Screaming Orphans take the Stage for a benefit concert for the Chidrens Hospital of SW FLThe doors open at 6:00pm   Thanks to our sponsors,  Henderson Franklin, NBC-2 , Pamela Templeton,Riverside Realty Group, Staging Matters, Presitge,and Holly Originals and Florida Weekly.

Edison & Ford Holiday Nights

 

Holiday Nights, December 2 – December 31
Closed December 24 & December 25

5:30PM – 9:00PM
Guided Tours at 6PM and 7PM

Estates Members: FREE
Adults: $15.00
Students 13-College (Must present valid ID): $8.00
Children (6-12 years): $1.00
Children (5 and under): FREE

During the holidays the homes and gardens of Thomas and Mina Edison and Henry and Clara Ford will be seasonally decorated and visitors will have the option of a self guided tour or a guided tour with an Estates site historian.

Edison & Ford Holiday Nights includes nightly entertainment by school and community groups, culinary demonstrations, book signings and appearances by artists, and the “Children’s Tree Trail” a forest of trees decorated by Lee County Students. The Estates Museum and Edison Botanic Research Lab will also be open during the event.

Tickets for a self guided tour are $15 for adults and $1 for children (6 -12); guided tours are $20 for adults and $1 for children (6 -12).  Groups may schedule guided or unguided tours from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. and will receive a discounted group rate.

Groups are required to make advanced reservations. 
Holiday Guided Tours & Behind-The-Scenes Holiday Tours -subject to availability. 

Creative Cottage

This year “Creative Cottage,” located in the Edison Caretaker’s House, will feature elements of an Old Florida Christmas and will include the artwork of Florence Sansom, Megan Kissinger and Buell Lee Whitehead.  Traditional Florida foods will be available for tasting and purchase celebrating the Edison Caretaker’s House, an original Cracker House built in the 1870s.

Creative Cottage will be open 10 AM – 5 PM daily until December 2.  During, Edison & Ford Holiday Nights hours will be expanded to 9 PM.  Members are FREE and a “shoppers pass” may be issued at the main ticket office to visit the Creative Cottage.

Contact the Estates at 239-334-7419 for more information on the “Edison & Ford Holiday Nights”.

Advance tickets on sale  at SouthWest Captial Bank,Vincents Salon , Tan USA,Finemark Bank at Riverwalk and the Franklin Shops

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: Michael Cavanaugh & the Edison pops Orchestra

Michael is the pianist / singer who was hand-picked by Billy Joel to open his Broadway musical Movin’ Out. Returning to the Edison stage, Michael will perform his newest show: “The Songs of Elton John, Billy Joel and More!”

Saturday, October 22, 2011
Purchase Tickets Online Now!

Gates open at 5pm | Concert begins at 7pm
Reserved Table Seating: $40 per person or
$400 per table of 10
General Admission: $20 in advance; $25 at gate

A good friend of mine Jen, told me about the friendly forest walk that is going on from 2-5pm for the little ones.   Don’t show up after 7:30 with the little ones because this looks pretty scary.  In the past they have only had the Friendly forest walk this year they added the Carnival Frightmare for those that wish to jump and scream in the woods.  You choose which one for your family

Our Haunted Walk 2011 is entitled Carnival Frightmare!!! This brand new event features a series of fright stations, including the Blood Butcher Shop with brutal victims, the Unfriendly Clown section, our traditional cemetery scene, and a new features-the Sensory Deprivation Tunnel, complete with fog machines and strobe lights.                                                                                                                                             The Sensory Deprivation Tunnel, where we deprive you of your normal senses and prey on the others!

This event is Adult-oriented, minimum customer age is 13 years old. 12 Scary Nights!

Dates: Thursday, Oct. 20 thru Halloween night, Oct. 31

Times: 7:30PM to 10:00PM

Location: Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium

                 3450 Ortiz Avenue

                 Fort Myers, FL

                239-275-3435

              www.calusanature.org

Admission charge: $10/customer

My good friends Stephanie Ink and Kimber Cook wanted me to let you know about this great event.

Fort Myers High School celebrates one hundred years of excellence at the inaugural Green and White Ball scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22.

The public event will take place at Harborside Event Center and celebrates all past alumni and supporters who have contributed to the academic and athletic success of one of the most established schools in the state. The evening includes a welcome reception at 5 p.m. followed by dinner and an awards tribute at 6 p.m.  

Fort Myers High School will also pay homage to past “Greenies” and award the Greenie of Distinction honor to an alumnus or alumna who has demonstrated excellence in his or her professional life, service to the community and to FMHS.

Guests will enjoy a silent auction, performances by the Fort Myers High School Band and Riptide dance team, and presentation of colors by ROTC.

Currently ranked as the 72nd best high school in America by Newsweek magazine and the 90th best high school in America by The Washington Post, Fort Myers High School past alumni include distinguished citizens such as Sam Galloway, Barbara B. Mann, Berne Davis and political leaders U.S. Congressman Connie Mack and Representative Nick Thompson.

Proceeds from the event benefit the athletic, band and ROTC booster clubs, and the founding of an alumni association.

Individual tickets for the Green and White Ball are only $55 each; tables of eight can be reserved for $550.  For more information, email greenandwhiteball@gmail.com.  

Cultivating Carrots and Peace in Your Garden

Cheryl Wilfong, author of The Meditative Gardener: Cultivating Mindfulness of Body, Feelings, and Mind, will visit Fort Myers as part of the week long Living MindFULLy Festival.  On Friday, September 23 at 7 p.m., Cheryl will be at the Eco Center at Rutenberg Park to read from and discuss her book.

In her wise, down-to-earth book, the Vermont Master Gardener and mindfulness meditation teacher offers a rich bouquet of meditations. Her gentle, friendly, and humorous tone creates a nurturing environment in which to practice mindfulness in our very own gardens. Wilfong invites us to stroll beside our flowerbeds, appreciating them just as they are, and noticing the joy they bring us. We may not have done all the weeding or planting we had hoped, but appreciate that we are doing the best we can.

The Meditative Gardener nourishes the seed of enlightenment that is already growing in your heart. Use the tools of mindfulness and kindness to discover how to cultivate your garden and your meditation practice at the same time. Other spiritual gardening books tell us how to create a tranquil garden. The Meditative Gardener supports us in simply finding tranquility in the garden beside the front door. Instead of being a busy bee, simply be.

LivingMindFULLY project partners include: Lee County Parks & Recreation, Hearts’ Path to Mindful Living, Integrative Mindfulness, HD PR Group, Renaissance School, Lee County Alliance for the Arts, SW FL Naturally, and Cypress Cove Retirement Community.  Proceeds from this event will benefit the 501(c)3 on-profit organization, Hearts’ Path to Mindful Living.  This group’s mission is to promote supportive, life-affirming mindfulness-based programs teaching powerful methods for reducing stress, contributing to health and well-being. 

Walk Flyer 9 5 2011

Artist Eve Lynch of Kraken Mosaics recently completed the installation of a large mosaic mural to support the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 

The public art installation, dubbed The Butterfly Project, features a 3foot long glass mosaic alligator and over 150 unique mosaic butterflies that were donated by 90 artists. The collaborative project, organized by Lynch in July of 2011, includes artwork from Russia, Cyprus, The Netherlands and Australia, among other places.

Lynch believes in the transformative power of art. The mural was originally created to re-energize the outdoor space under the nature center’s museum but the project quickly became a vehicle to support the center‘s programs and revitalize the facility. “I wanted to add public art to the list of attractions that the Calusa Nature Center offers the community”, she said, “but once I started putting the butterflies onto the wall, I realized that visitors were interested in becoming part of the project. That’s when I partnered with the Calusa Nature Center and created the Buy-a-Butterfly program.”

Through the Buy-a-Butterfly Program, visitors can purchase a commemorative mosaic butterfly in honor of a loved one for $100. Artist Eve Lynch then hand cuts the glass and creates the mosaic that ultimately ends up on the wall as a permanent part of the art installation. 50% of the proceeds are donated back to the Calusa Nature Center to help the non-profit continue to provide programming to the community.

Volunteer Mariah Brooks, who purchased the program’s first commemorative butterfly, did so to memorialize her friend that had recently passed away from cancer. “I had wanted to do something for her but nothing felt right until I heard about the butterflies”, she said. “This way she’ll be around all the animals at Calusa Nature Center.”

For more information on the Buy-a-Butterfly program or to purchase a butterfly, please visit The Butterfly Project website, http://butterfly-project.blogspot.com/p/buy-butterfly.html You can also call or visit the Calusa Nature Center at 3450 Ortiz Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33905 | (239) 275-3435 or contact artist Eve Lynch at krakenmosaics@gmail.com

About the Artist

Fort Myers based artist Eve Lynch works in many mediums but is currently focusing on glass mosaic. Her work has been featured in exhibits throughout Southwest Florida and in California and the United Kingdom. The Butterfly Project is her second donated art installation in Fort Myers. Her first, The Messina Mural Project, is a permanent outdoor art gallery at the J.H. Messina Children’s Center on Fowler Street in Fort Myers. You can purchase work directly from the artist at http://krakenmosaics.com

 Stacie Krupa’s “Sassy Spicy Soulmates- Seahorses, Sea Turtles & Salty, Socialite Friends” opens on Friday, September 2, at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. for Art Walk, and the show continues through September 30. The Art Center is located at 2301 First Street, in the River District, downtown Fort Myers.

“As an only child, Animals became my pseudo-siblings. They were my best friends who never failed me,” Krupa says. “These paintings represent my best friends and all the fun I had playing with them. Painting to me is Pure Play. It’s a fun adventure every painting to see what evolves from manipulating materials. I use oils and acrylics, bold colors, charcoals, inks, iridescent mediums, wall spackling and glues to manipulate drips, washes and texture with various mediums.”

Stacie Krupa attended the University of Central Florida where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. As a student she worked in clinical environments where she could combine psychology with her artistic skills and knowledge. While she found great satisfaction in helping clients deal with addiction and develop coping and life skills, she decided to pursue her true passion. She began her education in fine art and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from UCF in 1994. She then attended a post-baccalaureate study program at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art in Philadelphia, the oldest art school in the United States, where notable artists such as Mary Cassat and Thomas Eakins had studied and worked. She later attended a prestigious graduate program at the Maryland Institute College of Art, on scholarship. She continued her graduate studies at the University of Miami, and in 2001 was awarded her Master of Fine Arts in Painting.

In 1996, she opened her first gallery, the Stacie Krupa Gallery, in Winter Park, Florida. This SoHo-style gallery was focused on providing investment level original art and education to residents and visitors in the metropolitan Orlando area. After moving to Islamorada in the Florida Keys in 1998, she opened the Stacie Krupa Studio Gallery of Art, built on the SoHo- style concept of the Orlando gallery. She recently opened Stacie Krupa’s Corner Grill Gallery of Sanibel. Krupa paints every day. Her trademark, intense gestures create large images, monochromatic shemes, and raw, edgy canvas creations that command attention and warrant repeated viewing. The sea-life of Islamorada has had significant impact on the direction of Krupa’s work over the last 11 years.

“I find my animals elegant and playful and soothing since they represent the oceanic environment that I love,” adds Krupa. “The sound of the ocean waves has always relaxed me and painting the oceanic environment and sea life is my happy.” She loves creating sea horses and sea turtles. “I find their anatomy fascinating and quirky.”

Come experience the intensity of this Islamorada artist and see what critics call her “bold, powerful, in-your-face” expressionistic paintings.