Florida’s Turnpike is driving audiences to art exhibits by Xavier Cortada depicting Florida’s sun, animals and flowers.  In 2015, Cortada created permanent art installations in three turnpike plazas, making them cultural destinations in and of themselves.  Each focused on a different aspect of the sunshine state’s natural beauty:  Endangered Animals  (Ft. Drum Plaza) | Sunshine (Turkey Lake Plaza) | Wildflowers (West Palm Beach Plaza).

Xavier Cortada, “Florida is… the Red Wolf,” digital art, 2015. (www.florida-is.com)

“It is important to have the artwork connect with our local environment, and I believe that [Cortada’s] art does that in a very sophisticated way,” said architect Bernard Zyscovich in reviewing Cortada’s public art proposal for the plazas he designed. “Additionally, I love the idea of generating a series of “take aways” from [Cortada’s art] plazas and hopefully from the other plazas as well.  I think that it reinforces the plaza experience as something that adds value to each visitor’s experience. “

You can learn more about the artist by visiting www.cortada.com