Fort Myers Beach Art Association to hold “Spring Fling” show at new gallery home
The Fort Myers Beach Art Association will celebrate their new home two and a half years after Hurricane Ian knocked down their home, when they open their “Spring Fling” art show this week at their new gallery in Cypress Square.
The show, which starts Thursday, May 1, runs through May 30 at the Fort Myers shopping plaza at 13451 McGregor Boulevard, Unit 1. The gallery will be open Thursdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.
A soft opening ceremony will be held May 1 from 4-6 p.m. Admission is free.
Refreshments will be available at the reception. The gallery is in Cypress Square shopping center, across from Prawnbroker Restaurant & Fish Market.
The art association had plans drawn up for a $3 million building on its Fort Myers Beach property at Donora and Shell Mound Boulevard, but its board recently voted to pause that plan unless its finances improve, said art association member Susi Wingenroth.
The association recently announced they signed a lease to rent out space at 13451 McGregor Blvd at Cypress Square in Fort Myers, just a few miles from the town’s limits. The new gallery is next to Prawnbroker Restaurant & Fish Market.
Fort Myers Beach Art Association President Star Sherwood said the organization had worked hard on plans to rebuild with architectural plans drawn up along with meetings with builders and fundraising. The association still has hopes to one day rebuild a gallery on Fort Myers Beach.
Sherwood said that while the association was “eternally grateful to all of the galleries, art leagues, and churches that have allowed us to use their facilities to hold our art shows, receptions, workshops and classes, we feel it is time to find our own space where we can focus on keeping our members together while we continue to be a vital part of the art community.”
Sherwood said the decision to rent out space “has not been an easy one, but after the Board of Directors and the majority of our members have all endorsed this option, we are moving forward.”
The association’s main focus was “to find an affordable prime location that would be convenient for our members and our customers as well,” Sherwood said. “We looked for space on Fort Myers Beach and the surrounding area, however, there is not much available and we were concerned about the possibility of flooding during hurricane season. Our focus was to find a space that offers a high-traffic, reputable area that can enhance our visibility and increase our customer base.”
The association lost some members who relied on selling their artwork, Sherwood said.
“Our goal is to get back to our beloved Fort Myers Beach,” she said..
The new gallery will sell matted, unframed original art and greeting cards. Exhibits will change monthly throughout the year. Over the next few months, art classes and workshops, as well as popup activities will be added to the schedule.
In October, the gallery will be open six days a week. A more elaborate celebration for the new gallery and the association’s 75th anniversary will be held in October. The group was started on Fort Myers Beach by artists who were drawn to Southwest Florida’s landscape.
“We did not want to leave Fort Myers Beach, but it was difficult to find an affordable space there that wouldn’t get flooded,” Sherwood said.
The new gallery is also a working studio where visitors can see members painting in watercolors, acrylics, oils, pastels and mixed media. In the coming months, the art association will add weekly watercolor classes and short workshops. Non-members are welcome to the classes, but pay a slightly higher fee. Free art demonstrations and monthly speakers are also planned. More events will be held at night and on weekends.
For more information on the Fort Myers Beach Art Association, visit www.fortmyersbeachart.com. To donate to the association’s efforts to rebuild, visit https://fortmyersbeachart.com/donations/.
Donations to support the art association can be made on its website, www.fortmyersbeachart.com. Donors can also contact Star Sherwood, president, at (616) 291-7827 or starlinksherwood@gmail.com.