Tara Grim from Delaware took top honors for her acrylic painting, “Mangroves”, at the second annual Paint the Cape event, a plein air competition and exhibition held this past weekend at Cape Harbour.  Local Sanibel artist, Peter Zell, painted the “Angel of Su Casa” which was awarded second prize while Linda Benson of Ft. Myers placed third for her “Painting of a Painting Being Painted.” The winners were announced during an awards ceremony and reception at the Cape Harbour Pavilion.

”Again this year, we have a fantastic group of very talented artists,” says Shirley Hales, event coordinator and initiator of the annual Cape Coral painting competition.  The event was scheduled to coincide with the Cape Coral Festival of the Arts.  “From the beginning we worked with the Cape Coral Festival of the Arts to hold Paint the Cape the same weekend of the festival.  We complement each other.  Several of the artists participated in both events.”

Twenty artists from as far away as Michigan, Illinois, Maryland and Delaware along with local southwest Florida artists painted last week at locations throughout Cape Coral to capture the scenic beauty and unique landscapes of the area.  Dave Belling, watercolor artist of Cape Coral, painted “Tarpon Point Walk” with Tarpon Point Marina’s recognizable copper-colored dome to carry away the prize for “Best of the Cape”, a new award category for this year’s competition.

Throughout the weekend, artwork was displayed and offered for sale at the Pavilion at Cape Harbour.  The event raised about $3,500 for the Cape Coral Community Foundation, up slightly from last year.  The Foundation was founded in 1973 and supports many local area charities.  Major event sponsors this year include iBERIA Bank and the recently-opened Urgent Care Center of Cape Coral. “As members of the Cape Coral Community we are proud to support the Paint the Cape project this year,” says Dr. Larry Hobbs, managing partner of the Urgent Care Center of Southwest Florida. “We know what an important role the arts play in keeping a community healthy and vibrant.”

For more information about the event and opportunities for next year, visit the Paint the Cape website, www.paintthecape.com