Naples Botanical Garden through local artists’ creative lenses

Naples Botanical Garden through local artists’ creative lenses

Harriet Howard Heithaus – Naples Daily News | June 30, 2021

There’s no sneezing in this garden. All the pollen is confined to images on canvas or photo paper, depictions of fascination with Naples Botanical Garden.

“Looking West At The Garden,” by Tanya Trinkaus Glass
But like the gardens outside of its Kapnick Hall location, it will probably stimulate some smiles.

“Artists in Bloom” brings local artists’ eyes to the garden’s grounds, from its River of Grass to its water lilies and the smallest of its buds. You could possibly even see a garden resident here or there, a bee making its happy way among the blooms or a bird in flight.

Organized in partnership with the United Arts Council of Collier County, the show holds 32 widely different interpretations of the garden, all from 28 local artists.

“It serves as a reminder of how art and nature are intrinsically linked, and gently prompts the viewer to experience the Garden in a new way,” says publicity about the exhibition.

To Erin Wolfe Bell, the garden’s director of exhibitions and special programs, it’s also testament to the spectrum of perspective among local artists.

“Bismarkian Sway,” by Susan Nardine Pratt
“There’s such a wide variety of styles and subject matter — charcoals, photographs, paint, watercolor, oils,” she said. “Some are the size of a piece of paper and some are five feet across.”

The styles range from semi-abstract, as in Tanya Trinkaus Glass’ “Looking West at the Garden,” to Susan Nardine Pratt’s detailed, magical palm dance in “Bismarkian Sway.”

While the idea was Bell’s, they relied on the UAC for the process.

“They are kind of experts in this kind of project. We formed the idea. We had the space. They helped us with us with logistics of getting the call to artists out and finding a guest juror.”

Applicants were limited to members of the Naples Botanical Garden or the UAC. Still, the organization had to cull from more than 100 entries, for which local artist Lauren Amalia Redding served as juror.

The garden allows artists to paint on the grounds, and among the most popular times is during the early members-only hour from 8 to 9 a.m. But this isn’t all plein-air work, Bell said: “Some of the artists came here to work. Some just came, went back to their studios and created. Some of them took photographs that they worked from.”

The garden has traditionally featured local artists for its summer exhibitions in Kapnick Hall, and this year, it is showing some special love for local visitors as well. There’s a deep discount from its $20 adults, $10 children admission to $12 for adults and $3 for ages 4-17 from Collier, Lee and Hendry counties.

And for those who can’t come, Naples Botanical Garden now has an Earthcam link that allows people to look in on its Brazilian Garden 24 hours a day. Some of the more interesting views may be under full moonlight when the animals that aren’t out during the day feel free to wander around.

The camera will also treat viewers to the process of heavy equipment packing up one of the giant rootlike sculptures from Steve Tobin’s “Nature Underground.” Its stay at the garden ends Sept. 6.

‘Artists in Bloom’
What: Local art inspired by the garden from artist members of Naples Botanical Garden or United Arts Council

When: Friday, July 2-Sept. 6; garden hours are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. daily with one hour, 8-9 a.m., for members only; registered and paid dogs are welcome with their owners 9-11 a.m. Tuesdays and Sundays

Where: 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples, FL 34112

Admission: Discount June 1 – Sept. 30 for residents of Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties — $12 for adults, $3 ages 4 – 17, 3 and younger free; regular price $20 adults, $10 ages 4-17; there are also free admissions for Bank of America cardholders on first weekends and for veterans and their families during the summer; see the garden website for details under Plan Your Visit

To buy: Online at naplesgarden.org under Plan Your Visit

Information: 239-643-7275

Something else: The garden has a dining spot, the Fogg Cafe, and the Berger gift shop.

Home Prices Climb in May

Home Prices Climb in May

Naples, FL (June 25, 2021) – Homes in the Naples area were being sold at 99.1 percent of the list price in May. A tight inventory and buyer demand continued to push prices upward in May, which resulted in an overall median closed price increase of 29.4 percent to $433,500 from $335,000 in May 2020, according to the May 2021 Market Report released by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island). Broker analysts reviewing the report predict continued price increases in 2021, but noted monthly showing and sales activity is beginning to show signs of deceleration from the remarkable market experienced during the first quarter of 2021.

Cash sales in May accounted for 58.4 percent of the closed sales transactions. The cash buyers continued to create challenges for competing buyers who required financing. It took an average of 90 days for a home to go from list to contract in May 2020, but in May 2021, the average days on the market was reduced to 43 days, a 52.2 percent decrease.

The May Market Report showed overall closed sales increased 164.4 percent to 1,618 from 612 in May 2020 (a month when all the world was in COVID-19 lockdown). For perspective, closed sales increased 36 percent in May 2021 compared to May 2019 (a non-pandemic lockdown month). Nevertheless, closed sales activity in May 2021 outperformed any other May in the history of NABOR®’s market statistics reports.

The NABOR® May 2021 Market Report provide comparisons of single-family home and condominium sales (via the Southwest Florida MLS), price ranges, and geographic segmentation and includes an overall market summary. NABOR® sales statistics are presented in chart format, including these overall (single-family and condominium) findings:

NABOR Market Report May 2021

Overall inventory fell 79.1 percent in May to 1,290 homes from 6,177 homes in May 2020, but monthly new listings activity continues. May welcomed 1,274 new listings, a 7.6 percent increase from 1,184 in May 2020. New listings that come on the market each month help to temper the drop in overall inventory and provide more opportunities to eager buyers.

Cash sales were not the only contributing factor to the drop in days on the market. Another factor was the 45 percent increase in showings for May (42,380 up from 29,319 in May 2020), which ultimately resulted in a 46.5 percent increase in pending sales for May to 1,710 pending sales from 1,167 pending sales in May 2020.

Historically, the Naples housing market’s activity in the first half of the year is not sustained during the second half of the year. However, since tourism to Florida is expected to increase this summer and buyers from foreign countries may also begin to arrive in the coming months, a return to more normalized buying behavior in the second half of the year was discussed although remains uncertain.

Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086 to find your home in southwest Florida.

Collier County sets tourism record in May

Collier County sets tourism record in May

…people itch for return to travel

Laura Layden – Naples Daily News | June 29, 2021

Collier County saw record tourism in May.

Not only are the county’s latest tourism statistics a stark contrast to a year ago, but they top 2019.

According to a report by Tampa-based Research Data Services, the county saw 150,100 visitors in May, an all-time record high. That was up by more than 204% from last year — when COVID-19 raged — and 2.5% higher than the number to beat two years ago — when such a global health crisis seemed unthinkable.

The number of rooms nights booked surged to 219,600 last month, up nearly 176% from last year — and a more than 8% increase from 2019.

With that heightened activity, tourism’s economic impact — or total spending — in May came in at more than $237.4 million, rising nearly 280% from a year ago. It registered more than 26% higher than two years ago.

“Partly that’s because of increased rates, but it’s also because we are seeing people staying longer. So all of those things are contributing to a significant increase in economic impact,” said Anne Wittine, Research Data’s director of data analysis, in a monthly report to the Tourist Development Council on Monday.

Read more on naplesnews.com.