A Celebration of the Arts

An appreciation of the work of the Marco Island Center for the Arts brought a large turnout to Island Country Club for the Marco Island Center for the Arts annual gala.

Entitled “Celebrate Art by the Sea,” the fundraiser’s proceeds help to fuel the nonprofit’s diverse programing, which includes art exhibits, art education classes for all-ages, musical performances and much more. Marco Island Center for the Arts celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The evening affair included dinner, dancing and cocktails. It also included auctions, both silent and live, of paintings by local artists, fine wines, trips to exciting destinations and more. Among the gala’s highlights was a special “Fund a Need” auction to raise funds to improve the gallery’s lighting and audio-video system.

“We are trying to move from the arts center that could to become the arts center that can in the 21st Century,” Center for the Arts Executive Director Hyla Crane said before the auction began.

“Celebrate Art by the Sea” also included a tribute to internationally famed artist Emily James and her husband and John James, an arts advocate and a Center for the Arts board member. They were honored for their passion for and support of the arts.

Emily James’ painting “February Waves” provided the theme for this year’s gala.

Proceeds from the gala were still being tabulated six days after its conclusion, a timeframe that’s not uncommon for such events.

“We have invoices going out and expenses coming in, so we don’t have final figures yet,” said Crane almost one week after the gala. “But we did well and we’re pleased.”

She hopes that enough money was raised to fund her goal of completing work to upgrade and improve the gallery’s lighting and audio-video system during the off-season, followed by an October reception for the project’s donors.

“Our gallery, while we do the best we can with what we have, our walls need to be redone and we want walls that are not only going to meet our needs, but will display art in the best possible way,” explained Crane, post-gala.

She also said the gallery’s current lighting system isn’t adequate and needs to be upgraded to be suitable for both presentations and performances, as does the screen used for video and other visual presentations.

“We have the raised the level of the game and we need to have the kind of wherewithal and the technology where we are able to do the kind of programming that we are doing,” Crane added.

The Marco Island Center for the Arts is located at 1010 Winterberry Drive. For more information, visit marcoislandart.org or call 239-394-4221.