Collier County is blessed with a great variety of public art and sculptures. You will find these sculptures throughout the area. From the famed bronze works of renowned sculptor Kathy Spalding, the rock sculptures by Raymond Lutgert, or the various community art projects like Turtles on the Town and Gators Galore, you will find something unique in about every corner of the Naples area.
Public Art in East Naples
The Freedom Horses
Located in their own park near the corner of Lely Resort Blvd and US-41, you will find the Freedom Horses. This sculpture is often referred to by locals as simply, "the horses" or "the lely horses". Sculpted by Veryl Goodnight, the horses were created to commemorate the role the horse has played in the creation of the American culture.
“The horse has been used by artists throughout the centuries to symbolize strength, power, & freedom,” said Veryl Goodnight, the sculptor who designed the bronze life horses. They each weigh about 1 ton. In fact, the stallion model was Robert Redford’s favorite “Rising Star,” the horse he rode in the movie “The Electric Horseman.”
The horses stand amidst a decorative fountain and rushing stream, reminiscent of the brooks of New England where the midnight ride of Paul Revere took place. The park includes a small parking area and benches as well as a pathway on which to walk around the sculpture.
Mustang Canyon
Also created by Veryl Goodnight, Mustang Canyon was designed in a similar style to the Freedom Horses. You will find it at the corner of Grand Lely Dr. and Collier Blvd. This sculpture is also a tribute to the horse in American History. You will notice the dryer, reddish rock western landscape here as opposed to the babbling brooks of the northeast. This sculpture commemorates the role of the horse in America's westward expansion.
La Donna
Crafted from Carrara marble by Hungarian artist Márton Váró, the 15-foot-tall, 22 ton “La Donna” standing at the corner of Collier Boulevard and Tamiami Trail East depicts an abstract woman. And it is a very unique sculpture and has its supporters and decractors, it is both the best and worst example of Collier public art.
It commemorates the achievements of County Comissioners Donna Fiala in supporting the creation of usable public spaces in the East Naples and South Naples areas.
“It’s abstract art. It’s someone welcoming, encouraging, embracing. The undulating lines give pleasure,” said sculptor Marton Varo, a Hungarian artist whose work can be seen at Naples Community Hospital, and above the entrance to the iconic church in the town of Ave Maria.
He calls the piece “La Donna,” Italian for the woman, but Varo says it isn’t meant to be taken literally.
Italian is the language of sculpture, and Naples is an Italian city name.
In art, the concepts of liberty, peace and justice are all embodied by women, so he wanted to invoke all those sentiments without carving an actual woman, he said.
The answer will always be in the eye of the beholder, but Varo hopes they will come away thinking, “It’s something playful, welcoming, pleasant to look at.”
Pile of Gators
Located outside Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center is Pile of Gators, the original bronze sculpture by Kathy Spalding that inspired the Gators Galore community art project in back in 2002. This sculpture depicts life like bronze gators, and is one of Kathy Spalding's signature works.
Deflective Paradigm
Circle of Friends
Circle of Friends depicts an animal representative from each of the 7 continents engaged in the childhood favorite, “Ring Around The Rosie. You will find this sculpture within the Naples Botanical Garden.
The Lyric of Life
You'll find this sculpture outside FSW State College. This giant stainless steel lyre was created by Raymond Lutgert and stands at the center of the pond outside the entrance to FSW,
Public art in Naples
Garden of Hope and Courage
The Garden of Hope and Courage is a quiet park near the Naples Community Hospital in Downtown Naples. Located at the corner of 8th St. N and 2nd Ave N, the garden serves as the community's gift those heroes who served in our nation's health system
The garden’s ceremonial entrance, just off 8th St. is flanked by 3 beautiful bronze statues sculpted by local artist Kathy Spalding. Spalding, who has designed many sculptures throughout Naples, is well known for the 22,000 pound, 40 foot flying-fish fountain located at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. The designs she created for the Garden of Hope and Courage took almost three years to finalize and now grace the garden’s entrance. Two feather like sculptures each weighing about 1,500 pounds frame a 500 pound sculpture of a woman holding a hibiscus stamen. This statue has become the garden’s icon known as “Bloom”. Around “Bloom’s” base one can find dedications made by visitors for loved ones.
As you enter through the gates you walk into a lovely area known as the formal garden filled with blooming annual flowers such as begonias and impatiens. The view from this garden overlooks the lake under a curving trellis with growing bougainvillea. This area is home to benches and trees named in recognition of loved ones.
As you follow the 8 ft. concrete path around the garden you will see plants such as pickerel weed, canna lilies, duck potato and blue-flag iris lining the lake. Other species of plants you will see include bamboo, a teddy bear palm that trunk is as furry as a real teddy bear, red buttons, bat plants, Christmas palms, Hurricane palms, magnolia trees, bulnesia trees, viburnum, oak trees and more.
The Dalton Family Children’s garden includes sculptures of children skipping over a pond, The Bronze Sea Turtle that inspired the Turtles on the Town Arts Project, and large chimes that play an enchanting melody.
Scorpion
Created by the famed local sculptor Kathy Spalding is the Scorpion Statue located in Baker Park. "This particular creature is a critical reminder the weather can be fierce. We are reminded constantly of the fierceness of nature — every storm takes its toll on us,"
The sculpture is also important as a representation of the Naples sculptor's art, which celebrated nature in every size and shape. Spalding, who died in 2014, was known internationally for her wildlife sculptures. They have been commissioned for museums, casinos and hotels; cruise ships; and private collections.
Turtle Mosaics
Naples Sculpture Walk
Jerri and David Hoffmann are lovers of art and have personally donated to the downtown Naples area a number of beautiful pieces of artwork viewable up and down 5th Ave South, The 3rd Street District and other key areas. We welcome you to explore the sculptures and learn about the artist and each piece of art on our sculpture walk.
Dabba Doo
At Sugden Plaza off 5th Ave S you will find Dabba Doo. A sculpture depicting an alligator as a chef. The sculpture was created to commemorate the diverse offerings of food in Collier County and stands outside Yabba's Island Grill.
Chili Gator
At Tin City, You'll find Chili Gator. This Sculpture of a red and yellow painted alligator commemorates the "swamp" side of Naples and the cajun and southern heritage here in Collier County.
Insta Gator
Located along Naples Bay and visible only by boat is Insta Gator. This sculpture depicts an alligator as a Red Devil and is part of the 2004 addition to the 2002 Gators Galore. The gator is a complement to Heavenly Gate-Tour, which was a work by the same artist.
Degas Tor
Firefighter Gator
Human Race
Human Race by Raymond Lutgert is located at the corner of Park Shore Drive and Gulf Shore Blvd. From just the right angle, it appears to resemble the letter H.
It is simple in that it is two misshapen columns, but the emotions that it invokes are powerful. It highlights the race to the top of the proverbial food chain that we are all trying to win. It can appear as someone taking that first step in a new endeavour, or one reaching for the sky depending on the angle it is viewed from.
North Naples
Turtle of Life
Gator Crossing
By the back entrance of the Naples Daily News printing works, you will find Gator Crossing. From the 2004 addition to Gators Galore, it is an alligator sculpture painted with a crossword puzzle design.