Hong Kong Willie Reporter PKG . Updated 2/13/2025

Hong Kong Willie Reporter PKG

GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE



Hong Kong Willie Reporter PKG

Tampa Artist Born for this Changing Time in Our World.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5DstBzuqGM/

It all started on a Tampa Landfill.

 
   Reuse Became the way of life. To Live a life in the art world and be so blessed to make a social impact. Artists are to give back, talent is to tell a story, to make change. Reuse is a life experience 

It,(was the dump) that had all this media, and a young enterprising mind. Not enough time to capture it all.

 A short moment of time Hong Kong Willie

The first time i can remember, The Florida Keys. The long road , narrow water on both sides. Beach, not to my understanding. Key West, Duval St, only what tourists see, was my first impression. WOW, that would change

 i received a phone call from Al in Ramrod Key, a Florida Key. A Key that is about 27 miles from Key West. Al: a rocker, drummer, out there kind a guy. Al and i met in a funny way. Al living near some small town in Massachusetts also having this cool place in the Florida Keys.
Artist have this draw to the Keys, Why, Well it took this road to discover. Al now living in Ramrod, calling to tell what had happen in the Isle of Ramrod. Not to mention Cat, oh i forgot, Cat is how i met Al.

Al, someone that, well to say what a friend. Some nights sleeping on his pool table. and not far is No Name Pub, well there you go, pub, by any other name spells trouble. Well contrary to your disbelief, what a place of history. This is where it begins.or When its begins.

This once remote Key, NO NAME KEY,NO NAME PUB, remote, to say the
least, pub , when seeing the place, everything you can believe, and more,
just from the appearance. Now no matter what you have heard second
thoughts still occur.. Its still time turn around, not to night. The
Rainbow Trail by Zane Grey, was spoken here, my first exposure to the
days of Zane Grey, oh I'm getting ahead of myself. No Name Pub, a Zayne
Grey second office in the Keys, later to be one of mine. No Name Pub,
the history, the wild west, well, great writers, why they come here, No
Name Pub. Real artist, Real Treasure hunters, Fisherman, and the trade no
one saw, all came. No one made a big deal who came or left.

It was part of the beginning for the art support. A meeting place for the who's who in the world of the Keys.
Egos left a the door.
Appreciating that you did not get lost in that world .
Artist that had made it and willing to give you support. .
This was a place that I will always remember for the time I sharpen my artist skills..

 Hongkongwillie Art
MYSTERIOSITY   .

 Many artists don’t produce more than one great, great, great piece. And Miriosity, she just has all of those elements… Miriosity has a great future.”

Miriosity To A Good Home

 $176,000

 “Somebody once told me to keep telling the story and they will keep coming,.

 

“My father understood why he was here. And he made that of great importance to his children… My father gave me the understanding of why we were here
And to be determined to find that.”

In today’s fast-paced society, teaching of such life lessons has become rare. People are more motivated to “get famous and get money.

“I’m here just to exemplify and maximize why I’m here. That’s probably the greatest thing that I think is missed in families.

 HONG  KONG  WILLE'S

12212 MORRIS BRIDGE RD

TEMPLE TERRACE FL

Posted by Hong Kong Willie at 1:55 AM



NEWS,TODAY FLASH,WHO CARES.
HONG KONG WILLIE,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



in the news today hong kong willie living for the future. a group living or really born green. the true change in the future of our country. practical use of resources.
Take a look hong kong willie on tv. News story , flash neat story on living green. TV reporter discovery, hong kong willie. true human interest story.

HONG KONG WILLIE NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HUMAN INTEREST STORY.








WHO Cares!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????

MyFox Tampa Bay Fox 13 News WTVT . Updated 9/3/2025

It all started on a Tampa Landfill.
.

 

FOX World News Tampa Famous Artist

 

.

New Tampa Patch 

By Tristram DeRoma 

The Story Behind the Eye-Catching Art at I-75 Exit 266 Tampa Florida

Folk artist Joe Brown, better known as "Hong Kong Willie," makes art with a message at his home/studio near

I-75 Exit 266 Tampa Florida

 

Sometimes, it’s the smallest experiences that have the biggest impact on a person’s life.
While attending an art class in 1958 at the age of 8, Tampa folk artist Joe Brown recalled being mesmerized by the lesson. It involved transforming a Gerber baby bottle into a piece of art.
“The Gerber bottle had no intrinsic value at all,” he said. “But when (the instructor) got through with me that day, she made me see how something so (valueless) can be valuable.”
By the time class was over, Brown learned many other lessons, too, such as the importance of volunteerism, recycling, reuse and giving back to the community. He recalled being impressed by the teacher's volunteer work in Hiroshima, Japan, helping atomic bomb survivors.
"One of the last words she ever spoke to me about that was, ‘When I left, I left out of Hong Kong,’ ” he said. After turning that over in his young brain for awhile, he decided to use it in a nickname, adding the name “Willie” a year later.
You've probably seen Hong Kong Willie's eye-catching home/gallery/studio at Fletcher Avenue and Interstate 75. But what is the story of the man behind all those buoys and discarded objects turned into art?
Brown practiced his creative skills through his younger years. But as an adult, he managed to amass a small fortune working in the materials management industry. By the the '80s, he left the business world and decided to concentrate on his art. He spent some years in the Florida Keys honing his craft and building his reputation as a folk artist. He also bought some land in Tampa near Morris Bridge Road and Fletcher Avenue where he and his family still call home.
Brown purchased the land just after the entrances and exits to I-75 were built. He said he was once offered more than $1 million for the land by a restaurant. He turned it down, he said, preferring instead to make part of the property into a studio and gallery for the creations he and his family put together.
And all of it is made of what most people would consider “trash.” Pieces of driftwood, burlap bags, doll heads, rope — anything that comes Brown’s way becomes part of his vocabulary of expression, and, in turn, becomes something else, which makes a tour of his property somewhat of a visual adventure. What at first seems like a random menagerie of glass, driftwood and pottery suddenly comes together in one's brain to form something completely different. One moment nothing, the next a powerful statement about 9/11.
One Man's Trash ...
Trash? There is no such thing, Brown seems to say through his art.
.
In his shop, he has fashioned many smaller items out of driftwood, burlap bags and other materials into signs, purses, totes, bird feeder hangars and yard sculptures.
He sells a lot to the regular influx of University of South Florida parents and students every year who are are at first intrigued by the “buoy tree” and the odd-looking building they see as they take Exit 266 off I-75.
Brown Sells More Than Art
Of course, the real locals know Brown’s place for the quality of his worms.
If there’s one thing that Brown knows does well in the ground, it’s the Florida redworm, something he enthusiastically promotes, selling the indigenous species to customers for use in their compost piles. Some of his customers say his worms are just as good at the end of a fishing hook, though.
“To be honest, what made me come here is that they had scriptures on the top of his bait cans,” said customer John Brin. “Plus, they have good service. They’re nice and they’re kind, and they treat you like family.”
Though Brin knows Brown sells them mostly for composting, he said they are great for catching blue gill, sand perch and other local favorites. He also added that he likes getting his worms from Brown “because his bait stays alive longer than any other baits I’ve used.”
For prices and amounts, he has another blog dedicated just to worms.
Of course, many people also stop by to buy the smaller pieces of art that he and his family create: purses made of burlap, welcome signs made of driftwood, planters and other items lining the walls of his store.
He’s also helped put his mark on the decor of local establishments too, such as Gaspar’s Patio, 8448 N. 56th st.
Owner Jimmy Ciaccio said that when it came time to redecorate the restaurant several years ago, there was only one person to call for the assignment, and that was his good friend Brown.
"I’ve known Joe all my life, and we always had a good chemistry together,” Ciaccio said. "He’s very creative and fun to be around, and that’s how it all came about.”
Ciaccio says he still gets compliments all the time for the restaurant’s atmosphere he created using the “trash” supplied by Brown. He describes the style as a day at the beach, like a visit to Old Key West. “They’re so inspired, they want to decorate their own homes this way,” he said.
It’s that kind of testimony that makes Brown feel good, knowing that others, too, are inspired to create instead of throw away when they see his work. He simply lets his work speak for itself.
“Somebody once told me to keep telling the story and they will keep coming," he said, "and they always do."

THE HONG KONG WILLIE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION

THINGS TO DO IN TAMPA
HONG KONG WILLIE, WHAT IS A HONG KONG WILLIE. KEY WEST ARTIST, TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION. ARTIST THAT TRY TO LIVE SO THE FOOT PRINT WE LEAVE IS LESS ON THIS EARTH. IN THIS BLOG YOU WILL SEE WHAT A FEW PEOPLE SAID ABOUT WHAT HONG KONG WILLIE IS, THIS IS THIER VEIW. HONG KONG WILLIE HAS SPENT MOST OF THEIR LIFE IN TAMPA AND KEY WEST. THE KEY WEST FISHERMAN PLAYED A BIG PART IN THEIR ARTS. THE BUOYS CAME FROM LOBSTER MAN, THEY WERE USED ON LOBTER TRAPS AS FLOATS OR BUOYS. TAKE A LOOK FOX TV 13 AND OTHERS.




the bloggy, bloggy dew
a nameless yeast

Monday, March 27, 2006
hong kong willie



Getting lost out of Tampa on the way to Gibsonton, we saw this structure just off the exit ramp. We turned around to investigate and met Kim and Joe of Hong Kong Willie, an artist's collective that makes art out of buoys and burlap bags and other discards on Key West. Kim and Joe were a sweet couple and Bunny thought they wanted to adopt me. Joe explained that the name Hong Kong Willie comes from 1956, when the world changed and plastic turned this into a nation of nonbiodegradable disposables. I hesitate to call what they do outsider art because it can be a patronizing label; their work comes not from the inward obsession of much outsider art, but from a social conscience and a genuine desire to reach out and make the world a better place.

Posted by pat at 9:24 AM



13 comments:
Miss Natalie said...
What an eye sore!

1:02 AM
JCinTampa said...
I live in Tampa and work across the street from this junk pile. It is not art, it is just thier way of "sticking it to the man!" Nobody around here likes it and now they have littered cars all over the place to advertise this mess. The whole place looks like a washed up bait shop.

6:29 PM
Sam said...
These preservation artists have not only mowed the right of way on Morris Bridge for over 25 years, but have also been an integral part of keeping the area tidy and well kept through construction projects, excessive trash buildup due to interstate traffic, overall, being considerate citizens in their beloved community. I do wish for those concerned to research my comments, and validate my claims.

10:08 AM
Jillian and Robert said...
Go Go...Go Willie Go! We have lived here forever and never thought to stop and see just what the reason was for these objects we see daily, till we saw "Google Hong Kong Willie" Thanks. Kept up all the good work you do!

4:49 PM
dave said...
go past 5 days a week, i think it's great, better than the "Bob Evans, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks" see them everywhere stores. Fuck'um if they can't take a joke !

8:17 PM
Gandolfo said...
I just moved to this area from South Tampa where we were worried about the encroachment of big business. If it were not for the unique eclectics this would be a boring cookie cutter world. If you have to point a finger just remember there are three more pointing back at you. I believe it is their property and in the U.S. of America for the most part they have the right to do what they want there, be it business or artistic expression. If it was not for some free thinkers we would not be free, this is usually forgotten until it is your rights that are violated or legislated out of existence. In the days ahead we should be glad that someone has the foresight to use their rights before we loose them. By the way J.C. take a chill pill and watch some more Boondocks, I know where you sit.

9:55 PM
robo said...
while visiting my mother at the cancer center in tampa, i had the distinct pleasure of meeting joe and kim. as a key west resident, i was shocked and incredibly pleased that the bulldozers of progress, read corporate greed and environmental destructionists, have been unable to replace "Hong Kong Willie's" with another business traveller, cookie cutter hotel on their property. get over it tampa, live and let live and stop mowing down all the trees. enough is enough.

3:52 PM
HongKongWillie said...
Here We Are...More To Come...Please Enjoy :-)
Thank You, HONG KONG WILLIE

http://hongkongwillie.blogspot.com/

11:19 PM
HongKongWillie said...
http://hongkongwillie.blogspot.com

11:32 PM
rebelniko said...
I know that this preservation art group is gaining in popularity as the true story unfolds. What a small world it is when you are already have others using your name for their own agenda. That's life in the internet world, I guess? Check this link out:

http://www.bigdomain.info/hong-kong-willie.com

12:32 PM
bjccotton said...
Hong Kong Willie is Awesome!! My husband and I had the pleasure of vacationing in Tampa and stayed at a hotel near the artistic contribution. We spent three days having such a good time betting back and forth on exactly what the objects were...as soon as we got home we had to google Hong Kong Willie to see who was right. Just remember, one person's "eye sore" is another person's most memorable part of a vacation. Keep on "sticking it to the man" Willie, WE LOVED IT!!!

5:07 PM
logan said...
the car, the truck, and the son have been at my school. the art is just that art, expression of the heart and soul. i have been touched by its genius.

10:26 PM
"HONG KONG WILLIE" said...
Thanks for the memories

10:40 PM



the bloggy, bloggy dew
a nameless yeast

Monday, June 12, 2006
a message from hong kong willie




Preservation artist goes home empty first time in 10 years. Empty in material projects but completely understanding and leaving full of knowing what the Florida Keys can give you. The Florida Keys have faced 3 hurricanes. All they need is a hammer. They will find the nails, straighten them and use the boards they find floating up. We will be back.

--Hong Kong Willie.

Posted by pat at 12:19 AM

a


3 comments:

HongKongWillie said...
Here We Are, More To Come...Please Enjoy...
Thank You, HONG KONG WILLIE

11:38 PM
Post


The zen of junk

A Tampa couple devotes itself to creating something from nothing

BY ALEX PICKETT

Published 12.06.06

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click to enlarge
Alex PickettROADSIDE ATTRACTION: Located off East Fletcher Road between hotel chains and high-end office parks is the gift shop and folk art gallery Hong Kong Willie's.Drive south on I-75, look to the right around East Fletcher Avenue, and you can't miss it. The tree appears first, hundreds of buoys wrapped around its branches, resembling a sort of Dr. Seuss-ian Christmas ornament. Then the rest of the 20,000 buoys come into view -- thousands of strands of the multicolored foam balls stretching from the tree to two wooden shacks, hanging from their roofs and walls, and stretched out over the property.

Strewn about the lawn is a menagerie of surfboards, car doors, CB radios, wooden sculptures and painted signs. A 1979 Ford pickup sits in the front driveway, painted with a rainbow of colors, four racks of antlers affixed to its roof. An old stuffed caribou sits in a lawn chair beckoning visitors.

Of the thousands of motorists who pass by this eclectic landmark off Exit 266 every day, few stop in the funky gift shop and Key West-themed folk art gallery that is Hong Kong Willie's. But this is not your typical roadside store selling cheesy Florida magnets and beach T-shirts (although they have those, too). From the moment the owners come out to greet you, it's clear that for them this isn't just a business -- it's a lifestyle.

As I step out of my car, Joe Brown ambles toward me wearing a red Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. With his disheveled shoulder-length brown hair and strong jaw line, Brown, 56, looks a lot like Mel Gibson in Braveheart. He ends most of his sentences with "Do you follow me?" and stares with wild gray eyes until you nod in agreement. His 46-year-old wife, Kim, who bears a strong resemblance to Grace Slick, sits near the shop's open sign, branding her latest creation. Wearing large sunglasses, she gives a smile, hardly looking up.

Joe and Kim -- Tampa natives -- bought the half-acre property off Fletcher Avenue and Morris Bridge Road in 1985. For the next two decades, the Browns operated A-24 Hour Bait and Tackle, living on the premises and bagging worms for K-Mart and Wal-Mart to make a few extra bucks. But in 2001, they decided to abandon fish food to pursue the fickle business of art, although they will tell you Hong Kong Willie's was always "part of the journey."

"We were artists," says Joe. "We were born that way. We had no choice. You follow me?"

The underlying theme of Hong Kong Willie's is creating art out of objects destined for the landfill, and while browsing the items, I get the feeling the Browns are trying to make a point rather than a sale.

"Thirty percent of the gifts given will be in the dumpster by next Christmas," Joe says. "Most Christmas gifts will be given because they think they have to. Very few will have a social impact."

Every item at Hong Kong Willie's is either art made out of an object destined for the landfill or products that other companies were throwing away and the Browns retrieved before they made it to the dumpster. But don't call this recycled art. The Browns prefer "preservation."

Recycling implies the material will be used for the same purpose. "If you get stuck in that word, then you get stuck in that form," Joe explains. Instead, the Browns create a whole new use for an item that would have been otherwise thrown away.

Kim looks up from her painting after Joe finishes his long ramble. "We've always been able to take nothing and make something out of it," she says.

Although most people assume Joe is "Hong Kong Willie," he says the name refers to the origin of junk: Hong Kong produces much of the useless merchandise that Americans buy and quickly throw away, he says. So it's up to the Willies of the world -- i.e. the Browns and other conservationists -- to find new uses for the trash.

"All of us who believe what we believe is Hong Kong Willie," Joe says.

The gift shop is a space not much bigger than a tool shed, cluttered with handmade candles, pottery, ceramic figures and deer skulls painted tie-dye style. Joe, who's not content to allow me to wander by myself, darts from item to item, sharing each one's origins. One of the first objects he shows me is an old scuba tank cut in half, stenciled with yellow and purple spray paint with a weighted rope attached on the inside. What would have been a heavy addition to a landfill or junkyard, the Browns now sell as a nautical-themed bell. Another popular item: a used Starbucks Frappuccino bottle filled with sand and shells, and the words "Florida Beachfront Property" written in paint on it.

"Is it really pragmatic to say this had one life -- to have Frappuccino in it?" he says, holding up the $3 gift. "That's not true. You follow me?"

Joe picks up a droopy glass vase -- the result of an Arizona Ice Tea bottle stuck in a kiln for too long. He says it's a collector's item: Only 300 were made and none look alike.

"People really want something that is one of a kind and something that means something," he says, holding up the vase and pointing to a stack of Beanie Babies. "Which one is the real collectible? The one that cannot be copied or the one that is mass-produced just on a small scale? You follow me?"

Most of the materials the Browns work with come from Key West. Every few months they hop in the pickup, drive the 425 miles to the Keys and start looking for the junk no one else wants: used dive tanks, the lobster trap buoys, burlap bags and even old wooden planks from ships or homes destroyed by storms.

In fact, the latter is one of their biggest sellers. They bring back an imperfect piece of lumber, slap some urethane on it and Kim paints everything from colorful fish and birds to old Key West landmarks on it. Every piece is branded, marked with a lobster cage tag and affixed with brass rings or forks with which to hang them. In the building opposite the gift shop, among stuffed animals and fish (Joe was once a taxidermist), 30 of these painted planks hang from the walls.

Customers are few at Hong Kong Willie's, but the Browns say they're doing well. They never try to push their art on anyone, figuring that if someone stops and buys something, it was meant to be. ("A piece of art is a love affair," Kim says.) They count Gaspar's Patio Bar and Grille in Temple Terrace as one of their best customers. Their other business comes from Tampa residents looking to add a tiki feel to their backyards. Among Joe's most popular creations are old car doors outfitted with waterproof speakers. A few Key West bars bought the unique sound systems to hang from their ceilings.

But the Browns are not just content to sell their art to passersby -- they want to live the ideals that inspire their art. The couple is working on getting their business off the electrical grid and powered completely by solar energy. Kim wants to start a coffee and ice cream shop with free wireless Internet to bring in likeminded people. Joe wants to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for hanging the greatest number of buoys to a structure (it's not a category yet). And they're always trying to find new uses for the trash they see lining area roads.

"We're not just sitting out here being weird," Joe says suddenly. "We're actually taking objects and making these thousands of people say, 'What's that?' We're doing it because it's the right thing to do."

His eyes get wide.

"You follow me?"

hong kong willie on fox tv tampa intro



TAMPA ARTIST ON FOX 13 TAMPA, AND HONG KONG WILLIE



TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IN TAMPA LOOK



BUOYS ON YOUTUBE



HONG KONG WILLIE ART




THING TO DO IN TAMPA, TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE. STOP BY AND SEE KEY WEST ARTIST HONG KONG WILLIE, HIPPIE ART. PRESERVATION ART.


KEY WEST LOBSTERS FLOATS, KEY WEST LOBSTER BUOYS, KEY WEST CRAB FLOATS, KEY WEST CRAB BUOYS. HONG KONG WILLIE ON ANOTHER SEARCH FOR THE BUOYS. BUOYS, THING ABOUT IT. THEY HOLD SOMETHING UP. HONG KONG WILLIE THE KEY WEST ARTIST, LOOKING FOR ART IN THE BUOYS. UNTIL NEXT TIME PRESERVATION IS THE WORD


A LANDMARK IN TAMPA. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE AN ART GROUP OUT OF TAMPA AND KEY WEST. ARTIST BELIEVING IN PRESERVATION ART. THE WORLD RECORD BUOY TREE, MADE FROM KEY WEST LOBSTER FLOATS SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVATION. LOCATED ON I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA. APROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CALLED MOSI. DOWN THE STREET IS BUSCH GARDENS AND ADVENTURE ISLAND. LOWRY PARK IS A SHORT ROAD TRIP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IS FUNKY LAIDBACK,SCENIC OLD FASHION PLACE WHERE A TOURIST WOULD BUY A TRUE ONE OF A KIND FLORIDA SOUVENIR STOP BY HONG KONG WILLIE.Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itselfinto a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, SpinyLobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794 or hongkongwillie@tampabay.rr.com. GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE, for BLOG, PRESS, and PHOTOS. When you are in Tampa, stop by the little old fashion Tampa tourist attraction. You will find an old fashion true road side attraction. Artists trying to make a living from their art. Refreshing gifts and souvenirs made right in Tampa. Located on I75, exit 266 in Tampa. Look for the buoy tree made from keywest lobster floats and buoys, keywest crab floats and buoys. Souvenirs that are one of a kind. Hong Kong Willie Key West artist invites you, no admission charge. Tampa tourist attraction Hong Kong Willie, a little road attraction started as a Worm Farm in 1965. Artists at Hong Kong Willie saw a bright future for the arts. So for a different thing to do in Tampa; check out Hong Kong Willie a roadside Tampa tourist attraction.Hong Kong Willie

TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION ON FOX TV
LOOK AND SEE WHAT TV AND OTHER PEOPLE SAY ABOUT HONG KONG WILLIE



HONG KONG WILLIE, WHAT IS A HONG KONG WILLIE. KEY WEST ARTIST, TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION. ARTIST THAT TRY TO LIVE SO THE FOOT PRINT WE LEAVE IS LEES ON THIS EARTH. IN THIS BLOG YOU WILL SEE WHAT A FEW PEOPLE SAID ABOUT WHAT HONG KONG WILLIE IS, THIS IS THIER VEIW. HONG KONG WILLIE HAS SPENT MOST OF THEIR LIFE IN TAMPA AND KEY WEST. THE KEY WEST FISHER MAN PLAYED A BIG PART IN THEIR ARTS. THE BUOYS CAME FROM LOBSTER MAN, THEY WERE USED ON LOBTER TRAPS AS FLOATS OR BUOYS. TAKE A LOOK FOX TV 13 AND OTHERS.















FOX 13 CHARLEY'S WORLD AND HONG KONG WILLIE


BUOYS ON YOUTUBE HONG KONG WILLIE








the bloggy, bloggy dew
a nameless yeast

Monday, March 27, 2006
hong kong willie



Getting lost out of Tampa on the way to Gibsonton, we saw this structure just off the exit ramp. We turned around to investigate and met Kim and Joe of Hong Kong Willie, an artist's collective that makes art out of buoys and burlap bags and other discards on Key West. Kim and Joe were a sweet couple and Bunny thought they wanted to adopt me. Joe explained that the name Hong Kong Willie comes from 1956, when the world changed and plastic turned this into a nation of nonbiodegradable disposables. I hesitate to call what they do outsider art because it can be a patronizing label; their work comes not from the inward obsession of much outsider art, but from a social conscience and a genuine desire to reach out and make the world a better place.

Posted by pat at 9:24 AM



13 comments:
Miss Natalie said...
What an eye sore!

1:02 AM
JCinTampa said...
I live in Tampa and work across the street from this junk pile. It is not art, it is just thier way of "sticking it to the man!" Nobody around here likes it and now they have littered cars all over the place to advertise this mess. The whole place looks like a washed up bait shop.

6:29 PM
Sam said...
These preservation artists have not only mowed the right of way on Morris Bridge for over 25 years, but have also been an integral part of keeping the area tidy and well kept through construction projects, excessive trash buildup due to interstate traffic, overall, being considerate citizens in their beloved community. I do wish for those concerned to research my comments, and validate my claims.

10:08 AM
Jillian and Robert said...
Go Go...Go Willie Go! We have lived here forever and never thought to stop and see just what the reason was for these objects we see daily, till we saw "Google Hong Kong Willie" Thanks. Kept up all the good work you do!

4:49 PM
dave said...
go past 5 days a week, i think it's great, better than the "Bob Evans, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks" see them everywhere stores. Fuck'um if they can't take a joke !

8:17 PM
Gandolfo said...
I just moved to this area from South Tampa where we were worried about the encroachment of big business. If it were not for the unique eclectics this would be a boring cookie cutter world. If you have to point a finger just remember there are three more pointing back at you. I believe it is their property and in the U.S. of America for the most part they have the right to do what they want there, be it business or artistic expression. If it was not for some free thinkers we would not be free, this is usually forgotten until it is your rights that are violated or legislated out of existence. In the days ahead we should be glad that someone has the foresight to use their rights before we loose them. By the way J.C. take a chill pill and watch some more Boondocks, I know where you sit.

9:55 PM
robo said...
while visiting my mother at the cancer center in tampa, i had the distinct pleasure of meeting joe and kim. as a key west resident, i was shocked and incredibly pleased that the bulldozers of progress, read corporate greed and environmental destructionists, have been unable to replace "Hong Kong Willie's" with another business traveller, cookie cutter hotel on their property. get over it tampa, live and let live and stop mowing down all the trees. enough is enough.

3:52 PM
HongKongWillie said...
Here We Are...More To Come...Please Enjoy :-)
Thank You, HONG KONG WILLIE

http://hongkongwillie.blogspot.com/

11:19 PM
HongKongWillie said...
http://hongkongwillie.blogspot.com

11:32 PM
rebelniko said...
I know that this preservation art group is gaining in popularity as the true story unfolds. What a small world it is when you are already have others using your name for their own agenda. That's life in the internet world, I guess? Check this link out:

http://www.bigdomain.info/hong-kong-willie.com

12:32 PM
bjccotton said...
Hong Kong Willie is Awesome!! My husband and I had the pleasure of vacationing in Tampa and stayed at a hotel near the artistic contribution. We spent three days having such a good time betting back and forth on exactly what the objects were...as soon as we got home we had to google Hong Kong Willie to see who was right. Just remember, one person's "eye sore" is another person's most memorable part of a vacation. Keep on "sticking it to the man" Willie, WE LOVED IT!!!

5:07 PM
logan said...
the car, the truck, and the son have been at my school. the art is just that art, expression of the heart and soul. i have been touched by its genius.

10:26 PM
"HONG KONG WILLIE" said...
Thanks for the memories

10:40 PM



the bloggy, bloggy dew
a nameless yeast

Monday, June 12, 2006
a message from hong kong willie




Preservation artist goes home empty first time in 10 years. Empty in material projects but completely understanding and leaving full of knowing what the Florida Keys can give you. The Florida Keys have faced 3 hurricanes. All they need is a hammer. They will find the nails, straighten them and use the boards they find floating up. We will be back.

--Hong Kong Willie.

Posted by pat at 12:19 AM

a


3 comments:

HongKongWillie said...
Here We Are, More To Come...Please Enjoy...
Thank You, HONG KONG WILLIE

11:38 PM
Post


The zen of junk

A Tampa couple devotes itself to creating something from nothing

BY ALEX PICKETT

Published 12.06.06

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Alex PickettROADSIDE ATTRACTION: Located off East Fletcher Road between hotel chains and high-end office parks is the gift shop and folk art gallery Hong Kong Willie's.Drive south on I-75, look to the right around East Fletcher Avenue, and you can't miss it. The tree appears first, hundreds of buoys wrapped around its branches, resembling a sort of Dr. Seuss-ian Christmas ornament. Then the rest of the 20,000 buoys come into view -- thousands of strands of the multicolored foam balls stretching from the tree to two wooden shacks, hanging from their roofs and walls, and stretched out over the property.

Strewn about the lawn is a menagerie of surfboards, car doors, CB radios, wooden sculptures and painted signs. A 1979 Ford pickup sits in the front driveway, painted with a rainbow of colors, four racks of antlers affixed to its roof. An old stuffed caribou sits in a lawn chair beckoning visitors.

Of the thousands of motorists who pass by this eclectic landmark off Exit 266 every day, few stop in the funky gift shop and Key West-themed folk art gallery that is Hong Kong Willie's. But this is not your typical roadside store selling cheesy Florida magnets and beach T-shirts (although they have those, too). From the moment the owners come out to greet you, it's clear that for them this isn't just a business -- it's a lifestyle.

As I step out of my car, Joe Brown ambles toward me wearing a red Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts. With his disheveled shoulder-length brown hair and strong jaw line, Brown, 56, looks a lot like Mel Gibson in Braveheart. He ends most of his sentences with "Do you follow me?" and stares with wild gray eyes until you nod in agreement. His 46-year-old wife, Kim, who bears a strong resemblance to Grace Slick, sits near the shop's open sign, branding her latest creation. Wearing large sunglasses, she gives a smile, hardly looking up.

Joe and Kim -- Tampa natives -- bought the half-acre property off Fletcher Avenue and Morris Bridge Road in 1985. For the next two decades, the Browns operated A-24 Hour Bait and Tackle, living on the premises and bagging worms for K-Mart and Wal-Mart to make a few extra bucks. But in 2001, they decided to abandon fish food to pursue the fickle business of art, although they will tell you Hong Kong Willie's was always "part of the journey."

"We were artists," says Joe. "We were born that way. We had no choice. You follow me?"

The underlying theme of Hong Kong Willie's is creating art out of objects destined for the landfill, and while browsing the items, I get the feeling the Browns are trying to make a point rather than a sale.

"Thirty percent of the gifts given will be in the dumpster by next Christmas," Joe says. "Most Christmas gifts will be given because they think they have to. Very few will have a social impact."

Every item at Hong Kong Willie's is either art made out of an object destined for the landfill or products that other companies were throwing away and the Browns retrieved before they made it to the dumpster. But don't call this recycled art. The Browns prefer "preservation."

Recycling implies the material will be used for the same purpose. "If you get stuck in that word, then you get stuck in that form," Joe explains. Instead, the Browns create a whole new use for an item that would have been otherwise thrown away.

Kim looks up from her painting after Joe finishes his long ramble. "We've always been able to take nothing and make something out of it," she says.

Although most people assume Joe is "Hong Kong Willie," he says the name refers to the origin of junk: Hong Kong produces much of the useless merchandise that Americans buy and quickly throw away, he says. So it's up to the Willies of the world -- i.e. the Browns and other conservationists -- to find new uses for the trash.

"All of us who believe what we believe is Hong Kong Willie," Joe says.

The gift shop is a space not much bigger than a tool shed, cluttered with handmade candles, pottery, ceramic figures and deer skulls painted tie-dye style. Joe, who's not content to allow me to wander by myself, darts from item to item, sharing each one's origins. One of the first objects he shows me is an old scuba tank cut in half, stenciled with yellow and purple spray paint with a weighted rope attached on the inside. What would have been a heavy addition to a landfill or junkyard, the Browns now sell as a nautical-themed bell. Another popular item: a used Starbucks Frappuccino bottle filled with sand and shells, and the words "Florida Beachfront Property" written in paint on it.

"Is it really pragmatic to say this had one life -- to have Frappuccino in it?" he says, holding up the $3 gift. "That's not true. You follow me?"

Joe picks up a droopy glass vase -- the result of an Arizona Ice Tea bottle stuck in a kiln for too long. He says it's a collector's item: Only 300 were made and none look alike.

"People really want something that is one of a kind and something that means something," he says, holding up the vase and pointing to a stack of Beanie Babies. "Which one is the real collectible? The one that cannot be copied or the one that is mass-produced just on a small scale? You follow me?"

Most of the materials the Browns work with come from Key West. Every few months they hop in the pickup, drive the 425 miles to the Keys and start looking for the junk no one else wants: used dive tanks, the lobster trap buoys, burlap bags and even old wooden planks from ships or homes destroyed by storms.

In fact, the latter is one of their biggest sellers. They bring back an imperfect piece of lumber, slap some urethane on it and Kim paints everything from colorful fish and birds to old Key West landmarks on it. Every piece is branded, marked with a lobster cage tag and affixed with brass rings or forks with which to hang them. In the building opposite the gift shop, among stuffed animals and fish (Joe was once a taxidermist), 30 of these painted planks hang from the walls.

Customers are few at Hong Kong Willie's, but the Browns say they're doing well. They never try to push their art on anyone, figuring that if someone stops and buys something, it was meant to be. ("A piece of art is a love affair," Kim says.) They count Gaspar's Patio Bar and Grille in Temple Terrace as one of their best customers. Their other business comes from Tampa residents looking to add a tiki feel to their backyards. Among Joe's most popular creations are old car doors outfitted with waterproof speakers. A few Key West bars bought the unique sound systems to hang from their ceilings.

But the Browns are not just content to sell their art to passersby -- they want to live the ideals that inspire their art. The couple is working on getting their business off the electrical grid and powered completely by solar energy. Kim wants to start a coffee and ice cream shop with free wireless Internet to bring in likeminded people. Joe wants to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for hanging the greatest number of buoys to a structure (it's not a category yet). And they're always trying to find new uses for the trash they see lining area roads.

"We're not just sitting out here being weird," Joe says suddenly. "We're actually taking objects and making these thousands of people say, 'What's that?' We're doing it because it's the right thing to do."

His eyes get wide.

"You follow me?"

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TAMPA ARTIST ON FOX 13 TAMPA, AND HONG KONG WILLIE



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THING TO DO IN TAMPA, TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE. STOP BY AND SEE KEY WEST ARTIST HONG KONG WILLIE, HIPPIE ART. PRESERVATION ART.


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A LANDMARK IN TAMPA. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE AN ART GROUP OUT OF TAMPA AND KEY WEST. ARTIST BELIEVING IN PRESERVATION ART. THE WORLD RECORD BUOY TREE, MADE FROM KEY WEST LOBSTER FLOATS SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVATION. LOCATED ON I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA. APROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CALLED MOSI. DOWN THE STREET IS BUSCH GARDENS AND ADVENTURE ISLAND. LOWRY PARK IS A SHORT ROAD TRIP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IS FUNKY LAIDBACK,SCENIC OLD FASHION PLACE WHERE A TOURIST WOULD BUY A TRUE ONE OF A KIND FLORIDA SOUVENIR STOP BY HONG KONG WILLIE.Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itselfinto a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, SpinyLobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794 or hongkongwillie@tampabay.rr.com. GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE, for BLOG, PRESS, and PHOTOS. When you are in Tampa, stop by the little old fashion Tampa tourist attraction. You will find an old fashion true road side attraction. Artists trying to make a living from their art. Refreshing gifts and souvenirs made right in Tampa. Located on I75, exit 266 in Tampa. Look for the buoy tree made from keywest lobster floats and buoys, keywest crab floats and buoys. Souvenirs that are one of a kind. Hong Kong Willie Key West artist invites you, no admission charge. Tampa tourist attraction Hong Kong Willie, a little road attraction started as a Worm Farm in 1965. Artists at Hong Kong Willie saw a bright future for the arts. So for a different thing to do in Tampa; check out Hong Kong Willie a roadside Tampa tourist attraction.Hong Kong Willie

HELICOPTER LANDS ON TRUCK ..updated 3/4/2021

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CAR ON YOUTUBE

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When you are in Tampa, stop by the little old fashion Tampa tourist attraction. You will find an old fashion true road side attraction. Artists trying to make a living from their art. Refreshing gifts and souvenirs made right in Tampa. Located on I75, exit 266 in Tampa. Look for the buoy tree made from keywest lobster floats and buoys, keywest crab floats and buoys. Souvenirs that are one of a kind. Hong Kong Willie Key West artist invites you,

Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itself
into a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, Spiny
Lobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794 or hongkongwillie@tampabay.rr.com. GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE, for BLOG, PRESS, and PHOTOS. When you are in Tampa, stop by the little old fashion Tampa tourist attraction. You will find an old fashion true road side attraction. Artists trying to make a living from their art. Refreshing gifts and souvenirs made right in Tampa. Located on I75, exit 266 in Tampa. Look for the buoy tree made from keywest lobster floats and buoys, keywest crab floats and buoys. Souvenirs that are one of a kind. Hong Kong Willie Key West artist invites you, no admission charge. Tampa tourist attraction Hong Kong Willie, a little road attraction started as a Worm Farm in 1965. Artists at Hong Kong Willie saw a bright future for the arts. So for a different thing to do in Tampa; check out Hong Kong Willie a roadside Tampa tourist attraction.

Hong Kong Willie KEY WEST ARTIST
For more information call 1-813 770-4794

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CHARLEY'S WORLD: HONG KONG WILLIE FOX 13 TAMPA TELEVISON. HONG KONG WILLIE GREW UP WITH ERNIE LEE, ROY LEEP, NOW CHARLEY BELCHER.




Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itself
into a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, Spiny
Lobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794 or hongkongwillie@tampabay.rr.com. GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE, for BLOG, PRESS, and PHOTOS. When you are in Tampa, stop by the little old fashion Tampa tourist attraction. You will find an old fashion true road side attraction. Artists trying to make a living from their art. Refreshing gifts and souvenirs made right in Tampa. Located on I75, exit 266 in Tampa. Look for the buoy tree made from keywest lobster floats and buoys, keywest crab floats and buoys. Souvenirs that are one of a kind. Hong Kong Willie Key West artist invites you, no admission charge. Tampa tourist attraction Hong Kong Willie, a little road attraction started as a Worm Farm in 1965. Artists at Hong Kong Willie saw a bright future for the arts. So for a different thing to do in Tampa; check out Hong Kong Willie a roadside Tampa tourist attraction.

Hong Kong Willie KEY WEST ARTIST
For more information call 1-813 770-4794.


HONG KONG WILLIE BLOG, A TAMPA BLOG. BLOGS ARE THEY? WELL IT IS A WAY A ARTIST CAN EXPRESS HIMSELF. HONG KONG WILLIE A TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION, AN ART GROUP OF TAMPA AND KEY WEST. BLOGS CAN BE LIKE THIS PICTURE. MAY BE HONG KONG WILLIE IS NOT A JACKASS, OR MAYBE

BEACHES IN TAMPA

A LANDMARK IN TAMPA. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE AN ART GROUP OUT OF TAMPA AND KEY WEST. ARTIST BELIEVING IN PRESERVATION ART. THE WORLD RECORD BUOY TREE, MADE FROM KEY WEST LOBSTER FLOATS SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVATION. LOCATED ON I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA. APROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CALLED MOSI. DOWN THE STREET IS BUSCH GARDENS AND ADVENTURE ISLAND. LOWRY PARK IS A SHORT ROAD TRIP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IS FUNKY LAIDBACK,SCENIC OLD FASHION PLACE WHERE A TOURIST WOULD BUY A TRUE ONE OF A KIND FLORIDA SOUVENIR STOP BY HONG KONG WILLIE.Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itselfinto a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, SpinyLobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794 or hongkongwillie@tampabay.rr.com. GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE, for BLOG, PRESS, and PHOTOS. When you are in Tampa, stop by the little old fashion Tampa tourist attraction. You will find an old fashion true road side attraction. Artists trying to make a living from their art. Refreshing gifts and souvenirs made right in Tampa. Located on I75, exit 266 in Tampa. Look for the buoy tree made from keywest lobster floats and buoys, keywest crab floats and buoys. Souvenirs that are one of a kind. Hong Kong Willie Key West artist invites you, no admission charge. Tampa tourist attraction Hong Kong Willie, a little road attraction started as a Worm Farm in 1965. Artists at Hong Kong Willie saw a bright future for the arts. So for a different thing to do in Tampa; check out Hong Kong Willie a roadside Tampa tourist attraction.Hong Kong Willie
Labels: "HONG KONG WILLIE", "key west art collective", OLD TOURIST ATTRACTION, ROAD TRIPS, SIGHTSEEING, TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION, THING TO DO IN TAMPA

BOB JORDAN KEY WEST TREASURE HUNTER FOUND THIS BUOY

KEY WEST BUOY FOUND BY FAMOUS TREASURE HUNTER. NEXT FIND.

KEY WEST ARTIST ON FOX TV



HONG KONG WILLIE ON YOUTUBE


DRIVING I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA A NEAT ART GROUP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION YET AN OUT OF THIS WORLD HIPPIE LIKE, BUT DON'T MISS THIS TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION. HONG KONG WILLIE HAS A WAY THAT YOU MAY LEAVE WITH A DIFFERENT VIEW ON RE-USE. PRESERVATION IS THE KEY HERE. NOT JUST THE ONE OF A KIND TRUE OLD FASHION SOUVENIR ART. YOU WILL SEE A NEAT HIPPIE WAY OF LIFE.
Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itself into a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, Spiny Lobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794 GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE, for BLOG, PRESS, and PHOTOS. When you are in Tampa, stop by the little old fashion Tampa tourist attraction. You will find an old fashion true road side attraction. Artists trying to make a living from their art. Refreshing gifts and souvenirs made right in Tampa. Located on I75, exit 266 in Tampa. Look for the buoy tree made from keywest lobster floats and buoys, keywest crab floats and buoys. Souvenirs that are one of a kind. Hong Kong Willie Key West artist invites you, no admission charge. Tampa tourist attraction Hong Kong Willie, a little road attraction started as a Worm Farm in 1965. Artists at Hong Kong Willie saw a bright future for the arts. So for a different thing to do in Tampa; check out Hong Kong Willie a roadside Tampa tourist attraction.


A LANDMARK IN TAMPA. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE AN ART GROUP OUT OF TAMPA AND KEY WEST. ARTIST BELIEVING IN PRESERVATION ART. THE WORLD RECORD BUOY TREE, MADE FROM KEY WEST LOBSTER FLOATS SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVATION. LOCATED ON I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA. APROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CALLED MOSI. DOWN THE STREET IS BUSCH GARDENS AND ADVENTURE ISLAND. LOWRY PARK IS A SHORT ROAD TRIP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IS FUNKY LAIDBACK,SCENIC OLD FASHION PLACE WHERE A TOURIST WOULD BUY A TRUE ONE OF A KIND FLORIDA SOUVENIR STOP BY HONG KONG WILLIE.Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itselfinto a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, SpinyLobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794

BEACH FRONT PROPERTY

LOOK BEACH FRONT PROPERTY, NO TAXES,NO INSURANCE. HONG KONG WILLIE MAKING SOUVENIRS, ONE OF A KIND. TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION, LOOK MADE IN FLORIDA.

FOX TV ON HONG KONG WILLIE ART



ON THE BLOGS ON HONG KONG WILLIE
A LANDMARK IN TAMPA. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE AN ART GROUP OUT OF TAMPA AND KEY WEST. ARTIST BELIEVING IN PRESERVATION ART. THE WORLD RECORD BUOY TREE, MADE FROM KEY WEST LOBSTER FLOATS SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVATION. LOCATED ON I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA. APROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CALLED MOSI. DOWN THE STREET IS BUSCH GARDENS AND ADVENTURE ISLAND. LOWRY PARK IS A SHORT ROAD TRIP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IS FUNKY LAIDBACK,SCENIC OLD FASHION PLACE WHERE A TOURIST WOULD BUY A TRUE ONE OF A KIND FLORIDA SOUVENIR STOP BY HONG KONG WILLIE.Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itselfinto a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, SpinyLobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794

HELICOPTER ON YOUTUBE

H

HELICOPTER ON YOUTUBE



A LANDMARK IN TAMPA. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE AN ART GROUP OUT OF TAMPA AND KEY WEST. ARTIST BELIEVING IN PRESERVATION ART. THE WORLD RECORD BUOY TREE, MADE FROM KEY WEST LOBSTER FLOATS SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVATION. LOCATED ON I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA. APROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CALLED MOSI. DOWN THE STREET IS BUSCH GARDENS AND ADVENTURE ISLAND. LOWRY PARK IS A SHORT ROAD TRIP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IS FUNKY LAIDBACK,SCENIC OLD FASHION PLACE WHERE A TOURIST WOULD BUY A TRUE ONE OF A KIND FLORIDA SOUVENIR STOP BY HONG KONG WILLIE.Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itselfinto a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, SpinyLobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794

KEY WEST ARTIST KIM BROWN ON FOX TV

MOTHERS DAY ART OF KEY WEST ARTIST HONG KONG WILLIE. LOOK AT KEY WEST RT AT TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IN TAMPA. HONG KONG WILLIE THE ART IS REAL.

KEY WEST ARTIST KIM BROWN ON FOX TV TAMPA




A LANDMARK IN TAMPA. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE AN ART GROUP OUT OF TAMPA AND KEY WEST. ARTIST BELIEVING IN PRESERVATION ART. THE WORLD RECORD BUOY TREE, MADE FROM KEY WEST LOBSTER FLOATS SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVATION. LOCATED ON I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA. APROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CALLED MOSI. DOWN THE STREET IS BUSCH GARDENS AND ADVENTURE ISLAND. LOWRY PARK IS A SHORT ROAD TRIP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IS FUNKY LAIDBACK,SCENIC OLD FASHION PLACE WHERE A TOURIST WOULD BUY A TRUE ONE OF A KIND FLORIDA SOUVENIR STOP BY HONG KONG WILLIE.Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itselfinto a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, SpinyLobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794

TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION

WHEN YOU DRIVE UP TO HONG KONG WILLIE, STOP, GET OUT, TAKE A LOOK, AT THE , TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION. HONG KONG WILLIE A TRUE PRESERVATION ART GROUP. HONG KONG WILLIE ART GROUP FROM KEY WEST AND TAMPA KNOWS A LITTLE SIMPLICTY CAN SAVE A LOT OF ENGERY. TAKE A LITTLE TIME. STOP BY HONG KONG WILLIE A TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION

TOURIST ATTRACTION TAMPA ON FOX TV



FOR THINGS TO DO


DRIVING I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA A NEAT ART GROUP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION YET AN OUT OF THIS WORLD HIPPIE LIKE, BUT DON'T MISS THIS TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION. HONG KONG WILLIE HAS A WAY THAT YOU MAY LEAVE WITH A DIFFERENT VIEW ON RE-USE. PRESERVATION IS THE KEY HERE. NOT JUST THE ONE OF A KIND TRUE OLD FASHION SOUVENIR ART. YOU WILL SEE A NEAT HIPPIE WAY OF LIFE.
Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itself into a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, Spiny Lobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794 GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE, for BLOG, PRESS, and PHOTOS. When you are in Tampa, stop by the little old fashion Tampa tourist attraction. You will find an old fashion true road side attraction. Artists trying to make a living from their art. Refreshing gifts and souvenirs made right in Tampa. Located on I75, exit 266 in Tampa. Look for the buoy tree made from keywest lobster floats and buoys, keywest crab floats and buoys. Souvenirs that are one of a kind. Hong Kong Willie Key West artist invites you, no admission charge. Tampa tourist attraction Hong Kong Willie, a little road attraction started as a Worm Farm in 1965. Artists at Hong Kong Willie saw a bright future for the arts. So for a different thing to do in Tampa; check out Hong Kong Willie a roadside Tampa tourist attraction.


A LANDMARK IN TAMPA. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION HONG KONG WILLIE AN ART GROUP OUT OF TAMPA AND KEY WEST. ARTIST BELIEVING IN PRESERVATION ART. THE WORLD RECORD BUOY TREE, MADE FROM KEY WEST LOBSTER FLOATS SHOW THEIR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVATION. LOCATED ON I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA. APROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CALLED MOSI. DOWN THE STREET IS BUSCH GARDENS AND ADVENTURE ISLAND. LOWRY PARK IS A SHORT ROAD TRIP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION IS FUNKY LAIDBACK,SCENIC OLD FASHION PLACE WHERE A TOURIST WOULD BUY A TRUE ONE OF A KIND FLORIDA SOUVENIR STOP BY HONG KONG WILLIE.Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itselfinto a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, SpinyLobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794

TOURIST ATTRACTION

HONG KONG WILLIE ONE A ART FILLED DAY.

TOURIST ATTRACTION ON FOX 13 TAMPA



DRIVING I-75 EXIT 266 IN TAMPA A NEAT ART GROUP. THE TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION YET AN OUT OF THIS WORLD HIPPIE LIKE, BUT DON'T MISS THIS TAMPA TOURIST ATTRACTION. HONG KONG WILLIE HAS A WAY THAT YOU MAY LEAVE WITH A DIFFERENT VIEW ON RE-USE. PRESERVATION IS THE KEY HERE. NOT JUST THE ONE OF A KIND TRUE OLD FASHION SOUVENIR ART. YOU WILL SEE A NEAT HIPPIE WAY OF LIFE.
Past days have seen famed Conch artists after destruction from devastating hurricanes collect ship wreckage, building parts, car doors, any mass which could evolve itself into a canvas for expression. HONG KONG WILLIE, renowned Key's Artist Collective, gained notoriety only from the blatant choice of medium, and the artists' yearning to remain honest to originality. Every Original HONG KONG WILLIE piece is truly “One of a Kind", no piece is ever reproduced. Along with Burn-Etched Signature, Spiny Lobster Trap ID Tag, and Hand Signature, any validation of an ORIGINAL HONG KONG WILLIE piece is definite. Visit HONG KONG WILLIE STUDIOS located in Tampa, Florida for a true insight into the work. Contact the Artists for appointment @ (813)770-4794 GOOGLE HONG KONG WILLIE, for BLOG, PRESS, and PHOTOS. When you are in Tampa, stop by the little old fashion Tampa tourist attraction. You will find an old fashion true road side attraction. Artists trying to make a living from their art. Refreshing gifts and souvenirs made right in Tampa. Located on I75, exit 266 in Tampa. Look for the buoy tree made from keywest lobster floats and buoys, keywest crab floats and buoys. Souvenirs that are one of a kind. Hong Kong Willie Key West artist invites you, no admission charge. Tampa tourist attraction Hong Kong Willie, a little road attraction started as a Worm Farm in 1965. Artists at Hong Kong Willie saw a bright future for the arts. So for a different thing to do in Tampa; check out Hong Kong Willie a roadside Tampa tourist attraction.

KEY WEST ARTIST ON FOX TV . Updated 5/27/2025

  Reuse Became the way of life. To read the story from the inception of the Name Hong Kong Willie. Famed, by the humble statements from the Key West Citizen, viable art from reuse has found its time. Important living artist to Tampa Bay Hongkongwillie .To Live a life in the art world and be so blessed to make a social impact. Artists are to give back, talent is to tell a story, to make change. Reuse is a life experience

Famous artist raised on Tampa city dump,like living in the Penthouse in the upper east side. A brand meant for this time.



THE IRONY OF IT ALL
 Hong Kong Willie Art ,Blue Marlin Dream of Key West. $225,000

 

 

 

 

My Father was a generous man . Hillsborough County  was in need for a dump. They showed  him studies that DUMPS(they called SANITARY  LANDFILL) WERE SAFE. HE DONATED THE LAND FOR THAT USE. NEVER RECEIVED ONE CENT OF COMPENSATION,AND DID THIS AS A PUBLIC SERVICE.

  It,(was the dump) that had all this media, and a young enterprising mind. Not enough time to capture it all.

Watching the Paint ,a Great exploding of Colors from the truck hit the pit. What a memory. Was this the beginnings of Green for i.

 

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IN THIS EDITION OF "WEDU ARTS PLUS,Hongkongwillie

MY FOX TAMPA BAY, Famous Florida Artist,Tampa Art Galleries Fletcher and 75

Here is a Few Articles On

Florida  Artist

  Hong Kong Willie

John 3:16

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

New Tampa Patch 

By Tristram DeRoma 

The Story Behind the Eye-Catching Art at I-75 Exit 266 Tampa Florida

Famous Florida Artist Joe Brown, better known as "Hong Kong Willie," makes art with a message at his home/studio near

I-75 Exit 266 Tampa Florida

 

Sometimes, it’s the smallest experiences that have the biggest impact on a person’s life.
While attending an art class in 1958 at the age of 8, Tampa folk artist Joe Brown recalled being mesmerized by the lesson. It involved transforming a Gerber baby bottle into a piece of art.
“The Gerber bottle had no intrinsic value at all,” he said. “But when (the instructor) got through with me that day, she made me see how something so (valueless) can be valuable.”
By the time class was over, Brown learned many other lessons, too, such as the importance of volunteerism, recycling, reuse and giving back to the community. He recalled being impressed by the teacher's volunteer work in Hiroshima, Japan, helping atomic bomb survivors.
"One of the last words she ever spoke to me about that was, ‘When I left, I left out of Hong Kong,’ ” he said. After turning that over in his young brain for awhile, he decided to use it in a nickname, adding the name “Willie” a year later.
You've probably seen Hong Kong Willie's eye-catching home/gallery/studio at Fletcher Avenue and Interstate 75. But what is the story of the man behind all those buoys and discarded objects turned into art?
Brown practiced his creative skills through his younger years. But as an adult, he managed to amass a small fortune working in the materials management industry. By the the '80s, he left the business world and decided to concentrate on his art. He spent some years in the Florida Keys honing his craft and building his reputation as a folk artist. He also bought some land in Tampa near Morris Bridge Road and Fletcher Avenue where he and his family still call home.
Brown purchased the land just after the entrances and exits to I-75 were built. He said he was once offered more than $1 million for the land by a restaurant. He turned it down, he said, preferring instead to make part of the property into a studio and gallery for the creations he and his family put together.
And all of it is made of what most people would consider “trash.” Pieces of driftwood, burlap bags, doll heads, rope — anything that comes Brown’s way becomes part of his vocabulary of expression, and, in turn, becomes something else, which makes a tour of his property somewhat of a visual adventure. What at first seems like a random menagerie of glass, driftwood and pottery suddenly comes together in one's brain to form something completely different. One moment nothing, the next a powerful statement about 9/11.
One Man's Trash ...
Trash? There is no such thing, Brown seems to say through his art.
He keeps a blog about his art at hongkongwillie.blogspot.com. .
In his shop, he has fashioned many smaller items out of driftwood, burlap bags and other materials into signs, purses, totes, bird feeder hangars and yard sculptures.
He sells a lot to the regular influx of University of South Florida parents and students every year who are are at first intrigued by the “buoy tree” and the odd-looking building they see as they take Exit 266 off I-75.
Brown Sells More Than Art
Of course, the real locals know Brown’s place for the quality of his worms.
If there’s one thing that Brown knows does well in the ground, it’s the Florida redworm, something he enthusiastically promotes, selling the indigenous species to customers for use in their compost piles. Some of his customers say his worms are just as good at the end of a fishing hook, though.
“To be honest, what made me come here is that they had scriptures on the top of his bait cans,” said customer John Brin. “Plus, they have good service. They’re nice and they’re kind, and they treat you like family.”
Though Brin knows Brown sells them mostly for composting, he said they are great for catching blue gill, sand perch and other local favorites. He also added that he likes getting his worms from Brown “because his bait stays alive longer than any other baits I’ve used.”
For prices and amounts, he has another blog dedicated just to worms.
Of course, many people also stop by to buy the smaller pieces of art that he and his family create: purses made of burlap, welcome signs made of driftwood, planters and other items lining the walls of his store.
He’s also helped put his mark on the decor of local establishments too, such as Gaspar’s Patio, 8448 N. 56th st.
Owner Jimmy Ciaccio said that when it came time to redecorate the restaurant several years ago, there was only one person to call for the assignment, and that was his good friend Brown.
"I’ve known Joe all my life, and we always had a good chemistry together,” Ciaccio said. "He’s very creative and fun to be around, and that’s how it all came about.”
Ciaccio says he still gets compliments all the time for the restaurant’s atmosphere he created using the “trash” supplied by Brown. He describes the style as a day at the beach, like a visit to Old Key West. “They’re so inspired, they want to decorate their own homes this way,” he said.
It’s that kind of testimony that makes Brown feel good, knowing that others, too, are inspired to create instead of throw away when they see his work. He simply lets his work speak for itself.
“Somebody once told me to keep telling the story and they will keep coming," he said, "and they always do."