Platform Art Plans Monument Honoring Electric Linemen
Platform Art is closing in on the design of a sculpture honoring electric linemen that will face Lake Mirror outside the Lakeland Electric building downtown.
Eleven prototypes from a contest to design the sculpture were displayed at a Platform Kids event Feb. 11, and the winner will be announced Thursday.
Finalists in the competition, open to high school artists, are:
- Janelle Forty, Lake Gibson High School
- Angel Mitchell, Gabby Thomas and Maddie McDaniel, Lakeland High School
- Hanna Spivey, Central Florida Aerospace Academy
- Echo Thomas, Lakeland High School
Judges were:
- Becky Ault, artist, ART Research Enterprises Inc.
- Vicky Lowe, artist and professor at Florida Polytechnic University
- Tracy Moore, community supporter
- Robert Padget, Lakeland Electric lineman
- Victor Prebor, architect
- Don Selvage, former city commissioner
Ault, who created the “Fallen Heroes” memorial at the Lakeland Police headquarters, will work with the winner to fabricate a full-size sculpture at her company’s foundry in Lancaster, Pa.
Platform Art has raised $70,000 for the project and is seeking grants and other funding for another $30,000, according to Executive Director Cynthia Haffey.