Facebook Photo Contest Winner for May Announced

Congratulations to Hong Kong Willie, the winner of the New Tampa Patch Facebook photo contest for May.

Hong King Willie is actually the work of reuse artists Joe Brown, his wife, Kim, and their 26-year-old son, Derek.

You may be familiar with their work if you've seen the eye-catching building on Fletcher Avenue at Interstate 75 decorated with strings of old Key West lobster buoy floats.

This is their art studio. The family specializes in preservation art, taking discarded objects and turning them into something new.

“Ninety-nine percent of everything that has gone into a piece of art has been recycled and reused,” Derek Brown said.

The Browns use everything from driftwood found on the beach to discarded silverware to create works of art.

To see more of the Browns' work, visit hongkongwillie.blogspot.com. To purchase works by Hong Kong Willie, visit their Etsy site.

By the way, if you like the looks of Hong Kong Willie's studio, you can purchase lobster buoy floats from Hong Kong Willie for $8.99 each. The family also sells used burlap bags (great for sack races).

Don't miss the chance to participate in our June Facebook photo contest. 

Just upload your photo here. One lucky winner will have his or her shot chosen to be put on display at the top of our Facebook page for the next month.

You can enter as many photos as you want from now until 5 p.m. June 30. We'll choose one random winner, who will also receive a nifty Patch magnet for the fridge. (Please email us your address, Hong Kong Willie!)

Just add your photos by clicking the "Upload Photos and Videos" button in green.

Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 and older. Click here for complete Official Rules.