Five Clymer Park Entryway Sign Proposals Submitted

The city received five proposals from artists for a new Clymer Park sign. City Manager James O’Reilly put out the call for artists for a proposed entry sign at the park that connects Gulfport Boulevard with the waterfront area. The city opened the bids at 2 p.m. on Sept. 8. The city council will review the bids most likely at a workshop session some time this fall.

All five proposals have an $11,000 budget, the maximum allowed by the proposal. The project budget includes designing, fabricating, installing and implementing the art project.

The artists were asked to propose a highly visible artistic sign element, use art in the sign, celebrate Gulfport's rich heritage and have a nautical theme.

Here are the artists in alphabetical order with brief notes about their designs:

• Eric Johnson of Dora, Alabama

A raw steel wave-like ship sculpture lit from the inside.

• Kevin Kuenzeo of St. Petersburg

A masonry column with painted sculptured sails attached to the top.

• Tom Pitzen of Gulfport

An arch with a gecko pointing to the waterfront on one side and flamingos and boats on the other side.

• Jonathan Schok of Big Torch Key, Florida

A “Magic of Gulfport” sculpture, which included a patch of blue and white ocean with waves, a ship and a heron.

• Frank Strunk III and Owen Patch of Gulfport

A textured-blue sign featuring a regatta with hand-formed billowing sails, wood ship hulls and a hand-blown glass sun.

Please see linked stories for more on the proposed Clymer Park sign project.

• Call For Artists to Design New Entryway Sign 
• Gulfport Council Discusses Golf Cart Use on City Streets: The city council covered several items on its workshop agenda Thursday, including the use of golf carts on city streets and ideas for a new sign at the entryway to downtown Gulfport.