The life of artist Leoma Lovegrove will be celebrated at 3 separate events in SW Florida on Monday, April 28th, Wednesday, April 30th and Friday, May 2, 2025.
FORT MYERS, Fla., April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The first event to be held on Monday, April 28th at 2:00 p.m. at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers is filled to capacity. No reservations are required for the celebrations on April 30th and May 2nd.
On Wednesday, April 30th the community is invited to a Candlelight Vigil from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m at RE/MAX Sunshine, 4574 Pine Island Rd NW, on Matlacha Island. Parking will be at Matlacha Community Park just across the street at 4577 Pine Island Rd. Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and their favorite Leoma stories to share during the open mic sunset session. Come be with friends and celebrate the beautiful life of Leoma.
The River District Alliance (RDA) will also be honoring Leoma at the May 2, 2025 Art Walk held on the historic streets of downtown Fort Myers.
The newly opened Pocket Park on First Street will be the main area for visitors to celebrate the life of Leoma. The Leoma Lovegrove Gallery on Dean Street will also be open that evening until 9pm.
Art Walk, in its 16th year and held on the first Friday of every month from 5-9pm, features vendors, musicians and demonstrations by emerging and seasoned artists.
Leoma (Lovegrove) Goyer Silberg passed away April 10th at the age of 72 with her husband, Michael Silberg by her side in their home in North Fort Myers, FL.
Leoma was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer in 2018 and since then has used her art and her own experiences to promote Breast Cancer Awareness and the importance of early detection. She encouraged women around the globe to get screened and stay proactive and positive about their health.
Long time SW FL resident Leoma Lovegrove is a renowned American artist celebrated for her vibrant and expressive style, which often incorporated bright colors and bold brushstrokes. She is known for her work in impressionistic and expressionistic art. Lovegrove's pieces often drew inspiration from the lush landscape and wildlife of Florida, where she established her artistic base on Matlacha Island.
Leoma loved to spend time with her plants and her butterflies in her gallery garden which became a work of art in its own right.
It was inevitable that Leoma Lovegrove would become an artist. She grew up in a small Indiana town surrounded by the cows across the street and the work of her Mother, Artist Rosemary Goyer Lovegrove. As a child, she even painted her sheets. She also inherited her Mom's joie de vivre, and that quality fills her art.
Lovegrove was a painter and also loved being a sculptor. Although most people know her for her paintings she was a fashion designer, playwright, performer, illustrator, gardener extraordinaire, bug-logistic, muralist, toy collector and fisherwoman and loved music and animals.
She was a Christian, patriot and a philanthropist who donated her time and talent to many charities. Her work spans multiple mediums, from large-scale canvases to cloth and accessories, making her a multifaceted creator with a unique voice.
Leoma was raised in Merrillville, IN. She graduated from Ringling School of Art in Sarasota in 1975. She met her husband Michael in Bloomington, Indiana and they were married in 1978. In 1981 they moved to Pensacola, Florida and then in 1983 to Corpus Christi, Texas where they lived for eight years.
Here they started an art gallery and a wholesale line of pottery and decorated steer skulls. In 1991 they moved to Naples, Florida and expanded the wholesale line into 8 major wholesale gift markets throughout the US.
In 1996 they moved to Matlacha, Florida and opened Lovegrove Gallery and Gardens. Here Leoma shifted gears and began to paint on canvas in acrylics. Her popularity began to grow and over the next 25 years, her creative talent blossomed.
In the spring of 2000, Leoma traveled to France to work with Art Study Giverny. Before long, Leoma needed France like Popeye needs spinach. Being in Giverny where Monet's Gardens are, being near Auveres where Van Gogh lived, and being near Paris, where the impressionist museums are, become the height of inspiration for Leoma. She was also given the honor of being the first American to paint in Claude Monet's Floating Studio, Le Bateau-Atelier near his gardens in Giverny, France.
Leoma is survived by her Husband, Michael Silberg, who is a minister and the author of "Falling in Love with the Prince of Life" and Leoma's biggest cheerleader.
Silberg always recognized his wife's talents. "It's been amazing to watch her evolve over the years, yet keep the same childlike wonder of the world that she had the day I met her. She was always creating something new using anything and everything within reach. People who knew her would joke that if you stood still for too long near her, you may become her next canvas," he said.
He continued, "It was always an amazing adventure with Leoma. It was a bit like the action-packed chariot race from the 1959 epic historical drama film, Ben Hur, with me at times resembling the guy being dragged by the chariot!"
Leoma's art gained widespread recognition, with her paintings being featured in galleries and exhibitions worldwide. Her work attracted a devoted following of collectors and art enthusiasts who were drawn to her dynamic use of color and texture.
Lovegrove collaborated with major brands, bringing her vivid aesthetic to products in home decor, fashion and more, allowing her fans to experience her work in everyday life.
Through her dynamic portfolio and dedication to her craft, Lovegrove left a vibrant mark on the art world, celebrated by her unmistakable spirit.
Leoma sums up her creativity and inspires others by sharing:
"Your Life Should Be A Work of Art."
Lovegrove's life truly was a work of art and one that will no doubt continue to inspire others for years to come.
Leoma's parents, Aubrey and Rosemary Lovegrove, her sister, Kathy Surfus, and Kathy's husband, Gary Surfus preceded Leoma into Heaven.
Leoma is survived by her husband, Michael Silberg, her brother, Matt Lovegrove, his three children, Phillip, Todd, and Ericca, their spouses and their nine grandchildren and by her brother Mark Lovegrove.
In her honor, the family has launched the Leoma Lovegrove Foundation Fund, a fund of the Collaboratory to support the arts.
Donations can be made on Leoma's behalf at www.collaboratory.org/LeomaLovegrove.
Media Contact
Jennifer Galbraith, Alestra Marketing, Inc., 1 2395602831, [email protected], www.AlestraMarketing.com
SOURCE Leoma Lovegrove
Share this article