Alliance ArtsPark & Water Wall

 

A New Public Space

Welcome to the Alliance ArtsPark. So much more than a place to play, we see a community hub for discovery and creativity, connections and reunion, education and adventure; a place where people, art and imagination meet. That’s why we’re linking the natural environment with the creative spirit of art. This project connects neighbors with a new sidewalk, regenerates the land with a beautiful thriving pocket of Florida flowers and at the center of it all, stands a towering piece of art, the Caloosahatchee Water Wall, by internationally acclaimed artist Michael Singer.

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Caloosahatchee Water Wall

The Alliance for the Arts ArtsPark & Water Wall presents a space for neighbors and visitors to connect to each other, to the arts and to Florida’s unique history while sharing the sunshine of southwest Florida at the gateway of Fort Myers.

Our ArtsPark is unified by wandering pathways and a peaceful pond bordered by lush, Florida native plants. At the center of the ArtsPark will stand a towering piece of public art, the Caloosahatchee Water Wall, by internationally acclaimed artist Michael Singer. A rich, dazzling blue depiction of the Caloosahatchee River will allow one’s imagination to meander like the flow of water itself. Bursts of sunshine will pour over the 25-foot sculpture to illuminate blooming native vines that climb the Water Wall’s textured, gray lattice.  With the Caloosahatchee River just ¼ mile away, it’s only fitting that art and nature harmoniously coincide.

Affording an array of environmental restoration, the design of the Water Wall sweeps up water from the ArtsPark pond and filters it before allowing the water to trickle back down. As the water rolls to the bottom of the sculpture, it drips, reels and lands onto plants and soil at the base of the Water Wall, allowing one more shining and slow-moving wash before eventually making its way out to the glittering openness of the Caloosahatchee.

As an outdoor classroom, the Alliance ArtsPark and Water Wall are free and open to the public to explore. The project champions the course of Florida’s unique, ecological memoir while celebrating the warmth and energy of our local neighborhood. 

About the Artist: Since the 1970s Michael Singer’s work has opened new possibilities for outdoor and indoor sculpture and contributed to the definition of site specific art and the reimagining of public places. Singer’s more recent work has been instrumental in transforming public art and landscape projects into successful models for urban and ecological regeneration. Singer has received numerous awards, including fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.

Concept Pack  More on Michael Singer Studio

South Entry Plaza Section
South Entry Plaza Plan

Sidewalk and Lighting

There is a place where the sidewalk ends, And before the street begins, And there the grass grows soft and white, And there the sun burns crimson bright, And there the moon-bird rests from his flight To cool in the peppermint wind. – Shel Silverstein

Catch a nice breeze riding down McGregor on your bike. Uncover a fresh backyard experience with a locally rooted vibe at our weekly GreenMarket. Feel the beat of the street with local artists. Come inside and cool down with an art class. We’re ready to give you a warm welcome.

Our 8 foot sidewalk, crosswalks, lighting and wandering pathways make our community more walkable, livable and accessible. Sidewalks drive progress by creating connections and improving the social well-being of the places we call home. Just like the arts.

Rotary Plaza

The Rotary Club of Fort Myers South Plaza, on the southwest corner of its campus, serves not only to beautify the community, but also makes the Alliance for the Arts’ ArtsPark even more accessible and welcoming to the residents of local neighborhoods. 

Rotary Club of Fort Myers South has more than 110 members who are among the 1.3 million Rotarians worldwide. Service Above Self is the motto of Rotary International, which has contributed more than $1.2 billion and tens of thousands of volunteer hours toward polio eradication in addition to projects such as water quality, world peace and literacy. Rotary Club of Fort Myers South meetings are held each Monday at noon at the Crowne Plaza Fort Myers at Bell Tower Shops hotel, 13051 Bell Tower Drive.

Project Supported By

Special Thanks to our incredible community of donors and members:

Marne Adler • Herbert Anderson • Babydoll Houses • Jan & Vicki Baker • Ellen Ballard • Melissa Barry • Mary Bennett • Terri Bergmann • Bonnie Bohn • Brittney Brady • Susan Briody • James Brock • Lyn Brown • Cadence Music • Tom & Donna Chase • Clarity in Marketing Inc. • Jim & Joyce Clark • Jillian Clark • J.J. Cochrane • CopyLady, Inc. • Michael Corso • Joanne Couse • Kit & Tracy Cullimore • Gary Day • Sal & Ginny Dickinson • Mark Dinsmore • Jeanne Dozier-Bartlett • Jerry Edelman • Mary Eller • Wallace Faber • Family Thrift Center • Amy Fox • Lia Galletti • Phil & Donna Gaylor • Andrew Getch • Ronald Gilcher • Patricia Good • Robert Goodwin • Carolyn Gora • Nancy Green • William & Shreen Groce • Jim & Connie Gustafson • Danny & Katie Haas • Janet Hathaway • Lora Beth Hayes • Leigh Frizzell Hayes • Doug & Katherine Hendricks • Larry & Debra Hobbs • Bill & Andi Horowitz • Arlene Horvath • Jane Hudson • Betsy Hughes • Rosalie Hurwitz • John E. and Aliese Price Founation, Inc. • Sarah Joslyn • Donna Kjonaas • Craig Martin • Carolyn McGahey • Deborah Meisenberg • Mary Meyer • Mary Jane Mulholland • Kate O’Connell • Richard Olitsk • Jan Palmer • Beatrice Pappas • Clif & Tina Parker • Susan Pauly • Richard Prescott • Noreen Raney• Renee Rey Daskin• Paul Riederer • Mike & Ava Roeder • Dana Roes • Ali Sadikogli • Helen Sadler • Robert & Lynn Salem • Trudy Sampson • Robert Sanford • Scott Saxon • Jeffery M. Schmidt • Diana Schultz • Scott & Susan Siler • Carolyn Simpson • Shirley Snyder McLaren • Dorothy Steele • Toni Sutton • Carolyn Swift • Kristine Mosher Tarrow • Lee Anne Tauck • Pamela Templeton • The George and Mary Jo Sanders Foundation, Inc. • Bill & Isabel Thomas • Susan Tuttle • Glen Upton • David Urich • Lora Vatalaro • William Waites • Maureen Watson • Joy Williams • Mary Lou Williams • Elizabeth Woods

In memory of Lucille Remler • In memory of Deborah Meisenberg

Campus Enrichment Committee:

Jon Romine, EnSite, Inc • Jeffrey Mudgett, Parker Mudgett Smith Architects
Barbara Hill, Barbara Hill Fine Art Consulting • Michael Singer, Michael Singer Studio • Mike Sohn, Business Executive

About the Alliance

The Alliance for the Arts is a vibrant nonprofit visual and performing arts center located in the heart of Fort Myers. Since the 1970s, we’ve been transforming lives and improving community through the arts. Our year-round schedule of events have become a staple for the community through engaging gallery exhibitions, inspiring art classes from fine art life drawing to the art of beer-making and stimulating theatre productions that range from the classics to the cutting edge. We are a creative community hub that spurs and supports self-expression, imagination and individuality by connecting each other through the arts.

Your support of the arts matters.