LAKELAND — The arrival of a district with aspirations as a home for makers, designers and artists will be marked with signs designed by a Florida Southern College art student.
Jamileh Chemaissem’s colorful design reminiscent of the atomic age’s optimistic futurism was selected by the Lakeland Community Redevelopment Agency to set apart an emergent East Main Street district.
Like the city’s redevelopment officials, the 20-year-old junior has high hopes for the area.
“I’d like it to become an area where people can go ahead and create a concentration of art, galleries, art festivals — things that promote artists in the area and draw artists from other cities,” he said.
Chemaissem’s work was selected through an open design contest organized by Elizabeth Hults, an FSC graduate and Lakeland artist, on behalf of the redevelopment agency. Chemaissem’s professor, Sam Romero, included the design prompt as part of his curriculum.
“I feel very honored to have my work chosen to represent a part of Lakeland,” Chemaissem said, “especially to represent the arts district of Lakeland since that’s something I’m passionate about.”