From left: CEO Pat Rutledge, Greater Marco Island Community Fund Member Allyson Richards, Vice President of Grantmaking Laura Simmelink, and MIHS Curator of Collections Heather Otis
The Marco Island Historical Society (MIHS) is pleased to announce that it has received a $7,500 grant from the Greater Marco Island Community Fund of Collier Community Foundation. Grant funds will help restore the impressive six-foot bronze Key Marco Cat sculpture that has stood proudly in the Marco Island Historical Museum (MIHM) courtyard since 2010.
Over the years, the sculpture has been damaged by Florida’s intense sun and hurricanes Irma and Ian. The restoration project is necessary to protect it from further damage and to restore it to its original luster.
The towering Key Marco Cat courtyard sculpture was commissioned by MIHS and completed by sculptor Carl Wagner. It stands as a tribute to the world-famous Key Marco Cat artifact and a permanent reminder to all that Marco Island was home to the powerful and creative Calusa who ruled Southwest Florida for centuries. The original Key Marco Cat artifact is currently on loan to Marco Island Historical Museum from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History and on exhibit until April 2026.
“We are deeply appreciative of this generous grant from the Greater Marco Island Community Fund. It takes us to the next level in reaching our goal for the MIHS Summer of Giving 2024 campaign to raise the funds needed to begin the courtyard sculpture restoration project,” notes MIHS CEO Pat Rutledge. “What more appropriate time to restore this larger than life tribute to the Key Marco Cat than while the original Key Marco Cat artifact is on exhibit at the Marco Island Historical Museum? We invite the community to join us by supporting the Summer of Giving campaign.”
The Marco Island Historical Museum is located at 180 S. Heathwood Drive. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and the site is fully ADA compliant and accessible to all visitors. To find out how you can help restore the Key Marco Cat sculpture to its original luster, contact Pat Rutledge at (239) 389-6447 or visit www.themihs.org.
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