Photo by Kamryn Potteiger You don’t have to stroll the neon-lit Strip in Las Vegas to find a world-class Elvis Presley tribute artist. One of the very best calls Lake Otis in Winter Haven home. Dwight Icenhower holds a distinction no one else can claim: he is the only tribute artist in history to win five Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist awards at Graceland. Add to that more than 75 first-place finishes across competitions. When it comes to channeling Elvis, Icenhower is the Kin

Dwight Icenhower, the legendary Elvis tribute artist, along with his wife, Vicky, who he proclaims to be a “rockstar that does everything but get on stage and perform,” have crafted a three-day, very intimate, multi- faceted experience for those who loved The King and Icenhower’s ultimate tribute to him. “When my wife and I first designed the weekend, we wanted it to be like a ‘Dwight Fan Retreat’ for the die-hard fans that have been with me for years and years,” explained Ic

If you had to choose, which would you pick: teaching an entire class of T. Rexes how to paint (reminder about the big heads and little arms) or participate in a figure drawing class of Lady Gaga in her meat suit, but you’re blindfolded, so you have to rely on touch and smell? For Sara Jones, Director of SPACE Art Collective, there is no choice. “T-Rex art class. Easy. Literally the same as teaching art to Kindergarteners, which I do on the regular.” Maybe one day T. Rex art c

As evident by the many construction sites all across the city, Winter Haven is changing. New stores, new housing developments, and new recreational centers are being built and will result in the physical representation of the area’s growth. However, the ideals that permeate special pockets remain constant, such as those held by the 75-year staple that is the Ridge Art Association (RAA). RAA’s objective is to provide an open door for all to appreciate art, the literal creation

WHAT NOTTA? If Lakeland were the “small” town setting for a budding film festival romcom and the main characters met up for a day date, they would meet at Notta Gallery. With the farmers market in the background, they would stroll up the incline of N. Kentucky Ave. knowing Downtown was the perfect choice. There are just enough people around to not feel either secluded or overwhelmed. There is just enough happening to provide options just in case the date goes stale. They woul

Mary Correa is the vice president of the Lakeland Arts Association and was kind enough to answer a few questions about the new Depot Art District in Lakeland. Learn about their vision for making art more accessible, their passion for community, and how they’re turning inspiration into impact. WHERE DID THE IDEA FOR THE DEPOT ARTS DISTRICT ORIGINATE? The Lakeland Arts Association (LAA) had long had a dream of having a physical location to host workshops and gallery space. Ove

Austin Snedden is a talented local ceramicist taking pieces of clay and thoughtfully turning them into beautiful and functional pieces of art. He was in the fourth grade the first time he had ever made pottery. It was a Japanese teacup pinch pot that the teacher fired using the raku method. (Raku is the Japanese method of firing pottery.) Although the teacup may be long gone, the monumental experience has stayed with him and shaped his life in ways he couldn’t have imagined.

A place to feel safe and seen, Broadway Beginnings allows musical theatre students to build their chops with an emphasis on connection. Founder Elizabeth Lyons boasts a Broadway background and has turned that into an opportunity to teach. Lyons, from Lakeland, went to college at Florida State University and earned her BFA in Musical Theatre. She opted out of the graduation ceremony in favor of moving straight to New York. During her seven years in the Big Apple, Lyons perform

James ‘Lone Star’ Camp may not have gotten to play a cowboy in old Westerns, but he has darn sure lived like one. Lone on the range, the Bartow native traveled across the country from Tupelo to Devil’s Lake, painting murals along the way. For 83 years old, Lone Star is still plenty sharp between the ears. And boy, does he have stories to tell. Photograph by Amy Sexson Most would know the old cowboy for the orange tricycle he rides around Bartow (he calls it Trigger), which ha