Last Updated on February 7, 2024
It all began in 2020 with the Florida Mermaid Trail. Now Florida’s Adventure Coast – Weeki Wachee Brooksville – along with Brooksville Main Street, and the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, is in the process of making mermaid statues, life-sized FLORIDA mermaid statues, for a new tail trail.
Making Mermaid Statues
On the Florida Mermaid Trail, bronze mermaid character statues are hidden throughout downtown Brooksville for visitors to find.
Lee Middleton, a local artist, hand drew the maps and Brooksville Main Street (along with the Lowman Foundation, and Florida’s Adventure Coast) worked together to create the Florida Mermaid Trail, a fun way to experience Brooksville’s local businesses, historic homes, murals, and brick-lined streets.
The Florida Mermaid Trail is magical, but more mermaids kept popping up, so it was time to kick up the mermaid magic a couple of notches.
On October 13, 2022, the historic Weeki Wachee Springs State Park will celebrate its 75th Anniversary. To commemorate this major milestone, a new mermaid-themed Tail Trail is being created throughout Hernando County.
The statues will be unveiled in the Park throughout the weekend’s festive events. Once the celebration has ended, the statues will be placed in their permanent locations.
This tail trail will feature 30 life-sized mermaids creatively painted by selected artists and on display from Bayport to Richloam.
This exciting concept has been deemed Destination Mermaids – The Tail Trail, a public art project sponsored by the Florida Adventure Coast Visitors Bureau, Brooksville Main Street, and the Hernando County Fine Arts Council.
How to Make a Life-sized Florida Mermaid
Kristy Lowman was selected to be the “face” of the Destination Mermaids: The Tail Trail statues.
John Athanason, former marketing manager for Weeki Wachee Springs (now a Marketing Specialist with Florida’s Adventure Coast) and the official “mermaid wrangler,” selected Kristy because “Kristy always represented what a Weeki Wachee mermaid should be.
She is a great swimmer and always represented the brand. She was a mermaid for seven years, during which time she was featured in brochures, billboards, and even 3D videos.”
Casting a Mermaid’s Face
As Kristy was chosen to be the face of the mermaids, her face was cast by Rosetta Adkins, a special effects artist at Universal Studios. Rosetta does these types of projects through her own company, and DJ Johnson assisted her.
DJ is a representative of Reliable Finishes & Unique Creations, the company that will be creating the statues for Destination Mermaids: The Tail Trail.
The casting process is detailed and can be messy. You can learn all about it here – with pictures!
“I am excited to be a part of this,” Kristy said, “a little nervous but very excited.”
“I have used this to make all kinds of monsters over the years while working in Universal Studio’s Monster Shop,” Rosetta shared while using a drill motor to mix powder and water into the perfect balance. “It can be quite tricky to get just the right consistency.”
Mermaids on the Tail Trail
Mermaids on the Tail Trail may be sponsored by local businesses. Sponsors may choose the artwork from approved designs. Statues will be displayed on permanent cement pads, ensuring the legacy of sponsorship is captured for all time.
“The goal is to garner national attention,” states Tammy Heon, who directs a team of five to bring more visitors to Hernando County.
Find out more by visiting NatureCoaster.com and reading the full story here.
