Luc Century is well-known for his work on the Vietnam Memorial Wall Monument in Washington DC, and on Sanibel he is locally known for his creative works on glass and generous spirit.
As a young man, Lucas was fascinated by photography. He worked in a ski resort where he learned to etch names on snow skis for clients. Luc recollects that during a window washing job as a young man, he pulled the squeegee across the glass, saw his reflection and it occurred to him that he ought to try putting graphics on glass. From there he experimented for four years and eventually combined a photographic technique to apply images with sand blasting to create works of art. His own parents helped him land his first big break. They read an article about the creation of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC and suggested to Luc that he should contact the designer, Maya Lin, and offer his help in creating the memorial. That turned out to be great advice as Luc was selected to etch the 58,000 names into the granite that is now the Vietnam Memorial. Upon Luc’s move to Sanibel he met a generous man named Will Schlosser who is a patron of many local non-profits. Mr. Schlosser supported Luc in creating a 25-foot wall at the Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall and a public commission at the Bailey Matthews’ Shell Museum.
Luc also has created many pieces of art for Florida Gulf Coast University in addition to local businesses, organizations and personal commissions.
When Luc moved to Florida in 1983, he met his future wife and several years later purchased a home on the east end of Sanibel where he still lives today. He credits his wife with helping him incorporate wildlife into his artwork which has become very well received. Luc gives back generously to the islands and donates a portion of his work to many organizations on the island.