Oh, What a Night!

On Saturday evening, members and supporters of the Marco Island Center for the Arts held their annual gala.  

Titled (you guessed it)“Oh, What a Night,” the sold-out event filled the dining room at the Island Country Club (ICC) to capacity, and along with the visual and performing arts for which the Art Center is known, celebrated the art of giving. On a picture-perfect evening, attendees mingled on the patio overlooking the ICC golf course, enjoying cocktails and placing their bids on silent auction items before trooping into the dining room for a dinner of filet mignon, seasonal vegetables, and individual mixed berry tarts. They were welcomed by board president Garry Wheeler. 

The 224 patrons grooved to the sounds of the Modern Gentlemen, a vocal quartet who spent years as the Four Seasons, backing up Frankie Valli. The foursome wowed the crowd with their renditions of doo-wop, Motown, rock and roll classics and standards, opening with “Love Me Do” by that other foursome, the Beatles, from whom they also borrowed “Twist and Shout” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” Additional standout songs included “Grease,” “Working My Way Back to You,” a medley of “Sherry (Sherry Baby),” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and Billy Joel’s “Tell Her About It.” The performers were introduced by Art Center board member Charlie Blum, who coordinated their appearance.  

In a highlight of the evening, Art Center board vice president Diana Bellini was brought up on stage for Valli’s timeless “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” which it turns out was her wedding song. She danced with the singers and then was joined onstage by her husband, Tony. Offstage, the 31 hardworking volunteers working the event, coordinated by Mindy Star Abbey, could be seen hoppin’ and boppin’ to the music in the adjacent hall when their duties permitted.  

In another highlight, Art Center executive director Hyla Crane introduced special honorees Michael and Vicki Hook, who in turn introduced their family members in attendance, including daughter Melissa Scott, principal of Marco Island Academy. The couple were lauded for their continuing generous support for the arts. Despite being characterized as “shy” by his wife, Michael Hook managed to get more than a few words out. He lauded the work of Hyla Crane, who he said “is an excellent entrepreneur,” and noted that at last year’s gala, he successfully bid on a lot, including learning the art of making Bourbon. “That’s my kind of art,” he said. Marco Island, said Hook, “is about a group of golfers who call themselves F Troop” (after the classic television series). For the F Troop, he said, “the question is never ‘should I?’ The question is always, ‘How much do you need?’” The group has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for island causes.  

Live auction items raised thousands more for the center. Lots included a Tennessee whiskey tour along the lines of Michael Hook’s, a seven-night stay on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, an “escape to the heart of Provence in the world-famous village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape,” and a Mexican/Caribbean resort package. Charles Bremer won a trip to the Indy 500. That trip package was offered by event co-chairs Cynthia and Stanley Springer. Cynthia also offered closing remarks while her counterpart, co-chair Christine Koppel, gave the invocation.  

After the live auction conducted by auctioneer Jon Foege, Crane took the microphone for the “fund a need,” in which supporters gave cash without a prize to bid for. “Without support, the arts are like a plant you didn’t water,” said Crane. “You think it will always be there, but one day you discover it has withered and died.” This gained added poignancy in light of the earlier remarks by board president Wheeler, who noted that Florida cut out all state support for the arts. With a $32 million state funding cut by Governor Ron DeSantis, “Florida is now the lowest in the U.S.” for supporting the arts.  

The evening also included tributes to past presidents Jim Richards and Rosemary Wick, who was featured in a video presentation. People like them and the new donors coming on board, said Crane, will help keep the art scene locally growing and flourishing.  

The Marco Island Center for the Arts has a full slate of shows, concerts, lessons, and workshops. For more information or to donate to the Art Center, visit the center at 1010 Winterberry Drive, call 239-394-4221, or go online to www.marcoislandart.org.