Polk Museum of Art Announces New “Living” Addition to Outdoor Sculpture Garden

Lakeland, FL (February 25, 2020) - The Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College has added a new masterpiece to its outdoor Sculpture Garden: a Living Wall.

The idea for the Living Wall began over the past year as the Museum wanted to revitalize its Sculpture Garden and to find an alternative use for the brick wall that once housed a water feature, installed in the Sculpture Garden in 1973 but broken for several years. It was while traveling with the Museum’s Art Resource Trust members last April that inspiration struck during a visit to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

“Art Resource Trust travels once a year to a city to explore the arts,” explains Lynda Buck, Board Chair of the Polk Museum of Art and Art Resource Trust member. On their 2019 trip to California, the group discovered a beautiful, vertical garden in the patio of the SFMOMA and knew a similar concept would be a perfect fit for the Sculpture Garden’s defunct water wall back in Lakeland.

Once ART members found their inspiration, they worked with community members to create plans for the Living Wall. After presenting the idea to Mike Furr with Furr and Wegman Architecture and with the generous support of Museum patrons and Rooms to Go, which donated outdoor furniture, the project quickly came together.

“One of the most frequent questions I received over the past few years by visitors to the Museum has been: ‘what’s going on with the Sculpture Garden?’” recalls Dr. Alex Rich, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Museum. “We have this amazing outdoor space that has long seemed less than inviting. Revivifying the space was a top priority, and amazingly with the dedicated work and support of Lynda Buck, Mike Furr, our Art Resource Trust members, Rooms to Go, and Joe Campbell, our Operations Manager, to name just a few, this transformational first phase of the garden’s renovation came together in just a few months.”

Rich explains that phase two will include adding more large-scale sculptures and more greenery and seating to enhance the overall visitor experience of the Museum. Already, the Living Wall adds new life to the Sculpture Garden, creating a more comfortable atmosphere for visitors to enjoy and view the outdoor artwork.

“Vertical gardens work like a natural clean air system and promote a better breathing atmosphere and a healthier environment overall,” states Buck. “Plants also help reduce noise pollution, which creates a quieter space to enjoy lunch out on the patio area. What better way to enjoy a learning experience about art and plant life to children and adults alike!”

To learn more information about The Living Wall, please contact Taylor Holycross at 863-688-7743 ext. 249 or tholycross@polkmuseumofart.org.