Approximately 140,000 visitors meander the galleries at Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College annually. Boasting more than 3,000 works of art in their permanent collection – including works by Rembrandt, Andy Warhol, Faith Ringgold, Pablo Picasso, Miriam Schapiro, James Rosenquist, Barbara Kruger, Chagall, Damien Hirst, Hung Liu, and others – the Smithsonian affiliated institution is bursting at the seams. The Museum was founded in 1966 by the Junior Welfare League o

Artist and educator Tinia Clark said, “Art connects us all.” Thanks to her and the Polk Museum of Art, the special needs community has a local connection to the arts all their own. Access Art: Special Needs is a program that invites individuals with varying exceptionalities to meet monthly at the Polk Museum of Art to view and discuss exhibited artwork. After the tour, the group heads to one of the Museum’s education classrooms to create an art activity inspired by what they’

Bartow brothers and founders of the Luster African American Heritage Museum, Charles Luster and Dr. Harvey Lester say their commitment to community enrichment was a seed planted by their father. He taught them the importance of giving back, and the pair have spent a lifetime doing so and planting seeds of their own. “Sometimes when you plant a seed, it doesn’t grow immediately – some things take years to grow,” Luster said. Charles Luster & Dr. Harvey Lester Dr. Harvey Lester

Some of the Sunshine State’s Most Unusual Destinations Beaches, Disney World, snowbirds, alligators, and ‘Florida Man’ are about all the space most people have in their heads for our peculiar peninsula. I’m not sure if it’s the heat, invasive pythons, or what, but we tend to attract (or create over time) a different breed of folks. My native Floridians, we are not absolved from this – we’re all a little cooky here. Some 900 people move to Florida every single day. That’s 900

Lakeland’s newest recreational respite, Bonnet Springs Park, is slated to open in 2022. Only a 10-minute walk from Munn Park, Bonnet Springs promises to be a mix of urban and natural, focusing on recreation, education, and reclamation. The park sits on 168 acres of the former Lakeland Railyard – one of the most significant in the state. The park will pay homage to the land’s railyard and citrus history while rehabilitating its ecology. “Local real estate developer David Bunch

Each February, the Polk County History Center (PCHC) releases their annual evergreen guide called “Discovering Black History in Polk County.” The guide takes visitors through the exhibits, touching on the Black men and women who made history in Polk County and throughout Central Florida as pioneers and leaders in community, industry, services, military, and the courts. Curator of Education and Visitor Engagement for the History Center, Jayme Jamison, notes the guide has been

“I started collecting art when I met Linda,” explained Dr. Alan Rich, whose wife, Linda, then disputed that proclamation, asserting that his collection began much earlier. Dr. Alan and Linda Rich have been admiring and collecting art since they were young. Alan, who more commonly goes by Rico, began his passion for collecting by acquiring maps and sorting through his father’s National Geographic collection. Meanwhile, Linda’s love for collecting began with stamps and coins. S