Hank Wright auction to feature Sam Hobbs art 

The Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation is honored to receive a beautiful one-of-a-kind shell mirror from local artist Samuel Hobbs to be auctioned off at the 29th annual Hank Wright Live Auction and Cocktail Party on Monday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. The event will be held at The Gasparilla Inn Beach Club.

Samuel Seabury Hobbs is a local shell artist whose grandmother built a house in Boca Grande in 1926. His ancestors have been collecting shells on the beach of Boca Grande for generations, and their finest local shell collection is housed in the Johann Fust Community Library in Boca Grande.

Samuel had been coming to Boca Grande since 1966 and started making shell mirrors in 2007, using local shells found only by him in Boca Grande or on Cayo Costa. No purchased shells, ever! His loving, artistic standard of never using living shells and never putting shells on shelves. He is inspired by giving shells a second life by creating beautiful art and incorporating that art into mirrors.

The piece for the Boca Grande Health Clinic Foundation will be the fourth mirror to leave the collection in honor of two of his favorite men and best friends: Bayard Sharp and George Weymouth, his grandfather. Both men loved Boca Grande and were instrumental in preserving the beauty and history of Boca Grande for future generations.

The name of the mirror is “Flower Sun” and was the second mirror that was disqualified from the Sanibel Shell show for being too big. 

“We wish the BGHCF great success in their 2023 auction,” said Hobbs. “All in the name of loving and protecting God’s beautiful creatures!” 

The winner of the mirror will also be afforded a dinner with the artist in Boca Grande at The Temptation Restaurant, where his grandmother, Deo Weymouth, painted the murals.

For tickets and a chance to bid on this piece, visit bghcfoundation.com/events/auction/