Last night at the Central Park Stroll, Winter Haven resident and artist Albert Kriston found out that his sculpture, Reach, won Best of Show in the Eighth Annual Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition. Not only that, but it also won the People's Choice Award by popular vote of the crowd that attended the Stroll!

Kriston was so thrilled he was absolutely speechless. Grinning from ear to ear after the award was announced, he stood on the stage at the microphone and just said, "I don't know what to say!"

The Central Park Stroll was held in honor of the Eighth Annual Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition, a joint project of Polk Museum of Art and the City of Winter Haven. Besides Kriston's surprise win of the coveted Best of Show and People's Choice Awards, two other awards were announced as well. Rob Lorenson of Middleboro, Massachusetts, won second place with his sculpture Red Lion, and Dennis Howland of Tallahassee, Florida, received the Honorable Mention for Steppin Out (To the Moon, Alice!).

The Sculpture Competition is a national competition that has been gaining a great reputation among sculptors from all over the country. Every year they compete for a chance to have their work display in our community, and they have nothing but good things to say about the Competition, the Museum, and the City of Winter Haven.

The sculptures will all be on display in the Central Park area of Downtown Winter Haven through early February of next year. Be sure to go check them out. And if you see Al around, tell him congratulations!