Robert Rauschenberg is arguably the most influential American artist of the 20th century. He moved from New York to Captiva Island in 1970 and would spend the rest of his life there, more than 30 years. 2025 is the centennial of Rauschenberg's birth year with celebrations being held around the world. Jade Dellinger is Director at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida Southwestern State College in Fort Myers, and joins us to discuss the artist's time in Florida.
Monogram, combine painting (mixed media) by Robert Rauschenberg, 1959; in the Moderna Museet, Stockholm.
Rauschenberg in front of the Fish House, Captiva, Florida, 1979. Photo: Rauschenberg Foundation.
Craig Pittman is the award-winning author of Oh, Florida!: How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country, The Scent of Scandal, Cat Tale, Manatee Insanity and The State You’re In, and co-author of Paving Paradise. Born in Pensacola, he graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him “the most destructive force on campus.” Since then he has covered a variety of newspaper beats and quite a few natural disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires and the Florida Legislature.
