"Boulevard Flow, this sculpture is truly about community, a large-scale sculpture composed of two geometric spaces. The formation of this unity represents the fruition of what it means to work towards a common goal. A place where housing, art, and community come together within a dynamic urban setting. And so early on I came down here, I took off my shoes and stood amongst these giant oak trees; I started to reflect upon the circle in which I positioned, I began to consider the idea of an enormous sphere, a sphere that would represent a sense of oneness, wholeness, completion, and overall a place for this community to celebrate our past, present, and future. And so this sculpture seeks to highlight the interconnectivity between community life within the West Tampa ecosystem. The geometric design represents the movement of the people, the southwestern flow of the Hillsborough River, and the wisdom of the oak tree canopies that are constantly watching and giving us sweet vibrations of love."
"There are so many times when I am working in my office, and I have to step outside to take a breather, to take a moment away from whatever it is that I am working on; and without green space, without art, without places that we can sit and just reflect; (we are unable) to allow our brains to get reinspired & reactivated"Although the unveiling of "Boulevard Flow" marks a momentous milestone for the Tampa Housing Authority's development efforts, the Canopy at West River is just the beginning. In an effort to make affordable housing more widely available across Tampa, the Tampa Housing Authority is focused on the continued transformation of 120 acres along the western bank of the Hillsborough River, bridging downtown to West Tampa, with the purpose of creating a diverse community for people of all income levels. Alesia Scott-Ford, Field Office Director of the Tampa Housing Community attended the sculpture's unveiling and described the impact of these continued development efforts by stating:
"It is powerful to witness what this city has been able to achieve in the last few years. It is powerful to the fact that lives are going to be impacted and have been impacted to a degree that we can't even measure when you think about the homes and the quality of living that people will experience and are experiencing in the Tampa Housing Authority development. What it specifically says is that a person's ZIP Code should not determine the outcome and the quality of their life"There is no question that the continued development of West Tampa and the "Boulevard Flow" sculpture will leave a lasting impact on the community. As WGI continues to creatively transform how the world is envisioned, designed, and experienced, we encourage anyone looking for inspiration for their next development project to watch the full recap of this momentous occasion in a video by Kerrick Williams HERE.
