Lovegrove leaves legacy
Family opens foundation in artist's memory; Bealls recalls how her work made store 'pop'
A painter, known for her vivid impressionist-expressionist paintings, has left a legacy in Southwest Florida.
Leoma Lovegrove, 72, died April 10 with her husband, Mike Silberg, at her side in their North Fort Myers home. She was diagnosed with and had battled Stage 4 breast cancer since 2018. She used that experience in her art to promote Breast Cancer awareness and the importance of early detection.
The family launched the Leoma Lovegrove Foundation Fund, a fund for the arts.
“As a community foundation, we support families, so they can create lasting legacies. It’s really a way to honor her life, art, and contribution,” Collaboratory President and CEO Dawn Belamarich said. “We want people to support a legacy for her – keep that spirit of her work alive anyway we can. It’s a celebration of her. We really just want to be a foundation this is supporting her legacy.”
Donations to the fund can be made at www.collaboratory.org/LeomaLovegrove.
Lovegrove began working with Bealls Inc in 2013.
Bealls Inc. Chairman and CEO Matt Beall, a fourth-generation leader, said Lorna Nagler, a previous president of Bealls Florida, was very artistic and had a great eye for product and merchandise. He said Nagler’s vision saw how Lovegrove’s art could be a great brand for Bealls Department stores, which is now Bealls Florida.
“We had a contract, and that contract expired,” Beall said. “I think it expired about a year or so ago and Leoma was not ready to renew the contract at that point in time, so we did not renew it. Her product is no longer in our stores.”
With that said, Lovegrove reached out to Bealls about four or five months ago sharing the interest of reengaging with a contract.
Beall said they just started going down that path again.
“I hope to still go down that path with Mike to attempt to restart that brand and get it back in our stores,” he said. “I would love to get that brand restarted.”
The Lovegrove line included accessories, home, and women’s apparel – tops and bottoms.
“It was a full line, we granted a full brand,” Beall said. “It was bright and colorful and fun and aligned nicely with the rest of the store. It made the rest of the store pop.”
Over the years, Beall said he met Lovegrove many times, as they had many phone calls, text message threads and business meetings.
“I visited Leoma and Mike in Matlacha several years ago with my wife Crystal,” he said. “We had a great relationship. I admired and respected Leoma. I felt I understood her.”
Beall explained her as an artistic person with a great business sense.
“She and I really got along well,” he said. “She was an inspiration and a great person. She was a phenomenal human being. Leoma will be missed. She was very unique and an inspirational person both in the way she carried herself and through her artwork. I will miss her and miss working with her. She will live on through the people she has connected with and inspired and changed.”
A Celebration of Life to be held April 28 at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers is at capacity.
Two related remembrances have been added.
On Wednesday, April 30, the community is invited to a Candlelight Vigil to be held from 6:30-8 p.m. at Re/Max Sunshine, 4574 Pine Island Road, Matlacha.
Parking will be across the street at Matlacha Community Park. Guest are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and their favorite Leoma stories to share during the open mic sunset Celebration of Life.
The River District Alliance will honor Lovegrove at its next Art Walk to be held from 5-9 p.m. on May 2 in Downtown Fort Myers. The celebration of life component in Lovegrove’s memory will be centered mostly at the new Pocket Park on First Street. The Leoma Lovegrove Studio on Dean Street will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.