Bradenton
A new sculpture on Bradenton’s Riverwalk ties history, culture and community together, allowing residents to “experience nature from a different perspective,” the artist says.
The Singing River, located in Manatee Mineral Springs Park at 1312 Second Ave. E., Bradenton, uses colors to mimic the Florida’s scenic sunsets and will even “sing” with help from the wind.
The sculpture uses a series of laser-cut tubes installed overhead, so that when the breeze blows, the installation makes a soft, pleasant sound. The artist, Reinaldo Correa, said the acoustics are “designed so that it’s very subtle.”
“You’ll have this beautiful mixture of these whistling sounds, if you will. Almost like a chime per se,” Correa said.
The installation has been met with praise from city officials, who described The Singing River as a major attraction for the neighborhood park along the Manatee River.
“I do think that this is a big project that everyone is going to love. There are a lot of stakeholders in it,” City Councilman Kemp Schuessler said at the March 25 Community Redevelopment Agency meeting. “It is a significant piece that will attract people to the Riverwalk.”
“This piece of art interacts with the river. It interacts with the breeze that’s blowing by. It interacts with the colors in the sky,” Jeff Burton, the city’s CRA executive director said in an interview with the Bradenton Herald. “And those are all environmental, and they all tell a story about this beautiful river that’s been here forever.”
The sculpture, along with the surrounding park landscaping, cost $525,000, officials say.
The Singing River, a public art installation by artist Reinald Correa, has been added to Mineral Springs Park, 1312 Second Ave. E., as part of the Bradenton Riverwalk. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com
The Singing River debuts on Bradenton Riverwalk
In a call for artists that saw nearly 120 submissions, Correa’s design was chosen for its “really great connection to the history of the river itself,” Burton said.
“We were really inspired by the folklore behind the singing river and the Manatee River itself,” Correa said.
Correa and Burton said the idea came from a 1986 book called “The Singing River,” written by Joe and Libby Warner, which recounts a Native American legend of the sound the river once made.
The noise is said to have sounded like a humming, possibly from a chemical reaction between the tannic acid of the palmetto tree’s roots and the river water when the rain washed the two together.
“We decided to create this beautiful, elegant canopy that was really indicative of the flow of the river, but that actually sang as well,” Correa said.
The Singing River, a public art installation by artist Reinald Correa, has been added to Mineral Springs Park, 1312 Second Ave. E., as part of the Bradenton Riverwalk. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com
“This was a very elaborate process, which I would say was perhaps much more elaborate than some of our other public art processes,” he added, noting that the project took more than three years.
Correa and his studio have completed several public art installations in the past, including projects in Iowa, Virginia, Nebraska and Calgary, Canada.
The waters of the Manatee River nearby artist Reinaldo Correa’s public art piece, hTe Singing River, which was installed in the Mineral Springs Park in Riverwalk East in March 2026. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com
‘Public art the right way’
Correa said he and his team at Reinaldo Correa Studio, in addition to his partners at Project One Studio, always have to “have a story” with every piece of art they install. The story with this piece was the river, the “common denominator that touched all those lives, from the freedom seekers to the Native Americans to us today and the future generation,” Correa said.
“In our studio, we have a philosophy that no matter what piece of artwork we do, we really think about the people that the artwork is serving in the community,” Correa said.
The sculpture will also light up in the dark, creating “this beautiful transition between day and night,” according to Correa.
Burton spoke about the importance of public art, saying that it increases property values and is “a way to preserve history and culture.”
“When you do public art the right way, you’re learning from the community what it is that really embodies who they are,” Burton said. “Then, when you put a nice piece of art in, it really does magnify that to the rest of the community…”
Correa wants this park and the art itself to become a “meeting spot” and a place for individuals to “disconnect from the business of life.”
“Our hope is that the people of the community would come together and converge in this beautiful place in Bradenton, and ultimately find the value of the story, the community and the significance of the art piece.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Singing River sculpture is expected to be held in the coming months. A date for that event has not been determined.
The Singing River, a public art installation by artist Reinald Correa, has been added to Mineral Springs Park, 1312 Second Ave. E., as part of the Bradenton Riverwalk. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com The Singing River, a public art installation by artist Reinald Correa, has been added to Mineral Springs Park, 1312 Second Ave. E., as part of the Bradenton Riverwalk. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com The Singing River, a public art installation by artist Reinald Correa, has been added to Mineral Springs Park, 1312 Second Ave. E., as part of the Bradenton Riverwalk. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com Residents enjoy the waters of the Manatee River just near the place where artist Reinaldo Correa’s public art piece, The Singing River, was installed in the Mineral Springs Park in Riverwalk East in March 2026. Tiffany Tompkins ttompkins@bradenton.com
Amaia Gavica
Bradenton Herald
Amaia Gavica is the Bradenton Herald’s breaking news reporter. She has reported in multiple states and earned her degree from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.
