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Artists use recycled cans to showcase Florida city's turtle mascot

By Barry Wong
Published  January 8, 2025 1:54pm EST
Citrus County
FOX 13 News

Turtle sculptures unveiled in Inverness

Photojournalist Barry Wong reports.

The Brief

    • Eleven new aluminum sculptures celebrate the mascot of the City of Inverness, the cooter turtle.
    • The sculptures are made of recycled aluminum, mainly cans.
    • Artists also painted the sculptures to highlight various aspects of what the city's residents call a "small town done right."

INVERNESS, Fla. - New types of turtles call downtown Inverness home, thanks to a partnership between the city and the Inverness Arts & Culture Alliance.

"The funnest part for me has been seeing the joy people are getting from them," Inverness Arts & Culture Alliance Founder Paul Hertensen said.

The joy comes from 11 new aluminum turtle sculptures celebrating the city’s mascot, the cooter turtle.

Nearly a dozen new aluminum turtle sculptures celebrate the mascot for the City of Inverness, the cooter turtle.

Nearly a dozen new aluminum turtle sculptures celebrate the mascot of the City of Inverness, the cooter turtle.

"You can walk any of our boardwalks, any of our trail systems along the water's edge, and you're going to see these turtles," Inverness City Manager Eric Williams said. "To bring that to life in a connective way and manifest it as an opportunity for people to learn more about our town, it's just a great thing."

It’s been a two-year process getting the turtles into town. They are made of recycled aluminum, mainly cans. There are six large and five smaller sculptures. The large turtle is made of about 17,000 cans.

The largest turtle sculpture is made of about 17,000 cans.

The largest turtle sculpture is made of about 17,000 cans.

"When I saw that the city had the cooter turtle as their mascot, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to highlight it and offer something to the community that they can be proud of and be entertaining," Hertensen said.

The turtles look nothing like old soda cans, as each has been painted by local artists to highlight various aspects of what the residents call a "small town done right."

Local artists painted each sculpture to highlight various aspects of what the residents of Inverness call a

Local artists painted each sculpture to highlight various aspects of what the residents of Inverness call a "small town done right."

"They are a compass to pointing to so many other features in our town," Williams said. "They each tell a story of our community, and for anyone that comes and visits for the day, stays a week or spends a lifetime, it can be a memory. It can be something to look forward to. It can be something that they haven't seen yet, but they tell a great story about our little, small town here."

Hertensen, a lifelong creator, spent hours building the initial molds, then welding together the turtles. He hopes the colorful creatures inspire imaginations.

Nearly a dozen new aluminum turtle sculptures celebrate the mascot for the City of Inverness, the cooter turtle.

Nearly a dozen new aluminum turtle sculptures celebrate the mascot of the City of Inverness, the cooter turtle.

"Especially the children, I hope it gives them some ideas and inspiration in art," Hertensen said.

They’ve also applied for a Guinness World Record, creating a new category of "largest recycled painted animal."

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