Visit Tampa Bay, Leadership Tampa Bay Make a Monumental Impact on Downtown

TAMPA, FL (May 8, 2018) – Hundreds of business owners, tourism-industry partners, and others came out Tuesday to celebrate National Tourism Week in downtown Tampa as Visit Tampa Bay and Leadership Tampa Bay unveiled a joint project that creates a monumental new landmark that will become a meeting place and magnet for photo ops.

The sculpture by renowned Tampa Bay-based artist Dominique Martinez, owner of Rustic Steel Creations, reproduces Visit Tampa Bay’s award-winning keyhole-and-crossed-keys icon on a massive scale. The icon is a wink and nod to Tampa Bay’s love of pirates and a reference to the Golden Keys concierge honor.

[Images and video of the unveiling Tuesday in Poe Plaza are available here.]

The 8-by-8-foot sculpture sits on Poe Plaza just outside the Unlock Tampa Bay Visitors Center where it will become a central meeting point and a photo opportunity for all.

“This sculpture encapsulates the essence of this community – the welcoming spirit, the treasured past, and, yes, our love of pirates,” said Santiago C. Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “We were thrilled to work with Leadership Tampa Bay’s Class of 2017 to create a true artistic legacy. In this Age of Instagram, we are giving all fans of Tampa Bay a way to show their love for our community with this eye-catching piece of public art.”

Visit Tampa Bay and the Leadership Tampa Bay Class of 2017 split the cost 50-50. Leadership Tampa Bay raised its portion through donations by Class of 2017 members.

 “We wanted to create something truly eye-catching and iconic for the community,” said Amber Fetterman, president of the Leadership Tampa Bay Class of 2017. “Joining forces with Visit Tampa Bay, who were exploring a similar option, was the perfect way to combine the two visions.”

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About Visit Tampa Bay

The hip, urban heart of Florida’s Gulf coast beats in Tampa Bay. Visit Tampa Bay encourages adventurous travelers to unlock sun, fun and culture in Florida’s most diverse travel destination. We are a not-for-profit corporation that works with 800 partners to tell the world the story of Tampa Bay. Treasure awaits.

About Leadership Tampa Bay

Transportation, economic growth, education, the environment, water, human services and good government cannot be separated by bridges, bays and political boundaries.  We are a region; an important part of Florida whose prosperity and vitality can be best promoted when viewed and guided as a region by enlightened leadership throughout Tampa Bay. That’s what Leadership Tampa Bay is all about.