There is perhaps no other landmark in Naples as iconic as the Naples Pier.
Initially constructed in 1889 to service a newly built hotel, the original Naples Pier spanned 600 feet and was used primarily for loading and unloading passengers and freight. Over the years hurricanes ravaged the pier in 1910, 1926, 1935, and 1940; a cigarette fire in 1922 also took it down. Repeated damage meant stricter building standards over the years. In 1960, Hurricane Donna decimated the pier and the hotel. The hotel never reopened, but the pier did.
Hurricane Ian brought the latest destruction in the fall of 2022. In response, Emillions Art, a Naples gallery, announced a community-wide art-driven fundraiser to celebrate the strength and resilience of Naples following Hurricane Ian. The gallery will partner with photo-mosaic artist Robin Austin to create an iconographic masterpiece of the treasured landmark.
Austin, a respected English artist, known for his photographic mosaic artwork, will create the final piece of artwork from more than an anticipated 2,000 photo submissions that will ultimately form the mosaic tiles.
Only 100 limited edition prints will be produced; 80 will be sold, and 20 percent of the proceeds will both help support families of first responders following difficult times and benefit City of Naples community restoration projects. Another 18 of the prints will be auctioned off with 100 percent of the proceeds going toward the same causes. The remaining two commemorative works will be donated and presented to the City of Naples and the Naples Fire Station No. 1 for display at their respective downtown sites.
Those wishing to participate in this project can submit a photo for consideration, purchase a limited-edition print when available, or simply make a contribution.
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