The Alliance for the Arts will break ground on Aug. 7 on a unique community space dedicated to honoring the lives, love and memories of cherished pets. The Alliance is calling it the Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial, and it will be part of the Alliance’s planned ArtsPark.
When completed, ArtsPark will also include accessible walkways, permanent and rotating sculpture installations, a plein air pavilion for outdoor artists, pollinator gardens, a story walk featuring local authors and illustrators, ambient sound installations showcasing local musicians, virtual and docent-led walking tours, and the restoration of two beloved sculptures by the late artist James DiGiorgio: “You Are Here,” affectionately known as "Tinker Toy" or "KerPlunk," and “Car Helix,” which were damaged during Hurricane Ian.
The 5 p.m. groundbreaking is open to the public.
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The Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial is the brainchild of Gabrielle Bolen, a lifelong dog lover who spent more than a year navigating planning, engineering and fundraising to bring the project to life. After exploring several potential locations throughout Southwest Florida, Bolen found a permanent home for the memorial at the Alliance for the Arts.
Inspired by the beloved Rainbow Bridge poem, the memorial will provide a place for pet lovers to remember the companions who have left lasting paw prints on their hearts. Visitors will be invited to leave collars and other tributes in honor of pets who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, creating a living testament to the bonds shared between people and animals.
“What started as a simple idea grew into something much larger than I ever imagined,” said Bolen. “This bridge isn't being built by one person. It's being built by an entire community that understands just how much our pets mean to us. My hope is that every collar hanging on this bridge serves as a reminder that love doesn't end at goodbye. It simply waits on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.”
For Bolen, the project emerged from a deeply personal understanding of grief and the enduring connection people share with their pets.
The Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial is designed as a symbolic structure that visitors can walk around rather than across. Surrounded by landscaping and a peaceful seating area, the memorial is intended to serve as a place for reflection, remembrance and healing.
“I think people will use this space in many different ways,” Bolen said. “Some will come to honor a pet they've lost, while others may simply sit quietly and reflect on memories. I hope it becomes a place where people realize they're not alone in their grief and where families, especially children, can find comfort as they navigate the loss of a beloved companion. If this little bridge can bring even a small measure of comfort during one of the hardest parts of loving a pet, then it will have done exactly what I hoped it would.”
The project has become a true community effort, with engineering, construction materials, signage, landscaping and labor donated by local businesses and supporters. Every donor, including businesses, service providers and individual contributors, will be recognized with a commemorative plaque near the memorial.
Community partners contributing to the project include Shoreline Lumber; APEX Companies; Mike Stewart, P.E., Structural Engineer; John Horan, Horan Homes; Driftwood Gardens; FASTSIGNS Naples; and TriCircle Landscape Supply.
“The Alliance has always been a place where community, creativity and connection come together,” said Neil Volz, executive director of the Alliance for the Arts. “We are honored to provide a home for this meaningful project and to help create a space where people can reflect, remember and celebrate the animals that have enriched their lives.”
For more information about the Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial groundbreaking ceremony, visit ArtInLee.org or RainbowBridgeSWFL on Instagram and Facebook.
Attendees are invited to stay for hors d'oeuvres and the opening reception for the Alliance's newest exhibitions immediately following the ceremony.
The event is free and open to the public.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
