Three Lakeland High School students are seeing an art class project turned into a major monument for the Lakeland. 

  • Lakeland linemen statue
  • Project spurred by 3 Lakeland High students
  • Sculpture honoring linemen to be unveiled June 29

Madison McDaniel, Angel Mitchell and Gabriella Thomas created a design for a monument honoring electric linemen out of scraps from an art class junk room. 

It was part of a contest sponsored by the Platform Art organization. Their design won the competition.

The idea for the monument stems from the hard work and risks that the linemen take to keep power on and get it restored after natural disaster like hurricanes. 

Madison McDaniel clearly remembers seeing convoys of linemen pouring into Florida after hurricane Irma.

"And we saw all these linemen coming from out of town. Not from our state and they were just coming to help us," she said. 

The girls and their art teacher Kim Mortimer traveled to Pennsylvania last week and watched as workers at the Art Research Enterprises foundry pour molten metal into their mold of a lineman. 

"Definitely emotional," said Angel Mitchell about seeing their design being brought to life. 

Madison McDaniel felt similar emotions. 

"When I walked in and we saw how big this piece was I was in tears," she said. 

The Monument will be placed in front of Lakeland Electric headquarters in downtown Lakeland. Gabriella Thomas hopes it makes linemen fee appreciated. 

"Definitely appreciation because like they are not appreciated enough," she said. 

The monument will be unveiled to the public on June 29.