entrance of the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, We Go Together, created by artist team Gillie and Marc, is a whimsical bronze sculpture. The artist team is highly regarded in the art community all over the world. The New York Times once referred to them as “the most successful and prolific creators of public art in New York’s history”. Gillie and Marc are Australian contemporary artists, and husband and wife, who collaborate to create art as one. Together, they have applied the imagery of their dog/human hybrid to celebrate the powerful spiritual relationship that exists between man and animal. Their hybrid allows them to explore unconditional love, loyalty, affection and joy through by asking us to consider whether a human might benefit from some of the qualities of the dog.

The iconic characters they have created, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, reference Gillie and Marc’s own remarkable love story. They met in Hong Kong, she was a nurse from England and he was a boy from the ‘burbs of Melbourne. Seven days later they were married in the foothills of Mount Everest. That was over twenty years ago, and since then they have collaborated on their paintings and sculptures, as one, with a singular dedication and craftsmanship. Their art explores relationships and love, and finds inspiration in their travels around the world and adventures they have had, or hope to have, together. They hope that their animal/human hybrids makes people think by challenging conventions, expectations and societal norms.

For more information on the artist team, please visit https://gillieandmarc.com/

Octopus’ Garden

Artist: Samantha McInnis AKA The Clay Cache

Location: Pompano Beach Cultural Center second floor, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

The Public Art Committee sought out artists who have displayed work at the Ali Cultural Center and artists in residence at the Bailey Contemporary Arts (BaCA) in order to support local artists. Octopus’ Garden is a multi-ceramic sculpture created by legacy BaCA Artist in Resident Samantha McInnis AKA The Clay Cache. The sculpture features multiple handmade sea life creates with an octopus in the center.

The see more of The Clay Cache’s artwork, please visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheC... .

9/11 Memorial

Artist: Cherie Saleeby

Location: Founders Park, 306 NE 3rd St, Pompano Beach, FL 33060

The City of Pompano Beach’s Fire Department acquired a piece of steel from the World Trade Center for use in a memorial for the 343 first responders that died saving lives on September 11, 2001. The City commissioned artist Cherie Saleeby to integrate the piece of steel into an artistic memorial.

The memorial is installed at Founders Park which is home to the Pompano Beach Historical Society, the caretakers of our history. When designing the sculpture, Saleeby took into account the scale of the surroundings and adjacent buildings. She stated she wanted the sculpture to complement and not overwhelm the area. The viewer can touch the exposed steel, which represents the backbone of the responders and their resolute courage. The piece suggests the spine of a hardcover book, helping to keep the pages together. The memorial also contains the names of all 343 first responders who heroically died saving so many.

Cherie Saleeby has a long career in sculpture, beginning in Italy, carving marble. The journey has lead to larger scale projects in Art in Public Places and installations. She enticed by non-conventional materials.

Saleeby was awarded the Duane Hanson Allied Artist Award , to assist with an Art in Public Places Commission for artist team of Harries & Heder , working on a park in Miramar, Florida. Her responsibilities were to oversee the construction of a stone amphitheater along with other artistic features. Two of her original seating sculptures in massive coral rock, can be seen in the park.

Saleeby lives with her family in South Florida and continues to work in her studio in Sanibel, Florida and as an Artist in Residence at Arts Warehouse, Delray Beach, Florida. For more information on the artist,, please visit https://cheriesaleeby.com/

Oasis

Artist: Cecilia Lueza

Location: Pompano Beach Oasis Water Reuse Plant, 1799 N Federal Hwy, Pompano Beach, FL 33060

The City of Pompano Beach commissioned artist Cecilia Lueza for the design and installation of a sculpture located at the City’s Oasis Water Reuse Plant. As part of the Oasis Reuse Program, all reused and filtered water is delivered through purple pipes throughout the City for irrigation. The sculpture reflects on water as reuse and conservation. An aspect of the Reuse Plant’s purple pipes is included in the design.

Oasis is a site-specific, signature sculpture that is symbolic, bright, energetic, and celebrates the mission of the Pompano Beach Reuse Water Plant. The aluminum sculpture is composed of individual undulant pieces inspired by the movement and colors of open water. The artwork is designed to provoke the effect of motion while creating a dynamic visual effect for the viewer.

Argentine-American artist and sculptor, Cecilia Lueza is well known for creating vibrant public art pieces across the United States and beyond. Throughout her career, the artist has intensely explored a wide range of artistic media including painting, sculpture and monumental public art installations. For more information on the artist, please visit https://www.lueza.com/

Pirates’ Treasure Chest

Artist: Donald Gialanella

Location: Shipwreck Park attached to Lady Luck

View a video of the sinking of this artwork.

Florida artist Donald Gialanella was commissioned to design, fabricate, and install a sculpture entitled Pirates’ Treasure Chest as part of the City’s Underwater Sculpture Garden. The artwork was displayed by the Great Lawn for one year before it was submerged into the water and attached to Lady Luck as part of the Shipwreck Park underwater art exhibition.

Lady Luck is a 324 foot tanker vessel that was sunk on July 23rd, 2016 as an artificial reef 1 ½ miles off Pompano Beach’s shore. This ship is one of the biggest contributions to Florida’s artificial reef system and one of the most easily accessible major dive sites in the nation. The ship is the centerpiece of what is known as Shipwreck Park, surrounded by 16 other existing wrecks covered with marine life. Shipwreck Park is a unique underwater cultural arts park with rotating underwater art exhibits. The ship includes specific themes, exciting underwater events, artwork and rotating art exhibits to create a unique dive experience for local and international tourists.

Shipwreck Park is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the creation of an underwater park system establishing artificial reefs, utilizing public art to raise awareness of the need to preserve and conserve our natural coral reef system. The purpose of Shipwreck Park Pompano is to develop and protect our coral reefs. For more information on Shipwreck Park, visit http://shipwreckparkflorida.org

Donald Gialanella (Jell-a-nella-a) is an artist specializing in the design and fabrication of public art. Originally from Maplewood, NJ, he now works out of his studio in St Petersburg, Florida. Donald apprenticed with artist Louise Bourgeois after earning a BFA in sculpture from The Cooper Union in New York. Known for his larger-than-life sculptures in public and private collections across the United States, his work is installed in over a dozen cities from California to New York.His background includes teaching art at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and ten years as an Emmy winning television graphics producer in New York City. For more information on the artist, please visit https://www.donsculpture.com/ .

Painted Pompano

In 2015, the City of Pompano Beach completed its first large Public Art installation, Painted Pompano. The pompano fish is the City’s namesake and a symbol of the identity of Pompano residents. The original project consisted of twelve five-foot tall pompano statues that were placed in various locations throughout the City. Each of the Painted Pompano sculptures has been individualized by local artists in a variety of styles and finishes.

Due to the original project’s success, the City completed a second round of Painted Pompano fish focusing on an art history theme entitled School of Art in 2018. The project consisted of twelve additional five-foot tall fish sculptures, each sculpture has been individualized by artists in varieties of styles and finishes focusing on themes of periods of art history.

As the project continues to grow over the years, many more Painted Pompano sculptures have been created with various themes. Due to South Florida climate, some of the sculpture have also been decommissioned.

The design of the sculpture was created and copyrighted through the City. Each sculpture is constructed out of foam with three coats of polyurethane by using the molds which are on display and consist of the fish mold itself and its base. Once the molds are fabricated, the selected artist, whom was selected through a Call to Artists that was circulated, creates their approved design onto the sculpture. Then the Public Art Committee approves the artwork and it is installed!

Current

Artist: Michael Szabo

Location: Pompano Beach Cultural Center, 50 W. Atlantic Blvd. Pompano Beach, FL 33060

Current welcomes visitors to the Pompano Beach Cultural Center adjacent to City Hall in the revitalized downtown Pompano. The sculpture is made out of stainless teel and bronze and measures 15 feet by 8 feet by 7 feet. It is an abstracted reference to the infinite and dynamic flow of community, solidarity and creativity that the Cultural Arts Center provides its citizens and visitors, which they in turn feed back to the city to create a reciprocal sense of connection and place. The satin finish of the stainless steel softly reflects the surrounding environment while the rich patina of the bronze evokes the area’s leaves, grasses, ocean and skies.

Michael Szabo Studio creates large-scale, site-integrated sculptures that speak to the environments they inhabit. A native of the Bay Area, Michael earned his degree in fine art at the Rhode Island School of Design and soon returned home to establish his San Francisco studio in 2004. Working predominantly in stainless steel and bronze, he also incorporates elements such as stone, glass, water, and landscape integration. The resulting aesthetic and material language prompt a conversation between the works, the physical spaces, and the humans they engage with. For more information on the artist, please visit https://www.szaboworks.com/ .