Repairs to Fort Myers sculpture collection completed – but missing arm still annoys art officials

The City of Fort Myers continues to repair the sculptures damaged by Hurricane Ian in September 2022 – most recently four of their Cor-Ten steel sculptures – two of which are at the Alliance for the Arts, one in front of the Laboratory Theater of Florida, and another at the Urban Community Farm in Dunbar.

However, when Cape Welding arrived at the First Street entrance to Patio De Leon to reattach the severed arm of one of the figures in a sculpture called “Domino Players,” they were met with an unpleasant surprise.

“They discovered that one of the other players was also missing his left arm,” said Jane Lane, vice chair of the Public Art Committee.

Neither in the town nor in the neighboring shops did anyone have any information about the whereabouts of the missing arm – or even how or when it had broken off.

“We hope that whoever owns it will donate it to the city,” Lane added. “We really strive to preserve all of our artwork in its original condition.”

If you have any information about the domino player’s missing arm, please contact Public Art Liaison Carrie Baxter… or simply drop the tag off at the reception desk at City Hall.

MORE INFORMATION:

“Domino Players” or “Juego de Domino” is one of 23 Cor-Ten steel sculptures purchased by the City of Fort Myers on August 6, 2018 from Colombian artist Edgardo Carmona. Following the purchase, the city’s Public Art Committee moved a number of the popular sculptures from downtown to “art centers” in the city’s other districts. “Domino Players” was one of eight sculptures by Carmona that remained in District 4, which encompasses the Fort Myers River District.

The other sculptures damaged by Hurricane Ian are “Eel” (“Anquila”), “Snail’s Shell” (“Caracol”) and “Symphony” (“Apareo”) at the Alliance for the Arts, “Fertilization” (“Deshove”) at the Lab Theater, and “Knife Sharpener” (“Al Filo”). Cape Welding not only repaired the damage these sculptures sustained, but also reinforced them to better protect them from wind damage from future storms and wind events.

Two other outdoor artworks in the city’s collection were also missing parts.

The first is an 1880 Italian marble sculpture known as “Lorelei.” On October 29, 1997, one or more vandals decapitated the female figure, which at the time lay on a pedestal outside the main entrance to the Fort Myers-Lee County Regional Library on Jackson Street, where the fire station now stands. Neither the Virgin’s head nor her left elbow were ever found.

Before its relocation to the IMAG History and Science Center, a Carmona sculpture called “Utopia,” or “Boy Fishing from Bucket,” stood on the sidewalk next to the catch basin next to the Luminary Hotel. The statue originally contained a metal fishing rod. The rod disappeared one night and was never recovered. The folks at IMAG have placed a real fishing rod in the boy’s hands until the original rod is recovered or the artist can be persuaded to make and ship a replacement rod.

You can reach Carrie Baxter by phone at 239-321-7531 or by email at [email protected].

More about the artist

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For more stories about the arts in Southwest Florida, visit Tom Hall’s website: SWFL art in the news. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service and your support is more important than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.