America on Display

Are you and your loved ones looking for something fun and fitting for the 4th of July? Head on over to Marco Walk Plaza, grab an ice cream, do some shopping, and stay for dinner – all while you enjoy ‘Window Shopping.’

With over three dozen (and counting) windows patriotically painted with flowing landscapes, decorative fireworks, local favorites, and even a beautiful red, white, and blue wings photo op – there is art to behold for all!

Having had the idea originally, Pat Berry said that she had been trying to come up with a project that the community of all ages could get involved in.

Long-time resident and an organizer of the event, Nick Campo, said their goal with the painting event was to bring back a piece of that ‘small town’ feel to the Island that they think has become lost over the years.

Between the busyness of season, school schedules, and holidays, it finally clicked into place and ‘fell onto her lap,’ the idea to create this painting event during the summer and for the 4th of July. What better year than 2026, as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday!

Not only are year-round residents looking for things to do during the summer months, but this project has kept many students home from school busy with the multi-step painting process.

Berry thanked Sunshine Ace for sponsoring the paint, the owner of the plaza, Leon Agami, for his willingness to host the project, and the various organizations that have stepped up to be involved with the painting. Lastly, she thanked the many businesses at Marco Walk that have opened up their windows for the project.

Marco Escapes was one business in the plaza that not only readily volunteered their window space but also volunteered to paint – on more than one occasion!

After a few people backed out of painting, Berry went back to their team and asked if they would be able to do more windows. “They said they would love to!”

Six members of the Marco Escapes staff picked up their brushes and added additional pieces to the project, creating even more memorable, patriotic, and some Marco-specific art for the 250th celebration.

Two of the ‘Picassos,’ Alia and Pilar, said what a fun team project it was for their staff to take on, “Everyone chose a little window and got to pick what they wanted to do; we just had lots of fun with it!” said Alia.

The whole process took about a week for each window, and they have enjoyed the response from both their customers who are visiting and from passersby.

When asked about their emphatic yes to participate with not only offering up their windows but painting themselves, Alia said, “It’s nice to do stuff like this as the plaza, for the community, and for Marco Island. We had never done a project like this; it sounded like fun and we all like art.” It was a no-brainer for the team to get involved.

Patchingtons graciously offered space inside their store to host two pieces that were painted off-site by The Watermark. One is a gorgeous American Flag with tiny cut-outs of each resident as the stars, along with other accent areas. The other was created from the Memory Care unit, and it is chock-full of clippings from their own remembrance of what America is and what the country has endured.

The Beach Daisy will hold a banner from either Camp Mackle, the YMCA Summer Camp, or the Art Center, all of which created a banner offsite and will hang in the windows of a Marco Walk Plaza.

There are still windows to be painted at a few businesses, but Berry is aiming for the project to be complete by the 4th of July to allow visitors something unique, fun, and most definitely memorable to do.

Residents, tourists, and visitors alike are welcome to be a part of the celebration by signing their own name and where they are from in the windows of Nacho Mama’s during the holiday weekend!

As an inaugural event, Berry, Nick Campo, and the group of ‘old timers’ on the Island behind it hope to hold it again next year with even more painters and businesses involved!

Acknowledgment and thanks go out to the following businesses, and those still in the works, who opened up their windows: RE/Max, Marco Prime, Vintage Island, Patchingtons, Engel and Volkers, Bebe’s Ice Cream, The Beach Daisy, Marco Escape, and Nacho Mamas.

And to the many organizations and individual artists who volunteered to paint: JCMI, Randy Sullivan and Jordan Grace Kraley, Cassie Sullivan and Morgan Broxson, Gia Baudin from Wesley United Methodist Church, Camp Mackle, YMCA Summer Camps, Arts Center with Tara O’Niel as Teaching Artist, Karen Anglin, Marco Lutheren Church, The Watermark, San Marco Catholic Church, William Morris Friends and Family, and Marco Escape staff.