Conceptual image of the Everglades Greenway Bike Loop bridge {Carnahan, Proctor, and Cross, INC.}
New sculptures, murals, and other works of art could soon be coming to Coral Springs as part of an effort to bring more public art to the city.
One or more artists will be commissioned to design, sculpt, and install a series of four permanent sculptures in the city’s planned Downtown, with one sculpture planned for each corner at Sample Road and University Drive.
The city would pay $400,000 for the sculpture from the city’s Public Art Fund, which is funded by public art fees collected during the permitting process for new construction and renovations. Coral Springs’ General Fund does not finance the arts program, officials said.
The proposed artwork is part of the Public Art Master Plan city commissioners are expected to vote on soon.
As part of the five-year plan, murals or wall installations would also go up at five locations along the Sawgrass Expressway around 2028 or 2029. The artwork would cost $55,000 a piece for a total of $110,000, city records show.
Artists would be chosen to create the four murals or wall installations, creating two pieces during phase one of the project. For phase two, the city would commission more artwork or potentially relocate existing sculptures to the expressway, officials said.
The city’s new arts plan also calls for an initial $250,000 worth of sculptures or artwork installations at multiple points along the proposed 10.2-mile Everglades Memorial Loop and Lookout, a project the city plans to build in multiple stages as more funding is sought.
The artwork would enrich the experience of visitors as they walk, run, and cycle the scenic trail, officials said.
“In order to add to the visual aesthetics of the Everglades Memorial Loop and Lookout, the City will select an artist to create a series of artworks that will embody the natural beauty and environment of the Everglades National Park and become a visual icon for Coral Springs,” according to the city’s arts plan.
Phase one of the Loop art project would include the installation of new sculptures at the Loop’s entrance, or at the bottom of the Lookout, around 2027, records show.
Later phases would include the creation of complimentary artwork along the Loop, at multiple Sawgrass expressway interchanges, and near a pedestrian bridge.
Between 2027 and 2028, the city also plans to spend $75,000 to commission an “artistic wall sculpture” on the city’s ArtWalk at 3255 Northwest 94th Ave., the plan states.
The wall sculpture could be made of glass, metal, cement, or other materials, officials said.
Other elements of the public arts plan call for a $150,000 sculpture at Lions Park or Paul Barre Memorial Rotary Park, planned for 2025, as well as the wrapping of city utility boxes with artwork along major roads.
“With entryway features, Everglades Memorial Loop, Sawgrass Expressway Icons, and a prominent Downtown, visitors travel to the City to visit the exceptional artwork,” the plan states.
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