adventures in art: davis art center, fort meyers
Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center
2301 First Street
Fort Meyers, Florida 33901
sbdac.com
If you’re ever in Fort Meyers, Florida, head toward its old downtown for the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center to see what’s on tap. We were drawn there by the promise of visual art, which delivered, but I think I was more fascinated by the building itself and the nonprofit that keeps its doors open.
Built in 1933 on a former settlement of The Calusa, a Native American people of southwest Florida, the structure - which first served as a post office - is a beautiful example of Neoclassic Revival architecture…think columns, stone and marble, and symmetry of design. According to the center’s Q&A, the columns were made of limestone from the Florida Keys, and the walls were embedded with sea shells and coral formations. Cool.
I laid on the floor of the entryway to get a better view of the intricately carved ceiling and its large chandelier pendant - whoa! A nearly identical companion entryway, now used as an anteroom during live events, is located on the opposite side of the building. The main gallery is located between the entryways and showcases an ever-changing collection of works, some local, some regional, some international. I can’t quite map out what motivates the curator, but it results in eclectic exhibitions.
A series of large-scale, colorful abstracts by Bojana Ilic of St. Pete, Florida, caught my eye. The Serbian-born, U.S. based artist, who goes by the name “Bojitt,” had work included in The Lunar Codex, a digitized museum sent to the Moon via SpaceX. Check out her work at bojittart.com.
Another standout for me was a single work by Janis Morgan of Melbourne, Australia. Her current practice focuses on creating coastal landscapes viewed from above. Check out her work at janismorganart.com.
When the feds vacated the building in 1998, the City of Fort Meyers purchased it and issued a request for proposals to area nonprofits. The goal was to create a “cultural institution” in downtown Fort Meyers. Florida Arts, Inc., answered the call and was awarded a 99-year lease in 2003.
Today, the center - managed by Florida Arts, Inc. - serves as home base for concerts, art exhibitions, galas, lectures and educational arts experiences for children through adults. It can also be rented for private events.
When you go, make sure you take the gorgeous staircase up to visit the center’s additional floors. You’ll be able to see works by Robert Rauschenberg and Salvador Dali that are somewhat hidden in the stairwells. The stairs eventually dump you out onto the original building roof, which is currently off limits to foot traffic.
That’s why you need to head back down to the lobby and take the tiny elevator to the top, which spills out onto the spectacular Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden and Reception Area. In addition to offering sweeping views of downtown Fort Meyers and sunsets over the Caloosahatchee River, the rooftop - complete with its own bar - programs a variety of open air events, everything from yoga to live entertainment on Friday nights (fees apply to some activities).
There’s no admission fee to enter and tour the center, but drop a little something in the donation jar.
A series of “climbing” sculptures you can view from Sidney’s Rooftop.