“Uncommon Friends” is a sculpture depicting Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and Thomas Edison gathered around a campfire on a 20-foot island in the center of a 40-foot diameter pool. The installation’s creator, D.J. Wilkins, included sculptures in the water of a manatee and her calf, an alligator and five hatchlings, otters, fish and frogs and even a number of lily pads.
These components have been damaged repeatedly by people jumping on them in order to take photos with the three inventors. Faced with another big bill to repair damages, the Fort Myers Public Art Committee voted unanimously on Oct. 20 to permanently remove the pieces in the pool in a process known as “deaccessioning.”
The committee’s decision requires the approval of both the Historic Preservation Commission and City Council. Those reviews have yet to be scheduled.
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“Uncommon Friends” was commissioned in 1988 by the city’s Beautification Advisory Board, which added 21 public artworks to the city’s collection between 1983 and 2003.
The cost of the installation was $70,000.
"Uncommon Friends" was voted the best public artwork by South Florida Gulf Coast Magazine.
"Uncommon Friends" is widely regarded as the sculptural symbol of the city of Fort Myers.
The installation is a homage to the deep friendship that Edison, Ford and Firestone shared.
Mayor Arthur Hamel and his City Council hoped that the sculpture would inspire an enduring sense of appreciation by all Fort Myers residents and visitors for the contributions made by these three pioneers of industry to the community.
Beyond the homage to Edison, Ford and Firestone, the campfire scene possesses special significance for the City of Fort Myers. Not only were Edison, Ford and Firestone three of Fort Myers’ earliest and most famous winter residents, they made Fort Myers the birthplace of recreational travel when the threesome began making camping trips into the Florida Everglades beginning in 1914. Calling themselves The Vagabonds, they pioneered recreational travel over the next decade.
“Uncommon Friends” underwent extensive conservation between November 2018 and February 2019 at a cost of $69,904. Of this total, $45,000 was paid to Rosa Lowinger & Associates for conservation of the sculptures and $24,904 was paid to Chris-Tel Construction for plumbing, electrical and repair of associated structures.
Between Feb. 7 and 11, 2022, the Public Art Committee spent $6,000 more for ordinary repairs and maintenance of the installation. While the conservators were doing this maintenance, they discovered additional damage that cost another $16,762.67 to repair.
This money came from the city’s public art fund, which receives, by ordinance, a deposit of one percent of the cost all new construction and major renovations of city buildings.
No further repairs, maintenance or conservation of the installation have been made since 2022, but the artwork sustained more damage over them most recent July 4 holiday.
Specifically, one or more persons stepped on the manatee, probably in an effort to reach the island without getting wet. Because the manatee and the other sculptures in the pool are hollow, they put their foot through the manatee in two different places, destroying the sculpture in the process.
In addition, the tails of several fish have been broken off or fractured and the water lilies, which float in the water, were bent to the point where they had to be removed and placed in storage.
To place the installation back in its original condition:
- The manatee will need to be recast and replaced, as will the fish whose tails are either broken or missing.
- There is a split along the back and between the snout and body of one of the baby alligators.
- There are two fissures running parallel down the leg of the Edison sculpture from knee to ankle.
- The stick that Firestone is using to light the campfire is broken off.
- The campfire logs are missing.
- The lily pad groupings have been removed from the pool.
- The frogs were not spouting water into the pool, as intended by the artist.
While the committee intends to make repairs to the three inventors and replace the missing campfire logs, it does not believe recasting the broken sculptures or making further repairs to the pieces in the pool are warranted because these features have been repeatedly damaged and are likely to be damaged in the future.
Previous attempt to deaccession the components in the pool
In 2022, committee member Carolyn Gora (who recently retired) requested deaccessioning of the “Uncommon Friends” water feature. On May 17, 2022, the committee by a 5-0 vote resolved to eliminate (deaccession) the water feature, specifically, the 16 fish, alligator and her five hatchlings, manatee and her calf, two otters, 12 frogs and water lilies. The committee deemed such action necessary due to the repetitive nature and cost of repairing the damage that these features have suffered.
The artist’s widow, Jeanne Wilkins, and friend, Brent Sheneman, objected. The committee gave them eight months in which to find a sponsor willing and able to underwrite the cost of any damages that might occur to the wildlife, rocks or water lilies over the next five years.
Although Wilkins and Sheneman stated that they had arranged for a sponsor to finance the costs of conservation and install a “Waltzing Waters” feature to the installation, the promised sponsor never materialized. That notwithstanding, the Committee took no further action to deaccession the water feature and components included by the artist in the pool in hopes that the pieces in the pool would be spared further damage.
Unfortunately, the water features have sustained additional damage and, in the case of the manatee, destruction.
Effect of deaccessioning
In reaching its decision, the committee observed that the sculptor’s intent, namely paying homage to the unique friendship shared by the three inventors, will not be thwarted by removing the plants and animals from the pool.
Staff noted that it will be easier and less costly to maintain the pool once the sculptures have been removed.
Removing the sculptures from the pool will place greater emphasis on the inventors and their story.
The committee also plans to rededicate the installation once the features in the pool have been deaccessioned.
The public is encouraged to voice their support or opposition to the committee’s decision at its presentation to the Historic Preservation Commission and City Council. The dates of those presentations will be announced once they have been scheduled.
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.
