Events Fort Myers

On Wednesday Events Fort Myers was invited to the Arts Center to hear about the Pepsi Refresh Grant .   The Director Jim Griffith and his staff informed the local media   Mayor Randy Henderson , Forest Banks and Latasha Armstead   of the plan of getting the Grant of $250.000,000  from Pepsi Cola with the help of all .    The funds will be able to help Restore  the second floor and create classrooms for Education for the Arts.  Berne Davis herself has generously donated funds to restore the Elevator from 1936 .   This elevator will take the Art Patrons to the 2nd and 3rd floors.    Where you will find A beautiful Sculpture Garden on the roof of the 2nd tier and on the primary roof of the building a sky bar and entertaining area.

These things will add so much to the Arts Center .   But, first things are first let us all get behind the Pepsi Grant so we can restore the Education Class rooms and lend a helping hand to the arts.  ( One catch you need to be 14 years old to do this)

Please pass this on to all your friends .  You can vote once a day to help with the Arts

Below our photos from that day and the areas that will be restored and Future Projects.

Fun-Tasy: The Art of Fernando Soler

All is color and whimsy at daas Gallery during the month of August. Cuban artist, Fernando Soler presents Fun-Tasy, a collection of new works inspired in a life full of fun and adventure. The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, August 6, 2010 in conjunction with the Fort Myers Art Walk.

Fernando was born in Havana Cuba in 1947.  At the age of nine, he and his family migrated to Key West where he went to school and graduated from Key West High School.  After a year of junior college, he proudly enlisted in the United States Coast Guard.  After a four-year tour in the North Atlantic and Governor’s Island New York, he moved to Sarasota where he attended Ringling School of Art in the early seventies and remained working as a graphic artist and sign artisan. In the late eighties, he moved back to Key West to help with the family property and became active in the local art scene. In the early nineties, he moved back to Sarasota the do his graphic and fine art again. These days he’s semi retired and working diligently to make the transition to be a full time fine artist, which is his life’s dream. Fernando has shown his work in-group and solo exhibitions in Staten Island New York, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and Key West.

“Growing up on the island of Key West in the sixties was truly paradise. We lived a very simple life full of fun and adventure. Everyone knew each other on the island and music and laughter was commonplace. The ocean and nature was evident everywhere our bicycles would take us. My art is a mixture of family, friends, fun, nature and the ability to see beauty in the simple things that make up every precious day of my life on this beautiful planet”, says Soler.

The exhibition will be on display until August 28, 2010. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 3:00pm. More information is available at www.daasgallery.com.

Venue: daas Gallery

1512 Broadway St.

Fort Myers, FL 33901

239-939-1194

info@daasgallery.com

www.daasgallery.com

HOWL Gallery presents the all-female comic art collaborative known as the SUGAR NINJAS. Created and published by Bob Pendarvis, the SUGAR NINJAS are a diverse group of talented women artists and storytellers. A former professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Bob Pendarvis taught the school’s first comics art class and went on to create and co-found the their Sequential Art BFA and MFA degree programs. He is assisted by Emma Ravenel and Gally Articola in producing the two book anthology which showcases the collective’s works. The two books vary greatly in content, with SUGAR NINJAS: SWEET featuring works that are cute and suitable for all ages, while SUGAR NINJAS: SPICY includes edgy and adult subject matter.

The comics industry has historically been a male-dominated field and the SUGAR NINJAS strive to promote the often overlooked and underestimated female talent currently producing creative works.

The exhibition highlights a selection of artwork produced by over two dozen of the SUGAR NINJAS, including comic book pages, comic strips, Dollfie photo comics, picture book illustrations, and more. Some of the artists appearing in the anthology currently work for companies such as Tokyo Pop and Marvel Comics. Volume 2 of SUGAR NINJAS featuring all new work in the Sweet and Spicy two book format is currently being printed and is set to DEBUT at HOWL during the reception.  The show will also feature a sneak peek at Bob’s upcoming graphic novel, A GIRL CALLED ANA TEACHES KITTENS HOW TO DRAW.

An Opening Reception will be held on Friday, August 6th, in conjunction with Fort Myers Art Walk from 6-10pm. Light refreshments provided. Exhibit continues through August 31st.

Fort Myers, July 15, 2010 – “Piece by Piece” the stained glass art of John Coleman, presented by the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, showcases the stained glass creations of John Coleman. The show opens on August 6 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm during the Downtown Fort Myers Art Walk. The Laboratory Theatre of Florida will also present the one-act play “Anywhere but Here.”

John Charles Coleman and his brother Robert have practiced law in Fort Myers for the last 30 years.  John has worked with stained glass for over twenty-five years.  He was introduced to stained glass by his wife Patsy, who has helped him learn all facets of the art — windows, mosaics, fusing. Patsy has created an “oasis of peace” from which springs inspiration, innovation, and imagination.

 John’s stained glass art includes windows, paintings – floral, landscape, and abstract, many in a diamond shape – and a wide variety of vases.  Each painting, from the “canvas” to the completed frame, is the original work of John Charles Coleman.

In “Anywhere but Here” two very dissimilar runaways, a teen and a street-wise 70 year old, meet in bus station, in this prize winning and charming one act comedy. Show-times are 7:00pm and 8:30pm.

After 10:00pm the festivities continue in the Grand Atrium with Art After Hours. There will be a cash bar and pizza provided Downtown House of Pizza.

For additional venue and exhibit information, please contact SBDAC at 239.333.1933 or info@fl-arts.org.

Premiering August 21, Music Walk is the new and exciting downtown Fort Myers event brought by the creators and promoters of the Fort Myers Art Walk. The event will follow the model of Art Walk, but with a focus on music and performing arts. More than 40 downtown Fort Myers’ venues will feature some sort of a musical/artistic performance the third Saturday of every month beginning in August.

The daas Gallery will be presenting an intimate and very different performance in conjunction with the Music Walk. “Since we are not a big and spacious venue, we are limiting the amount of people we can have in our space with the performer. This way, the show will be very exclusive and intimate”, explains co-owner Xavier Brignoni. “We will follow the same uniqueness that characterizes our gallery for these performances and I am sure people will enjoy them as much as our exhibitions.”

Opening this event will be the great Peter Taylor; a guitar virtuoso and accomplished musician who has collaborated with local and international artists. His performances will begin at 7:00 pm on Saturday August 21. His 45 minute set, titled “Single Minded”, is an ethereal and beautiful mix of emotional and heartfelt songs in voice and guitar that will captivate the audience.

The owners of daas Gallery invite Music Walk visitors to call 239-939-1194 and reserve a space, which is very limited. There will be no access inside the gallery once the performance has begun. For more information about Peter Taylor or daas Gallery, please call 239-939-1194. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

Beginning August 2nd for 10 weeks:

Membership package includes 10 classes

My good friend David Acevedo over at Daas Gallery says that the downtown needs our help.  It has been almost two years since the first Fort Myers Art Walk premiered in the streets of downtown Fort Myers. The event has attracted multitudes of patrons to our downtown area benefiting, not only art galleries, but local businesses such as restaurants and bars. With every Art Walk, the popularity of the event grows. The Art Walk committee has decided to seek the help of volunteers to tackle some of the monthly tasks essential for the success of the event. 

Help is needed in simple things such as signage management, which include placement of the directional and promotional parking signs and in more visitor-oriented tasks such as tour guides and information posts. The volunteer program, named the Downtown Fort Myers Street Team or “S-Team” for short, will help with the flow of the event, which has managed to stay incident-free since October of 2008.

“We are really looking forward to the help”, says David Acevedo who co-owns daas Gallery and is the primary coordinator for the S-Team volunteer project.  “The Art Walk/Saturday Art Fair/Music Walk committee members will now have a helping hand to ensure an even better event every month. As business owners, it is very difficult for us to leave our spaces to assist with other things that are so needed during the events”.

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the S-Team is encouraged to email Acevedo at david@fortmyersartwalk.com.  Detailed information of the different volunteer positions will be provided upon inquiries. General information about the Fort Myers Art Walk can be found at www.fortmyersartwalk.com.

There may not be any fireworks at Centennial Park this year , but plenty is going on downtown.

My good friends Dave and his team of artist at daas Gallery will showcase their own in celebration of the two year anniversary of the gallery. The exhibition is appropriately entitled Triumph. The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, July 2^nd, in conjunction with the Fort Myers Art Walk.

The art in this collective exhibition has been created by the artists that currently run the gallery. Among these is Joe Lemay, who has been with daas Gallery since its very beginning. Lemay is a graduate from the Savannah College of Art & Design in Savannah, Georgia. His pieces are humorous and storytelling. His work has been featured in daas’ Pequeno Formato, Comienzo: The Artists of daas and Buddha: Images of a Deity exhibitions, among many others. Troy Thomas, Danielle Thomas and Peter Del Gandio are also featured artists in this exhibition. Their works have been featured in the gallery on a permanent basis since they joined the team in 2009. Kristin Northup, the newest member of the team, will also be part of the collective.

“This is a very important exhibition for us. It marks two successful years of hard work, sweat and tears”, says David Acevedo who co-owns the gallery and will be featuring new pieces in the show. “We all know how difficult the art business could be and we feel very lucky and thankful for the support.” Xavier Brignoni, who also co-owns daas, will be contributing to the exhibition with his own artwork.

The exhibition will be on display until July, 31^st, 2010. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 3:00pm. More information is available at www.daasgallery.com

My good friend Terry Tincher  over at space 39 have their own fireworks display of sorts going on.

George Settos is being featured in the gallery.

Jim over at SBDAC  has his own Declaration to be happy about it.

“Exposures of the Mind” opens July 2nd

Fort Myers, June 23, 2010 – “Exposures of the Mind,” hosted by the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, showcases the work of several national photographers. The show opens on July 2 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm during the Downtown Fort Myers Art Walk. The Laboratory Theater of Florida will also present the one-act play “Picnic on the Battlefield.”

“Exposures of the Mind” exhibits the works of photographers Chris Catti, Doug Thompson, Michelle Tricca, Kurt Williams, and John Yuccas. The works of these photographers capture the unique perspectives with which an artist views their subjects and the world that surrounds them. The pieces range from award-winning surf culture photography in Puerto Rico to abstract architectural scape’s of New York City.

• Doug Thompson is a premier architectural photographer and Southwest Florida native who has assisted renowned photographer Clyde Butcher. His works have been published in a variety of magazines.

• Michelle Tricca, a Naples-area photographer, was mentored by legendary surf photographer Art Brewer. Her innovative work combines portraiture and water photography to capture surf and coastal culture.

• Kurt Williams is a resident of Cape Coral and freelance photographer for Florida Weekly, moving to Florida from Upstate New York. Kurt’s photography explores his four-month journey through South America and the widely varied landscapes and cultures that he experienced.

• Chris Catti is a photographer based in Brooklyn, New York who specializes in fashion and editorial portraiture. He recently graduated from the Hallmark Institute of Photography located in Western Massachusetts.

• John Yuccas’s true passion since the age of sixteen has been wildlife and nature photography. John tries to capture unique and intricate moments in nature to show his audience the beauty of the outdoor world.

“Picnic on the Battlefield” presented by Laboratory Theater of Florida is an absurdest piece by playwright Arrabal. The play is set on the battlefields of World War I. Show times for this one-act will start at 7:00pm and 8:30pm in the Grand Atrium.

For additional venue and exhibit information, please contact SBDAC at 239.333.1933 or info@fl-arts.org.

The fall will soon be here and there will be so many things going on around town Parties and Galas you do not want to miss so  don’t  forget to save the date.  Three of the things you should mark your Calendar for are as follows.

Arts for ACTS August 15th “ Arabian Nights”  this will be held at the Coconut Point Hyatt .  My good friend Claudia Goode hopes you don’t miss out on such a great event .   The Proceeds enable ACT to provide a 24 hour hot line, safe emergency shelter, counseling, children’s programs, forensic sexual assault examinations, clothing and food for victims of domestic violence and their children and survivors of sexual assault in Lee, Hendry, and Glades Counties.  This year they are celebrating 32 years in operation and 22 years of hosting this fine art auction.

 Nov 6th 2010 Sidney Byrne Davis Art Center

 My good friend Jim wanted me to remind you to Save the Date now in your planners.  This should be an evening to remember.   The proceeds from the Gala will go towards the continued restoration of this historical building for the Arts.

Designed by prominent Florida architect Nat GaillardWalker, the Old Post Office opened in 1933 as one of the nation’s finest neoclassical revival structures.  It was converted to a Federal Courthouse in 1965 and later vacated in 1998.  Many of its original fixtures were removed or destroyed and the building fell into disrepair until the Art Center took over it, dedicated to its preservation with the creation of a community cultural center.

The final restoration phase will stop deterioration of the building’s historic elements, preserve this community gem, and complete the transformation a once-abandoned building into a modern arts facility.

The Art Center has been under renovations since 2003 and, upon completion, will feature 23,000 square feet of studio, performance, classrooms, and community event space. 

More on the event will be announced throughout the summer and upcoming season.  Check out www.sbdac.com or call 239.333.1933 for more information.

 Art Royale November 20, 2010 at the Lee County Alliance of the Arts  my good friend Chelsea and Lydia tell me this will be something you will never forget.  One night  celebration of art displaying the most intriguing artists . This year’s theme, IT’S ALL ELEMENTAL reflects the essence of Art Royale as an innovative showcase of art that is active, not passive, art that explores the origins and boundaries of the elements, be it, Earth, Wind, Fire, Water & Space

It has been over 23 year since we have not had  a fireworks display here in downtown Fort Myers. After the last Fireworks fiasco this year I was  looking forward to the 4th.  It is a shame that the Fort Myers redevelopment agency is unable to have it due to the economy.  It does  take a lot of preparation upfront and all planning should be done in advance, it is too short a notice even if someone came in today to write a check.   Well, I for one am going to be disappointed not hearing the boom and seeing the lights of a spectacular fireworks display.   I remember when I was 4 and we went to the Edison Stadium to see the fireworks  later on it was at Centennial Park. When I was about 22 it was pouring down rain so we went to a party at the Sheraton and watched it from there.    There was another time I believe I watched it from somebodies office in the Barnett Bank Centre.  I am sorry that Fort Myers has taken away the bombs bursting everywhere downtown this year.  They have already started work on it for next year.  If you do want to see the fireworks,  Fort Myers Beach and Cape Coral will be having theirs. ( share your best fireworks experiences in our comments section)