Fire dance is a large piece of public art located in Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers. In…read more2012 it was the first commission given to an artist by the City of Fort Myers Public Art Committee. Artist David Black is a proto-architectural monumental artist. He started his career in 1980. His art has been shown in galleries and museums throughout the United States. He was a professor emeritus in art at Ohio State University for 30 years and he has won many prizes and awards. His largest piece is a memorial to the Wright Brothers first powered flight, in Dayton, Ohio. David Black spoke about his inspiration for the 25 foot high bright red sculpture. "My wife, and I first visited Centennial Park at night We walked right into a jazz festival. Fire Dance incorporates the sounds of the music and the noise of the crowd." The sculpture is supposed to convey the energy and excitement of Fort Myers during events. David Black said "It is my hope that Fire Dance will lift each viewer's spirits and deepen their sense of community with Fort Myers by engendering a sense of civic pride." The sculpture was designed to be interactive because you can walk it through it. Inside the piece are four hidden spirals. Of the sculpture David Black said "It is my hope that Fire Dance will lift each viewer's spirits and deepen their sense of community with Fort Myers by engendering a sense of civic pride." Right now the sculpture is enclosed by a fence surrounding Centennial Park. The park is undergoing a million dollars of improvements including upgrades to the restrooms, landscaping, new children's play equipment, and construction of a new amphitheater. They are expected to be finished in spring of this year. Before they closed off the park they had to remove the large homeless population that resides in the park. Homelessness has long been a plaque on this area so it will be interesting to see how the city deals with this issue when the park reopens and going forward.

Located in the center of Centennial Park at the end of Bay Street (beyond the Cleveland Ave…read moreoverpass), this bright red metal artwork "evokes the energetic rhythm and vitality of Centennial Park, which combine to lighten the spirit of its visitors. Internationally recognized for this monumental, complex public structures, Black describes his work as proto-architecture in that the work combines both architectural and sculptural components." The tall artwork is surrounded by benches. Take a break and appreciate it. [Review 13329 overall, 647 of 2020.]

The River District in downtown Fort Myers has an old southern town comfort feel. Kinda like a one…read morecop town with a heavy artsy historic influence. My visit to this area (on First Street) I came here with a buddy and went to the Ford's Garage restaurant which was a perfect addition to the district with it's 1920s theme. This River District is an easy walkable area with corporate businesses, arts & cultural and restaurants.

We love Fort Myers. It is where you go when you want to live a college lifestyle again. Great…read moremusic, friendly people, reasonable parking rates. Constant events especially by the waterfront.

This historic site offers a unique glimpse into the lives and legacies of Thomas Edison and Henry…read moreFord, and how their friendship helped shape innovation in America. The estates have a large, free parking lot, and admission for the self-guided tour is $28 per person (guided tours are available for an additional fee). The self-guided option includes a QR code to download an app, which provides audio commentary at various stops along the tour. The grounds are beautifully maintained, and the tour begins on the opposite side of the estate, taking you through the property's historic homes and buildings. Each stop offers insight into the personal lives and groundbreaking work of Edison and Ford, and it's fascinating to see the spaces where they spent their winters together. One of the highlights for us was the museum. I knew Edison was an inventor, but I didn't fully realize the sheer number of inventions credited to him -- everything from the phonograph to an early voting machine. There's also a fascinating display showing the many versions of the lightbulb throughout history and how it evolved into what we know today. We spent quite a bit of time here, soaking in both the history and the scenery. Before leaving, we stopped by the gift shop, which had a fantastic selection of unique and thoughtful items. If you're looking for one-of-a-kind gifts -- especially for those hard-to-shop-for people -- this is a perfect place to pick something up. 3 stars is mostly for the price, $28 is pretty steep for a audio guide. Tours are more. Although I learned some new things it could have been $10-15 and it would easily be 5 stars but $56 for 2 people is a bit ridiculous since is self guided.

25 Feb 26 Went to the Edison-Ford Winter Estates to to…read morefill an otherwise boring day Been here before on 2-3 occasions. I don't know why but I wasn't as impressed this time as I was on prior occasions. The place looks almost the same but somehow it seemed a little different. Nevertheless it's part of American history and I still enjoyed my self guided tour. I might return again as there isn't that much to do in SWF except dine and hit the beaches. Still , it was interesting to see two tycoons buying homes close together so as to maintain and enjoy their friendship. Their homes brought back memories of my childhood when we had an "Ice Box" in lieu of a refrigerator. They had a wood burning fire place for heat , we had a coal stove. American Middle Class families now live better than the rich in the 1920's. Progress ?! The place was filled with tourist on the day of my visit and it was obvious that for many it was their first time visiting the Estates. Ah , the lives of the Rich and Famous ... and the beat goes on

Uncommon Friends is a sculpture along the Caloosahatchee River in Centennial Park. The art piece…read morewas created to celebrate the friendship of the three titans of Fort Myers, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone. All three men had winter homes in Fort Myers. Uncommon Friends was requested by former Mayor Art Hammel and was commissioned by the Fort Myers Beautification Advisory Board which added 21 public art pieces to the city in the 1980's and 1990's. Uncommon Friends was created in 1988 by local sculptor DJ Wilkins out of aluminum, plaster and wire. Wilkins was inspired to create the art piece by the book Uncommon Friends by James Dean Newton, who was a friend of the three men. Wilkins has created 23 sculptures throughout Fort Myers including the nearby Florida panther sculpture on nearby Monroe Street. The sculpture features the three men in the three piece suits they would have worn in the 1920's seated around a campfire on an island. Surrounding them is a 40 foot diameter pool with a native Floridian animals including otters, a mother alligator and her 5 babies, a mother manatee and her calf, fish, and frogs. In 1914 Edison, Ford, and Firestone began camping trips in the Everglades calling themselves The Vagabonds. Sometimes they were joined by naturalist John Burroughs and James D. Newton. They often invited the press along to chronicle their adventures which in turn brought recreational travel to the west coast of Florida. I love this tribute to them and if you visit you will find it to be a popular spot to take pictures.

Discovering public art is a fun and free hobby. On a recent trip to Fort Myers I spotted the…read moreCaloosahatchee Manuscripts, two cylinder shaped bronze public art pieces in front of the Sidney Berne Davis Art Center. The art center is a former federal courthouse and the land it sits on was once a settlement of Creek Indians that pre-dates the army fort from which Fort Myers derived its name. The Caloosahatchee Manuscripts were purchased for the City of Fort Myers by Florida Power and Light in 2001. The work was commissioned to celebrate the 1998 conversion of its power plant on the south bank of the Caloosahatchee River from oil to natural gas. The decision was made because it was better for the environment and it reduced the oil barge traffic on the Caloosahatchee River. Maryland based sculptor Jim Sanborn, known for his light sculptures was selected to create the art piece. The two bronze projection cylinders are 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. A water jet cutter was used to create the text in them. The cylinder on the east side contains a story told by Native American leader Tchikilli to state of Georgia founder James Oglethorpe. The tale describes how Native Americans came into the lower Southeast part of North America. The west side cylinder has the Latin name of the 1,500 native Florida plants Thomas Edison tested to make a local source of rubber for his friends, car manufacturer Henry Ford and tire manufacturer Harvey Firestone. The manuscripts are interesting by day but if you love photography you will want to visit at night when the spectacular light display comes alive. Pinpoints of light come through the text and spill over the building and sidewalk at night making a light show.

These two tall bronze cylinders are located on the sidewalk in front of the Old Post Office in…read moredowntown Fort Myers. The sculpture was designed by American artist Jim Sanborn. They are bronze with text cut from a water jet cutter, and a pinpoint light source. The eastern drum contains the text of a story told by Maskoki Indian leader Tchikilli to James Oglethorpe about the migration of Native Americans into Florida. The Seminoles, Miccosukee and Creek trace their ancestry to Tchikilli and his people. The western drum contains the Latin names of 500 botanicals that Thomas Edison tested in an effort to develop a local source of latex from which to make rubber in order to help out his friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone. The sculptures were given to the City of Fort Myers in 2001 by Florida Power & Light Co. to commemorate the conversion of its power plant on the south bank of the Caloosahatchee River from oil to natural gas. After a call to artists, Maryland sculptor Jim Sanborn was chosen. The commission cost $125,000. [Review 13323 overall, 641 of 2020.]

The Iron Giants first started popping up in Fort Myers in 2016. This was the first time artist…read moreEdgardo Carmona exhibited his art in North America. The exhibit was arranged by the Public Art Committee and the developer of the luxury condo Allure that overlooks the Caloosahatchee River and which was being put in. Allure developer Eduardo Caballero grew up in Cartagena, Colombia with Edgardo Carmona. The exhibit was installed in Fort Myers after an 18-city tour of Europe that included stops in Italy, Germany and France where one was displayed in front of the Eiffel Tower. In April last year there were more figures by the courthouse. When I visited Fort Myers this time I saw two of the pieces on First Street and three more by the river where Allure is. The 7 to 10-foot tall sculptures were built using hydraulic machines, sandblasting and a special method that removes the calamine from the rust and stops the oxidation process. The rust is intentional to give the piece a "pleasing, colorful patina". The sculptures weigh between 200 and 1,000 pounds and represent the common people Carmona grew up with in Cartagena. The sculpture showing a man leaning forward in a rocking chair and turning the dial on an old radio was inspired by his father. I love finding public art. especially when it is large scale as this is. Come down to the Riverfront area and check it out.

Rather than add separate businesses for each piece, I'll put them all together in this one…read more Columbian Artist Edgardo Carmona's Iron Sculptures can be found in the River District of Fort Myers. They're hard to miss as they are ferrous iron so they're rusted and rustic at the same time. The pieces were installed in 2016 and I don't know how long they will stay. https://www.news-press.com/story/news/2016/01/07/fort-myers-art-colombia-edgardo-carmona-artist-downtown-sculptures/78306070/ The sculptures, all carved from rustic iron, depict characters and scenes from Mr. Carmona's hometown of Cartagena, where he was born in 1950. The sculptures are loosely grouped in clusters, and at each sculpture, there is an information brochure that gives the map and the name and description of the sculpture. The sculptures are all at a reasonable distance from each other, but they don't necessarily stand out from their background--many of them are, by design, street scenes, so it is important to consult the map in order not to miss any. These sculptures are amazing. Not only is the artist working with metal--not the easiest kind of material to mold into human shapes and have it look like anything--but his most fascinating creations are immediately recognizable and capture a moment in time that conveys meaning to the observer. My favorite pieces are "Sintonia" (Harmony), "The subject sits on his rocking chair and listens to the radio while reading a favorite book. This work of art depicts the nostalgia of passing time." And the other is "Vendedora de frutas" (Female fruit seller), "The palenquera is depicted with her grand fruit basket sitting at her feet. She often carries the basket above her head, as if she carried with her the weight of the world." [Review 13327 overall, 645 of 2020.]

It is always fun to discover a public art piece and I found this one on a recent trip to Fort…read moreMyers. Marks & Brands is a sculpture by California sculptor and art instructor Peter Mitten. His work was chosen from 112 applicants. The art piece is located in the courtyard of the Fort Myers Regional Library. It is the 25th sculpture in the City of Fort Myers public art collection. The inspiration for the piece came from Fort Myers history of cattle ranching in southwest Florida which began at the end of the Civil War. Fort Myers was reactivated during the Civil War by Union troops to disrupt the flow of Florida cattle to the Confederacy. After the war two of the well known ranching families in Fort Myers were Jacob Summerlin and the Hendry family who Hendry county is named for. Later on Dr. Thomas Langford and William H. Towles became renowned cattleman. From 1856 to 1908, a dirt cattle trail ran through the middle of Fort Myers. The families brought a network of cattlemen, cow hunters, blacksmiths, cobblers and everyone else who attended to the cattlemen's needs to Fort Myers. The cattle industry was a large draw of people to the fledgling town. Eventually visionaries like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Ambrose and Tootie McGregor came to the area and help transform it from a cattle driven town to one of citrus and tourism. Marks and Brands is an 8 foot tall, 3 dimensional sculpture of the stacked cattle brands that were utilized by Lee County cattle ranchers including the Flint, Fowles, Hendry, Lykes, Rutledge, Smith, Thomas, and Walker families. The historic cattle trail in town has been marked with four 1x2 silicon bronze relief panels that have been imprinted with cattle hoof prints. I love the deep meaning of this piece and how it pays homage to the cattle ranch history of Fort Myers. .

Located in the courtyard of the Fort Myers Regional Library, this three-dimensional ferrous metal…read moresculpture recalls the original traditions of the cattle industry that flourished in Southwest Florida during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The piece is an eight-foot tall stack of various cattle brand shapes in a linear configuration. Also known as "Stacked Brands," they represent the brands that Lee County's cattle ranchers used to mark their cattle. The structure weighs 400-500 pounds and is a rust color. The piece is mounted on a 2x4x4 foot pedestal that is in the middle of a water feature (currently drained) that runs along the west side of the plaza opposite the library's entrance. It was conceived, designed and fabricated by California sculptor and art instructor Peter Mitten, who was chosen from a field of three finalists and 112 applicants. [Review 13321 overall, 639 of 2020.]

Located to the rear of the Fort Myers City Hall building, near the entrance on the Broadway side…read more There is a parking lot here if you have city business, so stop by and check it out on the way. "Ena En La Plaza" by artise Edgardo Carmona. This sculpture creates two integrated movements - the body of the rhythmic gymnast playing with a ribbon and the spirals that spread in the wind as she engages in a dance that defines gravity. This interplay underscores balance, movement, internal and external strength which combine to find and express a sublime, poignant moment in time. It's pretty and nicely done. [Review 13325 overall, 643 of 2020.]

Fun brewery with lots of beer options on tap, good food, and lots of events!…read more Came for run club on Weds night, fun group of various paces, most stayed for beer after. They also had trivia! It looks like they have lots of events at this space so make sure to check their website or social media. There's a small parking lot but also free parking on the street outside. There's indoor and outdoor seating making it a great spot for groups. I got a flight and particularly liked the s'mores stout! We also got food from one of the on site vendors - it's a pretty cool idea, they have a 3 stall building in the courtyard, which I assume they could rotate vendors in. We got arepas and fried plantains which were both delish, but perhaps a little pricey. Overall, good beer, good vibes, I'd definitely come back!

I love that the brewery was a former church...it's a great reuse of the building. But, most…read moreimportantly, the beer was great! I tried 2 myself...the Panther Pale Ale and the Captains Cut. The Captains Cut was my favorite of the 2. The employees working today were all very friendly and right on top of helping everyone. The outdoor area is very nice, but we spent our time indoors with our large group. Just as a side note, the food offered wasn't great, but those are different entities.