Local Business Goes Viral
CHARLOTTE SUN, APRIL 13, 2018. PUNTA GORDA.
Local artist and business owner Scott Hill gained national attention when an article about his unique Book Bridge went viral online.
Charlotte County residents love to visit Sandman Books - the business opened by Scott Hill and his wife Heidi in 2006 is the largest independent bookshop in southwest Florida. With over 100,000 books, a wildly popular children's storytime event, and a resident cat, the store presents a truly unique experience for any visitor. But its most amazing feature is a massive art installion, the Book Bridge, a 247 square foot wall made entirely of recyled books.
Scott built the impressive structure in 2013, using more than 4,000 "up-cycled" books (these titles were on their way to recycling when he "rescued" them). Spend a few minutes in the store and you'll likely overhear another patron marveling at the magic which seems to hold the columns suspened in midair. (Don't worry - it's totally safe. The support structure is cleverly hidden under the spines of the books.)
Building this one-of-a-kind piece took over a month of full-time work. Scott did have some assistnace from Heidi: "I sorted the books so he could descied how he wanted to use them - he wouldn't let me actually touch the project," she laughs. The meticulous work of this unique "book artist" certainly speaks for itself.
Travelers from near and far visit daily, just to touch and photograph the structure. Join them yourself at the next opportunity!
