A "distinctive sculpture" just installed at Orlando’s downtown Exploria Stadium "scores a point for the environment," according to Matthew Palm of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. The "purple ball-like structure" measures 9.5 feet wide by 14.5 feet tall, and will "feature the logos for Orlando City and Orlando Pride," the stadium's two home teams. The "eye-catching giant soccer ball is also practical," as it "uses solar panels to feed power into OUC's electrical grid." Orlando City VP/Marketing Kevin Coulthart said, "It just really adds another cool element to our community and obviously the soccer ball has a strong connection to the club." Palm noted during daylight hours, it will "cast lattice-pattern shadows that create their own sidewalk art for passersby." Coulthart said that the intersection of arts and sports "always has been in the soccer club's sights ... as a reflection of Central Florida's entertainment-driven economy and culture." But while the club has commissioned paintings and murals, Coulthart said, "This was really our first opportunity to do something 3D in the sculpture world. Elevating the art community here in Orlando just made a lot of sense to us" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 11/17).
