Miami Herald

Meet the general contractor turned artist behind Mullins Park's newest sculpture

While racing against the countdown to America's 250th birthday, Miami-based artist Brandon Amira had one month to build a 14-foot sculpture with over 4,000 LED lights for display at Mullins Park in Coral Springs.

"I knew I could get it done because if I put my head to something, I definitely can accomplish it," Amira told the Coral Springs News.

While Amira's process usually takes at least three months, he and his team created "Liberty Lines," a nearly 2,000-pound, five-pillar sculpture that lights up at night, in one month.

The sculpture, one of two pieces that the city commissioned in honor of the nation's big birthday on July 4, was funded by developer-impact fees that go toward the public-art program.

Each artist received a $5,000 honorarium for their pieces, which will be displayed through the end of July 2027. The Public Art Committee can recommend the purchase of one piece at the end of the exhibition period.

Amira, a licensed general contractor, made the switch to artist several years ago when a client was looking to build a new gate.

"I saw there was a need, and I said, 'I have just the idea.' And I did an unsolicited proposal on a napkin," Amira recalled. "It turned out that they said, 'OK, we have confidence that you have good taste and that you'll make it happen, and it's going to last.' " Amira said he's "always been passionate about lighting," and his skills as a contractor translated well into a new venture as a sculptural artist.

"I studied architecture as well, and engineering," he said. "So all of that has kind of gone hand-in-hand in this passion where I take metal and light and meld it into one."

Amira said he hopes the project will bring people together. At the base of his sculpture in Mullins Park,

10000 NW 29th St., is a QR code inviting people to take pictures and share them on Instagram, and he included a photo gallery on his website of people who have visited.

"It helps get the community engaged and wanting to be a part of it," Amira said. "When I've been at the property, I've gotten really positive feedback."