Is the RP Funding Center getting a new name? The city of Lakeland is currently negotiating naming rights for the performing arts/sports/convention center that opened as The Lakeland Civic Center in 1974, morphed into The Lakeland Center in 1996 and was rechristened as RP Funding Center in 2017.
Category: A & E
Posted inA & E
Harrison Arts’ Janiyah McAllister a National Musical Theatre Semifinalist
Harrison School for the Arts incoming senior Janiyah McAllister, 17, of Davenport, is a semifinalist in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards.
Posted inA & E, People
LSO Names New Executive Director: Lakeland Native Ashley Miller
Ashley Metts Miller, a Lakeland native, has been named executive director of the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra.
Posted inA & E, Events
Rodin Exhibit Opens at the Polk Museum of Art on Saturday
Works from the most famous name in modern sculpture have taken their places inside the exhibit halls of the Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College, waiting for the public to view them starting on Saturday when the doors open at 10 a.m.
Posted inA & E, People
Artist Depicts Lakeland Icon, Wins Top Award
The mid-century modern, 70-foot-tall orange arch and green slash, with Southgate scrawled across it in white, has long been an icon of the South Florida Avenue shopping center since it was built in 1957, making appearances in the films “Edward Scissorhands” and “The One and Only Ivan.” Now it is part of an award-winning painting […]
Posted inA & E, People
Mayfaire Best of Show Goes to Artists Preserving Cuban Folk Art
UPDATE: A painting that pays homage to the folk art of Cuba won the Best of Show Award at this weekend’s Mayfaire by-the-Lake art festival. The award was presented to Jessie Dominguez Reyes of Gainesville, who represented the family trio behind the art.
Posted inA & E, Family
Your Guide to Mayfaire-By-The-Lake’s 50th Anniversary Celebration
Mayfaire-By-The-Lake is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Lakeland’s premiere outdoor, juried, fine arts festival is free to attend and organized by the Polk Museum of Art. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 7 and 8, the same weekend as Mother’s Day, at Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland.
Posted inA & E, Events
230,000 Visitors Expected at Next Week’s Sun ‘n Fun Expo
Advance ticket sales for next week’s Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo are 20% above last year’s level, with an expected attendance of 230,000 people and 2,000 aircraft, according to John Leenhouts, who retires as president and CEO of Sun ’n Fun at the end of this year’s expo. Sun ’n Fun starts next Tuesday and […]
Posted inA & E
Galaxy Bar Has a New Home in South Lakeland
Galaxy Bar in north Lakeland has closed, but its retro 80s arcade theme has been transferred to Galaxy Bar at Leo’s Live, 5263 S. Florida Ave. The bar boasts 55 classic arcade and pinball machines from the owners of Merlin Amusements, partners in the venture, The Ledger reports. Grand opening is Friday. For now it’s […]
Posted inA & E, City Hall
Mayor Lauds RP Funding Center Chief, Then Insists He Further Slash the City’s Subsidy
Tony Camarillo kept the RP Funding Center doors open during a seven-year, $16 million renovation, negotiated a five-year, $5 million sponsorship deal that brought an NBA minor league team to Lakeland and reduced the city’s annual operations subsidy by 60% despite enduring a pandemic-induced “worst year ever” in 2020.