Spring is a season of renewal—a time when fresh ideas bloom, creativity flourishes, and the world around us feels alive with possibility. As the days grow longer and the city awakens from winter’s chill, there’s an undeniable energy in the air. It’s the perfect backdrop for this issue of WPB Magazine, where we celebrate innovation in all its forms.
This edition brings you into spaces that are shaping the future—from architectural marvels that redefine our skyline to sustainable designs that prove beauty and responsibility can go hand in hand. But innovation extends beyond individual structures to the very fabric of our urban environment. In A Modern City’s Approach: Looking on the Space Between Buildings, we explore how West Palm Beach is reimagining public spaces, using data-driven urban design to enhance community connections, green spaces, and interactive art experiences. From AI-analyzed dreams of the city’s future to silent discos and augmented reality installations, this is a story of how innovation isn’t just about what we build but how we live, move, and gather within those spaces.
As we reimagine our city, we also celebrate the distinctive character of our region. With the days growing warmer and the breeze carrying the scent of salt air and jasmine, there’s no better time to explore the destinations that make South Florida unique. Our travel features in this issue offer inspiration whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or simply seeking a new spot to unwind.
One destination that perfectly embodies this blend of tradition and innovation is Palm Beach itself. In Classic to Modern in Palm Beach, Sandra Schulman takes us on a journey through time, from the freshly opened Palm House—a chic, modern escape filled with seashell-clad walls and vibrant contemporary art—to the grandeur of Whitehall, Henry Flagler’s Gilded Age mansion that defined the island’s opulent past. This seamless blend of old and new captures what makes Palm Beach so enchanting: a place where history whispers through marble halls, yet the future glows in the shimmer of a perfectly crafted espresso martini.
This balance between honoring tradition while embracing the future brings us to our cover story featuring a true visionary—Laurence Gartel, The Father of Digital Art. Our exclusive interview takes you inside Gartel’s Fort Lauderdale studio, where he reflects on his remarkable 50-year journey in digital art—beginning in an era when computers were practically nonexistent. From working alongside Nam June Paik in the ’70s to creating groundbreaking digital works for Absolut Vodka, Apple, and the Grammy Awards, Gartel has consistently demonstrated that art and technology are not opposing forces but complementary elements of creative expression.
Now, as artificial intelligence transforms creative fields, Gartel approaches these new tools with the same visionary enthusiasm that has defined his life’s work. Whether collaborating with robots or experimenting with cutting-edge software, his perspective remains unwavering: authentic art tells a compelling story, regardless of the medium used to create it.
I invite you to turn the page and immerse yourself in our conversation with Gartel—a pioneer who glimpsed the future of art decades before the rest of the world caught up—and to discover all the innovation, beauty, and inspiration this spring issue has to offer.
Read the issue here. Copies can be purchased here.
Cover of our Spring Edition / 2025
