Patron Of The (Local) Arts

There are no boundaries between art and life in Toni Hamner’s world. The art that fills her house represents not so much an accumulation of objects as a distillation of Toni’s enthusiasm for the place she calls home. For Toni, Vero Beach is the sum of many well-loved things. It is the family she raised here and the friends who surround her; the friendliness of the climate and the allure of its outdoor life; the agricultural abundance on which the area’s prosperity has traditionally depended; the opportunities for education, entertainment and volunteerism that its cultural institutions provide. Her art collection touches upon all of these interests in an eclectic blend of styles, media and artists.

While the collection contains a Dale Chihuly “Seaforms” glass sculpture, wildlife bronzes by Kent Ullberg of Texas and Western-themed bronzes by Montanan David Lemon, most of the paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramic and mixed media artworks in the Hamner household were created by Florida artists, many of whom are past or current residents of the Treasure Coast. Toni’s friend, artist Cynci Cutter, says that personal contact with the artists she collects is important to Toni.

Read the entire article in the February 2007 issue