The Dream of a Gallery II

By the time building began, it was late August, and The Butchers had to start creating inventory for the art festival season. The first structure on the property was the Well House. Clyde and Niki's employee, Bill, understood the basics of construction, so he was able to help them build while preparations for the art festival season were underway.

Those were long days… Clyde would wake up in the wee hours of the morning, drive out to the property to get Bill motivated, then come home and work to get ready for the festivals. On weekends, Clyde and Niki would head down to the property and work along with Miladie, Oscar, and Bob.

One of the best things that happened as a result of the storm was that Clyde and Niki were able to find a contractor. With the devastation left behind after Hurricane Andrew, the building industry was pushed to its limit, working to repair South Florida, and finding help was difficult.

As it turns out, family friends Lou and Merry were at a campground in the Everglades when they met a couple from California who had come to Florida to help with the hurricane recovery efforts. It was a wonderful blessing that they met Lou and Merry, who understood the struggle to find reliable help. Clyde and Niki hired them on the spot, and they brought their RV to live on the property during construction.

“One good thing that happened because of Hurricane Andrew was that we discovered the road to the back of the property. It had been covered up with ferns and we weren’t sure how we were going to get construction equipment to the back of the property to build our house. Like magic, after the storm, there it was, a road totally absent of ferns,” said Clyde.

Construction went on for over a year: first the well house, then the gallery, and finally Clyde and Niki’s house, the Swamp Cottage. During the time when the gallery was finished and the Cottage was being built, Clyde and Niki commuted to the property from Ft. Myers.

One day while Niki and Clyde stopped at the gallery to check things out after an art festival, they had a spiritual experience. Clyde was talking to the contractor and Niki was sitting in the car waiting. She happened to look up and in front of her was the telephone that still stands at the corner of the gallery. 

On the telephone pole were these numbers: T11786. When she told Clyde what she saw, chills ran up his spine. The “T” represented the name of their only son, Ted, who had been killed by a drunk driver. The numbers represented their only son (1), who was 17 when he was killed in 19(86).

"When we looked at our lives in that moment, I realized that I would never have taken the chance to delve into black and white photography if it hadn't been for Ted's death. A few years earlier, our son Ted was hit and killed by a drunk driver. It was at that point that I began photographing in black and white. So, in essence, Ted’s death was a gift.

And now, as we build our gallery, it's as if Ted is communicating that this property is another gift. But it's more than that; it's meant for us to share, so we can help others comprehend how precious and beautiful this unique environment should be to them.

Since that time, we have worked diligently to educate people about the beauty of the Everglades, Big Cypress, and the entirety of Florida. We offer swamp walks that allow you to sense the primordial essence of the environment and connect with it. This is our purpose in life," said Clyde.

People often wonder how the Big Cypress Gallery property became known as Loosescrew Sanctuary. On his first visit to the property, Clyde and Niki's employee Bob Polk said, “You have a loose screw for thinking about owning a gallery in the middle of nowhere.” Despite their doubts, Clyde and Niki aspired for it to be a sanctuary for all to find and center themselves.

Clyde and Niki believe that unless your feet are on the ground, you can't get in touch with the earth or the environment around you. In Florida, that can be difficult because there is so much water. The movie industry has made the word "swamp" a horrifying word when in reality the swamps of Florida are beautiful. Swamp Walks behind Big Cypress Gallery started small and quickly grew as people spread the word.

As we look ahead, we're thrilled about our gallery's future. We'll nurture artistic expression, raise environmental awareness, and strengthen community bonds. Together, through art, we can create a sustainable and compassionate world. Clyde and Niki are proud that Big Cypress Gallery has become a pillar in the South Florida community and is their lasting legacy. Now, every October, we proudly host The Alliance for Florida's National Parks as they hold their annual SWAMP Celebration fundraiser at Big Cypress Gallery.