Posts filed under 'Cultural Arts'
Posted: June 19, 2010: 6:11 pm
Friday evening the Polk Education Foundation “tripped the light fantastic” as it unveiled a fabulous new scholarship fundraising event entitled Stepping Out for Education. The event featured five well known Polk County business leaders that voluntarily took ten hours of ballroom dancing instruction and then danced themselves into the hearts and wallets of more than 300 guests. (Pictured above left are dancing stars Gail McKinzie, Bonnie Parker and Tracy Porter.) Held at the Lakeland Yacht Club, those attending enjoyed a wonderful dinner as Tampa Electric’s Cindy Price (and PEF Board member) emceed the festivities keeping everyone focused on two priorities – fancy footwork and fundraising. Thousands of dollars were raised to help Polk County graduates pursue their dreams.
Good sports and even better dancers included: Gail McKinzie, superintendent of Polk Public Schools; Bonnie Parker, president of Winter Haven Sun Trust Bank; Jerry Miller, community affairs manager for Progress Energy; Tracy Porter, executive director of the Polk State College Foundation and Tim Harris, a School Board member and a representative of MIDFLORIDA Credit Union. All had accomplished partners to mentor them through the ten weeks of dance instruction and all brought applause from the audience as they performed twists, turns and lifts to waltzes, tangos, quick step and other ballroom standards.
At evening’s end Jerry Miller took the judges’ top honors (Miller scored a perfect 30 in his final dance routine) while Bonnie Parker received the People’s Choice Award and also raised the most money through $1 votes – more than $3,000. (Parker also scored a perfect 30 in her final routine.) In all the five candidates raised more than $7,000 in that voting alone. Sponsor dollars and attendee ticket purchases ensure that those Stepping Out truly “stepped up,” and the Polk Education Foundation was the true winner for what is sure to be a popular new annual event.
All the dancing stars were on their mark, and the judges gave each high marks for technique. We might add that Gail
McKinzie does a mean jitterbug, and Tracy Porter’s waltz was spectacular as well. Bonnie Parker’s dress she wore for her “Last Tango in Lakeland” (right) will long be remembered.
Wow, it was truly a special evening. Congratulations to Susan Copeland and everyone at the Polk Education Foundation for a great new evening of fun.
| See other posts filed in: Crazy Things To Do, Cultural Arts, Education, Success Stories
Posted: March 9, 2010: 12:08 pm
The top 10 winners of the 2010 Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition have been selected and are being installed in downtown Winter Haven’s Central Park. This year’s outdoor gallery will be found in Virginia Miller Park (across from library), Central Park, and South Central Park and presented to the public on April 15 at the Central Park Stroll.
Join your friends from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. and stroll the parks. Then vote for your favorite sculpture in the People’s Choice Awards. Official judges awards will also be announced that evening. Adding to the festivities will be music performed by musicians from Polk State College.
The Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition is presented by the City of Winter Haven and the
Polk Museum of Art in partnership with Main Street Winter Haven and the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce.
You can see all ten sculptures here.
Pictured above left is Basalt Man by Glenn Zweygardt, Alfred Station, NY, and at right is Creepy Crawley by Adam C. Walls, Laurinburg, NC.
| See other posts filed in: City of Winter Haven, Cultural Arts, Downtown, General Announcements, Main Street Winter Haven
Posted: April 28, 2009: 4:24 pm
The City of Winter Haven and the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce extend a cordial invitation to all Chamber members to a special Business Open House at the newly renovated Women’s Club/Museum of Winter Haven History at 660 Pope Avenue this Thursday, April 30 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
You’ll find delicious culinary samples from five different caterers, piano entertainment and facility tours worth your time. Renovations included bathroom renovations, enhanced lighting, a protective fire sprinkling system, new ceilings and other renovations in keeping with the buildings historic designation on the National Register including an historically accurate repainting of the pink facade. There are new museum displays as well.
The City has developed guidelines for building rental in keeping with the historic contents of the museum. Learn a little history, enjoy some delicious food and tour a beautiful building. RSVP here.
A special Open House for the General Public is scheduled for Saturday, May 2 from 10 am. to 2 p.m.
| See other posts filed in: Chamber Events, City of Winter Haven, Cultural Arts, General Announcements
Posted: February 5, 2009: 10:42 am
For the fourth year, the City of Winter Haven has joined with the Polk Museum of Art to bring ten outstanding outdoor sculptures to downtown’s three-block Central Park area for 2009. The sculptures will be installed during March. The exhibition will officially open at the “Central Park Stroll” event scheduled for Thursday, April 9 in late afternoon. The sculptures will remain on display until February of next year. (The sculpture at left is titled “Humpback Whale Tail” and measures 11′ high by 17′ wide and 9 ‘ deep. It was created from reclaimed Honduran mahogany.)
The Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition is a joint project of the City of Winter Haven and the Polk Museum of Art. The Chamber and Main Street are also partners in the project.
The selections were made by a committee of people that included representatives from the Museum and residents of Winter Haven. Ten pieces were chosen from the 53 submitted. Best of Show, 2nd Place, and Honorable Mention prizes will be awarded on April 9th following judging and Peoples Choice voting.
You can view all ten sculptures here.
| See other posts filed in: City of Winter Haven, Cultural Arts, Downtown, Parks and Green Space, Tourism
Posted: May 15, 2008: 8:27 am
Satellite view of proposed master planning DRI
City Commissioners, staff, Chamber and Main Street representatives heard a preliminary overview of how redevelopment of the current Chain of Lakes Stadium/Southwest Complex property is likely to proceed. The City actually plans to trigger a “Development of Regional Impact” study (DRI) on a major portion (approximately 200 acres) of the community’s southwest quadrant bounded on the north by Avenue O, south by the Lake Lulu/Shipp canal, east by Park Lake/First Street South and west by Lake Shipp. Local developer Tony Binge presented the conceptual scenerio involving commercial, residential and enhanced public access to the Chain of Lakes. City staff underscored that the plan will provide for all amenities currently found on the Chain of Lakes property including a new facility for Theatre Winter Haven, a new aquatic center and other recreational amenities. Public access to Lake Lulu and the east shore of Lake Shipp would be greatly enhanced.
The master plan being contemplated will produce land use guidelines including more inter-city in fill development of a very high quality as well as an increased emphasis on Chain of Lakes access and appreciation, connectivity to walking trails and downtown.
The information was shared during the City’s annual planning retreat where those present outlined a vision for the city both five and ten years in the future. The areas of emphasis included Economic Development, Community Neighborhoods, Lakes, Leisure, Growth and Development and City Services. The City continues to use the results of the “Our Future By Design” visioning document as a significant benchmark for planning purposes. The document was developed in 1999-2000 by a broad cross section of Winter Haven residents (approximately 200 participated throughout the process).
| See other posts filed in: Chain of Lakes, City of Winter Haven, Commercial Developments, Cultural Arts, Dining, Economic Development, Parks and Green Space, Real Estate, Sports, Uncategorized
Posted: April 11, 2008: 10:21 am
The Third Annual Central Park Stroll was held April 10 amid picture perfect weather, beautifully manicured parks and ten new outdoor sculptures. This year’s Stroll was unique in that for the first time, one of the ten sculptures was created by a Winter Haven artist. Perhaps most exciting is the fact that Albert Kriston’s “Reach” sculpture (pictured at left) was selected as “Best of Show” by the judges and “Peoples Choice” winner from Thursday evening’s guests.
Reach was inspired by the astronauts who lost their lives on the shuttle Challenger.
The Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition is organized by the Polk Museum of Art in conjunction with the City of Winter Haven. This is the eighth year for the competition and the third time it has been in Winter Haven’s downtown parks. The City of Winter Haven provides both financial backing for the exhibition and the logistical support to install and maintain the sculptures. The sculptures are selected by a committee of area residents. This year’s judges included Carol Mickett, Ph.D., and Robert Stackhouse, Ph.D Artists.
The Central Park Stroll was sponsored by Cartlon Music Center, CSX Transportation, Food Partners, Haskell Corp., Peterson Myers, P.A., Publix Supermarkets, Inc., Raley Downtown Properties, Richards Fine Coffees, Tampa Electric Company and the Winter Haven Chamber Foundation.
The Chamber joins with Main Street Winter Haven and the City to present the Central Park Stroll. Those who voted for the sculptures last evening received a coupon book good for discounts at downtown restaurants and retailers.
| See other posts filed in: Chamber Events, City of Winter Haven, Cultural Arts, Downtown, Main Street Winter Haven, Parks and Green Space, Success Stories, Tourism
Posted: February 14, 2008: 10:23 am
Downtown’s Central Park area will be home to the Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition for 2008. For the past two years both Winter Haven and Lakeland have hosted ten sculptures but the 2008 competition will be held in Winter Haven alone as Lakeland has chosednto exhibit works by a single artist. The ten sculptures range from small and delicate to massive and imposing and include a bronze work, “Reach” by Winter Haven artist Albert Kriston (pictured below). The Outdoor Sculpture Competition is a project of the Polk Museum of Art in cooperation with the City of Winter Haven. Winners were selected by a committee of Winter Haven residents.
The individual works will be installed in the three sections of downtown’s Central Park by early March in time for inclusion in the Central Park Art Festival March 15 and 16. The City will join with Main Street Winter Haven and the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce to announce the winners of the competition and “People’s Choice” at the Central Park Stroll on April 10.
You can view all of this year’s selections here.
| See other posts filed in: Cultural Arts, Downtown, General Announcements, Parks and Green Space, Tourism
McKinzie does a mean jitterbug, and Tracy Porter’s waltz was spectacular as well. Bonnie Parker’s dress she wore for her “Last Tango in Lakeland” (right) will long be remembered.
The Official Website of the Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce
