Innovative Public Art Group

Utilizing their extensive professional experience and skill-set, Innovative Public Art Group brings a comprehensive approach to design, fabrication and the installation of their artwork that is sculptural in nature and always of monumental scale. Team members include native south Floridians recognized for their art works supporting the Everglades and inspired by their love of South Florida. All three are committed to designing iconic, landmark artworks that will contribute to the visual branding theme of their their clients and the beauty of the natural environment. Innovative Public Art Group resolves to bring an unexpected and delightful encounter to viewers while establishing an artistic sense of place for their clients’ visitors.

Innovative Public Art Group team members – Phoenix Marks, Lloyd Goradesky and Twyla Gettert – have created a unique, creative approach to large-scale application of art required by public and city art projects. Marks, Goradesky and Gettert are three highly accomplished artists that have experience creating art projects in excess of $1,000,000, and coordinating project installations with construction project managers, and related contractors, engineers and architects as well as collaborating with project design teams.

My approach to public art, photography and life is grounded in my spiritual belief that “we are all one, we are all interconnected.” As a fine art nature photographer and curator of exhibitions and murals, for me the importance of public art is more than creating captivating artwork; it is sacred responsibility for bringing healing, joy and peace to the human soul and greater community.” — Phoenix Marks

Goradesky brings world-renown experience designing, fabricating and installing large, iconic public art projects with budgets over $1,000,000 dollars that shine a spotlight on the environment. Gettert, a highly regarded artist-painter, printmaker, and art consultant, is experienced in the Lighting and Electrical Industry. Marks is an award-winning fine art photographer, curator of public art exhibitions and international muralist projects, public education administrator and educator, published author and an inspiring business coach.

Phoenix Marks, a native Miamian and Broward County resident, and fine art photographer has enjoyed a varied career that ranges from public and media relations to business coach to English, journalism, film-making educator and published author. All disciplines have converged to form who she is today: an award-winning nature photographer with a mission to touch people’s hearts through art.

Marks has translated her depth of experience in leadership and community engagement for large, public-sector organizations into her career as a fine art photographer as well as leader of art organizations participating in public art. The former Chief of Staff to the Superintendent of Schools for the nation’s fifth largest public school system, she managed staffs up to 98 people across five divisions — including volunteers (over 20,000), media and public relations, and Board relations — and was fiscally responsible for managing up to a $10 million operating budget. The featured artist for an exhibition in England, her photography works have been honored in numerous juried exhibitions, showcased in 12 solo exhibitions, including Everglades National Park Gallery and the Olive Stack Gallery, featured in magazines and calendars worldwide and can be found in private collections in America and Europe. The recipient of two art grants, an artist residency in Ireland, and curator of eight exhibitions, including the prestigious Broward County “Doing Business As 2017 Exhibit” and the ENDANGERED Exhibit – Art Basel, Marks serves as president of the National League of American Pen Women, Fort Lauderdale Branch, and Project COAT (Community of Artists Transform), a 501 (c)(3) dedicated to revitalizing communities through public art.

With over 20 years of experience, Broward County resident Twyla Gettert has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa and is a grant recipient from the E.D. (Enrico Donati) Foundation, NYC, NY. Ms. Gettert’s experience includes completing art-site specific projects with designers and architects. She has worked as an administrator with more than 80 elected officials in a federally funded planning agency with eight counties in Central Iowa. She has completed large-scale commissioned works on numerous healthcare and hospitality projects, including the University of California-San Francisco, GMO (Genetically Modified Objects) – A Statement on the Environment Art/ScienceCollaboration artwork series.

Gettert’s work is collected by over 55 corporate clients including Marriott International, SunBank, Brook Fiber Optics, University of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics, St. Mary’s Medical Center, St. Louis, MCI/WorldCom, and Hyatt Hotels. Gettert’s work was accepted into two Sumi-E three-nation show at the National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan. Her artwork has also been exhibited in museums, represented by Wentworth Galleries nationwide and is currently represented by MAC Art Galleries, Fort Lauderdale.

Recent projects of Gettert’s work include installations at the Hyatt Hotel, St. Petersburg, Florida, and SFO Airport Marriott Hotel Waterfront, San Francisco, California. The Hyatt Hotel Project consists of: two large (7’ x 10’) coordinating, site-specific, original paintings with an abstract tropical theme of palm tree drawings and abstract forms that create the Florida experience within the indoor environment for hotel guests. Materials used in the creation of the paintings were geared for the lobby public areas and were carefully planned in collaboration with management staff and Interior Designers for this use. In San Francisco two of Ms. Gettert’s art works were selected from over 200 images presented to the Hospitality designers to greet visitors to the Marriott Hotel’s entry area.

Using the Power of Art to bring awareness to our natural surroundings, Goradesky’s art extends from multi-media designs and complex photographic creations to architectural and innovative glass design. His artistic goal is to get the viewer to look through the actual art piece and to interpret the meaningful message that inspires the viewer to save our planet. Goradesky’s work is a constant attempt to encourage others by showing the beauty of nature.  “I feel this is the best way to get active participants to help save our planet.”

As a public artist, his projects have received extensive media coverage, including: ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR, CNN, Fox News, Discovery Channel, PBS, Yahoo News, Huffington Post, The Examiner, Sun Sentinel, Miami New Times and Miami Herald NatGeo TV, in addition to front page press coverage in over 37 foreign countries. Gator in the Bay, a $1,000,000 dollar project, attracted a worldwide audience at its debut on the universal stage of Art Basel Miami. Known as the World’s Largest Art-Official (artificial) Alligator, it is a 33,000 pound alligator the size of a football field that floats. The head is a 3-story steel sculpture built on a self-propelled barge using recycled junkyard materials. The upper jaw attached to the boom of a crane, opens and closes. The body is made of 104 individual boards (called Floating Art Tiles) displaying photographs of the Everglades (captured by Goradesky). A photo of Gator in the Bay – Phase 1 unveiled during Art Basel 2012 was used to promote the very first Art Basel Hong Kong in 2013.

“Goradesky’s work is compared to Christo & Jean-Claude. Using the Power of Art to bring awareness to our natural surroundings, Goradesky’s art extends from multi-media design to complex material creations.”-Discovery Channel

Goradesky’s work is extremely diverse, however, “the purpose is always to show the beauty (and to raise awareness) of our natural surroundings.” Discovery Channel compares Goradesky’s work to Christo & Jean-Claude’s environmental works of art, because each project is a temporary assembly with the goal to capture an iconic photograph.

Goradesky’s work is always illuminating and experimental. His experimenting with glass technology and fabrication has opened Goradesky’s current project, the building of the Chabad Chayil Synagogue, Aventura, FL, creating a structure with the welcoming illusion of an open book. The $5,000,000 project will be the size of a city block and the largest structure of its kind in the area.

Innovative Public Art Group would be honored to become a true collaborator with organizations by bringing the depth of their combined talent and expertise to create iconic, landmark artworks that enrich the public environment, contribute to the their clients’ visual branding theme and resolve to establish an artistic sense of place for their visitors.