When Robert Rauschenberg was searching for a studio, an alternative home along the southern coast, he took the ferry from Fort Myers to the islands of Sanibel and Captiva.  As he drove the unhurried road, he had to stop and wait for a gopher tortoise to cross.  Shortly thereafter, a large flight of butterflies flew in formation across his path.  He took them as a sign.  Magical.  The place he needed to be.  Or so the story goes. 

Robert Rauschenberg, 1979 photo by Terry Van Brunt

The rest, as they say, is history.  Robert Rauschenberg - Bob, as he was known to just about everyone - moved to Captiva in the late '60s before he had quite cemented his reputation as one of the 20th century's most renowned and significant artists. While he kept his place in NYC, Captiva was his home and primary workplace until his death in 2008.  The 20-acre estate was acquired gradually, and his passion for preserving the land from encroaching development endeared him to the locals.

The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation made the decision to keep Bob's former home and studios and create an artists' community, a residency program for artists from all disciplines - the visual arts, dance, music, literature.  The Rauschenberg Residency (RR) launched in 2012 and serves 70 artists from around the world annually. From diverse backgrounds, ages and cultures, the artists come together for a month to work on their own projects and, often, to collaborate with one another.  They share meals and conversations, and focus on their creative process with no expectations or requirements.  They are provided with time, space, resources and community: the common denominators of artists' communities the world over. 

There are hundreds of artists communities in the US, with thousands more worldwide.  As with the Rauschenberg Residency, they are dedicated to advancing new work, extending practices into new mediums, and serving as research and development labs. Many of them, RR included, engender a focus on the conservation of a sensitive and pristine environment, as they foster the ideal that artistic practice advances mutual understanding.  As Bob said, "Art Can Change the World." 

The local and regional community can participate in public programs that are typically held at the end of each residency. These are often in the form of an "open studio," where artists present their work in an informal setting.  Occasionally, artists go into the community for outreaches. Tours of the property are provided on a limited basis between residencies, and we

Ann Brady

 welcome new and continued partnerships. 

The artists are always very interested and intrigued by the island and the islanders; Jensen's Marina and the Captiva Library are two favorite stops.  There are artists in residence year round and so chances are you will encounter them as they meander throughout town, walk the beach or kayak the waterways. Just as Bob left his inestimable imprint on this island, so, too, is his impact on the artists who are so deeply affected by his generous legacy. Magical and life-changing - like unhurried turtles and shimmering butterflies.

Director, Rauschenberg Residency

(239) 572-5445  

abrady@rauschenbergfoundation.org 

www.rauschenbergfoundation.org 

• Custom designed and professional decorated
• Lush landscaping
• Deep water dock with Gulf access
• Adjacent parcel available 

 View Listing 

$1,645,000

 

 

  

The Second City Hits Home - Chicago's premier improv troupe brings their comic genius to Sanibel in this one-of-a-kind, one-night-only performance

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company - With roots in ballet, this powerhouse of energetic and evocative dance is known for being timelessly elegant and brilliantly musical

Herb Strauss Theater - Sanibel's only professional production house offers another line-up of great plays and musicals, including Divas, A.R. Gurney's The Fourth Wall, and the Broadway hit, Godspell

BIG ARTS Film Academy - Three of our film series offer an even greater focus on the study of the films themselves and the film making process