A & E

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.