When I drove into the small lakeside towns of Lakeland, Winter Haven and Lake Wales for an art-filled weekend, the natural beauty of the blue waters and citrus groves first grabbed my eye. But behind that curtain of oak tree canopies and tropical gardens is a vivacious arts community that blows away any expectations I might have had.

These former agricultural communities that have managed to keep a classic small-town feel and also create a nationally recognized museum, a community theater with a season ticket wait list and a gallery that attracts artists from across the state.

Liechtenstein and Butterflies
The influence of the arts is everywhere in Lakeland. Touring the downtown streets and parks I saw decorative swan statues and sculptures along the banks of Lake Mirror. Perched on the shore of Lake Morton, another of the 554 lakes that canvas the region, is the Polk Museum of Art.

The two-story, 37,000-square-foot building is only one of 16 museums in Florida that are accredited by the American Association of Museums (something less than 10% of museums in the U.S. accomplish). The vast majority of its renowned pre-Columbian collection was donated by Polk County residents, including the small four-inch female figure from modern Mexico that dates to 1200 BC. It could fit in the palm of my hand, but its significance as the start of female art in the Americas is immense.

Modern art shows, Asian work and American decorative pieces rotate through the nine galleries. In February, a pop art exhibit will introduce paintings by Andy Warhol and Roy Liechtenstein and I will be returning later in the year to witness Ansel Adams' stunning black and white nature photography.

Leaving the museum, I made my way to the lakefront to see the swans that call Lakeland home. These descendents of the Queen of England's flock were brought here in 1943 and the official swan count is now 148. The swans inspired the sculptures around town (my favorite – a whimsical swan at Lime Street and Kentucky Avenue). For 2006, the city is undertaking another public art display called Kaleidoscope – Butterflies in Flight. Artists are decorating 65 monarch, swallowtail and emperor butterflies poised in flight and the finished works will be unveiled in April. Trolley tours and special events will be announced.

"Cats," But No Dog Shows
In Winter Haven, local artists show their work at the Ridge Art Association, a competition gallery that has seven to eight shows a year. As a fan of abstract painting myself, I was impressed by the variety of media including photography, wood sculptures and modern interpretive pieces like a briefcase wrapped in newspapers detailing the artist's feelings during hurricane season.

Make an evening of the arts by visiting the gallery and taking in a show at Theatre Winter Haven right across the hall from The Ridge, as locals know it. The gallery is open an hour before theater performances in addition to its regular daytime hours.

This March, Theatre Winter Haven will be the first community theater in Florida to perform Cats. Tickets are expected to sell-out quickly in this community where season tickets at the 338-seat theater have been contested in wills and divorces. If you don't catch Cats, the troupe of local actors is also performing Honky Tonk Angels and my all-time favorite, The Wizard of Oz.

A House For Art
Lake Wales is one of Central Florida's smallest towns with only 12,000 residents, but its arts programs are high profile. A 1927 Spanish mission-style church is home to the Lake Wales Arts Center. The original building hosted the Holy Spirit Catholic Church for more than 60 years. In 2001, a $1.6 million addition was built to house the Center's rotating exhibits.

Every six weeks new work arrives at the Center's Michael Crews Gallery featuring professional Florida artists and the occasional national artist. When I visited, New York-based jewelry designer Lois Hill was having a special show where I bought a ring and earrings.

The Center is best known for its annual juried fine arts festival that is held the last weekend in March at the shores of Lake Wales.

For more information on the above venues and exhibits and for help in planning your own cultural getaway to Central Florida, visit www.VisitCentralFlorida.org or call 800-828-7655.