Lately, residents have been finding pops of color throughout Plant City – usually in the most unexpected places.
It began with rocks. On Facebook, art aficionados Luci Hoover and Megan Stephens created the page ‘Plant City ROCKS.’ Now with over 2,500 members, the group holds sessions on the first Tuesday of every month at Uncle Mike’s Smokehouse in Plant City to paint rocks. Special painting events are also held throughout the month for kids and families.
Once completed, the artists hide them throughout the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.
The sessions are led by Hoover and Stephens, as well as fellow painters Becca Dickerson and Karen Major.
“It’s become a group effort at this point,” Hoover said. “I work in Lakeland, but I grew up in Plant City. A couple popped up in Lakeland and I thought, ‘We need to have our town do that.”
Stephens got involved after wanting a family-friendly activity for her and her 4-year-old daughter, Allie, to do together.
“She loves it,” Stephens said.
For Hoover, participating in the project was also a way for her to maintain her ties to Plant City. Her father, James Hoover, served as a city commissioner.
“It was something to maintain that tie,” she said.
Rocks are hidden throughout Plant City, especially in local parks and in Historic Downtown near the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum.
But rocks aren’t the only surprises art hunters are finding throughout town. Small trinkets — from jewelry and portraits to gloves and more – are also turning up.
Free Art Fridays
Rebecca Nipper Galvin, of the Art Lounge Gallery in Historic Downtown Plant City, began hiding small pieces of art throughout town on the last Friday of December in 2016.
“I usually start at Veterans’ Memorial Monument Park,” Galvin said. “And then I hide all through downtown.”
Like Hoover’s admiration of the rocks in Lakeland, Galvin noticed free art being found in the cities of Orlando and St. Petersburg.
“I’ve seen it done in other areas that have a more thriving art community,” she said.
Wanting to let the public know about the growing art community in Plant City, Galvin took to the streets.
“We’ve done three Free Art Fridays so far,” she said. “I had five or six pieces the first week with (fellow artist) Natalie Simmons.”
Since launching a page on Facebook, the Free Art Fridays group has grown to over 150 people.
Free Art Fridays has crossover with Plant City Rocks, as well. Galvin’s husband, Charles, hides rocks covered with his handmade leather works.
Like Plant City Rocks, anyone can participate in Free Art Fridays. The guidelines, Galvin said, are that art must be family-friendly and that the hidden art should promote Free Art Fridays.
The main hiding days take place on the last Friday of the month, alongside the Plant City Main Street Food Truck Rally.
“It can be any creative, crafty thing,” Galvin said. “We’ve hidden handcrafted cards and jewelry. We just encourage people to include language about Free Art Fridays on the back with instructions to post online. It’s mainly about sharing what we love and what we do, and trying to engage the community.”
Galvin encourages participants to only collect one piece of art per person per event.
“We usually hide art on the last Friday of every month,” she said. “We’ll also do a special event mid-month.”
Eric Barber, one of the regular artists, thought the project was a great way to let people know about art in the community.
“I really like the idea of spreading the joy of art,” Barber said.
“I think that’s the first step in building a community, is making people aware that you’re there,” Galvin added. “I hope that it continues to grow organically. Once we get enough awareness, it’s a great launch point for other art-related events.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.