Art, Music and Character: A Community Pays Tribute to Bruce Gora Saturday at Alliance of the Arts Campus

When you see his work you know that Bruce Gora’s spirit will live longer than us all. This Saturday Night the City of Fort Myers, the County of Lee and so many communities within it, will celebrate the life of architect, artist, and musician Bruce Gora. The Alliance for the Arts along with members of the hospitality community and selected musicians will present this year’s premiere arts event while showcasing the photography and architecture of the late Bruce Gora this Saturday December 5th, from 7 to 10PM.

We’ll always see Bruce Gora’s work…he designed some of the most distinctive buildings in town like the downtown Harborside Parking Garage, the wing-shaped Schwartz Dental building on College Parkway and the Temple Beth-El synagogue on Winkler Road. He even designed the the Alliance for the Arts campus on McGregor but for many of us in the hospitality business, we first met Bruce Gora as the bad ass trumpet player in the band “The Juice”. He’d work all day and when he hit the stage late night he always wore a smile and just wailed… playing the blues, funk and jazz and as a part of The Juice’ – the areas legendary band. Bruce’s photography became another artistic release and Gora prints will be available for purchase along with a Fine Art Auction.

Proceeds from the event will fund an endowment for a continuing photography scholarship in his name, improvements and a permanent memorial on the Alliance outdoor stage, and the initiating of an outdoor Bruce Gora Memorial Concert Series.

So the Alliance for the Arts will be the place to be this Saturday Night and tickets are only $36 per person. The Mucky Duck will be the Beverage Sponsor and culinary artists will feature chefs from The Prawnbroker, Sasse’s, 55 degrees, The Flying Pig, Hungry Like the Wolf Catering and Master Chef Martin Murphy. The incomparable Norman Love Confections will also contribute to the memory of Bruce Gora, the civic leader and friend to us all that passed away at the young age of 58 from cancer last November.

The music will be art at its best as ‘The Juice’ reunites for this tribute to Bruce Gora with support from the Cracker Blues Band, Kat Epple and Chuck Grinnell, and Hot Sax