Art 2023 Gala

Marco Island Center for the Arts invites the community to join us for the 2023 Gala: Art Center Honors. This event will be held at the Island Country Club on February 4, 2023. Guests will enjoy music, merriment and a magical night in the renovated and expanded ballroom at the Island Country Club. The proceeds of the event will benefit the Art Center’s future development and programming.

The hosts for the evening will be the Gala Chairs, Mary Pat and Aldo Palombo. Mary Pat and Aldo Palombo enjoy spending time with their family and being involved with the community of Marco Island. They have had a home on Marco Island since 2008 and have been year-round residents since 2016. Over the years, they have worked with and supported many of the nonprofits on the Island. Aldo is a past president of Island Country Club and the present President of ICC Charitable Foundation. Mary Pat is a fiber artist with Art Quilters Unlimited, and a board member of Marco Island Center for the Arts.

The three honorees for the 2023 Gala: The Art Center Honors will be Bruce Robertson, Ken Stroud, and Mary Zemel.

Bruce Robertson, served as a board member of the Art Center from 2017-2021. He was the Chairman of the Art Center’s Golf Tournament from 2015-2021. As a respected artist in the Marco community, Robertson is known for his metal sculptures and woodwork. Prior to coming to Marco, Robertson was the President of Robertson's Flowers and Events, Philadelphia's Premier Florist, which has been family owned and operated since 1927.

Ken Stroud served on the board of the Art Center from 2006-2012 and again from 2016-2022. In the interim, he was the President of the Emeritus Board. Stroud was the President of the Art Center from 2010-2012. Stroud’s many contributions have included chairing the Facilities Committee, hanging Gallery exhibitions, and providing leadership and guidance throughout his time with the Art Center. Prior to retirement, Stroud was a Supervisory Senior Special Agent with Homeland Security.

Mary Kane Zemel served on the Art Center board from 2016-2022. After a career as an artist in California, she was an artist in residence at the Art Center from 2012-2022 as well as serving on the Gallery Committee and the Education and Outreach Committee. With a master’s degree in Human Resource Development, Zemel’s career included being a Registered Nurse and a flight nurse in the Georgia Air National Guard where she retired from her commission as a Captain.

The Art Center will close its Space/Time Capsule directly following the Gala. Community members and attendees are encouraged to gather a few items to put into the capsule before it is closed. Items will be collected before the event at Marco Island Center for the Arts and at the beginning of “The Art Center Honors” Annual Gala on February 4, 2023.

Join Marco Island Center for the Arts for the 2023 The Art Center Honors Gala at Island Country Club at 5:30 PM February 4, 2023. The event will offer a grand selection of both Silent and Live Auction Items to accompany the evening's celebration. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.marcoislandart.org/annual-gala/ or by calling 239-394-4221.