on exhibit in library art gallery

May 13, 2026 Children's Art Contest Awards Ceremony

There were 93 people at this year's awards ceremony who came to honor the winners of our 20th Annual Children's Environmental Art Contest, "Coloring the Earth." The event was held in the Meeting Room of the Cape Coral Library. Upon arrival, each family received a free raffle ticket to win a Florida Black Bear toy that came with a certificate of adoption, and the lucky ones whose numbers were drawn expressed their delight. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary, Art Contest Chairperson, Alessia Leathers of the Friends of the Cape Coral Library, who founded the contest back in 2006 and has continued to run it, gave an overview of the history and thanked those individuals who have provided support to the cause over the years.

The audience enjoyed an interactive presentation on this year's theme, "Protect Our Florida Black Bears," by Keynote Speaker Cris Costello, state campaign director of Sierra Club Florida. The winning artists received their prizes of high quality art supply kits, and everyone enjoyed delicious refreshments at the end of the memorable evening. The contest was sponsored by the Friends of the Cape Coral Library and the Cape Coral-Lee County Public Library. (BE SURE TO SEE IMAGES OF ALL 20 WINNING DRAWINGS THAT APPEAR BELOW THE PHOTOS FROM THE AWARDS CEREMONY.) The winning artwork has also been framed and is on display in the Library's art gallery.

May-June, 2026 Art Gallery Exhibit

The theme for the 20th Annual Children's Environmental Art Contest, "Coloring the Earth," was Protect Our Florida Black Bears. The artwork created by the 20 winners, selected by a panel of five judges from the 455 contest entries, have been framed and are hanging in the alcove area of the Cape Coral Library art gallery. In celebration of the art contest's 20th Anniversary, there's a presentation about its history in the gallery hallway. Included are some examples of youngsters' art entries, contest flyers, and laminated press clippings from past years.

Category 5-6 years old

1st place Greyson V. (6) Trafalgar Elementary
2nd place Juliette P. (6) Oasis South Elementary
3rd place Greyson H. (6) River Hall Elementary
Honorable Mentions Kylee Z. B. (5) Pinecrest Academy and Dashiell C. (5) Whiz Kids

Category 7-8 years old

1st place Nico B. (7) St Francis Xavier School
2nd place Lincoln S. (7) Homeschool
3rd place Clara L. (8) Heights Elementary
Honorable Mentions Elena Y. (8) Heights Elementary and Emma R. (8) St. Francis Xavier School 

Category 9-10 years old

1st place Annie M. (10) Heights Elementary
2nd place Dominic J. (9) St. Francis Xavier School
3rd place Mila S. (10) Heights Elementary
Honorable Mentions Lydia H. (9) St Francis Xavier School and Camille M. (10) Heights Elementary

Category 11-12 years old

1st place Federico B. (11) St. Francis Xavier School
2nd place Weston M. (11) Oasis Middle School
3rd place Zoey S. (11) St. Francis Xavier School
Honorable Mentions Ayva W. (11) Heights Elementary and Isabella E. (11) St. Francis Xavier School

March 5 through April 29, 2026

Changing exhibitions in the Cape Coral Library’s huge art gallery are sponsored by the Friends of the Cape Coral Library and are designed to afford local artists and artisans the opportunity to share their work in a public forum. The library is located at 921 SW 39th Terrace, off of Mohawk Parkway, and the current exhibit is open for your viewing pleasure during their regular business hours through April 29. The walls of the gallery feature some spectacular photographs by Cape Coral Art League members including photography instructor Carmen Sprague, John McCuen, Linda Kruleski, Carmen Howard, Louise Rhode and digital print painter Tom Whiting. The illuminated display cases in the gallery include forty small paintings by Judith MacLaren representing a wide variety of different subjects. MacLaren is a multi talented and award winning artist who has taught classes for decades in Southwest Florida. Also in the cases are lovely 3-D mini scenes created by Greg and Maui Okon, who have turned their enthusiasm for kit building and miniatures into an artistic activity they both share and enjoy. Each scene allows the viewer to step into a fantasy space that evokes a cozy atmosphere of "being there.” Note: please be sure to click on each image of the art shown here to see a caption naming the artist(s).

January 6 through February 26, 2026

The first exhibition of the new year in the spacious art gallery of the Cape Coral Library features work by talented members of the North Fort Myers Arts Association (NFMAA) gracing all the walls and the three illuminated display cases. The Library is located at 921 SW 39th Terrace, off of Mohawk Parkway, and the exhibit will be open for viewing free of charge during their business hours. The exhibition includes over a hundred pieces of art in a wide variety of different media such as three-dimensional figures, fabric art, woodwork, jewelry, photography, mixed-media creations, and many paintings. Visitors to the Library will enjoy the work of the following NFMAA artists: Jeannette Batko, Judy Biddle, Cindy Cone, Pam Cupp, Leonor Gomez, Sunny Lee, Jasmine M. of Art n’Designz, Ken Maddox, Sheilana Massey, Gail Novak, Ron Powell, Gilberto Sanchez, Jola Mart Shani, Donna Sillars, Joan White, Mari Witherspoon, and Rosie Young. Visit www.nfmaa.org for information about the non-profit arts organization, their events, classes, workshops, meeting dates and more."