Naples art galleries

As a complement to Baseball Heroes this exhibition will paint a fuller portrait of noted collectors and philanthropists Patty and Jay Baker through the presentation of selections from their remarkable collection of fine art. From the Impressionist painting of Claude Monet to the art deco portraits of Tamara de Lempicka to the abstract sculpture of Henry Moore the works in this exhibition represent some of the most significant art historical movements of the past 150 years.

Florida Contemporary an annual exhibition organized by Artis—Naples The Baker Museum highlights the work of notable visual artists active in Florida. The artists invited for its ninth iteration are Colombian Gonzalo Fuenmayor Hawaii-born Akiko Kotani and California native Noelle Mason. With their distinctive backgrounds and artistic preoccupations these three artists provide an array of compelling works in diverse media that testify to the state’s vibrant art scene as well as its ever-changing human geography which is continuously injected and bursting with multicultural creative talent.

The exhibition provides insights into these artists’ unique visual lexicons in three galleries each one dedicated to a single artist. Overall the show focuses on their enduring visual investigations into a range of crucial aesthetic notions including transcendence beauty and visuality as well as topical questions regarding identity belonging surveillance and border crossing. This show creates a space for viewers to become both inspired and exalted while simultaneously allowing one to engage with critical dialogues about the role that art plays in this multicultural nation and in our connections to nature land and geography.

One of the most effective and widely used educational tools for artists is practicing still life which is defined as creating art depicting a subject that is inanimate or dead. Most artists are exposed to this practice frequently in order to help hone their skills while others consider it their preferred subject matter. In either case exploring the art of still life is essential in an artist’s development of skill and style.

“Embracing Stillness” is an education-inspired exhibition that is bound to result in a prolific array of artworks from creators of varying skill levels. This is an open call exhibition inviting artists of all walks of life to produce art inspired by this subject. In addition prior to the submission deadline we will host a class where artists will be invited to come and work from a still life installation built in a common space at SBDAC. The class would involve a guided session of independent drawing or painting from the provided installation for a generous allotment of time with a local established artist acting as a guide to assist or answer questions. Artists will have the option to submit the resulting artworks for inclusion in this exhibition. The class is not mandatory for participation in the show.

By hosting a juried exhibition with an emphasis on a basic subject such as still life we can encourage both emerging and established artists to go beyond their comfort zones and learn something new in the process. Submissions will be judged based on technique and creativity as well as a grasp of the subject of ‘still life’ and this call is open to all traditional mediums (painting drawing etc.).

Pam Longobardi has channeled her lifelong love of the ocean into an artistic practice that transforms the mountains of plastic debris that wash up on beaches around the world. For more than 15 years Longobardi has utilized found ocean plastics as her primary source material arranging hundreds of plastic pieces into meticulous wall-mounted artworks or turning them into monumental floor-based sculptures. She refers to this body of work as the “Drifters Project.” Working collaboratively with communities around the globe Longobardi has cleaned beaches from Hawaii to Greece to Panama and dozens of locations in between removing tens of thousands of pounds of plastic from the environment and converting them into thought-provoking works of art that shed an unflinching light on the effects of global consumption on the natural world.

Longobardi is regents’ professor at the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She was the recipient of the prestigious Hudgens Prize in 2013 and has exhibited her artwork in museums and galleries throughout the United States and globally. Longobardi is represented in public and private collections including the Maier Museum of Art Lynchburg Virginia; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Bentonville Arkansas; and many others.

ART OF DESIGN | EXHIBITION

Extended exhibition runs through Summer, 2022

The Art of Design is an exhibition exploring the interconnection of contemporary fine art and design. On view at Method & Concept, the exhibition features art and design by ceramic artist Scott Daniel, glass artist Jamie Harris and paper artist Matthew Shlian alongside a unique collection of Method & Concept’s Naples-produced designs. The exhibit showcases a hand-crafted 24-Hour Studio Furniture Series by Naples-based Artist and Designer, Chad Jensen.

CLICK: Directions to Method & Concept

Method & Concept is located at 111 10th Street South in Suite 112 of The Collective building.

Open to the Public | All are Welcome | Free of Charge

* Visit: M-F 10am – 5:30 pm
* Free Parking is available in The Collective building garage located at the 2nd Ave S entrance.
* Phone: 239.529.2633

Humans’ pursuit to transcend mortality and the physical world in order to bend their existence between time and space is an age-old journey. For as long as there have been free-thinking humans there has been a certain longing in each of us to understand the intricacies of the universe our own place within the cosmos the hereafter and the mysticism held within these explorations. Throughout the centuries artistic expression has been ever present in these pursuits to create physical representations of their journeys. Those fortunate enough to get a glimpse of the “other side” have worked to create visual auditory or literary representations of their journeys and experiences.

Invisible Thread explores the works of contemporary artists who approach spirituality transcendence and the subconscious through abstraction and metaphorical representation. These artists have continued in the lineages of the ancestors and artisans in generations before them as the transcribers of the mysteries within the universe while being bound together by an invisible thread in the shared channeling of their collective histories. This exhibition presents a broad swath of mediums and techniques including performance film sculpture and painting while conceptually threading both abstract and representational elements together in the examination of contemporary spirituality and the continued pursuit of transcending physical mortality.

Artists included in the exhibition include Lala Abaddon, Natalie Ball, David Bordett Awol Erizku Jeffrey Gibson Dom Sylvester Houédard Rachel Libeskind Tony Rodrigues Shikeith Panos Tsagaris Neha Vedpathak and Monsieur Zohore.

Toward the end of the Great Depression a loose configuration of artists organized to promote an alternative to the social realist and regional art that then dominated the art world. Initiated in New Mexico in 1938 the Transcendental Painting Group set out to explore spiritually heightened abstraction employing free-wheeling symbols and imagery drawn from the collective unconscious. Under the guidance of Raymond Jonson and Emil Bisttram artists Agnes Pelton Lawren Harris Florence Miller Pierce Horace Pierce Robert Gribbroek William Lumpkins Dane Rudhyar Stuart Walker and Ed Garman sought per their manifesto “to carry painting beyond the appearance of the physical world through new concepts of space color light and design to imaginative realms that are idealistic and spiritual.”

Inspired by the ideas of artist and theorist Wassily Kandinsky as well as by American painters Arthur Dove Marsden Hartley and Georgia O’Keeffe these artists evoked sensuous synesthetic experiences of nature and ideas creating works that embodied a higher spiritual reality. Though the group dispersed during World War II their paintings were an important chapter in the history of modern painting and 20th-century American art today providing a compelling heritage for contemporary artists seeking to create spiritually evocative abstractions.

Another World: The Transcendental Painting Group is organized by the Crocker Art Museum Sacramento CA and is curated by Michael Duncan. The presentation of this exhibition at Artis—Naples The Baker Museum is curated by Rangsook Yoon Ph.D. Curator of Modern Art. This exhibition is made possible with support from the Henry Luce Foundation. The Henry Luce Foundation seeks to enrich public discourse by promoting innovative scholarship cultivating new leaders and fostering international understanding. Established in 1936 by Henry R. Luce the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Time Inc. the Luce Foundation advances its mission through grantmaking and leadership programs in the fields of Asia higher education religion and theology art and public policy.

A leader in arts funding in the United States the Luce Foundation’s American Art Program was established in 1982 to support museums universities and arts organizations in their efforts to advance the understanding and experience of American and Native American visual arts through research exhibitions publications and collection projects.

Fort Myers High School is proud to present the 2022 International Baccalaureate Senior Visual Arts Exhibition showcasing the creativity of the students. During the past years students have not only created unique works of art they have also explored the works of historical and contemporary artists investigated critical theories in art and have created extensive documentation of their art making processes in a series of sketchbook entries.

Our students are proud to present works of art created in fulfillment of their 2022 International Baccalaureate Visual Arts requirements. Works of art presented at the Sidney and Berne Davis Arts Center explore a wide range of visual media including traditional and digital photography acrylic and oil painting printmaking fiber arts sculpture ceramics and more.

Art Exhibition | 04/01/22 – 05/14/22
SOLO | Barbara Albin

Sanibel

Hirdie-Girdie Gallery
2490 Library Way Sanibel FL 33957
239-395-0027

Hirdie Girdie Gallery welcomes contemporary water media artist Barbara Albin as April Guest Artist. Barbara’s art career began with the sale of her first two paintings at age 17. Since then Barbara has been in over 300 juried and invitational shows with numerous awards to her credit. She has been a public school art teacher adult art instructor art show juror art lecturer art book author and workshop instructor. Her paintings are in many private and corporate collections. Barbara has been active in several art organizations in both her native Illinois and Florida and has received recognition for her many contributions to the local art communities.
Barbara works in watercolor and acrylic and describes herself as an imaginative and intuitive artist who internalizes the subject matter and then expresses it on paper or canvas with strokes of joyful color and lively movement and energy. Barbara says “So many can paint the real world but I like to paint the world we cannot see. Into each work of art I pour out not only paint but also the joy and love in my heart.”
Barbara will be available to discuss her inspiration and her painting process and techniques at a Meet the Artist event April 7th 5-7 pm.

After his two previous shows “The Balancing Act” and “It’s What It Is” Xavier Brignoni returns in 2022 with “Xperience.”

Through his mixed media and conceptual art “Xperience” takes us on a journey through five decades of the artist’s life. From the beginning as a child growing to adulthood and on to the present “Xperience” addresses our collective longing for answers explanations and reasons.

Who are we?

What are we searching for?

Why are we still searching at all?

Presented twenty-five works divided by fives decades of his journey Xavier invites you to join in posing these questions engage in self-reflection and find that the answers and revelations are universal. Born in Santurce Puerto Rico Xavier Brignoni has been a custom framer an Educator a decorator and since 2008 a conceptual artist.

He moved to Southwest Florida in 2000 following an opportunity to reshape and redirect his professional career. Alongside lifetime friend and visual artist David Acevedo he co-founded DAAS Gallery in downtown Fort Myers FL. In 2012 he co-founded the Union Artists Studios in the Alliance for the Arts campus. To this day this is the only organized group studio space in all of SWFL. As part of the first DAAS Gallery Brignoni collaborated to establish the Fort Myers Art Walk. More recently the artist helped establish DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts in 2016 and expand the Union Artist Studios in 2021.

In 2017 Brignoni was recognized with a FACE Award for diversity and inclusion in the community. He has exhibited in multiple galleries in southwest Florida and his work is part of numerous private art collections.

As a conceptualist with a powerful influence on pop art Brignoni’s work is bold and relatable. He touches on his own life and experiences to express his emotions in a variety of mediums. His favorite technique is the fine-art decoupage. Some of his latest and most renowned works belong to his “Balancing Act” (2018) and “It Is What It Is” (2019) Collections.

With a brand new studio space and a new website Brignoni is promising more impact and relevant artistic works constantly evolving and pushing the boundaries.

Fort Myers FL – In the month of April DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts is showcasing the art of visual artist and local business owner Whitney Hackett. The opening reception is scheduled for Friday April 1 2022 from 6:00pm to 9:30pm in conjunction with the monthly Fort Myers Art Walk event. The exhibition will be on display through Sunday May 1 2022.

Whitney Hackett grew up in Fort Myers where she currently lives and works as an artist. She is currently the owner of Quartz and Clover – an eclectic store in the heart of downtown. Her paintings are full of vibrancy with a vintage feel. She explores memory and nostalgia through her body of dreamy and celebratory paintings. Her innocent appreciation for everyday life encourages a childlike playfulness in her work. Through the enshrinement of simple things she elevates the ordinary to extraordinary. The juxtaposition of her imagery speaks to the interconnectedness of all life the way we assign meaning to the material world and the honoring of our existence.

Art lovers collectors and enthusiasts are invited to meet the artist during the Fort Myers Art Walk reception scheduled on the first Friday of April from 6:00pm to 9:30pm.

DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts is located at 1815 Fowler Street in the Butterfly Estates complex in Fort Myers FL. The gallery’s business hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 3pm. More information about the venue can be found at daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.

Art Exhibition | 04/11/22 – 05/03/22
Adult Student Exhibit | GROUP SHOW
Marco Island

Marco Island Center for the Arts
1010 Winterberry Drive 34145 United States
1-239-394-4221

Art Exhibition | 05/02/22 – 05/31/22
Color Me Happy abstract florals | 3 Russian artists
Naples

East West Fine Art
9115 Strada Pl #5130 Naples FL 34108
239-821-9459

What conveys joy and happiness? What brightens your mood every time you see them? What object portrays love and adoration? Flowers of course! Celebrate life through the eyes of our talented artists Alexander Fyedorov Natalia Litosova and Oleg Kalaytanov as they delight with their expressive floral bouquets.

The power of two: commanding forces in painting and self-expression these two lovebirds make the perfect pair! Krista and Leo Johnson combine primitivism and modernist figure painting to form a cumulative vision that delights with splendor and discovery. Join us in the gallery this month as we celebrate the work of these two amazing artists which make the perfect DUO.

On Display: May 6 – 28

Opening Reception: May 6 from 5 – 7 p.m. • See it first. See it free. This event is open to the public. Come meet your neighbors at this free event!

In the month of June, DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts is showcasing the art of photographer Sathiel Profeta Ramos.

The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, June 3, 2022, from 6:00pm to 9:30pm, in conjunction with the monthly Fort Myers Art Walk event. The exhibition will be on display through Sunday, June 26, 2022.

The collection on display, from the L’ Atelier Sathiel series, is an exploration of the male human form. These tasteful nudes represent a perspective rarely exhibited in our area. The artist aligns with the vision of the venue, which has historically pushed the boundaries with daring exhibitions, such as the group show Skin (2009 and 2011) and The Duality of Man by Spencer Elles in 2021. Profeta Ramos wants to celebrate the freedom of acceptance and pride, coinciding with local LGBTQA+ community celebrations of equality and acceptance.

Originally from Manila, Philippines, Sathiel Profeta Ramos started dreaming to be a photographer at the age of 8, while attending a local convent. He always aspired to travel the world. He discovered his love for photography, being his first assignment the Afterglow 99 – his own college yearbook as the class photo editor.  Right after college he opened his own Portrait Salon studio in his hometown. He travelled intensively through 70 countries for two decades, later becoming a freelance travel photojournalist. He lived in Europe for 5 years, later moving to the United States due to the European Crisis in Greece.  Amidst the pandemic, dealing with a lot of losses and health issues in 2020, he formed a male erotic art group called Human Perspective 33990, as his scapegoat for his depression and fears. Today the group is expanding numbers of active male models around US, while extending his affiliation through Europe and Asia.  

Art lovers, collectors and enthusiasts are invited to meet the artist during the Fort Myers Art Walk reception, scheduled on the first Friday of June from 6:00pm to 9:30pm.

DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts is located at 1815 Fowler Street, in the Butterfly Estates complex in Fort Myers, FL. The gallery’s business hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 3pm. More information about the venue can be found at daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.

​Nevena Bentz‘s current series, “One,” continues the quest for understanding the human condition but widens the aperture from the individual to the collective level. The series examines the unprecedented role of humanity today, as a geological force with planetary impact. As in her earlier work, she continues to play with the notions of fragmentation and duality. She uses mixed media in a process that is uniquely hers and creates an aesthetic that vacillates between the abstract and the figurative. Her work seeks to achieve a harmonious aesthetics where the human form dissolves into Nature’s rich textures and patterns, and the notion of separation gives way to the idea of oneness.

When starting a new piece, artists might ask themselves: What idea is important to communicate? What concept do I want to explore? What emotions do I want to evoke?

This exhibition presents the artwork of 29 individual artists who explored these themes, answering in their artwork.

The quilts in this exhibit reflect the varied traditions and artmaking methods characteristic of contemporary art quilters. Included are original surface designs on fabric, hand stitching,machine stitching, hand embellishments, applique, and digital printing. Some works are representational. Some are abstract.

SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates), a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt: “a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure.” The vision of SAQA is that the art quilt is universally respected as a fine art medium.

Opening Reception: June 3, 5-7pm • See it first. See it free. This event is open to the public. Come meet your neighbors at this free event!

Artist Statements

Featured Artists:

Bobbi Baugh: Nor Could Our Hands Catch Them

From her studio in DeLand, Florida Bobbi creates collaged textile artworks for exploration of memories, dreams, storytelling and images of the natural world. The works are built from hand-printed fabrics and paper and finished as art quilts.

Gretchen Brooks: Ring the Bell

Brooks’ biology experience has provided a wealth of inspiration for Gretchen’s artistic endeavors, which have ranged from floral design, to outdoor cement and mosaic sculptures.

Kathleen Campau: Sending Kisses by Moonlight 

Campau’s art has been shown extensively in Michigan, the International Quilt Festival, and regional art exhibits in both Florida and Ohio.

Susan Charles: Red Skies, Beauty or Beast

From an early age, Susan has been fascinated by shapes and colors. She developed her craft working at a quilt store in Northern California. Charles says “I wanted to explore what was once a beautiful sunset is now a deadly fire.”

Gabriele DiTota: Double Threat 

Gabriele’s surface design techniques including monoprinting, mark making, dyeing, discharging and screen-printing helps her create the textural and unique fabrics used in her art works.

Mel Dugosh: Who Does Your Stripes? 

Mel specialized in and taught traditional edge turned hand appliqué using predominantly vintage and civil war reproduction fabrics. She only recently discovered art quilting after health and mobility constraints curtailed her traditional quilting craft.

Regina Dunn: Screen Door With A View 

Regina started her artistic journey in 2001 by making traditional quilts. She ventured into the art world by attending workshops, joining art groups, and trying many techniques over the years as she developed a personal style.

Sally Dutko: Urban Jeopardy 

Dutko’s dyed and painted fabrics transform into abstract compositions hinting at subjects through color, texture, line, pattern and typography.

Linda Geiger: Too Many Choices 

Linda has been focusing on textile surface design. Her art is spontaneous rather than premeditated, as she finds inspiration in a piece of hand-dyed fabric and then paints,pieces, and stitches it into a work of art.

Peg Green: Feeling Exuberant – Somersault 

Green’s projects include a Mongolia-America Friendship Center with weekly adult classes, and a seed distribution project with a demo vegetable garden.

Edith Gross: Brother, Should I Spare a Dime?

Gross expresses herself through art quilting which is her passion, freedom, joy, and voice.

Leslie A. Hall: Mama, Are We There Yet? 

Hall makes fiber art pieces that are shown and exhibited nationally. She lives quietly on Longboat Key, Florida with her husband and cat, Dudley.

Diane Powers Harris: Spirit Owl’s Offering – Solace

Powers was surrounded by vibrant tropical flowers and vivid sunsets which influenced her early use of exuberant color. She is interested to discover how her art will grow. Will it incorporate strong use of color

Jane Hartfield: Life Is A Cycle 

Hartfield explores the unlimited techniques for applying color and creating unique fabrics, Jane has also found satisfaction in making wearable art. She has a passion for adding color to fabric with fiber reactive dyes and paints.

Linda M. Kim: Creating Love from Despair

Kim combines her affections for textiles, found and recycled materials, and her concerns as a woman, parent, immigrant and American. She creates art quilts for their inherent storytelling quality and tactile allure.

Angie Knowles: The Same But Different

Knowles works in mixed media, primarily surface design on cotton, silk and rayon. She has explored many different aspects of fiber arts, from clothing construction and hand embroidery to machine knitting and surface design techniques.

Karol Kusmaul: Party Lights 

Kusmaul enjoys making collage art with repurposed fabrics and using raw edge, hand applique. Her work reflects her delight in pattern, contrast and variety.

Deborah Kuster: Why Do You Worry?

Kuster creates her art by cutting, assembling, sewing, and forming her hand-woven textiles into two-and three-dimensional works of art. They are her visual interpretations of the lingual.

Susan Leslie Lumsden: Anclote Answers, Estuarial Quandaries

Susan is known for her rich colorizations, variegated textures and high level of insouciance. Her quilts are sought after and found in public, corporate and private collections.

Sherri Lipman McCauley: Yellow Is Joy 

McCauley works extemporaneously and in the abstract. The serendipity of the paint or dye landing on the fabric dictates the direction of her design. The simple stroke of a geometric shape or the blast of a colorful line ground her work.

Susie Monday: Whirling Past Darkness

Monday’s large textile collage stitched art evokes the culture, stories and landscapes of the Texas Borderlands — the inner creative life of the artist. Working in mixed media on fabric, Susie dyes, screen prints and/or digitally designs much of the fabrics she uses.

Pamela R. Morris: Where Did the Bluewater Go?

Morris is most inspired by the colors of the Master in the small flower petal, the feathers of birds, the magnificent skies and waters outside her home on the Gulf of Mexico. But Pamela arranges them to please herself, usually in simple shapes.

Shannon Marie Pernoud: Sunken Treasures — Gilt-less Pleasures

Shannon stumbled into sewing when gifted with a machine. Having no training, she taught herself by making purses without patterns. Currently, she focuses on her creative art quilt endeavors.

Susan M. Robinson: Have We Crossed the Line?

Robinson has married her love of painting and her passion for quilting, along with her interest in portraits and abstracts into her recent studio works.

Sara Sharp: First Waves, Flattening Curves, Persistent Peaks

Sharp combines her love of nature and years of painting experience and training to create collage art quilts. She paints, pieces, hand prints, and stitches commercial and hand dyed fabrics to make wall hangings showing abstract designs, social concepts, and nature scenes.

Annie Smith: Gray Matter Chaos

Smith is driven by her senses, and from early childhood, she has been intrigued with the visual impact of color and texture. These elements make her spirit soar.

Becky Stack: Weathered Cedar — Beauty on the Marsh

Stack uses fabric, fiber, and a variety of mediums to create pictorial wall quilts.

Beth Frisbie Wallace: Still a mother, sister, friend…

Wallace has created with fabric and thread since a child. As an adult, her love of color, print and texture,and an abundance of fabric scraps from sewing garments collided with the resurgence in quilting following the U. S. Bicentennial.

Marian Zielinski: Breakthrough

Zielinski engages her experience in costume, scenic, and lighting design to create dramatic images and visual stories.

In the Theatre Lobby: Doug Smithwick

Born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1949, I was exposed to abstract art at a very early age. Fortunately  my older brother Bruce, who was born 14 years earlier, is an  accomplished abstract artist. I recall as early as 12 years old  Bruce frequently taking me to museums and art galleries. I  loved Picasso, Mondrian and Kandinsky. When I was 16 my  brother moved to New York City. He found a great apartment  in Greenwich Village. Most of my Summer breaks from school  he would fly me up to stay two or three weeks with him.  In addition to being able to observe his painting I spent hours  walking around the city. Especially enjoyed the Village and  Soho.

Celebrating inspiring young artists, BIG ARTS and the FSW Arts Department is proud to present a student exhibition of art. While highlighting the talent and skill of these students, the exhibit also serves as a learning experience. Provided with a fresh gallery space, the FSW Fine Art Students will conceptualize, curate and install the exhibit, allowing them the experience of preparing for a professional exhibition. The exhibition is an opportunity for students to express themselves to the community and for the community to support the future of the arts.

This exhibit will be available for viewing beginning June 10th until July 23rd.

Colonial Contours presents a collection of works that was borne from the diasporic border connecting the Dominican Republic and Haiti, two countries sharing one island. Featuring artists Martha De la Cruz (Dominican) and Dimithry Victor (Haitian), the exhibition includes powerful sculptures, installations, and paintings that explore the deep-rooted effects and symptoms of coloniality & neocolonialism.

On display: August 5-28, 2022

Opening reception: August 5 from 5 – 7 p.m. • See it first. See it free. This event is open to the public. Come meet your neighbors at this free event!

As part of FGCU’s 25^th anniversary, this exhibition kicks off the season with the work of the Art Program faculty. Investigations in areas such as social commentary, the environment and material processes are embedded in paintings, ceramics, prints, sculptures and more. The diverse content and techniques on display represent the breadth of research being conducted by the faculty. Happening only once every three years this exhibition is a special opportunity to see all of the faculty’s work in one exhibition.

Sponsored by Gene and Lee Seidler and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture

Mr. Summers’ main subject is faces. He describes his work as “conjured,” rather than conventional portraits. He works primarily in acrylics on large-scale canvases and other surfaces, such as tarpaper and board.

Opening Reception: September 2, 5-7pm • See it first. See it free. This event is open to the public. Come meet your neighbors at this free event!

Theatre Lobby: David Monagas

Admission to our galleries is free all day, every day. Help keep it that way! Your membership or donation enables us to present amazing exhibitions and engaging programs that make the Alliance an artistic, creative treasure.

• Please note the Alliance for the Arts’ updated gallery and administrative office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

This exhibition is all about Florida! The sunshine state has many things to offer, beautiful beaches, great weather all year round, natural wonders, and exuberant vegetation. For this year’s challenge we asked artists to show what brought them to Florida or what is keeping them here and to let their imagination run wild to show why they love Florida.. over 40 artists have been accepted and over 100 pieces of work will be on display for this exhibition.

Announcement of Best of Show Winner & SBDAC’s Pick will be at 7:30 pm on the opening on June 3rd.

This year’s judge panel consists of Artists Mariapia Malerba, David Acevedo and Executive Director of the River District Alliance, Lisa Sbuttoni.

People’s choice winner will be announced June 17th at 8pm during the Dueling Pianos Sounds of Summer Event.

Show opens June 3rd and will be on display through June 24th. For more info call 239.333.1933 or visit the website at www.sbdac.com.

The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located in the historic downtown Fort Myers at 2301 First Street.

One of the most effective and widely used educational tools for artists is practicing still life which is defined as creating art depicting a subject that is inanimate or dead. Most artists are exposed to this practice frequently in order to help hone their skills while others consider it their preferred subject matter. In either case exploring the art of still life is essential in an artist’s development of skill and style.

“Embracing Stillness” is an education-inspired exhibition that is bound to result in a prolific array of artworks from creators of varying skill levels. This is an open call exhibition inviting artists of all walks of life to produce art inspired by this subject. In addition prior to the submission deadline we will host a class where artists will be invited to come and work from a still life installation built in a common space at SBDAC. The class would involve a guided session of independent drawing or painting from the provided installation for a generous allotment of time with a local established artist acting as a guide to assist or answer questions. Artists will have the option to submit the resulting artworks for inclusion in this exhibition. The class is not mandatory for participation in the show.

By hosting a juried exhibition with an emphasis on a basic subject such as still life we can encourage both emerging and established artists to go beyond their comfort zones and learn something new in the process. Submissions will be judged based on technique and creativity as well as a grasp of the subject of ‘still life’ and this call is open to all traditional mediums (painting drawing etc.).

After his two previous shows “The Balancing Act” and “It’s What It Is” Xavier Brignoni returns in 2022 with “Xperience.”

Through his mixed media and conceptual art “Xperience” takes us on a journey through five decades of the artist’s life. From the beginning as a child growing to adulthood and on to the present “Xperience” addresses our collective longing for answers explanations and reasons.

Who are we?

What are we searching for?

Why are we still searching at all?

Presented twenty-five works divided by fives decades of his journey Xavier invites you to join in posing these questions engage in self-reflection and find that the answers and revelations are universal. Born in Santurce Puerto Rico Xavier Brignoni has been a custom framer an Educator a decorator and since 2008 a conceptual artist.

He moved to Southwest Florida in 2000 following an opportunity to reshape and redirect his professional career. Alongside lifetime friend and visual artist David Acevedo he co-founded DAAS Gallery in downtown Fort Myers FL. In 2012 he co-founded the Union Artists Studios in the Alliance for the Arts campus. To this day this is the only organized group studio space in all of SWFL. As part of the first DAAS Gallery Brignoni collaborated to establish the Fort Myers Art Walk. More recently the artist helped establish DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts in 2016 and expand the Union Artist Studios in 2021.

In 2017 Brignoni was recognized with a FACE Award for diversity and inclusion in the community. He has exhibited in multiple galleries in southwest Florida and his work is part of numerous private art collections.

As a conceptualist with a powerful influence on pop art Brignoni’s work is bold and relatable. He touches on his own life and experiences to express his emotions in a variety of mediums. His favorite technique is the fine-art decoupage. Some of his latest and most renowned works belong to his “Balancing Act” (2018) and “It Is What It Is” (2019) Collections.

With a brand new studio space and a new website Brignoni is promising more impact and relevant artistic works constantly evolving and pushing the boundaries.

Fort Myers High School is proud to present the 2022 International Baccalaureate Senior Visual Arts Exhibition showcasing the creativity of the students. During the past years students have not only created unique works of art they have also explored the works of historical and contemporary artists investigated critical theories in art and have created extensive documentation of their art making processes in a series of sketchbook entries.

Our students are proud to present works of art created in fulfillment of their 2022 International Baccalaureate Visual Arts requirements. Works of art presented at the Sidney and Berne Davis Arts Center explore a wide range of visual media including traditional and digital photography acrylic and oil painting printmaking fiber arts sculpture ceramics and more.

Fort Myers FL – In the month of April DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts is showcasing the art of visual artist and local business owner Whitney Hackett. The opening reception is scheduled for Friday April 1 2022 from 6:00pm to 9:30pm in conjunction with the monthly Fort Myers Art Walk event. The exhibition will be on display through Sunday May 1 2022.

Whitney Hackett grew up in Fort Myers where she currently lives and works as an artist. She is currently the owner of Quartz and Clover – an eclectic store in the heart of downtown. Her paintings are full of vibrancy with a vintage feel. She explores memory and nostalgia through her body of dreamy and celebratory paintings. Her innocent appreciation for everyday life encourages a childlike playfulness in her work. Through the enshrinement of simple things she elevates the ordinary to extraordinary. The juxtaposition of her imagery speaks to the interconnectedness of all life the way we assign meaning to the material world and the honoring of our existence.

Art lovers collectors and enthusiasts are invited to meet the artist during the Fort Myers Art Walk reception scheduled on the first Friday of April from 6:00pm to 9:30pm.

DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts is located at 1815 Fowler Street in the Butterfly Estates complex in Fort Myers FL. The gallery’s business hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 3pm. More information about the venue can be found at daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.

Art Exhibition | 04/01/22 – 05/14/22
SOLO | Barbara Albin

Sanibel

Hirdie-Girdie Gallery
2490 Library Way Sanibel FL 33957
239-395-0027

Hirdie Girdie Gallery welcomes contemporary water media artist Barbara Albin as April Guest Artist. Barbara’s art career began with the sale of her first two paintings at age 17. Since then Barbara has been in over 300 juried and invitational shows with numerous awards to her credit. She has been a public school art teacher adult art instructor art show juror art lecturer art book author and workshop instructor. Her paintings are in many private and corporate collections. Barbara has been active in several art organizations in both her native Illinois and Florida and has received recognition for her many contributions to the local art communities.
Barbara works in watercolor and acrylic and describes herself as an imaginative and intuitive artist who internalizes the subject matter and then expresses it on paper or canvas with strokes of joyful color and lively movement and energy. Barbara says “So many can paint the real world but I like to paint the world we cannot see. Into each work of art I pour out not only paint but also the joy and love in my heart.”
Barbara will be available to discuss her inspiration and her painting process and techniques at a Meet the Artist event April 7th 5-7 pm.

At the end of their studies art majors are required to develop and present a coherent body of self-generated work. This exhibition combines their knowledge of techniques and concepts while drawing on research of historical and contemporary artists. Each senior art major in the exhibition designs and creates a unique installation that combines their technical skills and conceptual vision.

Sponsored by The Layden Family Foundation The Smith Family Foundation of Estero and WGCU Public Media

The power of two: commanding forces in painting and self-expression these two lovebirds make the perfect pair! Krista and Leo Johnson combine primitivism and modernist figure painting to form a cumulative vision that delights with splendor and discovery. Join us in the gallery this month as we celebrate the work of these two amazing artists which make the perfect DUO.

On Display: May 6 – 28

Opening Reception: May 6 from 5 – 7 p.m. • See it first. See it free. This event is open to the public. Come meet your neighbors at this free event!

In the month of June, DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts is showcasing the art of photographer Sathiel Profeta Ramos.

The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, June 3, 2022, from 6:00pm to 9:30pm, in conjunction with the monthly Fort Myers Art Walk event. The exhibition will be on display through Sunday, June 26, 2022.

The collection on display, from the L’ Atelier Sathiel series, is an exploration of the male human form. These tasteful nudes represent a perspective rarely exhibited in our area. The artist aligns with the vision of the venue, which has historically pushed the boundaries with daring exhibitions, such as the group show Skin (2009 and 2011) and The Duality of Man by Spencer Elles in 2021. Profeta Ramos wants to celebrate the freedom of acceptance and pride, coinciding with local LGBTQA+ community celebrations of equality and acceptance.

Originally from Manila, Philippines, Sathiel Profeta Ramos started dreaming to be a photographer at the age of 8, while attending a local convent. He always aspired to travel the world. He discovered his love for photography, being his first assignment the Afterglow 99 – his own college yearbook as the class photo editor.  Right after college he opened his own Portrait Salon studio in his hometown. He travelled intensively through 70 countries for two decades, later becoming a freelance travel photojournalist. He lived in Europe for 5 years, later moving to the United States due to the European Crisis in Greece.  Amidst the pandemic, dealing with a lot of losses and health issues in 2020, he formed a male erotic art group called Human Perspective 33990, as his scapegoat for his depression and fears. Today the group is expanding numbers of active male models around US, while extending his affiliation through Europe and Asia.  

Art lovers, collectors and enthusiasts are invited to meet the artist during the Fort Myers Art Walk reception, scheduled on the first Friday of June from 6:00pm to 9:30pm.

DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts is located at 1815 Fowler Street, in the Butterfly Estates complex in Fort Myers, FL. The gallery’s business hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 10am to 3pm. More information about the venue can be found at daascoop.com or by calling 239-590-8645.

When starting a new piece, artists might ask themselves: What idea is important to communicate? What concept do I want to explore? What emotions do I want to evoke?

This exhibition presents the artwork of 29 individual artists who explored these themes, answering in their artwork.

The quilts in this exhibit reflect the varied traditions and artmaking methods characteristic of contemporary art quilters. Included are original surface designs on fabric, hand stitching,machine stitching, hand embellishments, applique, and digital printing. Some works are representational. Some are abstract.

SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates), a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt: “a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure.” The vision of SAQA is that the art quilt is universally respected as a fine art medium.

Opening Reception: June 3, 5-7pm • See it first. See it free. This event is open to the public. Come meet your neighbors at this free event!

Artist Statements

Featured Artists:

Bobbi Baugh: Nor Could Our Hands Catch Them

From her studio in DeLand, Florida Bobbi creates collaged textile artworks for exploration of memories, dreams, storytelling and images of the natural world. The works are built from hand-printed fabrics and paper and finished as art quilts.

Gretchen Brooks: Ring the Bell

Brooks’ biology experience has provided a wealth of inspiration for Gretchen’s artistic endeavors, which have ranged from floral design, to outdoor cement and mosaic sculptures.

Kathleen Campau: Sending Kisses by Moonlight 

Campau’s art has been shown extensively in Michigan, the International Quilt Festival, and regional art exhibits in both Florida and Ohio.

Susan Charles: Red Skies, Beauty or Beast

From an early age, Susan has been fascinated by shapes and colors. She developed her craft working at a quilt store in Northern California. Charles says “I wanted to explore what was once a beautiful sunset is now a deadly fire.”

Gabriele DiTota: Double Threat 

Gabriele’s surface design techniques including monoprinting, mark making, dyeing, discharging and screen-printing helps her create the textural and unique fabrics used in her art works.

Mel Dugosh: Who Does Your Stripes? 

Mel specialized in and taught traditional edge turned hand appliqué using predominantly vintage and civil war reproduction fabrics. She only recently discovered art quilting after health and mobility constraints curtailed her traditional quilting craft.

Regina Dunn: Screen Door With A View 

Regina started her artistic journey in 2001 by making traditional quilts. She ventured into the art world by attending workshops, joining art groups, and trying many techniques over the years as she developed a personal style.

Sally Dutko: Urban Jeopardy 

Dutko’s dyed and painted fabrics transform into abstract compositions hinting at subjects through color, texture, line, pattern and typography.

Linda Geiger: Too Many Choices 

Linda has been focusing on textile surface design. Her art is spontaneous rather than premeditated, as she finds inspiration in a piece of hand-dyed fabric and then paints,pieces, and stitches it into a work of art.

Peg Green: Feeling Exuberant – Somersault 

Green’s projects include a Mongolia-America Friendship Center with weekly adult classes, and a seed distribution project with a demo vegetable garden.

Edith Gross: Brother, Should I Spare a Dime?

Gross expresses herself through art quilting which is her passion, freedom, joy, and voice.

Leslie A. Hall: Mama, Are We There Yet? 

Hall makes fiber art pieces that are shown and exhibited nationally. She lives quietly on Longboat Key, Florida with her husband and cat, Dudley.

Diane Powers Harris: Spirit Owl’s Offering – Solace

Powers was surrounded by vibrant tropical flowers and vivid sunsets which influenced her early use of exuberant color. She is interested to discover how her art will grow. Will it incorporate strong use of color

Jane Hartfield: Life Is A Cycle 

Hartfield explores the unlimited techniques for applying color and creating unique fabrics, Jane has also found satisfaction in making wearable art. She has a passion for adding color to fabric with fiber reactive dyes and paints.

Linda M. Kim: Creating Love from Despair

Kim combines her affections for textiles, found and recycled materials, and her concerns as a woman, parent, immigrant and American. She creates art quilts for their inherent storytelling quality and tactile allure.

Angie Knowles: The Same But Different

Knowles works in mixed media, primarily surface design on cotton, silk and rayon. She has explored many different aspects of fiber arts, from clothing construction and hand embroidery to machine knitting and surface design techniques.

Karol Kusmaul: Party Lights 

Kusmaul enjoys making collage art with repurposed fabrics and using raw edge, hand applique. Her work reflects her delight in pattern, contrast and variety.

Deborah Kuster: Why Do You Worry?

Kuster creates her art by cutting, assembling, sewing, and forming her hand-woven textiles into two-and three-dimensional works of art. They are her visual interpretations of the lingual.

Susan Leslie Lumsden: Anclote Answers, Estuarial Quandaries

Susan is known for her rich colorizations, variegated textures and high level of insouciance. Her quilts are sought after and found in public, corporate and private collections.

Sherri Lipman McCauley: Yellow Is Joy 

McCauley works extemporaneously and in the abstract. The serendipity of the paint or dye landing on the fabric dictates the direction of her design. The simple stroke of a geometric shape or the blast of a colorful line ground her work.

Susie Monday: Whirling Past Darkness

Monday’s large textile collage stitched art evokes the culture, stories and landscapes of the Texas Borderlands — the inner creative life of the artist. Working in mixed media on fabric, Susie dyes, screen prints and/or digitally designs much of the fabrics she uses.

Pamela R. Morris: Where Did the Bluewater Go?

Morris is most inspired by the colors of the Master in the small flower petal, the feathers of birds, the magnificent skies and waters outside her home on the Gulf of Mexico. But Pamela arranges them to please herself, usually in simple shapes.

Shannon Marie Pernoud: Sunken Treasures — Gilt-less Pleasures

Shannon stumbled into sewing when gifted with a machine. Having no training, she taught herself by making purses without patterns. Currently, she focuses on her creative art quilt endeavors.

Susan M. Robinson: Have We Crossed the Line?

Robinson has married her love of painting and her passion for quilting, along with her interest in portraits and abstracts into her recent studio works.

Sara Sharp: First Waves, Flattening Curves, Persistent Peaks

Sharp combines her love of nature and years of painting experience and training to create collage art quilts. She paints, pieces, hand prints, and stitches commercial and hand dyed fabrics to make wall hangings showing abstract designs, social concepts, and nature scenes.

Annie Smith: Gray Matter Chaos

Smith is driven by her senses, and from early childhood, she has been intrigued with the visual impact of color and texture. These elements make her spirit soar.

Becky Stack: Weathered Cedar — Beauty on the Marsh

Stack uses fabric, fiber, and a variety of mediums to create pictorial wall quilts.

Beth Frisbie Wallace: Still a mother, sister, friend…

Wallace has created with fabric and thread since a child. As an adult, her love of color, print and texture,and an abundance of fabric scraps from sewing garments collided with the resurgence in quilting following the U. S. Bicentennial.

Marian Zielinski: Breakthrough

Zielinski engages her experience in costume, scenic, and lighting design to create dramatic images and visual stories.

In the Theatre Lobby: Doug Smithwick

Born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1949, I was exposed to abstract art at a very early age. Fortunately  my older brother Bruce, who was born 14 years earlier, is an  accomplished abstract artist. I recall as early as 12 years old  Bruce frequently taking me to museums and art galleries. I  loved Picasso, Mondrian and Kandinsky. When I was 16 my  brother moved to New York City. He found a great apartment  in Greenwich Village. Most of my Summer breaks from school  he would fly me up to stay two or three weeks with him.  In addition to being able to observe his painting I spent hours  walking around the city. Especially enjoyed the Village and  Soho.

Celebrating inspiring young artists, BIG ARTS and the FSW Arts Department is proud to present a student exhibition of art. While highlighting the talent and skill of these students, the exhibit also serves as a learning experience. Provided with a fresh gallery space, the FSW Fine Art Students will conceptualize, curate and install the exhibit, allowing them the experience of preparing for a professional exhibition. The exhibition is an opportunity for students to express themselves to the community and for the community to support the future of the arts.

This exhibit will be available for viewing beginning June 10th until July 23rd.

Colonial Contours presents a collection of works that was borne from the diasporic border connecting the Dominican Republic and Haiti, two countries sharing one island. Featuring artists Martha De la Cruz (Dominican) and Dimithry Victor (Haitian), the exhibition includes powerful sculptures, installations, and paintings that explore the deep-rooted effects and symptoms of coloniality & neocolonialism.

On display: August 5-28, 2022

Opening reception: August 5 from 5 – 7 p.m. • See it first. See it free. This event is open to the public. Come meet your neighbors at this free event!

As part of FGCU’s 25^th anniversary, this exhibition kicks off the season with the work of the Art Program faculty. Investigations in areas such as social commentary, the environment and material processes are embedded in paintings, ceramics, prints, sculptures and more. The diverse content and techniques on display represent the breadth of research being conducted by the faculty. Happening only once every three years this exhibition is a special opportunity to see all of the faculty’s work in one exhibition.

Sponsored by Gene and Lee Seidler and the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture

Mr. Summers’ main subject is faces. He describes his work as “conjured,” rather than conventional portraits. He works primarily in acrylics on large-scale canvases and other surfaces, such as tarpaper and board.

Opening Reception: September 2, 5-7pm • See it first. See it free. This event is open to the public. Come meet your neighbors at this free event!

Theatre Lobby: David Monagas

Admission to our galleries is free all day, every day. Help keep it that way! Your membership or donation enables us to present amazing exhibitions and engaging programs that make the Alliance an artistic, creative treasure.

• Please note the Alliance for the Arts’ updated gallery and administrative office hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

This exhibition is all about Florida! The sunshine state has many things to offer, beautiful beaches, great weather all year round, natural wonders, and exuberant vegetation. For this year’s challenge we asked artists to show what brought them to Florida or what is keeping them here and to let their imagination run wild to show why they love Florida.. over 40 artists have been accepted and over 100 pieces of work will be on display for this exhibition.

Announcement of Best of Show Winner & SBDAC’s Pick will be at 7:30 pm on the opening on June 3rd.

This year’s judge panel consists of Artists Mariapia Malerba, David Acevedo and Executive Director of the River District Alliance, Lisa Sbuttoni.

People’s choice winner will be announced June 17th at 8pm during the Dueling Pianos Sounds of Summer Event.

Show opens June 3rd and will be on display through June 24th. For more info call 239.333.1933 or visit the website at www.sbdac.com.

The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located in the historic downtown Fort Myers at 2301 First Street.