Art Center Honors Gala Shines

The stars were shining at the 11th Art Center Honors gala Saturday night, February 4, at the newly renovated Island Country Club.

“I am just over the moon,” said a delighted Hyla Crane, Executive Director of the Marco Island Center for the Arts. 

The Marco Island Center for the Arts serves as a driving force for artistic excellence and innovation on the island, offering a unique mix of major thematic exhibitions, solo exhibitions, art education for adults and children, music, theatre, and live entertainment. Events like the annual gala are the lifeblood of the program. The Marco Island Center for the Arts has tripled its annual budget in the past 10 years.

"The Art Center Honors evidenced the community support for the Art Center Marco,” Crane said. “We strive every day to bring the highest quality arts programming to everyone." 

Mary Pat and Aldo Palombo were the gala chairs. The Palombos are 25-year members of the Marco Island community.

The well-organized event appeared to unfold without a hitch in the Island Country Club’s impressive new facilities which appear perfectly appointed for hosting galas like this one.

Sue Darrow, Vicki Hook, Christine Koppel and Shirt St. Germain were committee members for the gala. Bid Bakkar, Keith Duerr and their staff at the Island Country Club were in for major kudos for hosting the gala.

Bruce Robertson, Ken Stroud, and Mary Zemel were honored by the Marco Island Center for the Arts.

"It was a privilege to recognize the achievements of the honorees,” Crane said. "The success of the evening is attributable to Gala chairs Mary Pat and Aldo Palombo, the Gala Committee, the board, the staff and our tremendous volunteers. I am also deeply grateful to the children and students from Marco Island Academy for their artistic contributions. These young people are our future and that future looks very bright indeed. It was an amazing evening."