There’s no denying that Sanibel Island Light (also known as the Sanibel Island Lighthouse), even in its current damaged state, has emerged as the most potent and emotionally-charged visual symbol of #SanibelStrong and the perseverance of the Sanibel community in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Now, one artist (and business professional on Sanibel Island), Charlene M. Taubert (GM of the Blue Dolphin), has brought the iconic Sanibel Island Lighthouse AND one of the most cherished and recognizable group of American cartoon figures together into a single painting conveying a colorful message of hope and yuletide glee that absolutely pulls on the heartstrings.
In Taubert’s painting, “It just needs a little love.” A Sanibel Christmas Miracle, members of the Peanuts Gang (including Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Franklin, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Sally, and Schroeder) have made the trek from Minnesota to Sanibel Island to volunteer in the Hurricane Ian recovery effort. The entire Peanuts Gang is depicted working together to shore up the hurricane-damaged Sanibel Island Lighthouse by repairing its broken leg. As most of the Peanuts Gang works together to fix the Sanibel Lighthouse; Lucy is stationed in her “Hurricane Help” booth dispensing “Free Hugs” to all of those in need; Linus, embracing a newfound sense of confidence and purpose, has donated his security blanket to the Sanibel Lighthouse by wrapping it around the damaged leg; and Schroeder regales the assembled crowd with his piano virtuosity by performing a heartfelt rendition of “Peace on Earth’, a subtle nod to the importance of the arts in all efforts on Sanibel Island.
WANT TO HELP OUT IN THE SANIBEL RECOVERY PROCESS?
DONATE TO FISH OF SANCAP: CLICK HERE
DONATE TO THE SANIBEL CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION (SCCF): CLICK HERE
“It just needs a little love.” A Sanibel Christmas Miracle
Excerpts from an interview with artist Charlene M. Taubert
The Backstory
To start the story, I think it’s noteworthy to point out that my first name is Charlene and my maiden name is Brown — so, as you could probably imagine, I was a “Charlie Brown” from very early on!
In addition to being a hospitality-management professional, I’m also a Fort Myers based artist with awards, and even a solo art exhibition (at Chicos FAS), to my name.
READ MORE + SEE ADDITIONAL ART BELOW
I have an over 20-year history with Sanibel Island. My husband and I were married at Blind Pass (by Patricia Slater) in 2005. I have fond memories of working at the Sanibel Steakhouse while I was hard at work getting my Master’s Degree at Barry University. And since May 2022, I’ve been the GM of the Blue Dolphin on West Gulf Drive, a landmark cottage resort (built in 1958) on Sanibel that was significantly damaged during Hurricane Ian and will require a complete rebuild.
But I’m originally from the Northeast; and I also happened to have spent most of the past decade (primarily April through October) as an innkeeper of a Select Registry property in the small tourist town of Ogunquit, Maine. That inn was recently sold, and we relocated full time to our SWFL home.
Every autumn in Ogunquit, the town is known for a seasonal celebration called Ogunquitfest. It’s a festive happening featuring horse-drawn wagon rides, sidewalk sales, scavenger hunts, pumpkin decorating, fall restaurant specials, and more.
BUT the town of Ogunquit has a major arts legacy going back well over a hundred years, and one of the major components of Ogunquitfest taps directly into the creativity of local business owners and innkeepers: The Ogunquitfest Autumn Display / Scarecrow Contest!
Teams at most of Ogunquit’s local businesses work to adorn their front yards and doorways with vivid fall imagery – and the inventiveness and ingenuity of these “scarecrow” creations is limited only by the imaginations of their creators!
With such a high rate of participation in the contest, the end result is truly an eye-candy stretch of “spooky season” fabulousness from Perkins Cove, up Shore Road, and along Main Street in Ogunquit! It draws many, many visitors to this “beautiful place by the sea”! And visitors to the town are even able to vote on which Ogunquitfest display they consider to be the best!
Perhaps because of my early personal connection to Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang, my artwork has always been dominated by playful and colorful cartoon elements. So, for my entries to the Ogunquitfest contest, I always embraced the warmth and nostalgia of the iconic cartoon characters that always seem to make children of all ages smile!
My hand-drawn/painted autumnal displays were a major draw to the Ogunquit inn that my husband and I managed each October. You wouldn’t believe the crowds that gathered all day and even into the evening to appreciate, pose beside, and even take Instagram selfies with these cartoon figures!
It wasn’t uncommon at all to see traffic backed up on Shore Road in front of the inn as cars stopped so the passengers could take photos of my displays from their vehicle windows!
I’m also proud to mention that I won the first place prize in the 2017 Ogunquitfest Halloween Display Contest!
The Hurricane Ian Experience
While Hurricane Ian was making landfall in Southwest Florida, my husband and I took shelter at a hotel outside of the evacuated flood zones in Fort Myers. We hunkered down and watched WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt on the hotel television as he kept our community updated on the real time impact of this exceedingly large and powerful Category 4 storm. We watched on social media as rumors circulated, during the peak of the storm, that the Sanibel Island Lighthouse had been damaged.
The morning after the storm we made our way on a very scary ride through the Fort Myers flooding back to our home. The closer we got to our home, the more water we encountered. Once we finally made it home, we discovered that our specific neighborhood was spared from the worst of the flooding and wind damage — but we were literally surrounded by almost incomprehensible destruction and loss.
Southwest Florida had been impacted by 150 MPH winds and storm surge levels between 12 and 18 feet. Almost the entire island of Sanibel had been covered in multiple feet of water; and parts of the Sanibel Causeway (the only road that connects the island with the mainland) were washed away by the storm surge.
As such, in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Sanibel Island was only accessible by boat.
We got out there as soon as we could to assess the damage at my place of employment – and the sad state of Sanibel Island was devastating to witness firsthand.
It’s one thing to see videos and photos, but actually being on Sanibel Island in the flesh and personally seeing what has happened to the landmarks, homes, businesses, beaches, and foliage that have been part of your life for so many years… The emotional response that generates is almost overwhelming.
Over the next couple of weeks, 100 crews worked around the clock to repair the causeway. Workers used 8,200 loads of fill dirt, 2,400 loads of rock, and 4,000 tons of asphalt. Emergency repairs to the Sanibel Causeway were completed in an unprecedented 15 days and recovery crews were granted access to the island. 21 days after Hurricane Ian, residents and business owners were allowed to utilize the repaired causeway to access Sanibel. That’s when the large debris piles started accumulating along the sides of the roads.
Now that it’s been almost 3 months since Hurricane Ian made landfall, some of the green is returning to the wind-damaged and salt-burned foliage; much progress is being made in picking up the debris; and so many people are hard at work navigating the process of beginning to rebuild their homes, their businesses, and the island. Finding their way through the insurance scenarios. Meetings with city officials. Banks and lenders. Architects. General contractors.
The tasks at hand are monumental and progress is often made much more slowly than we all initially hope it will be. Still there are glimmers of hope for the future.
With each debris pile removed. With each piece of repaired landscaping. With each new flower blossom and palm frond that sprouts. With each business sign that is picked up off the ground and re-installed in an upright position. With each shop and restaurant that reopens to the public. With all of these small pieces coming together, the vision and shape of a new normal for Sanibel Island is beginning to come into focus. And I believe it is a vision that we can all be proud of; the rebuilding of Sanibel into a refreshed, renewed, fortified, and stronger version of the place we’ve always loved. A vision that honors the past and prepares us for a very bright future.
In the meantime, during this 2022 holiday season, I felt compelled to channel some of my feelings and optimism for Sanibel’s recovery through the creative act of putting brush to canvas; and my painting, “It just needs a little love.” A Sanibel Christmas Miracle, is what took shape.
Some Additional Work by Artist Charlene M. Taubert
About Sanibel Art Colony
The Sanibel Barometer aspires to elevate the recognition and appreciation of all artists (in all disciplines) who have a connection with Sanibel Island.
With our “Sanibel Art Colony” features, the Sanibel Barometer aims to showcase the artwork, processes, and personalities of artists who are actively creating art in, depicting, and/or inspired by Sanibel Island (and the surrounding areas) in southwest Florida. Some of the artists we’ll be featuring live here full time. Others may live here for half the year – or even just vacation here for a few days or weeks each year. We’ll also be focusing on the history of artwork connected to Sanibel Island. The goal with our “Sanibel Art Colony” initiative is to give a deeper and more inclusive sense of community to ALL artists, in ALL disciplines, and from ALL places who hold a special pace in their artwork for Sanibel island.
Whether you are someone who appreciates seeing Sanibel Art Colony work, a collector who would like to purchase Sanibel-inspired artwork, or an artist who would like to share some of their work which was created in, depicting, and/or inspired by Sanibel Island (and the surrounding areas) in southwest Florida; we’d LOVE to have you join our NEW Sanibel Art Colony Facebook Group at facebook.com/groups/sanibelartcolony
RELATED: Join our BRAND NEW Sanibel + Captiva Island Art + Photography Group
ALSO RELATED: Connect with @sanibel_barometer on Instagram
