A slide displayed at BIG ARTS show five of the six artists who will create this year’s collaborative mural. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY

In the middle of Sanibel Island, a place where tourists and locals alike come for a slow pace and shell collecting that is some of the best in the world, is BIG ARTS. The structure itself has a low profile, and while its modern construction of glossy metal and glass does not seem to be the makings of a structure people could easily miss, the building does, in fact, regularly go unnoticed. “We’re working on that and doing a lot of promotions on the mainland to let people know about us,” Wilson McCray explained.

McCray, the nonprofit’s curator of art and gallery director, is himself an artist. As McCray offered a tour of the naturally lit gallery, which is three unique spaces plus a large modern theater, his exuberance was tangible. Last year, McCray and a collection of three additional artists completed Big Arts’ first massive mural, which encompassed three entire gallery walls within The Dunham Family Gallery. The fourth wall is all windows. This month, McCray is both the visionary and participant in a second collaborative mural planned for the space. At BIG ARTS, bigger is best. For year number two, six artists will combine their mediums and skills to complete a cohesive work called “Currents.”

Artist and gallery curator Wilson McCray inside of BIG ARTS’ contemporary theater. -CASEY BRADLEY GENT / FLORIDA WEEKLY

In 2025, McCray titled the collective mural: “Birds No Words.”

“This year, our sentiment is the same, and that sentiment is conservation,” he shared. “We are taking the natural leap from the air to the water and into the sea.”

BIG ARTS was previously known as the Barrier Island Group for the Arts, and McCray embraces the idea of welcoming the surrounding community into the modern building at the center of historic Sanibel. Because last year’s mural was a popular destination for visitors who enjoyed watching art unfold on a large scale, McCray opted to include even more artists for this year’s undertaking.

The six artists who will collaborate for the 2026 “Currents” mural include: Dahye Kim, professor of Digital Arts at Florida Southwestern State College, Macy Noll, a senior student at Florida Gulf Coast University seeking majors in both Marine Biology and Visual Arts, Marti Koehler, renowned Naples native and artist, Shah Hadjebi, popular watercolorist, as well as painter, sculptor and filmmaker Wilson McCray, and multi-disciplinary creator MariaPia Malerba, who once worked as a textile designer for Dolce Gobana and White House Black Market.

When Fort Myers-based artist MariaPia Malerba speaks, her voice itself becomes an art form. Malerba’s tone is musical. Her words hang heavy with the Italian accent leftover from the artist’s youth. Malerba could describe a cereal box, and her use of language and inflection would make it palpable. Even better, though, was to hear Malerba discuss her role in the upcoming mural planned for The Dunham Family Gallery space. Not only will the mural be on display upon its completion, but – importantly – visitors will be encouraged to watch the process.

“In 2020, I did my first big wrapping inside of a gallery,” Malerba explained. She created a mural that was roughly 9 feet by 12 feet at The Sidney & Byrne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers. “I met Wilson (McCray) at that showing,” she added, “He was excited about the idea of wrapping gallery walls.”

Last year’s mural was mostly black and white with some hints of color. This year a new color takes over the gallery.

Artists collaborate in 2025 inside of The Dunham Family Gallery at BIG ARTS. -COURTESY PHOTO

“This year, I think we will do blue tones with touches of color,” Malerba said. She added that, for technical reasons and because the paper the mural is being painted on is very thick, the artists will likely use acrylic paint and treat it like watercolor paint. She said the process will start with a prototype, which Malerba will build in Adobe Photoshop. “After the base, everybody starts to put in their own interpretation. Last year, it was just so joyful. I highly recommend the chance to work with other artists in this type of community.”

McCray said that each of the six artists will participate in each aspect of the mural. “The process is really beautiful,” Malerba confided, “because a lot of trust and respect needs to be there. In a group process, like this mural, the energy between the artists is the most important part.”

Professor Dahye Kim is part of the BIG ARTS mural collection of artists. -COURTESY PHOTO

Energy and space. The main walls within The Dunham Family Gallery are 40 feet wide. The paper creating the base for this year’s mural is six feet tall by 300 feet long. McCray explained, “All six artists will work together to create six murals, which will become one giant installation.” He smiled, adding that visitors to “Currents” will basically take-in 360-degrees of drawing.

“Currents” will be a work in progress, both literally and figuratively. “The paper goes up on Aug. 10,” McCray said. He said it will be important for people who want to visit the mural as it is evolving to check BIG ARTS’ social media accounts. On Facebook, look for BIG ARTS Sanibel. On Instagram, look for @bigartssanibel. None of the artists participating in this year’s mural knows quite where the motion of the piece will lead. According to collaborator Dahye Kim, not knowing is part of the fun; maybe it is the joy – in fact – about which Malerba raved in regard to creating a singular mural as a cohesive group.

“I enjoy not knowing exactly where the work will lead. The imagery might move toward natural scenes, flowing colors, abstract forms, or emotional expressions. It could become something complex, or it could be a very simple, minimal gesture. I like leaving room for discovery because some of the most meaningful ideas come through experimentation and unexpected changes,” Kim shared.

The only truly concrete details about this year’s BIG ARTS mural project are the names of the six artists, the date the blank paper goes up and the date of the closing reception, which is Oct. 30, 2026. Between the lines, and among the minds of the artists, no one really knows what to expect until “Currents” is complete.

Part of the BIG ARTS Birds No Words mural from 2025. -COURTESY PHOTO