- December 7, 2025
New sculptures will soon grace Ormond Beach's downtown.
The Ormond Beach City Commission approved a request by the Ormond Beach Arts District on Tuesday, Oct. 21, to allow another Seward Johnson sculpture tour. The tour, which will consist of 12 statues, is tentatively scheduled to be in place from Jan. 15. 2026 to June 15, 2026. The city will sponsor two of the sculptures, at a cost of $8,000, to be funded using CRA dollars.
In November 2024, the Ormond Beach Arts District installed 13 of the late American artist's bronze statues around town. The sculptures remained in place until May 2025.
"The sculptures were wildly successful," said Judy Stein, vice president of the Ormond Beach Arts District. "We drew thousands of residents and visitors to the area to see the sculptures."
Stein added that the tour garnered significant media and online attention. She read some of the feedback from visitors, which included remarks stating they fostered a sense of community and highlighted the benefits of public art.
While the vote was unanimous, Commissioner Travis Sargent said the city should look at alternative funding sources for the sculpture tour in the future. Mayor Jason Leslie and Commissioner Kristin Deaton agreed.
In addition to the city's sponsorship, the Ormond Beach Arts District raised $41,000 from private sponsors to bring another tour to town. The sculptures will all be different from last year's tour.
Commissioner Harold Briley said the sculpture tour is an example of the type of initiative that brings people to town.
"It brings awareness," he said. "It brought awareness to Ormond Beach. We were featured on the local news with the statues. Not only does it bring awareness to Ormond Beach, it brings activity to our downtown."
Deputy Mayor Lori Tolland said this was a "perfect example of public-private partnerships."
"I think that's how you encourage your residents to live — when they have a little bit of ownership, it's a lot more meaningful," she said.
The sculptures will be placed in the following locations:
