Alice Aycock, Whirls and Swirls and a Vortex on Water, 2008. Aluminum and acrylic, 20 x 34 x 20 ft. Central Broward Regional Park, FL.

Broward County Public Art

Broward County, Florida

While Miami has attracted international attention for its art scene over the past decade, its neighbor to the north, Broward County, has been quietly expanding its collection of public sculpture. Broward encompasses several cities, including Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, and Davie; like Miami, it benefits from considerable tourism. Much of the county’s focus has been on installations in tourist hubs such as the airport and cruise ship port. At the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, Lay of the Land (2010), by Pam Beyette, consists of 22 striking inlays in the terminal vestibules. Tiles and mosaics represent the unique ecosystem found in southeast Florida: wetlands, coral reefs, estuaries, and marshes. While Beyette’s work in Washington and Oregon echoes the muted tones of the Pacific Northwest, Lay of the Land features the vivid colors and dramatic organic shapes of this subtropical region. Other floor installations at the airport include Carolyn Braaksma’s River of Grass (2003) and Thomas H. Sayre’s Mangrove Islands (2005)… see the entire review in the print version of March’s Sculpture magazine.