This month, SCCF coordinated with our 2024-25 Brush of Excellence artists Cecilia Montalvo and Charlie McCullers to hold art-based educational programs on Sanibel for both adults and children.

“Learning about and creating art inspired by our environment is another avenue of connecting with nature in a meaningful way,” said SCCF Adult Education Director Jenny Evans. “Having professional working artists such as Cecilia and Charlie share their process can give a fresh perspective of seeing the world, and ideally helps students to experience nature in a new way.”

Artist Reception & Talk

On March 11, Montalvo and McCullers joined fellow artists and interested community members at a reception for SCCF’s “Water” art exhibit, held in collaboration with the Sanibel-Captiva Art League, which was displayed at the Bailey Homestead from Feb. 18 through March 19.

The reception was followed by a presentation and discussion from the Brush of Excellence artists, centering on the artistic process behind their series of photographs, “Where the Light Enters.” They explored how the pieces relate to the dynamic nature of barrier islands, and how their collaborative, in-the-field process of capturing art contributed to the resulting works.

Lumen Print Workshops

On March 13, Montalvo and McCullers led hands-on lumen print workshops at the Bailey Homestead and Sanibel Sea School.

Lumen prints, or sun prints, are created from the interaction of sunlight, object, and paper to create an unpredictable as well as colorful visual of shapes.

Both adults and children discovered the magic of gathering natural materials found in the surrounding environment (the Bailey Homestead and the beach, respectively), and then laying out their treasures on special paper that used the sun’s UV rays to create the end product.

These events were generously supported by SCCF’s Flourish Fund.

About the Brush of Excellence

In February 2015, SCCF was one of five organizations presented a framed paintbrush that was once used by well-known political cartoonist and conservationist J.N. “Ding” Darling, who was pivotal to preserving land on Sanibel. With the brush came the establishment of SCCF’s annual environmental art award called “Brush of Excellence.” 

Each year, SCCF selects a small committee to identify and select a candidate for the honor of Brush of Excellence. Chosen artists are those who bring exemplary awareness to the natural world and highlight the uniqueness of Sanibel.