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The Palmetto Bay Art in Public Places Advisory Board conducted a virtual meeting on Thursday, Jan. 20, to discuss ongoing projects and to select a sculpture for the Franjo Road Traffic Circle.
Present were advisory board members Dana Pezoldt, Gary Traczyk, Jacqueline Prussing, Jamie Wasser and Donna Underwood. Staff members Andrea Candelaria, Resilience coordinator; Mark Alvarez, interim Community and Economic Development director also attended. Absent were advisory board members Mary Elizabeth Maggio and Liz Amore.
Each of the four artists — Michael Szabo, Owen Morrel, Alan Binstock and Jeff Reed — who were finalists for the Franjo Road Traffic Circle project also attended virtually. The artists presented their proposals online for 10 minutes and then took questions for five minutes.
Michael Szabo’s proposed design, Bloom, was unanimously chosen by the AIPP advisory board from the four sculptures presented.
The board described his project:
Bloom is intended to inspire residents and visitors of the community to communicate. He will work to install the 16-foot art piece on schedule. His concern is the height of the seven-foot directional signs blocking the view of the sculpture. His process is holistic. He does everything in his studio and then installs it. The four abstract skinny crescent shaped petal sculpture would be made of bronze on stainless steel with a patina, anchored to a four-and-one-half-foot pedestal, standing 16 feet high and surrounded by natural grass. It would be lit for evening viewing.
Szabo was pleased to be chosen and that his art will be part of the village.
“I was thrilled to learn that my proposal was selected for the Franjo Road Traffic Circle,” Szabo said. “Through my research in developing the concept I learned about the rich history of the area and the unique, intimate and tight-knit community the residents of Palmetto Bay have built. I’m honored and excited for my work to be incorporated into the Palmetto Bay experience!”
Members of the advisory board were impressed enough with the other three artists and their works that they decided that all of the submissions would be considered as viable art for future traffic circles in the village.
More of Michael Szabo’s art can be seen at www.szaboworks.com.
