Screaming Orphans take the Stage for a benefit concert for the Chidrens Hospital of SW FL
The 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.
This video was from one of last years performers Memphis 56 and Andy Howl
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.
INTERNATIONAL REGGAE SUPERSTAR WAYNE WONDER TO PERFORM AT THE RIDDIM RUNWAY 2011 BENEFIT CONCERT TO HELP FORT MYERS CCMI SOUP KITCHEN AND THE SIDNEY & BERNE DAVIS ARTS CENTER
Just added to this year’s line up is none other than international reggae superstar Wayne Wonder! The sensual, honeyed vocals of Wayne Wonder have made him a consistent hit maker since the late ’80s. In 2002, Wayne earned the first #1 hit of his career pledging a lifetime of devotion on the sweetly romantic hit “No Letting Go.” Now on tour with Beres Hammond, he will be doing his part to help our Southwest Florida community. Also joining him on stage is Ky-Enie, fresh from his 6 month long promotional tour in Europe, as well as Kehv, Keisha Martin, Juliette Mills and Glenn Blakk. The fashion show will showcase designs by R. Milton, Mystic Creationz, Voluptuous You and many more.
Brought to you by King Leo Promotions, in association with Zep Construction, Riddim Runway starts at 7pm and is guaranteed to entertain you with the best of the best of Caribbean culture. Other sponsors of this prestigious show are Fox Fuse, Old Navy, Ontonio Designs, Indulgence Salon, Spazz LLC and Urbanconnect Multimedia.
This year, admission to the concert is FREE with 2 cans of food to donate to C.C.M.I Soup Kitchen.
For more information, please visit the website at www.riddimrunway.com, email info@riddimrunway.com or call 239-462-4044.
The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Presents “Island Time,” by Artists from the Florida Keys
Fort Myers, June 23, 2011– On Friday, July 1, “Island Time,” an exhibit of artwork from the Florida Keys, will open at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. The exhibit will feature four artists from the Key Largo Art Gallery. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for Art Walk. The Art Center is located at 2301 First Street, in the historic River District, downtown Fort Myers.
Carmen Sotolongo Kelley, a Cuban American artist, is owner of the Key Largo Gallery and one of the featured artists. Her art is bright, bold and big, reflecting her life, her background, and where she lives. Kelley believes that “art is magical, it has energy, an energy that artists transfer to their artwork.” A high school art teacher, she always ends her day at the gallery. Her wish is that she can transfer her love of art to the kids she teaches.
Teresa Kelley, daughter of Carmen, has inherited her mother’s love of art. Her work depicts the beautiful plants and animals that can be seen around the islands.
Annmarie Anderson studied art and interior design at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. She moved to the Keys with her family in 1972 and then studied at Miami-Dade Community College and Florida International University. After 11 years working as a designer, Anderson left the firm to spend more time painting, her true love. Her award winning paintings often reflect the sparkling waters, tropical vegetation, boats and “conch” architecture she so enjoys.
Dan Lawler is a classic Keys painter and a resident of the area for over 50 years. He moved to the Keys from Chicago where he received his formal training at the Chicago Art Institute. Lawler has received numerous awards and ribbons and recently won a 
grant for four murals that now hang in the Freeman Justice Center in Key West. His work often depicts historical scenes like wreckers, smugglers, seascapes, and local characters. He has painted in France, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, South America, England, Italy and even the Soviet Union.
The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the show continues through July 29.
On May 06, 2011, the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center will host its first solo exhibition by local resident and internationally renowned painter Marcus Jansen. His recent documentary, A Painters’s Allegory, will show during the reception and throughout the exhibition period. The show opens at 6:00 p.m., during Art Walk, and runs through May 27, 2011. The Art Center is located at 2301 First Street, in the River District, downtown Fort Myers.
Jansen is a citizen of the World, a Gulf War Veteran who managed to transform his life from a soldier at war to a soldier in the arts. Since 1997, he has been known for exploring modern settings and often graffiti urban landscapes that deliver social and political commentary of our contemporary world.
Jansen’s work has been published and noted in media publications such as Forbes Magazine, The New York Times, The Kuwait Times, Art News and Art in America Magazine. Work has been included in Who’s Who in American Art and Who’s Who in International Art. His collections include the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The Moscow Museum of Modern Art, (MMOMA), The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art, as well as The New Britain Museum of American Art and the Smithsonian Institution. Jansen may be considered one of the most exciting new painters to emerge at the early part of the 21st Century and has created an international following.
Jansen’s background is as complex as his art. A world traveler, his work demonstrates a rebellious spirit, an unusual and raw style that rejects traditional norms in painting. Over the last decade, Jansen’s paintings feel like a mix of urban street art crossed with expressionism from Germany. Jansen’s work shows viewers a raw usage of paint and swift interlocking texture changes that create a rhythm that draws viewers in. Jansen’s landscapes show strong North American influences, but he refers to them as universal in nature and not location specific.
His work can be linked to Jansen’s history. He lived in the Bronx and Long Island in the 1970′s and often traveled to other boroughs of NY City on graffiti infested subway trains as a child. He was facinated by the large cartoon- like characters and letters that decorated those huge dull trains, transforming them into wonders of art. His father, a German businessman and student of history who had traveled widely in Germany, France and England as well as his West-Indien mother who was an artist and sang in choirs, had a strong lasting influence on Jansen’s work. Jansen moved to Germany in 1975, where he learned about German expressionism which made an impression early on during his visits to many European countries in the 1980′s. In 1986 he spent much time in the Netherlands, France and Italy and many other European capitals.
These experiences have found their ways into Jansen’s art, creating powerful visual images that tell stories about where and how people live. In 1990, Jansen joined the US Army and returned to the United States, and shortly afterwards he was assigned to Desert Storm. It was there he started experiencing difficulties from his combat experiences. He decided to dedicate his life to painting before being approached by Museum Director Jerome A. Donson. It was the beginning of a relationship that lasted for several years. Donson was quoted saying, “you are my last find,” shortly before he passed in 2009. He directed many traveling exhibitions for the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) NY, working closely with painters like Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Franz Kline and Willem de Kooning. Donson was also the author of the American Vanguard Exhibitions 1961 and in 2006 wrote the foreword to Jansen’s book, Modern Urban Expressionism, The Art of Marcus Antonius Jansen, which was Donson’s last written publication.
Paint the Down Town Purple is coming again in honor of Relay for Life
Fort Myers — The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Downtown –River District is just around the corner. The downtown will be tied in Purple Ribbon Symbolizing their support for the Relay for life starting May 1st-7th Many area businesses will have their windows painted in honor of painting the Downtown Purple. Thank you to those business have supported this event. Downtown House of Pizza, Starbucks,Franklin Shops,Bennetts Florida Rep and Joes Crab Shack.
. This “celebration of life” brings the Lee County community together in a unified effort to fight cancer.
Former and current cancer patients, their families, businesses, civic organizations, and the public are invited to take part in this exciting team event. Relay For Life takes place from 5:00PM on May 6TH until 11:00AM on May 7th at Centennial Park.
The evening will be filled with performances by local talent like Fellow Bliss and the Hot Flashes with Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall as a special guests. An exhibit and sale of ‘Art by Kids with Cancer’ will be featured as part of May’s Art Walk.
Teams from companies, churches, organizations, hospitals, and schools collect donations and can win individual and team prizes for their efforts.
“Relay For Life brings the progress against cancer to the forefront,” said Don Molloy, event chair. “Many participants are our family, friends, and neighbors who have dealt with cancer themselves.
“The funds raised enable us to continue our investment in the fight against cancer through research, education, advocacy, and patient services,” said Beth Hayes. “Thanks to the generosity of corporate sponsors like 21st Century Oncology, Professionals in Urology , and Way –FM the money raised by participants goes directly to the American Cancer Society’s lifesaving programs.”
Information about how to form a team or become involved in Relay For Life is available from the American Cancer Society at 239-936-1113. For more information on cancer, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or visit www.cancer.org.
Fort Myers, April 6, 2011- On Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23, the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center will host this season’s American Virtuosi Chamber Concerts. The two unique programs will feature the music of the great masters combined with the talent of some of the world’s leading concert artists.
Special guests this season include violin virtuoso, James Ehnes. Hailed as “the Jascha Heifetz of our day” (Globe and Mail), violinist James Ehnes is widely considered one of the most dynamic and exciting performers in classical music. He has performed in over 30 countries on five continents, appearing regularly with many of the world’s most well-known orchestras and conductors. Mr. Ehnes appeared as guest soloist recently at the Naples Philharmonic with the Toronto Symphony in a dazzling performance of the Barber Violin Concerto.
Violinist Peter Winograd returns to Fort Myers. Mr. Winograd was recognized early as an exceptionally promising young artist and was a top prize winner in the 1988 Naumburg International Violin Competition. He then made his New York debut to critical acclaim and has since appeared as a guest soloist with numerous orchestras around the world. He is currently first violinist of the American String Quartet and is in residence at the Manhattan School of Music and Aspen Music Festival.
Also returning this year is cellist Andres Diaz, winner of the First Prize in the 1986 Naumburg International Cello Competition. His numerous orchestral appearances around the globe include engagements with the Atlanta Symphony, performances with the American Symphony at Carnegie Hall, the symphony orchestras of Milwaukee, Seattle, Rochester, the Boston Pops, and Esplanade Orchestras, the Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival and the National Symphony Orchestra. Among the highlights of Díaz’s recent seasons are tours of Taiwan, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Hawaii, and Canada and appearances in Chile, Venezuela, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic. He has also appeared with Russia’s Saratov Symphony and toured in New Zealand with the New Zealand Chamber Orchestra. Currently, he is Associate Professor at Southern Methodist University.
At the age of fifteen, pianist Wendy Chen debuted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under conductor André Previn. In 1990 she became the youngest winner ever of the National Chopin Competition, was one of the inaugural recipients of the Irving S. Gilmore Young Artists Award, and was named a Presidential Scholar by the National Foundation for the Arts. Since then, her career has flourished, adding Young Concert Artists International Auditions and Washington International Competition to her numerous awards. Ms. Chen has garnered critical acclaim for her engagements with leading orchestras and concert halls worldwide, with reviewers exclaiming that “having pianist Wendy Chen on the program is a guarantee that sparks will fly.”
The Friday, April 22nd evening program will include the Mozart Viola Quintet in C Major, Piazzolla for solo piano, and Ravel trio. The featured artists are violinists Peter Winograd and James Ehnes, violists J.T. Posadas and Jim Griffith, cellist Andres Diaz, and pianist Wendy Chen.
The Saturday, April 23rd evening program will begin with the Saint Saens Violin Sonata (James Ehnes, Wendy Chen), followed by the Dvorak “Dumky” Trio (Peter Winograd, Andres Diaz, Wendy Chen) and Mendelssohn Octet (James Ehnes, Peter Winograd, violinists Jennifer Kozbial and Daniela Shtereva, Jim Griffith, J.T. Posadas, Andres Diaz and cellist Susan Moyer Bergeron).
Cocktail receptions begin at 7:00 p.m., with performances at 8:00 p.m. The Art Center is located at 2301 First Street, in the River District, downtown Fort Myers.
America
is a series of large-scale portraits painted in oil
which represent the beauty and complexity of the everyday man.
SIDNEY & BERNE DAVIS ART CENTER
2301 First Street, Fort Myers, FL 33901
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