Salvation Army sweetens the pot with local art on its familiar red kettles
The familiar red kettles of Salvation Army Naples have become a gallery of local masterpieces, thanks to the generosity of local artists.
A dozen artfully painted kettles have been making the rounds to public places in Collier County during the 2021 holiday Salvation Army campaign. Donors "vote" for their favorite with their donation to the kettle. They also can use their cellphone and the QR code on each enhanced kettle to donate online on behalf of their favorite.
The time-challenged can vote too: They can simply go online to the website salvationarmyflorida.org/naples/ to see the kettles and make a donation.
The initiative hopes to raise $130,000.
Friday night the art kettles came to the Third Street South shopping district. This weekend they're at::
4-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, The Esplanade Shops, 760 N. Collier Blvd., Marco Island, Marco Island, during the annual Christmas boat parade, which begins at 6 p.m.
9-11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 19, Mercato, 9118 Strada Place, Naples, along with Cars and Coffee, a custom and classic car display at the center.
This may be only the third such kettle art exhibition in the country. Milwaukee and Cor d' Alene, Idaho, have had local talent rethink their red kettle looks. Capt. Ben Bridges, who directs the Naples corps, credits the local initiative to Patrice Gabower, its new donor services manager.
"She quickly became familiar with the wonderful artists we have down here. Patrice reached out to them, and she received an incredible response from artists," he said.
The Salvation Army appeal is keeping pace this year, he continued, and did so during the pandemic, when online shopping cut into the foot traffic its 30 red kettle bell ringers depend on.
"Here in Naples, we have a very giving public who realizes the need is greater than ever and have stepped up," he said.
That need is exponentially greater, he added, giving as an example its holiday toy requests.
"In three days we had already maxed out our capacity of 5,500 children," he said. "That .usually takes around two weeks."
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As it has in the past, the Army found a South African kugerrand, valued about $1,800, that a mysterious someone "quietly, no fanfare" drops into a kettle, he said.
This year, someone also inserted an envelope containing quarters that were more than 100 years old. They'll be appraised after the holidays and turned into the cash that helps the Army in its mission assist the needy and people in times of disaster.
International city that it is, Naples also gets currency from all over the world that it trades in for U.S currency after Christmas.
The artists had detailed reasons behind their artwork, and all offer a narrative on a sign affixed to the kettle for those who are visiting the display in person.
Embellishments range from the cheerful, such as dinner plate-size flower overlays from Mike Santos, to the abstract, such as Ricki Baker's color collage over the traditional kettle.
"I chose to keep the pot red to stay true to the archetypical Salvation Army receptacles, as well as the color of Christmas," she explained in a email. "And I added braid because it reminded me of the Salvation Army uniforms I remembered from seeing 'Guys and Dolls' in my childhood.
"Broadway music always influences my painting, so I listened to 'Follow the Fold' (from the musical) while I worked on the kettle."
Harriet Howard Heithaus covers arts and entertainment for the Naples Daily News/naplesnews.com. Reach her at 239-213-6091.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Red kettle masterpieces local artists' boost to Salvation Army giving
