The new Tribby Arts Center opened this year at the Shell Point Retirement Community, right across the Sanibel Causeway, and the result is stunning. The project cost $25 million and took four years to build.
The new arts center features three art galleries; nine studios for dance, painting, crafts, pottery, quilting, textiles, stain glass, and photography; numerous practice rooms for musicians, and the 400-seat, state-of-the-art Connie Brown Hall auditorium. The facility also includes a gift shop, atrium, French bistro and English sculpture garden.
Resident Marge Lee, who retired from a career in art museum development and administration, leant her experience to help the project along. She now volunteers as the resident curator of the gallery in the new arts center.
“What you see here reflects the residents’ needs and desires for their arts center,” Ms. Lee said. “The residents really did have a voice in all aspects of the arts center, and I think that’s really to the credit of Shell Point’s management for making that happen. The thing you’ll hear residents say more than anything is that it has changed our lives here because it has brought together all this creative energy — performing arts, visual arts, literary arts — and we’re all here together now. It’s a fun place, like our own student union.”
Numerous concerts are planned for their 2021-2022 season November through March. For a full rundown of performances, click here, and to learn all about the design and construction process of this beautiful new facility, read a Florida Weekly article here.
