Community to determine new public art installation for SE 17^th Street and Third Ave. bridges

It is exciting to watch Fort Lauderdale’s growth, and as it continues to grow, the arts are helping it flourish.

The arts play many roles in the development of a city and can be leveraged to help create its unique identity and sense of place. Public spaces are planned, designed, and managed with this in mind. Unique to our public spaces in South Florida are our region’s many waterways and bridges. Over the next couple of years, the Andrews and Third Avenue drawbridges in downtown Fort Lauderdale will take on new identities with the addition of new light-based art installations that will transform these two functional structures into visually exciting landmarks.

The Cultural Division is also now in the process of commissioning an iconic, large-scale, light-based art installation for the E. Clay Shaw bridge, also known as the 17^th Street Causeway. This 580-foot-long bridge connects the City of Fort Lauderdale to the beach and is one of the most recognizable structures in the city. It is also a gateway to our city via our waterways and is surrounded by Port Everglades, the Convention Center, and numerous hotels and restaurants.

Following a call to artists earlier this year, three artists have been selected for the next phase of this high-profile project. As part of this process, the Division is inviting the community to participate in an online survey that will lead to the development of a vision for this iconic structure. We greatly encourage the community’s input, as this feedback is a key component of successful public art initiatives. Survey results will be collected and shared with the short-listed artists to use in their design proposals. I look forward to seeing what they produce. To access the survey, please visit bit.ly/EClayShawSurvey.

Downtown Fort Lauderdale Drawbridge: Third Avenue

Also, on deck for future light-based installations by commissioned artist and designer Susan Narduli of Narduli Studio is an exciting new vision for the Third Avenue bridge, one of Fort Lauderdale’s classic drawbridges spanning the New River.

Broward County’s Public Art & Design Program invites the community to contribute feedback for the artist to incorporate light-based artwork on the Third Avenue Bridge. Creating synergy with the nearby Andrews Avenue Bridge, which will be activated by Narduli with a previously approved lighting design. These two light-based artworks will transform the waterway and activate the downtown area and your input is critical to help inform the design of the Third Avenue Bridge artwork. 

To contribute your feedback for the downtown Fort Lauderdale Third Avenue drawbridge, please visit bit.ly/ThirdAveSurvey.