In a landmark moment for South Florida’s cultural landscape, renowned sculptor Fred Eversley unveiled PORTALS, his most ambitious public art installation to date, at the newly dedicated Julian Abele Park in downtown West Palm Beach. The installation stands as a tribute to Julian Abele, one of America’s pioneering Black architects, while adding a striking contemporary element to the city’s artistic heritage.
The 1.25-acre park, situated between Abele’s architectural masterpiece—the First Church of Christ, Scientist—and the upcoming One Flagler building, hosted the unveiling ceremony with Eversley joining West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James and Related Ross executives Ken Himmel and Gopal Rajegowda.
PORTALS consists of eight towering stainless-steel parabolic sculptures, each standing 16.5 feet tall, arranged in a sweeping arc. The installation creates visual harmony with Abele’s 1929 neoclassical church, particularly echoing its ionic columns while bridging the architectural dialogue between the historic church and the modern One Flagler building.
Eversley, a former NASA engineer and pioneer of the Light and Space movement, designed each portal to function as an optical instrument. The mirrored surfaces capture and transform ambient light, creating an ever-changing display that reflects West Palm Beach’s skyline, weather patterns, and the movement of visitors throughout the day. The sculptures serve as contemporary sundials, tracking the sun’s journey from dawn to dusk while inviting viewers to become part of the artwork through their own reflections.
“It’s a sculptural and architectural trilogy that allows people to journey through time,” Eversley explained at the unveiling. “It’s an homage to Abele’s significance and his lasting contribution, brought into the eternal light of infinite spirit.”
Collaboration and Vision
The installation emerged from a partnership between Related Ross and the City of West Palm Beach, with guidance from art advisory consultancy Culture Corps. Gopal Rajegowda of Related Ross noted that Eversley’s proposal stood out for its “eye-catching design and homage to architect Julian Abele.”
Mayor James highlighted how PORTALS enhances the city’s public art program, ArtLife WPB, by seamlessly combining historical preservation with contemporary cultural expression. The installation is expected to become a significant attraction for residents, visitors, and art enthusiasts alike.
Eversley, born in 1941 in Brooklyn, brings a unique perspective to his art, informed by his engineering background with NASA’s Apollo and Gemini missions. His work in the Light and Space movement of Southern California has earned him international recognition, with exhibitions at prestigious institutions including Tate Modern, the Guggenheim, and MoMA. PORTALS represents a culmination of his five-decade career, exploring themes of light, space, and energy through an immersive public installation.
Eversley explains, “Seen from afar, eight PORTALS rise up, out of dark water, shaping a graceful gate that resonates with the columns of the church. Like an arced welcoming arm, the PORTALS will lead visitors to the heart of the site’s historical ground. The PORTALS become an active third part of what is now a sculptural and architectural trilogy, one in which the number eight is a recurring theme. Three ‘enlightened’ structures create a sense of time travel through three states of realities — those associated with the past, present, and future — engaged in a new order. The aim is to inspire and draw thoughts to Abele’s masterful gestures, and to the mind that gave rise to this destination point, which now appears in a new light, and with new life.”
A New Cultural Landmark
Julian Abele Park and PORTALS will be a major draw for residents, visitors, and art enthusiasts.
Together, they create a dynamic public space where art, architecture, and nature converge. The installation’s daily transformation with the movement of light ensures that each visit offers a unique experience, making it a perpetual source of wonder and contemplation for the West Palm Beach community.
Direct sunlight hits the center of each element at different times, casting unique shadows and illuminating the other elements from varying angles. In the morning, the rising sun aligns with the westernmost portal, and as the day progresses into the golden hour, it travels across the eight PORTALS. The PORTALS function like an abstract sundial, allowing viewers to trace time through changing reflections of the surroundings and sky, influenced by light, weather, and time of day.
The project stands as a testament to the city’s commitment to public art and cultural enrichment while honoring both historical legacy and contemporary innovation. As visitors interact with Eversley’s mesmerizing PORTALS, they become part of an ongoing dialogue between past and present, architecture and art, light and space.
As the sun moves across the sky each day, shifting its reflections through Eversley’s PORTALS, Julian Abele Park will become a site of perpetual transformation—a public space where art, architecture, and nature harmonize to invite moments of awe and contemplation.