Forté on Flagler, in collaboration with the City of West Palm Beach, has announced the upcoming West Palm Beach Art Walk, a public art initiative. The project, developed along the West Palm Beach waterfront, includes a partnership with the Norton Museum of Art for the temporary exhibition of two sculptures out of three designated for the art walk, with installations set to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.
The initiative, part of the city’s ArtLife WPB program, involved art consultants Sue Wrigley and Sarah Calodney in the curation process. They collaborated closely with the city and the development team at Forté on Flagler. Since March 18, two sculptures have been featured at the Norton Museum of Art’s Pamela, and Robert B. Goergen Garden, with a permanent installation at Forté on Flagler planned upon project completion. The third piece will also be placed at this time.
Forté on Flagler. Photo courtesy of ArX Creative.
“The collaboration between Forté on Flagler, the City of West Palm Beach and the Norton Museum of Art further integrates our dedication to the local arts community, providing residents and the entire neighborhood access to world-class sculptures in a peaceful, natural oasis in downtown West Palm Beach,” said Reid Boren, Managing Partner of Two Roads Development, one of the developers of Forté on Flagler. “This permanent installation will help foster a deeper connection between art and the broader public and for visitors to experience the magic of art in unexpected places.”
“Our goal for the West Palm Beach Art Walk is to attract a new audience to West Palm Beach’s growing array of arts and cultural offerings,” said Sybille Welter, the Director of Arts, Culture and Community Building for the City of West Palm Beach. “Our ability to work closely with the private sector allows the city to ensure that works of art typically seen in other prominent destinations are also available to our residents.”
Forté on Flagler, designed by Bernardo Fort-Brescia of Arquitectonica, stands out for its unparalleled vistas of the Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, Worth Avenue, and downtown West Palm Beach. Its landscape architecture, designed by EDSA, Inc., draws inspiration from the verdant, sun-drenched French gardens, encapsulating the essence and cultural vibrancy of Palm Beach. The 25-story tower will yield 41 condominiums and is currently under construction at 1309 South Flagler Drive with Moss Construction serving as the general contractor.
Forté on Flagler. Photo courtesy of ArX Creative.
Central to this property is a Sculpture Garden, designed to be a permanent home for the art installations. This space not only reflects the artistic and cultural values of the area but also aims to create a tangible connection with the Norton Museum of Art through a dedicated walkway, enhancing the continuity of the art experience within the community.
“Arts and culture are crucial drivers in creating the city in which we want to live,” said Mayor Keith A. James. “Through the city’s partnership with Forté on Flagler and the Norton Museum of Art, this puts on full display West Palm Beach’s commitment to our vibrant artist community and gives our residents the opportunity to experience artwork created by prominent women artists.”
“For this distinctive project, we selected three female artists representing diverse backgrounds to transform walking along Flagler Drive into an immersive experience,” said curator Sue Wrigley. “Each meticulously crafted sculpture invites viewers on a journey of imagination and exploration, complementing Forté on Flagler’s world-class design and amenities.”
“The artists utilize different approaches to create works that inspire joy and provoke the viewer to think about the world in a new way,” said curator Sarah Calodney. “Throughout history, female artists have not been considered for large-scale outdoor public installations, and the West Palm Beach Art Walk seeks to change that narrative.”
The following sculptures will be on display as part of the West Palm Beach Art Walk:
“Pineapple” by Rose Wylie”
A symbol of welcoming hospitality in several cultures and throughout history, “Pineapple” will welcome passersby and residents to marvel at the wonder and beauty of Palm Beach. After purchasing a pineapple at her local market in 2013, Wylie made multiple drawings, intrigued by its vaguely human proportions, prickly exterior, and an unusually large crown of leaves. For Wylie, working in three dimensions represents a further translation from the original image to painting to sculpture that equally brings out the formal qualities of these shapes and their symbolic resonances. Produced on an oversized scale, “Pineapple” extends Wylie’s distinctive visual language to the viewer’s realm. This piece is temporarily exhibited in the Norton Museum of Art’s Pamela and Robert B. Goergen Garden before being installed in the West Palm Beach Art Walk at Forté on Flagler.
Pineapple – David Zwirner Gallery.
“The Weather” by Kiki Smith
“The Weather” is a self-portrait representing the changing seasons and the wind. The sculpture depicts a woman’s face with enigmatic rays streaming from her mouth, eyes, and hair, evoking the many emanations of a potent female body, such as speech, tears, breath, and thoughts. Though large in its form, “The Weather” preserves the linearity of Smith’s works on paper through its cross-hatching and sinuous planes. Despite the heavy material, the work exudes the dynamism and lightness evocative of nature’s mercuriality. The sculpture aligns with Palm Beach’s tropical and sometimes unpredictable weather and inspires wonder about the abundance of nature surrounding the city. This piece is temporarily exhibited in the Norton Museum of Art’s Pamela and Robert B. Goergen Garden before being installed in the West Palm Beach Art Walk at Forté on Flagler.
The Weather – Pace Gallery.
“Great Miami Hurricane of 1926” by Allison Janae Hamilton
This 20-foot sculpture, made from tambourines, is by local Florida artist Allison Janae Hamilton. The sculpture was inspired by ‘Florida Storm,’ a 1928 hymn written by Judge Jackson, and accounts of the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane referenced in Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. It was selected for the West Palm Beach Art Walk to honor South Florida’s unique history and geography and inspire viewers to marvel at the city’s natural wonders.
Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 – Photography by Crista Rock.
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Close to it, but not downtown.