Natural Beauty

About the mural

Tampa artist John Gutcher took less than a week to complete the second Society mural. This four panel mural included the city flower – the hibiscus; the city bird – the yellow crown night heron; a roseate spoonbill; and the famous tarpon sporting fish.

This mural was originally located at the town’s busiest intersection of West Marion Avenue and Tamiami Trail (US 41 North) on the Karl Ehmer’s Restaurant and was dedicated on March 13, 1996. Its funding was a joint venture between the Kiwanis Club of Punta Gorda and the Punta Gorda Rotary Club. The mural was destroyed by Hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004.

Since the original artist had passed away, local artist Michael Vires was hired to recreate the mural. The original rendering of the hibiscus showed the flower with only 4 petals, so the re-painting was modified to show the correct number of petals (5) in the flower. The new mural was painted on the north wall of the FPL sub-station on East Virginia Avenue and Nesbit Street. The recreation was supported by a generous contribution from Florida Power and Light and rededicated on January 17, 2008.

By 2023 the mural needed to be restored after years of weather and fading. Artist Pamela Davis was hired and completed the restoration in May 2023, repainting each panel with more color and vibrancy.