Events Fort Myers has been a strong supporter of the Arts here in Fort Myers and we are so proud of everything the Florida Rep has brought to our City.   Thank you to Bob and his Crew, Especially the attendees of the performances.

Play Poker with NFL Pros for Fred McCrary’s 44 Ways Foundation at Seminole Casino Immokalee

Poker, meet and greet, photos with athletes May 4

WHAT:                  Former NFL fullback and Naples High School graduate Fred McCrary will host a Texas Hold ‘em poker tournament at Seminole Casino Immokalee as part of the seventh annual poker and golf fundraiser. The event benefits McCrary’s 44 Ways Foundation for local underprivileged children. Many current and former NFL players including Mike Vanderjagt (Colts/Cowboys), Winfred Tubbs (Saints/49ers), Terrell Buckley (Packers/Dolphins), Victor Green (Jets), Marcus Pollard (Colts/Lions), and other pro athletes will be on hand to play poker, sign autographs and pose for photos with fans. Must play in the poker tournament to participate in the meet and greet. The winner of the poker tournament will receive an autographed ball.

The following items will also be auctioned off. A signed ball by Richard Dent (Chicago Bears), two signed basketballs by Moses Malone (Philadelphia 76ers), a signed football by Cornelius Bennett (Buffalo Bills) and a signed football by Lawrence Taylor (New York Giants).

WHEN:                 Friday, May 4, from at 7 p.m.

COST:                  Buy-in is $75, plus $75 charity re-buy. 10% of players paid. Players can sign up in the casino’s poker room any time prior to the tournament. Call 800-218-0007 for more information. Must be at least 18 years old to play.

WHERE:               Seminole Casino Immokalee

506 South 1 Street

Immokalee, FL 34142

FOR MORE

INFORMATION:  www.seminoleimmokaleecasino.com 

www.44ways.org

May 28^th Japanese Themed Tea at The Butterfly Estates   

  Don your Yukata and Kimono for a trip to the orient.

  Menu:

          Tokyo Style Shiitake Dashi Ramen Soup

          California Rolls

          Vegetable Rolls

          Onigiri (traditional stuffed rice cakes)

          Dorayaki (sweet pancakes)

          Chestnut –Filled Ohagi

          Anmitsu (Japanese style sundae)

Save the Date May 18th ,2012,

Back by popular demand the Blues Brothers are back you may have seen them 2 years ago at the end of the Festival of Light Parade.   They are back from a short stay in Prison to perform once again at SBDAC.   One of the hottest tribute bands in the area, Blues Brothers Soul Band will perform outside the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center during Music Walk, on Friday, May 18. 

Starting at 7 p.m., this dynamic band will entertain you with their wide range of music: jazz, rock, R&B, funk, reggae, Top 40, swing, Latin and pop. The group is comprised of ten very talented musicians: two lead vocalists, a female vocalist, a full rhythm section and a three-piece horn section.

Come see the show the Vatican officially approves and find out why they are on a “mission from God”! The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First Street, in the River District, downtown Fort Myers.

Grab your grand hats and head to the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center for “An Evening at the Kentucky Derby” on Saturday, May 5 from 5:30-9 p.m. A “Run for the Roses” viewing party and fundraiser  will be held as the final event of the “Dinner with Berne” series to benefit the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center’s multi-million dollar building restoration project.

Guests will view the Run for the Roses pre-show, followed by the “most exciting two minutes in sports” while enjoying traditional derby-style cuisine and sipping mint juleps. Admission to the event is $100 and includes a mint julep or glass of champagne, with southern fare. Tables are available for $1,000, and include reserved seating for eight, a glass of champagne or Early Times mint julep, two bottles of wine and patron listing in the event program. Presented by co-chairs Pamela Templeton and Janice Kemp, the evening features a live musical performance by world-renowned jazz musician Wycliffe Gordon and a jazz quartet.

Seminole Casino Immokalee Brings Family-Friendly Entertainment to Southwest Florida with its Inaugural “Balloons Over Paradise” Festival, April 14-15

Event Features 30 Custom Hot Air Balloons, Live Music by Country Singer John Anderson and others, Food Trucks, Children’s Activities, Carnival Games, Art and More

IMMOKALEE, Fla. –Seminole Casino Immokalee will bring family-friendly entertainment to Southwest Florida with its inaugural “Balloons Over Paradise” Festival at Immokalee Regional Airport on April 14-15, starting at 6 a.m. daily. This celebration of flight will feature 30 custom hot air balloons, live music by country singer John Anderson and others, food trucks, children’s activities, carnival games, artisan villages, demonstrations by agility dogs and more. The Immokalee Regional Airport is located at 165 Airpark Blvd. in Immokalee. Admission to the event is free.

“Several local leaders and organizations have joined us for this first-time project, and we hope it will become an annual tradition,” said Jim Gibson, director of marketing at Seminole Casino Immokalee. “We are proud to provide our community with this fun weekend event and look forward to showing visitors what Southwest Florida has to offer.”

The colorful balloons will kick off each morning at 6 a.m. with an illuminated light show to the music of Drum ‘n’ Strings, a string quartet with a rock and jazz drummer. Festival-goers will be able to walk among the balloons as they inflate for a mass ascension into the skies and remain in air for several hours. Specialty balloons include the Flying Purple People Eater, a jolly monster with long legs and neon claws; Ham-Let, the world’s largest flying pig; and Miss Daisy, a flower that winks.

Attendees will enjoy a great line-up of activities, all to the sounds of Southwest Florida Big Band, Jazz Scholars and Gene Ferrari. Children will join in on the fun with storytelling, puppet shows, face painting, sack races, milk can toss, velcro wall, bungee run, skee ball, bounce houses, a rock climbing wall and more. Games range from 10 cents to $1.

Gourmet food trucks will also be on hand, serving Italian cuisine, delectable cupcakes, Korean fusion, South American-inspired entrees and more. Food trucks include Ciao, Fat Tortillas, Grill Master Café, Miami Spice Grill, Nosh Truck, Dolce Cupcakes, Kona Ice and Bite Gastrotruck, known for its award-winning hamburgers. Attendees will also enjoy funnel cakes, BBQ, cotton candy and other treats from area vendors.

On Saturday, April 14, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., attendees will also enjoy the Harvest festival parade and the crowning of the Harvest Queen. Musical entertainment includes performances by country singer JJ McCoy and blues and R&B group Nouveaux Honkies. At 6:45 p.m., country star John Anderson will perform among the glow of these astonishing balloons.

The balloon festival will continue on April 15, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., with musical entertainment and other activities. At 2 p.m., ASCAP award-winning singer Kathy Kosins will perform jazz classics.

Parking is $5. Umbrellas and coolers are not permitted.

For the “Balloons Over Paradise” schedule, visit www.seminolecasinoevents.com .

Final Saturday Art Fair of season April 7

The River District art galleries have lined up some exciting new exhibits for the April Fort Myers Art Walk.

The next monthly downtown Fort Myers Art Walk will take place on Friday, April 6, with local art galleries and art stops featuring new exhibits and shows. This regular cultural event draws between 1,500 and 2,500 people each month to the downtown Fort Myers River District.

Then on Saturday, April 7, the organizers of Art Walk present the final Saturday Art Fair of the season. This juried art event showcases individual local artists at tables along the sidewalks of First Street. The Saturday Art Fair runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free to attend. More than 40 artists and art vendors are scheduled to be at April’s Saturday Art Fair.

The monthly Art Walk runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on the first Fridays of every month. The April Art Walk will include numerous art galleries and art stops and will feature new art shows, live music and the traditional after party.

Sidney& Berne Davis Arts Center Features Marie Adams

The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is proud to present the extraordinary photography of Marie Adams. The show opens during Art Walk on Friday, April 6, and continues through Friday, April 27. The Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First Street in the River District, downtown Fort Myers.
Marie Adams has been a photographer since childhood. For the past three years she has devoted her skills to capturing the beauty and behavior of South Florida waterfowl, particularly the shore birds of Ding Darling Refuge.
She is a graduate of Columbus Business University, Ohio University, and has attained Master Municipal Clerk certification from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. She is employed by the City of Fort Myers where she has served as City Clerk for the past 20 years.
Ms. Adams’ photographs are truly remarkable. The razor-sharp images were taken in all seasons and at every light level from dawn to dark. None have been retouched. Her untiring efforts show us mating plumage and mating rituals, nest building, incubating the eggs, feeding the nestlings, and teaching the nestlings to fly. Her work illustrates what the birds eat, how they locate their food, and how they use their highly specialized beaks. She has captured group behavior, inter-species competition and much, much more.
Her photographs show us that these beautiful creatures are intelligent, are devoted parents, that they are programmed for complex behavior, and skilled at hunting, swimming, and flying.
Doors open for Art Walk at 6:00 p.m. Dr. Sketchy will be on the steps of the Davis with his muses, providing guests with an opportunity to hone their artistic skills. Carolyn Hostettler will be inside serving her amazing imported artisan cheeses.

Some art highlights of the Friday, April 6 Art Walk:

- Art of the Olympians: Exhibit featuring new sculpture works of Italian Olympian Emanuela Pierantozzi.

- Art League of Fort Myers: Opening reception for Art of Photography show.

- Arts for ACT Gallery: Opening reception for new exhibit featuring artists Jeffrey Scott Lewis, Charlene Ewen, and Marvin Weiner.

- Coloring the World: Featuring the art of Stephen Gray Blancett

- daas Gallery: Opening reception for Hues of April, a new collective exhibit by artists Cathy Logan and Virginie Beltoise Joyce.

- Gallery Showcase and Information Center at IberiaBank (Bayview Court at First Street). Art Walk T-shirts are available at this location as well as buttons, maps, and brochures.

- HOWL Gallery: Opening of Skot Olsen solo show.  www.skotolsen.com

- In One Instant: Opening for new exhibit The Curious Disappearance of Dr. Avery Andrews, a collection of images and artifacts from the last excursion of the famed anthropologist.

- Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center: Opening for photography show by Marie Adams.

- Space 39 Gallery:  Group art show.

- UNIT A Contemporary Art Space: Marcus Jansen welcomes back four large original works from the brilliantly curated show, Jansen – Mueller – Sonnenberg: Lessons in expression, conceptualism, and abstraction.

Roughly 40 participants make Art Walk successful each month and they include the Alliance for the Arts, Art League of Fort Myers, Art of the Olympians, Arts for ACT Gallery and Boutique, Charme, Cigar Bar, Coloring The World Gallery, daas Gallery, Downtown House of Pizza, Enjewel, First United Methodist Church, Florida Repertory Theatre, Ford’s Garage, Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency, The Franklin Shops, French Connection Cafe, Hampton Inn & Suites, Happenings Magazine, Hideaway Sports Bar, Hotel Indigo, HOWL Gallery/Tattoo, IberiaBank, In One Instant Gallery of Photography, Legacy Harbour Hotel & Suites, Linen Cottage, Lush Bakery, Main Street Antiques, Market America Realty & Investments, Morgan House Restaurant, The Nest Home & Garden, The Oasis Luxury Condos,  River District Alliance,  Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Space 39 Gallery, Spirits of Bacchus, Twisted Vine Bistro, UNIT A, United Café, Bar & Bistro, The Veranda Restaurant, What’s Up Dogs, and the Young Artists Awards Program.

Held the first Friday of every month from 6 to 10 p.m., Art Walk features local and national artwork in the downtown art galleries and several art stops in the Fort Myers River District. The evening culminates with an after party at 10 p.m. The after party will be held at Spirits of Bacchus on Hendry Street.

Always a collector’s item, new Art Walk buttons will be available at galleries that night. Art Walk has its own T-shirt (in red or black). Shirts are available for a $12 donation at the IberiaBank gallery showcase during Art Walk.

A map of Art Walk, showing Art Walk partner locations and parking will be distributed by participating galleries. Art Walk is a rain or shine event. Art Walk was started by a group of art galleries and art enthusiasts and debuted in October of 2008. Art Walk is a River District Alliance event. For more information on Art Walk, participating galleries and links to gallery websites, visit www.fortmyersartwalk.com.

Art Walk Opening Reception: Friday, April 6, 2012 6:00pm-10:00pm

Color and vibrancy fills daas Gallery’s walls during the month of April. Headlining the exhibition are local artists Cathy Logan and Virginie Beltoise Joyce, who is showing her artwork for the first time in Southwest Florida. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday, April 6 with an artist reception starting at 6:00pm. 

Virginie Beltoise Joyce was born in 1972 in Paris France. She showed remarkable artistic ability and a strong willed nature from an early age.  At 12 years old she applied and became the youngest student ever accepted at the Joffrin Byrs Design institute in Paris.  At Joffrin Byrs Virginie she was distinguished by winning several design competitions including Cartier’s national student competition.  Upon graduating, Virginie worked in the fashion industry where and she quickly excelled yet was disenchanted by the politics and inner workings.  After two years she decided to travel abroad her native land for some time before starting her own business.  In 2000 she moved to Atlanta where she met her husband and re-kindled her passion for artistic expression via oil paintings and canvases. Virgine has lived in Atlanta with her family since 2000 and in 2010 became an American citizen.

     Cathy Logan grew up in 1950s New Jersey. She was lucky to be allowed free access to the outdoors and contact with neighbors and relatives who were professional artists and musicians. Her constant desire was to be an artist, and in 1970 she enrolled at the Kansas City Art Institute, earning a BFA in 1974. In 1976-77 her post-graduate studies in painting and sculpture were with Donald Sandstrom, Italo Scanga, and David Pease at the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia.

Logan has shown her art in many venues in many states, including The Anderson County Arts Center (SC), Washington Women’s Art Center (DC), Touchstone Gallery (DC), Spark Gallery (CO), Atlanta University Center Woodruff Library (GA), White Hall at Emory University (GA) and The Chrysler Museum (VA).

Her solo and two-person exhibitions include Arts for ACT Gallery (2011), Florida West Arts, Bonita Springs, FL (2010), Temple Beth El, Fort Myers, FL (2009), The Cape Coral Public Library, Cape Coral, FL (2007), DeKalb College Art Gallery, Decatur, GA (1993), The Arts Festival of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA (1987), and The Broadway Gallery, Kansas City, MO (1981).

She exhibited a painting at the 2010 Art Royale, was awarded “Best in Show” for her entries in the three 2009 Artescape exhibits at Florida West Arts, won First Place in the Arts for Act exhibit “Hot Shots” (2009) and has been a popular donor to the Arts for Act Live Auction. Her work is in numerous private collections.

Other surprise guest artists will join our headliners in this exhibition. The artwork will be on display through Saturday, April 28, 2012. For more information about the event, please visit www.daasgallery.com. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday from 11:00am to 4:00pm.

BBQ, Bands & Brew features the best in local BBQ cuisine, live music all day long from local bands and

FUN for the whole family with a kids’ area and cornhole games. Local barbecue vendors and restaurants

vie for the naming rights of Best BBQ in town judged by local VIPs. This year’s eventis sure to please

with a petting zoo and local vendors to add to the mix. Join us for a full day of FUN to benefit a great cause!

BBQ, Bands & Brew takes place at the Lee County Alliance for the Arts

on the corner of McGregor Blvd. and Colonial Blvd. from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on April 1st.

The Edge has come to Fort Myers…It’s time for the Second Annual Fort Myers Film Festival!

Stars will be burning up the red carpet during the Fort Myers Film Festival’s second annual event at the Davis March 22-25, 2012.

Night two of the festival rolls out more red carpet at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center for the world premiere of “Mambo Man, the Story of Pedro ‘Cuban Pete’ Aguilar” with executive producer and longtime dance partner Barbara Craddock expected to be in attendance with other filmmakers and supporters. Mambo Man chronicles the life of Pedro “Cuban Pete” Aguilar, one of the most influential and famous Latin dancers of all time. Given his stage name by Desi Arnaz after his famous song, Cuban Pete was acclaimed “the best Mambo dancer ever” by the late Mambo King, Tito Puente, and Latin music mogul, George Goldner, of Tico Records. This is an extraordinary story of a troubled child turned triumphant dancer, turned struggling gentleman, who returned to victory as an elder statesman of Latin dance. He rose above his tortured childhood to become a Latin dance legend.

The evening begins Thursday, March 22 at 6 p.m. with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and Latin dancing, plus a meet and greet with the filmmaker to follow. The film will be shown at 7 p.m., followed by a brief question and answer period. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, with Latin dancing to closing. The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First Street, Fort Myers, FL 33901. Tickets $15 for show and after party and are available at www.fortmyersfilmfestival.com , at www.sbdac.com, by calling 239-333-1933 or by visiting the box office during business hours.

The weeklong event continues Friday, March 23 as programming of indie films run at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center through Sunday, March 25 with 77 films from over a dozen countries. A full list of films can be found here, handy FMff pocketguide or an official 2012 PDF.

Included is “The Power Of Two,” a documentary feature film directed by Academy Award nominated producer Marc Smolowitz, plays Saturday, March 24 at 7:15 p.m. — inspired by the life stories of Anabel Stenzel & Isabel Stenzel Byrnes, twin double lung transplant recipients, authors & global advocates for organ donation awareness.

“Good Men” is a 12 minute film about two elderly Jewish men (Ed Asner and Mark Rydell) who get into an argument over the conspiracy allegations surrounding the 9/11 attacks on The World Trade Center. It plays at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Friday, March 23 at 6 p.m.

Then there are throngs of local films having world premieres right here in Fort Myers. Karen Whittaker’s “The Knife” will play Friday, March 23 at 6 p.m. and includes dozens of local actors. She is a first time filmmaker, inspired by the Fort Myers Film Festival’s Intellectualization Mondays with Eric Raddatz leading into the festival.

On Saturday, March 24 from 2-3:00 p.m. a very special screening of “Kaziah the Goat Woman” will play. It’s the story of goat rancher Kaziah Hancock who lives close to the earth in a remote valley in Utah. But, she is also known as an American hero for her extraordinary and dedicated work as an artist. She has painted nearly 1000 oil portraits of fallen soldiers killed since the attacks on September 11, 2001. She also created a foundation called Project Compassion to extend her effort to paint every soldier killed serving their country abroad since 9-11. Its team of artists has now painted more than 2,500 portraits, each of which has been presented to the soldier’s family. This film delves into Kaziah’s life in polygamy, her escape to freedom, achieving her dreams of becoming an artist and raising her precious goats. After the screening, Fort Myers Film Festival founder Eric Raddatz will present one of Kaziah’s portraits to the family of 2nd Lt. Michael McGahan of Orlando. The University of Florida graduate was killed in 2010 while leading a platoon in Afghanistan. He is now buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The event is free, with a $5 suggested donation, a portion of which will go to Project Compassion. The Alliance for the Arts is located at 10091 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33919. For more information you may contact www.artinlee.org, www.fortmyersfilmfestival.com, www.kaziahthegoatwoman.com or call 239-939-2787.

A complete schedule of films is available online at www.fortmyersfilmfestival.com, at www.sbdac.com or by picking up the official programming guide at any of the venues, also to be printed in Florida Weekly on racks the week of the festival starting March 21 all over Southwest Florida. Additional photos can be downloaded for press purposes here
The Fort Myers Film Festival kind of takes over Fort Myers, uniting the arts and screening at the finest venues in town including the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, with films playing all week at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, a special showing at the Alliance for the Arts and award ceremony closing night at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre with afterparty at the Edison Restaurant. Fringe parties are taking place all over town, especially downtown at Space 39, Ford’s Garage, and more. Tickets can be purchased as such aforementioned venues and online at www.fortmyersfilmfestival.com, with updates on Facebook and Twitter as the event churns on at www.facebook.com/fortmyersfilmfestival and www.twitter.com/fortmyersfilm with a hashtag of #FMff.

The Fort Myers Film Festival is sponsored by Bennett’s Fresh Roast, Florida Weekly, Florida Arts Inc., Pulse Magazine, Garth Francis Photography, Black Tie Tuxedos, The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, Azteca America, Rasmussen College, Scripped Writer, UNIT A, the dear law offices of J. Patrick Buckley III, Space 39, Chico’s, The Edison Restaurant, Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, SWFL Model and Talent, Lush Bakery, Musikbeats and The Resort at MarinaVillage, Holiday Inn Downtown Fort Myers
The Fort Myers Film Festival is proud to support the Lee County Student Film Festival and The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. For press passes, press kits and other information not provided here please contact info@fortmyersfilmfestival.com