McCollum Hall murals celebrating history, Dunbar community near completion

Local artists are putting the finishing touches on a collection of murals celebrating the history of McCollum Hall and the Dunbar community.

The murals recreate scenes from McCollum Hall when it was a cultural center in the 40s and 50s with dancing and famous jazz performances.

The murals also highlight historical figures in the Dunbar community.

It’s all a part of a larger effort to restore McCollum Hall to the community centerpiece it once was when it was built in 1938.

As the artists paint the final strokes, they say they know the community is grateful for the stories these murals tell.

Toland Ruocco is one of the contributing artists. He says, “So many nice people from the community have stopped by as we are working and they just love the project and several of them even remember parts of McCollum Hall.”

The artists will be working on the paintings until April 10. The Fort Myers Mural Society says they are working with city leaders to plan an official reveal for the community.