Residents of Pine Island, Matlacha and the surrounding area sometimes grow tired of the seasonal crowds and oftentimes avoid attending events such as Art Night during the winter months, but now they will have an opportunity to browse the galleries and gift shops at leisure and possibly win a great prize.
In recognition of the continued support of the year-round community, island galleries and gift shops will offer a special art weekend event for locals.
“We are very grateful to our full-time Pine Island and Matlacha residents and this is our way of giving something back to our community,” said Nancy Koucky, owner of Koucky Gallery and Gardens in Bokeelia. “Our community continues to visit our galleries and gift shops even during the summer months when things are slow and we can’t thank them enough.”
In addition to offering extended hours, demonstrations, workshops, music, and light food and beverages, the galleries will hold a scavenger hunt during the art event. The fourth annual scavenger hunt will take place from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and again from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
Participants will be issued a clue card and as they make their way to each of the participating galleries, they will find the answer to one of the clues. Once the participant has guessed what the clue is referring to they will mark the answer on their card.
At the end of the scavenger hunt, each participant completing his or her card will be entered into a drawing for a special gift basket filled with art and island treasures. The hunters can visit the galleries and gift shops in any order they choose and after having visited them all, can drop off the clue cards at the final stop of their choosing.
The galleries and gift shops participating in the Art Night for Locals and the Scavenger Hunt are: Koucky Gallery and Gardens and The Florida Gallery in Bokeelia; and Seaweed Gallery, Island Visions, Great Licks Ice Cream, Lovegrove Gallery and Garden, WildChild Art Gallery, Traders Hitching Post, Julia’s Arts, Bert’s Pine Bay Gallery and Footprints in the Sand Shoe Gallery in Matlacha.
The gift basket to be awarded to the winner of the scavenger hunt will be on display at the Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center.