Historic Marco Seagulls Sculpture Restored and Installed

The Marco Island Historical Society (MIHS) has announced that the historic bronze sculpture of soaring seagulls commissioned by Deltona Corporation in 1965 has been installed by MIHS in the Marco Island Historical Museum’s Modern Marco exhibit. It will be a centerpiece at a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Modern Marco this fall at the Marco Island Historical Museum. 

The sculpture by Miami artist Rolfe Nyberg (1927-2005) was badly damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017. It was restored to its original splendor by the MIHS in 2024 after becoming part of the MIHS collections. The sculpture installation was funded by Chris Sullivan, Marco Island Realtor. The United Church of Marco Island, Marco Island Community Fund of Collier Community Foundation, and Jim and Allyson Richards funded the sculpture restoration. 

“We are so grateful to all who gave so generously to Marco Island Historical Society to make the restoration and installation of this important piece of Marco Island history possible,” says MIHS CEO Pat Rutledge. “For the countless thousands who discovered Marco Island during the Deltona Era, driving past the soaring seagulls at the Deltona sales center’s entrance marked the start of their history with Marco Island. This makes the historical value of this piece even more exceptional. It will be a highlight of our Modern Marco exhibit and is a perfect symbol to represent the 60th anniversary of modern Marco in 2025.”

The sculpture depicts gulls in flight. It was mounted on the large entrance monument to the Deltona Corporation’s Marco Island sales office building, the year the Mackle Brothers’ Marco Island community opened. According to Deltona Corporation promotional material, the seagulls in flight symbolized the island’s romantic natural beauty.

The Modern Marco exhibit at Marco Island Historical Museum opened in October 2015. The exhibit was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Mackle Brothers’ commencement of sales on the island. The exhibit spans the transformative period beginning in 1962 when the Mackle Brothers, developers and founders of the Deltona Corporation, first visited Marco Island and envisioned its potential for large-scale community development. The exhibit currently features an original Deltona promotional film that plays on a vintage television, a suspended model of the early Marco Island Airways airliner, and a replica of the “Tiki head” from the bow of the early Marco Islander catamaran. 

The Marco Island Historical Museum is located at 180 S. Heathwood Drive. The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Admission is free, and the site is handicapped accessible. For general information, visit www.themihs.org or call 239-252-1440.