Rick Olivo, who moved to Polk County from New York and passed away in 2022, has long been recognized as one of Lakeland’s art icons. He founded Pied Pipers Children’s Theater (Lakeland Community Theatre) and was also one…
Posts published in “Arts Hall of Fame”
Harriet Rust, a Polk County native, founded the Davenport Historical Society with then-Mayor Peter Rust (her late husband). The DHS founded the Quilts and Tea Festival that brought together the Davenport School of the Arts, many sewing organizations,…
Milford Myhre, a long-time Lake Wales resident, was the carillonneur of Bok Tower Gardens for 36 years, until his retirement in 2004. During that time, he played daily concerts at the tower, greeted thousands of visitors to the…
Jazz icon, Nat Adderley made Lakeland his home in the eighties and is credited with being a founding member of Florida Southern College’s Child of the Sun Jazz Festival, eventually serving as Artist-In-Residence for the school. Adderley, who…
Clifton Lewis, who moved to Bartow in 1989, was instrumental in saving the historic L.B. Brown House in Bartow from demolition. He formed the Neighborhood Improvement Corporation to develop Bartow neighborhoods, and to champion the preservation of the…
Polk Arts Alliance executive director Meri Mass retired on January 31, 2022, closing out a 12-year tenure as the organization’s leader. Meri was a fervent advocate for the arts and played an instrumental role in the establishment of…