The City of Fort Myers continues to make repairs to the sculptures damaged by Hurricane Ian in September of 2022 — most recently to four of its Cor-Ten steel sculptures – two located 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 re-attach the arm that had fallen off one of the figures in a sculpture known as the “Domino Players,” they had an unpleasant surprise.
“They discovered that the left arm on one of the other players was also missing,” Public Art Committee Vice Chair Jane Lane said.
No one at the City or the adjoining shops had any information about the missing arm’s whereabouts — or even how or when it broke off.
“We hope that whoever has it turns it in to the City,” Lane added. “We really are striving to keep all of our art pieces in their original condition.
If you have any information about the Domino Player’s missing arm, please contact Public Art Liaison Carrie Baxter … or just turn in the appendage to the receptionist at City Hall.
MORE INFORMATION:
“Domino Players” or “Juego de Domino” is one of 23 Cor-Ten steel sculptures that the City of Fort Myers purchased from Columbian artist Edgardo Carmona on August 6, 2018. Following their acquisition, the City’s Public Art Committee relocated a number of the popular sculptures from downtown to “art hubs” situated in the City’s other wards. “Domino Players” was one of eight Carmona sculptures that remained in Ward 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 Lab Theater and “Knife Sharpener” (“Al Filo”). Cape Welding not only repaired the damage which these sculptures sustained, but reinforced them to better protect them from wind damage from future storms and wind events.
Two other outdoor artworks in the City’s collection have also experienced missing components.
The first is an 1880 Italian marble sculpture known as “Lorelei.” On October 29, 1997, one or more vandals decapitated the female figure, who lounged at that time on a plinth outside the front entrance to the Fort Myers-Lee County Regional Library on Jackson Street where the fire station is located today. Neither the maiden’s head nor her left elbow has ever been recovered.
Prior to its relocation to the IMAG History and Science Center, a Carmona sculpture known as “Utopia” or “Boy Fishing from Bucket” was located on the sidewalk adjacent to the detention basin next to Luminary Hotel. The statue originally included a metal fishing pole. The pole disappeared one night and has never been recovered. The folks at IMAG have placed an actual fishing pole in the boy’s hands until such time as the original pole is recovered or the artist can be persuaded to make and ship a replacement.
You may contact Carrie Baxter by telephoning her at 239-321-7531 or emailing her at cbaxter@cityftmyers.com.
More about the artist
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