Pine Island Puzzle hits store shelves
Marie Cahill began painting the town, literally, about five years ago.
“I’ve painted the buildings and shops and the houses,” she said. Her work hangs in Matlacha galleries and has been displayed at the Mangrove Gallery at the Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber of Commerce Board member Judy Bicking of Island Decor & More knew that Sanibel’s chamber had done a puzzle and thought it would be a good fund-raising project for Pine Island’s chamber
“They contacted me to ask if I would like to do the artwork,” Cahill recalls. “I said I would and, all told, it took about a year and a half to complete.” Cahill’s daughter is a graphic designer in Boston and did the lettering and final design of the puzzle artwork.
The 1,000 piece, 24″ by 30″ puzzle hit the shelves in Pine Island stores this week. “We just got them in yesterday,” said Deb Cole, manager of Pine Bay Gallery in Matlacha. “There’s already been a lot of interest in them.”
The puzzles are also offered at Island Decor & More, the Matlacha Post Office, Little Lilly’s Island Deli and Earth & Spirit Garden Gallery, and at the Chamber of Commerce. “We will be adding other locations in the next few weeks,” said Lisa Benton, Chamber executive director. “We have a completed puzzle hanging at the Chamber for those who want to see what it looks like when completed.”
You can help put a Pine Island Puzzle together at Pine Bay Gallery during Art Night on Friday, Nov. 11, from 4 until 8 p.m. and again on Saturday from 1 until 4 p.m. “We’ll have the puzzle set up so folks can work on it while enjoying pizza and wine, compliments of Bert’s Bar,” Cole said.
Pine Bay Gallery is located at 4332 Pine Island Road, Matlacha, For more information, call 283-1335.