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.

 

The 1^st Annual Labor Day Spirits and Spokes Tour will be taking place Sunday, September 5, 3p- 8p.  This is an informal fundraiser, with the organizers donating the proceeds to the United Way.  This is NOT an organized, certified, or sanctioned event by the United Way or any other cycling club, but rather a group of people that want to support the businesses downtown and give any proceeds to a local charity!

You can join the Facebook page (search by event title) but here is the low-down:

1.       If you ride your bicycle and wear a helmet, a $20 donation gets you a wristband.

2.       If you ride with no helmet or walk it, a $25 donation gets you a wristband.

3.       A 50/50 will take place.

4.       Other raffle prizes to include gift certificates from the bars and restaurants plus a night at Hotel Indigo will be raffled off.

5.       Contest for best decorated helmet.

6.       Transportation alternatives will be suggested (cabs, etc.).

7.       Hotel Indigo is offering their $99 room rate for all participants.

8.       An indoor, secure location will be offered for participants to keep their bikes if they wish to do so (assuming folks will be calling for rides, taking a cab, or staying the night!).

9.       All paid participants will receive specials from participating businesses (appetizers, drink specials, etc. )

10.   If you are interested in participating, join the Facebook page and/or email spiritsandspokes@comcast.net as the group would like to let the businesses know, best estimate, how many folks will be participating.  (and t-shirts may or may not be ordered for the event!).

11.   Look for Dan Moser’s reference in the Florida Weekly this week and rumor has it, the News-press may do a small story as well!

 

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.

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

Over 80 women attended the monthly meeting of the Women’s Wine Club last night hosted at the Bell Tower fine dining restaurant Cru.  Chef Harold Balink (formerly of H2 and Harold’s on the Bay) put on a show with a wonderful four course meal consisting of spicy crab, avocado and cucumber napoleon appetizer, spinach stuffed chicken with a tomato ciabatta salad, pepper grilled rib-eye with their own special sauce, and for dessert a white chocolate mousse with roasted banana sauce.  My guest and I had such a wonderful time even when the lights went out and we dined by candle light.   We got to see many of our friends including Heather Christie, Holly Leland, Connie Ramos,Tara Molloy, Gina Birch, Rachel Peacock, and her good friend as well as ours Sharon Torregrossa.  This was an evening filled with wine and laughter.  Thank you again to the Women’s Wine Club which meets every 3rd Tuesday of the month.  For more information about the next event sharontorregrossa@gmail.com.

A Big Thank you to strong supporters of the Arts Don & Tara Molloy of Riverside 
Realty Group for hosting this beautiful property 3874  Harold Ave Fort
Myers  We would  Also like to thank the assistance of the Lee County Alliance of the Arts.

                                                                                                                                 

 

                               239-822-2955

  10 % of the proceeds will go to the Ostego Bay Foundation  This will help with the oil spill clean up

The Date is  June 19th  5pm – 9 pm

Participating artists:

Sara Leone- Sara Leone grew up with a passion for all things old…..drawn
to nostalgia of decades past. Sara has successfully owned and operated a
thrift store in Bonita Springs and contributed to the News Press with her
own column “Finders Keepers”. Now mom to a 9 year old daughter and
Corporate America refugee, Sara is busy making art again. LIFE recycled…..

Stacey Brown – Southwest Florida’s Stacey Brown is the photographer known
as the one who wholeheartedly believes that chippy old paint, rusty things
and vintage finds make the perfect  scene for a portrait.  She is
typically
found lurking around thrift stores, in the woods with her three daughters
or creating in her cottage. 

A former junk and antiques collector, Stacey appreciates all things
vintage.  She has been spotted rescuing old stuff off of the street and
recycling her finds in creative projects.  Recently, she has decided that
taking photographs of her favorite things makes better sense than trying
to
keep her favorite things around all the time.  As George Carlin said, “You
can’t have everything.  Where would you put it?” 

In addition to photographing random stuff, Stacey loves to beautifully
photograph children by following them around trying to capture the essence
of their soul without them knowing it. 

In Stacey’s other life, she is a mental health therapist in private
practice where art therapy and creative solutions are liberally applied.

Susan McDonald –An Ohio native, McDonald holds a master’s degree at the
School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology, one
of
the nation’s preeminent schools for artisans and craftspeople and has
completed diamond coursework through the Gemological Institute of America
and a bachelor’s degree in metalsmithing from Miami University in Oxford,
Ohio. McDonald has nearly eight years of experience in the jewelry
industry
including much time spent with a company that manufactures and repairs
jewelry designed by David Yurman.

Zdenka Fiala – Zdenka Fiala creates amazing jewelry. Her contemporary
design appeals to creative, self-confident woman of today. Her jewelry is
lead free and skin friendly, earrings and necklaces are sterling silver
plated. Peace by Piece will present selection of her stained glass and
beads jewelry.

Peggy Alborn- Peggy Alborn began creating as a child, making clothing by
age 12, and dabbling in various other medias throughout her life including
stamping, encaustic wax collage, and soldering. She operated a faux
finishing business for four years, finding great pleasure in refinishing
cabinetry. Currently she is creating one-of-a-kind embellished camis and
t-shirts, lampshades, and collaged charms and ornaments. Peggy is a full
time teacher in Lee County, with two daughters in college – a grad student
in opera studies at The Boston Conservatory and a junior at USF

Please call 896-5437 or email saraleone@comcast.net  for more information

Alliance for the Arts has partnered with Miracle Professional Baseball to offer three special “Nights at the Ballpark.” Proceeds from ticket packages support the Alliance’s Summer Arts Camp scholarship program that serves Lee County youth.

ALLIANCE “NIGHTS AT THE BALLPARK”
June 4th, June 26th & July 3rd

$16 package includes:
- General Admission Ticket
- Miracle Hat
- Hot Dog and Soda Voucher

$18 package includes:
- Box Seat Ticket
- Miracle Hat
- Hot Dog and Soda Voucher

BUY TICKETS ONLINE at Miraclefun.com (enter ‘arts’ as the password) or all (239) 768-4210. For questions email jdonahue@miraclebaseball.com.

A Big thanks to Stuart Brown and SBDAC  for letting me know this was going on Friday night mark your calendars.

Alyce Bochette is co-director of Dance Bochette. She spent 20 years touring internationally with dance companies including Mark Morris, May O’Donnell, and Rachel Lampert.  For the May 21 event, Bochette will dance one solo piece, “Suspension,” choreographed by May O’Donnell in 1939, with music by Ray Green.

The Bochette Dancers include local dancers Mariquita Anderson, Jennifer Reed, Lynn Vosloo, Kelley Natella, and Gerri Reaves, and the performance features actors Katie Pankow and Jim Brock.  Music for the reception and intermission will be performed by pianist Mary Seal.

With collaboration in staging and lighting design by Edison State College theater director, Stuart Brown, Alyce Bochette brings together original music and video by Rodney Woolsey and original poetry by Jim Brock, created specifically for the dance.  The performance builds on the theme of salvaging, with modern dance that is accessible, lyrical, vibrant, and whimsical.

Bochette wants her audience to consider the dynamic of salvaging in their own lives, whether it is spiritual, familial, ecological, or nostalgic, in which we seek to reclaim, recover, remember, and even revise our own lives.  The event brings together the audience as community.  It also affords each of us a little space for personal reflection.

The event begins with a 7:00 p.m. reception, and performance at 8:00 p.m. at the Sidney and Berne Davis Arts Center in the River District of Fort Myers at 2301 First Street.  Tickets are $35. Student tickets with student seating are $15. For more information and tickets, call the box office at (239) 333-1933 or visit the website at www.sbdac.com.

STRANGE
 
Warren | MySpace Video

American Cancer Society Relay for Life meets in Centennial park for its 3rd year.   We are extremley excited to have so many teams participating this year.   We have a lot of  things planned for this great event for cancer awareness.   The evening starts at around 5:00 pm Friday and goes into 11:00 am Saturday.   We have plenty of things planned for all ages.   We even have a local Breast Cancer Survior Lynne Reinas who is showing her work at the Relay Site as well as the Starbucks downtown.    We have bounce houses and Slides for the kids.   We have musical entertainment by many local acts  performing  as well.  If you look around downtown during Art Walk you might even run in to Mz Relay Downtown 2010.   There is a silent auction .  Plenty of Food and Trips to win.  Please stop on by Here is what is planned.

 5:00-6:00  Survivor Registration  food provided by Morgan House

If you are a survior or Cargiver please come on down for the event.

6:00 -6:15  Mayors Proclamation  in absence of Mayor Henderson  Mayor Pro Tem Thomas Leonard0

 Survivor Lap ,Care Givers Lap

Start the Relay-

6:15 to 7:15 Chip Withrow  http://www.myspace.com/chipwithrow   (performance)

7:15 to   7:30 Miss Relay contest and then head to the Streets

7:30 to 8:15   Colton James

Scavenger  Hunt- Downtown

 8:15 to 9:00  Emma Coleman     http://emmabriggscoleman.com/  (performance)

 9:00 to 9:30 Lumiara

 Poker Lap – Best hand first wins.  If you have an Ace trade up to two cards.

 9:50 to 10:40 Sean  Renzetti   http://www.myspace.com/srenzetti   (Performance )

 10:40 to 11:40 Strange Arrangement   http://www.strangearrangement.net

12:30 am              Kacie Phillips and Friends  perforamance

7:00 am to 8:00 morning music wake up call  a little work out  in the morning

 8:00 am to 8:30  Tim Hawkins *

8:30 am to 9:00  3 girl Trio *

  9:30 to 10:45    PG the Party Guy   ready 2roll.com  (Performance)

 10:45 to 11:00 am  Awards and Drawings