City of Wilton Manors to Host Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Thunderbunny Public Art Installation

WILTON MANORS, Fla., Jan. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Wilton Manors invites everyone in the community to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Thunderbunny, a permanent public art installation, on January 25, 2024, at 12:30 p.m. in Justin Flippen Park (2109 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL, 33305). Artist Hunt Slonem, who created the monumental mosaic sculpture, will be in attendance to help cut the ribbon and officially welcome Thunderbunny to the City. 

"We've received an overwhelmingly positive response to this public art installation. Our residents and visitors love to stop and take pictures of Thunderbunny and share it with others, which is what public art is all about," said Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newton. "Thunderbunny is bright, colorful, and stands out, just like our Island City."

Created in 2021, Thunderbunny is a 13-foot tall, mirrored glass mosaic sculpture comprised of over 20,000 pieces of hand cut and hand applied glass. This seminal work was created as part of the artist's forthcoming public sculpture garden exhibition program, Huntopia, debuting in May 2024 at San Antonio Botanic Garden. An internationally renowned neo-expressionist artist, Slonem is known for his series of bunnies, butterflies, and tropical birds- some of the native animals found right here in the South Florida community.

"The point of the sculpture is to make people joyous and to celebrate life and revere the rabbit," said Hunt Slonem. "I am honored and thrilled to present this important artwork to the Wilton Manors Community."

Slonem's work has been featured in museums across the globe, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Whitney, the Miro Foundation, and the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Thunderbunny is one of over two dozen public art installations in Wilton Manors, with more planned in the coming year as part of the City's public art plan. The piece is on display as a result of a partnership between the City, the artist, and New River Fine Art. To learn more about public art installations in Wilton Manors, visit https://www.inplainsightwm.com/. 

ABOUT THE CITY OF WILTON MANORS

Wilton Manors was laid out in 1925 by Edward John "Ned" Willingham, a land developer from Georgia, as an upscale residential community. It was recognized as a village in 1947 and incorporated as a city in 1953. Today, the City of Wilton Manors offers all the benefits of a big city from shopping, to hip restaurants and bars, a burgeoning arts community, and tons of community events, yet still maintains a cozy, community feeling offering miles of natural waterways perfect for kayaking, paddle boarding, and other outdoor activities. In 2018, Wilton Manors was named the "Second Gayest City" in the United States, celebrating a diverse population of approximately 12,000 residents. In 2023, the City received its Certified Local Government designation for historical preservation from the United States Department of the Interior. To learn more about the live, work, and play opportunities in Wilton Manors call (954) 390-2100 or visit www.wiltonmanors.com.

MEDIA CONTACT
Aimee Adler Cooke
(561) 302-6902
[email protected]

SOURCE City of Wilton Manors