Habitats: Alliance Members Exhibit

Exhibiting August 5 – September 3
Opening Reception: August 5, 5-7PM
Member Gallery: Patrick Conolly

Twice a year the Alliance invites its more than 1,200 members to contribute artwork following a different theme to be exhibited in its Main Gallery. The Alliance for the Arts’ August exhibit follows the theme “habitats.” One hundred and twenty pieces by one hundred and twenty participating artists will be on display, with the smallest work at 7 x 9 and the largest at 58 x 103.

The exhibition will be on display from August 5 to September 3 with an opening reception August 5 from 5-7PM. Works by Patrick Conolly will be displayed in the Member Gallery.

Art In Flight 10 Year Anniversary

Exhibiting July 8 – July 30
Opening Reception: July 8, 5-7PM
Member Gallery: Alliance Youth Programs

Thanks to a decade-long partnership between the Alliance for the Arts and the Southwest Florida International Airport millions of travelers get to see works by area artists each year as they arrive and depart. The current exhibit Art In Flight: 10 Year Anniversary, which has been up since last summer, features works by 35 artists. It will be displayed next at the Alliance for their July exhibit with an opening reception on July 8 from 5-7PM.

Details about the Art In Flight program are available at HERE. The Art In Flight: 10 Year Anniversary exhibit opens with a reception on Friday, July 8 from 5-7PM. Artwork by Alliance student artists will be on display in the Member Gallery.

3oth Annual All Florida Juried Exhibit

Exhibiting June 3 – June 30
Opening Reception: June 3, 5-7PM
Gallery Walk & Talk with Juror: June 4, 10-11AM
Member Gallery: Alliance Youth Programs

Our 30th Annual All Florida Juried Exhibit opens with a public reception on June 3 from 5-7PM and will run through June 30. The exhibition will feature works by 47 artists who live in Florida.

Featured artists: Eileen Amster, Brooke Anderson, David Belling, Celeste Borah, Steve Bufter, Willow Cada, Brian Cast, Dennis Church, Geoff Coe, Muffy Clark Gill, Patricia Collins, Sheri Dahl, Laurent Dareau, Sally Dutko, Ehren Gerhard, Elise Gold Sewell, Barbara Groenteman, Sarah Hull, Leo Johnson, Pamela Jones, Rose Jung, Megan Kissinger, Alexis Lago, Deborah Martin, Polly Matsumoto, Carolyn McGahey, John Merchant, Julie Obney, Jeff & Dale Ocasio, Lynn Ondercin, Andy Owen, Tracy Owen-Cullimore, Jose Pardo, Scott Parker, Rick Plummer, Renee Rey, Pamela Richardson, Roy Rodriguez, Caitlin Rosolen, Maria Sanchez, Joel Shapses, Herb Sklar, Stephen Staack, Mimi Stirn, Daniel Venditti, Patricia Zalisko and Peter Zell.

This year’s juror is Harry Messersmith, who maintains a full service bronze/glass foundry and sculpture atelier in Deland. He says he continues to refine his sculpture he describes as triangulated figures. “I have been developing a series of triangulated, figurative, architectural works since 1982. My work addresses the evolution of technology and its positive and negative effects upon the human condition. I strive to express, through the human figure, a dynamic balance of tension that exists between science and spiritual enlightenment, a condition for civilization to progress with dignity.”

Messersmith will present awards during the opening reception, including $1,000 cash for Best in Show and a $250 Golden Artists Colors gift certificate for 2nd place, and $100 cash for 3rd place, Jurors Choice Award-Artist Membership for 3rd place. He will lead a Gallery Walk and Talk on June 4 at 10AM. Artwork by Alliance youth artists will be displayed in the Member Gallery.

Distance

Exhibiting May 6 – May 28
Opening Reception Friday, May 6, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Photographer Steve Conley
In the Theatre Lobby: Paintings & Stories- Works by the Waid Family

Distance is mixed media project created by four artists from across the United States; Pegi Christiansen (Milwaukee, WI), Theresa Columbus (Baltimore, MD), Jennifer Holmes (Whittier, CA) and Director of FGCU Art Galleries John Loscuito (Naples, FL). They worked together over long distances to create exquisite corpse drawings, photographs, poems and a performance. The Distance project culminated in an exhibition and performance at the Lynden Sculpture Garden in Milwaukee, WI was part of Pegi Christensen’s year long artist in residence there.

The Future of Art

Exhibiting April 6 – April 30
Elementary & Middle School Opening Reception Wednesday, April 6, 5-7PM
High School Opening Reception Wednesday, April 20, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Art by Kids with Cancer/Young Artists Awards

Artwork created by elementary and middle school art students in Lee County will fill our gallery walls beginning April 6. This 24th annual partnership with the Lee Arts Educators Association (LAEA) gives students a chance to display their work in a formal exhibition. The show features more than forty schools and hundreds of works in a variety of mediums.  The opening reception is Wednesday, April 6 from 5-7PM. High school work will then be exhibited with a second opening reception on Wednesday, April 20 from 5-7PM and remain on display until April 30. Winners will be selected in several categories and Best in Show will be awarded. Refreshments for the high school reception will be provided by Evan’s Neighborhood Pizza in Fort Myers.

LAEA is a group of art teachers who work to recognize and promote students who show an interest and aptitude in the visual arts.

Art by Kids with Cancer (Young Artists Awards) will be on display in the Member Gallery.

Melissa Barry & Lee Brotherton

Exhibiting March 4 – March 31
Opening Reception Friday, March 4, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Jason McDonald
In the Theatre Lobby: BJR, Brown, Hernandez & Longoria

Lee Brotherton was born in the midwest, as the only child of a very mobile family. Art soon became her constant companion. Lee’s early interest in art and the encouragement of her high school art teacher led her to study Fine Arts in college. A Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (Ceramics ) was followed by a degree in Art Education.

The fine arts career of Lee included serving as an elementary art teacher, art museum work, art gallery manager and sales consultant. During this time, she constantly dreamt of being a full-time artist. In her free time she continued to work in the arts, especially with clay.

The southwest had called to Lee and became her home. In 1995, she met Bill Freeman, a painter and sculptor living in Scottsdale, AZ and Jackson Hole, WY. Bill shared with Lee his interest and knowledge of the pottery of the ancient and turn-of-century Native American Indians. She soon caught the “pottery fever”. Lee learned how to restore ancient pottery and to make replicas or “re-creations” of this beautiful pottery.

Within a few years of working and selling her pottery re-creations, Lee began experimenting with embedding fossils into her clay medium. Inspired by the fossils and other natural artifacts, Lee created her own designs to compliment the found treasure. One simple ammonite wall sculpture then led to the creation of a grouping of pieces that related to one another. Vessels, bowls and other shapes are often shaped by finding a special piece of driftwood, shell or plant life.

Lee’s sculpture may be seen in galleries, special events and in her artist’s studio in Cave Creek, AZ. Collectors of her work include private individuals, companies and museums throughout the world.

Melissa Barry Artist Statement

Each painting in this series combines aesthetic influences and images from two countries having personal meaning: Asia and the United States. I am interested in how multiple landscapes, with shifting scale and color, can simultaneously confuse the eye while soothing the soul. Using a SLR digital camera to photograph landscapes, I alter the computer image, manipulating color and scale. Projected images are painted onto a rectilinear landscape canvas and painted in a photo-realistic style, referencing order and tradition.

Grounded by process but guided by intuition, I juxtapose fragmented images and distort scale suggesting a chaotic world in constant flux. Abstracted passages symbolize fog, time of day, or mood. Seeking to meet my personal criteria for a successful painting, I ask “does the work evoke solitude, serenity,  and a reverence for the wilderness in its primal state? Do the fragmented images and distorted scale conjure questions of reality?” If successful, the painting gives a feeling of walking through a landscape, stopping to observe at different locations which are seen at different times under differing weather conditions, or through a scrim of memory. It seeks to suggest a unique world of its own, a fragmented “reality”, sense, but ultimately unknowable.

Living in Japan for several years in my youth, Asian art and philosophy were significant influences which continue to inform my work today. I am a fulltime working artist and have maintained a home and studio in Florida since 1977 and since 1994 a summer studio in upstate New York. I served as adjunct art professor at Florida’s Edison State College from 1979-1986 and was a resident artist at Vermont Studio Center, 1989-91, studying with former asst. director James Gahagan, Hans Hofmann School. While I continue to explore the field of art through research and travel, I am most interested in developing ideas and concepts in my studio through intense personal investigation and experimentation.

Antonio Guerroro

Exhibiting February 5 – February 27
Opening Reception Friday, February 12, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery in November: David Belling
In the Theatre Lobby: Guy Tieman

Born 1968 in Matanzas, Cuba
Lives and works in Miami Beach, Florida
Founder of The Cuban Art Project

Antonio Guerrero is a contemporary Cuban American Artist. He was born in 1968 in Matanzas Cuba, under the Castro regime. Guerrero grew up in a household where artistic expression was appreciated and encouraged; although materials were not always available, his dreams and ideas were always abundant.

In 1986 Antonio was drafted into the army and was immediately transported to Africa to fight in the Ethiopian War. He was inspired by the people and scenes of Africa and he developed an interest in modern expressionism and began to experiment with modern forms of visual art. The popularity of his work led to exhibits of his paintings at the military base.

Antonio returned to Cuba in 1988 where he resumed his job as an artisan specializing in painting, engraving wood carving, sculpting and metal work. Feeling increasingly oppressed by Cuba’s government, and unhappy with the worsening living conditions, Antonio, along with two other men, climbed into a raft they had secretly designed and built. Floating off from the coast of Matanzas, they were at sea for five days before being rescued and brought to the U.S.

In January of 1995 Guerrero’s “Balseros del 92”, (“The Rafters of 92”) was exhibited at Vanidades Gallery in Miami, FL. This painting was part of a collection donated to the Jose Marti Foundation in order to raise money for the Florida International University student scholarships. This portrait of himself along with his cousin and friend fleeing Cuba was said to best commemorate the occasion. On May 17, 1996 Guerrero’s work was exhibited by U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in Washington D.C. as a part of the “Cubans in exile” exhibit.

In 2012 Guerrero was one of four Cuban artists in the world chosen by Bacardi to express the feeling of liberation and the openness of the Cuban spirit during the time of Bacardi’s legendary parties to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

Guerrero sees the world as a cosmic stage for human activity. “I’m in the system like a computer programmer writing codes with my sketchbook and brushes, playing the critic, here to create and program the unconscious. Apart from all the trouble we cause ourselves, I believe we are immersed in a powerful and beautiful mystery. The fact of our existence is a great riddle to me.

“In his imaginary world everything is possible, shadows fall according to nature’s intent, trees grow from earth, and triangles refract light in a realistic manner. But all of that realism is just Antonio’s way of holding the scene together so that he could go on to upset our normal expectations of reality.

Barbara Hoffman & Tammra Sigler

Exhibiting January 8 – January 30
Opening Reception Friday, January 8, 5-7PM
Gallery Walk & Talk with the artists: Saturday, January 9, 10AM
In the Member Gallery in November: Artistic Collaborations
In the Theatre Lobby: Broadsides – Poetry off the Shelf

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Our January exhibit paired the work of two women artists who live part-time in Southwest Florida. Barbara Hoffman is a photographer who exhibited current work following the theme Beauty in Decay. Painter and printmaker Tammra Sigler’s exhibition included pieces from her Flowers series of 2007 and her more recent Fun monotype series. Their joint exhibit opened with a public reception on Friday, January 8 at 5PM at the Alliance. The artists led a Gallery Walk & Talk on Saturday, January 9 at 10AM. The exhibit remained on display through January 30.

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While they work in different mediums, the Alliance exhibition committee felt their artwork is complimentary. Committee member and Fort Myers artist, Andy Browne, says “I saw two artists whose work was similar in that both are rooted in floral and organic imagery, but they have two very different approaches; both in medium and attitude. I see Barbara’s work as quiet, formal and elegant and Tammra’s work as zippy, frenetic and noisy.”

Barbara Hoffman is from Peoria, IL but now winters in Bonita Springs. She has often shown her work around the country for the past decade. Most recently her Beauty and Decay collection was featured as a one person exhibition at Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL.

Tammra Sigler splits her time between Maryland and Naples. Tammra attended Syracuse University, School of Fine Arts, and graduated with honors in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland in 1965. Ms. Sigler has shown her work extensively and been awarded many prizes in the Baltimore/Washington area as well as Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Lexington, Palm Beach, and throughout South America.

Tammra’s work has been acquired by The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. and the Baltimore Museum of Art. It is included in many corporate and private collections both nationally and internationally…(selected corporate collections: The Johns Hopkins Hospital, The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital, Towson University, Maryland Institute College of Art, Ohio State University, University of Maryland, University College Collection) Twice her work was selected (1994, 2000) to be represented in the national publication “New American Painting” by Open Studio Press as well as “Studio Visit Magazine 2014.” Sigler’s work was featured in the13th Annual Artis–Naples Artists’ Studio Tour in 2008 and has been shown at the von Liebig Art Center in their Founders and Encounter, other juried shows. The Baker Museum, Artis–Naples, featured four of her “Philip Glass -In the Upper Room” pieces in “The Florida Contemporary” 2015.

Artist Statements

Barbara Hoffman – “Traditional flower and plant photography is about perfection, catching the plant or flower at its most perfect and unblemished point. This series uses decaying tropical plants, well past the point of traditional perfection, as a metaphor for the beauty in all phases of life. The vegetation’s lushness and sensuality can be felt, even through aging and death.

The plant material in many of these images was found in pristine neighborhoods in Florida. From stacks of curb trash I found incredible sources of exquisite detail and rich color. In the wild, I found plant material lying in sensual array, decaying in place. Its beauty was undeniable.

The inherent conflict between societal expectations of youthful physical perfection and relentless physical decay sets up a tension that requires continual adjustment of self-image. This body of work is helping me put aside arbitrary expectations, reaching for a new understanding of aging. The richness in color, texture and form parallels the richness of experience and depth of beauty in the human aging process.”

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Tammra Sigler – “As a painter and print maker, my primary concern is always “the mark.” ….just what happens when the pen/brush reaches the paper/canvas. That is my electric moment. My buzz! The very specific character, personality, energy, vibrancy of my mark, be it lively or quiet and contemplative, are the very heart of my work. While I may be responding visually, as in the flower pieces, responding to my imagination, as in swarms and bees, or responding to sound, as in the music pieces from 2015, first and foremost, is always “the mark.” Secondly, it is quite obvious that I am concerned with color. I find myself pushing my color…introducing colors that just don’t quite belong! Finding solutions that are contrary to the obvious. I hop onto unexpected opportunities. How can I break rules? Where is the magic? The humor? The whimsy? I like to laugh. I do not think about these ideas, I just find them…or perhaps, they find me! They fuel my search. My moments of delight come from SURPRISE.”

The opening reception on Friday, January 8 from 5-7PM is free and open to the public. Barbara Hoffman and Tammra Sigler will hold a free Gallery Walk on Saturday, January 9 at 10AM. The exhibit remains on display through January 30.

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200 Under $200: Members Exhibit

Exhibiting November 6 – January 2
Opening Reception Friday, November 6, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery in November: Lisa Freidus
In the Member Gallery in December: Joanne Marley
In the Theatre Lobby: Recycled Holiday Wreath Roundup

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The Alliance for the Arts asked its member artists to submit two small works priced at $200 or less for this “200 Under $200” exhibit. During this non-traditional art show the gallery walls were filled to the brim, and all sales were ‘cash & carry’ meaning purchasers got to take the piece with them when they buy it, instead of waiting until the end of the exhibit. The two month long exhibit evolved as pieces disappeared and the remaining pieces were re-positioned. The opening reception on Friday, November 6 from 5-7PM was open to the public. The exhibit ran through January 2. Artist Lisa Friedus was featured in the Member Gallery in November. Joanne Marley was in the Member Gallery in December.

Throughout the 200 Under $200 Exhibit the Alliance Theatre Lobby featured our first ever Recycled Holiday Wreath Roundup with wreaths made with recycled items.

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Mechanical: Juried Exhibit

Exhibiting October 2 – October 31, 2015
Opening Reception Friday, October 2, 5-7PM
Gallery Walk with Juror: October 3, 10AM
In the Member Gallery: Katherine Boren: smaller works
In the Theatre Lobby: Mahrea Cramer Lehman

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For our October Juried Exhibition Mechanical, we asked artists to create new works “Operated or produced by a mechanism or machine which relate to, are produced by, or dominated by physical forces.” This simple definition provided the basis for submissions under a central theme while leaving a large amount of room for interpretation. What constitutes a machine, and what forces will be imposed upon them?

Mechanical opened with a reception on Friday, October 2 from 5-7PM. Awards were announced for Best in Show with a prize of $100, 2nd Place winning $75, and 3rd Place winning $50. The exhibit was on display from October 2 through October 31. Juror Jonas Stirner hosted a gallery walk and talk on October 3 at 10 am. Works by Katherine Boren were on display in the Member Gallery and the Theatre Lobby featured watercolors by Mahrea Cramer Lehman.

Featuring Works by:

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Amy Matsumoto Urich
Andy Getch
Buck Ward
Carol Schmidt
Carolyn McGahey
Cheryl Fausel
Cindy Mecca
Dale Weber
David Hatchett
Del Holt
Guy Tieman
Jay Lana
Joan Benner
John Hutson
Kellen Beck Mills

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KiKi Brewsaugh
Krista Johnson
Leo Johnson
Lily Hatchett
Louis Ford
Marilyn Graham
Mark Holman
Mark Poucher
Mark Wlaz
Mike Kiniry
Patricia Esposito
Patrick Conolly
Richard Evans
Samuel Sewall
Scott Parker

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Juror Jonas Stirner is a third generation metal artist. His father, a metal sculptor was an Art Professor at Moore and Tyler College. They often work together critiquing each other’s work. Jonas’s father was recently honored by having a park named after him, the “Karl Stirner Arts Trail” in Easton Pa. The work of Jonas Stirner defies logic, inspires change and accomplishes resolution.

Jonas worked directly with Robert Rauschenberg as an Artist Assistant for fifteen years on Captiva Island. During that time, Jonas had the opportunity to create his own sculpture on the grounds of Rauschenberg’s compound. Rauschenberg himself became a major collector of Jonas’s work and today the collection is maintained by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

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Dog Days: Members Exhibit

Exhibiting August 7 – September 19, 2015
Opening Reception Friday, August 7, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Sarah Tumm
In the Theatre Lobby: Randy Kashi

Each year the Alliance invites its more than 1000 members to contribute artwork following a different theme for this annual Members Exhibit. Work by graphic artist Sarah Tumm was featured in the Member Gallery. Artwork by Randy Kashi was on display in the Theatre Lobby.

Individual Alliance memberships are $50 annually. They offer a variety of valuable benefits including exhibition opportunities, discounted entry fees, 20% off classes & workshops, special monthly discount offers with area businesses, member social events & outings, free open painting studio sessions, and a monthly Book Club.

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Portfolio: Juried Exhibit

Exhibiting July 3 – July 31, 2015
Opening Reception Friday, July 3, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Joshua Martinez

During our July exhibit we showcased works created by graduate and undergraduate artists from around Southwest Florida. “Portfolio” opened with a public reception on Friday, July 3 from 5-7PM. The juried exhibit featured artwork in a wide variety of mediums and remained on display until July 31.

FEATURED ARTISTS

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Alyssa Baladad – FGCU

Rachel Bass – FGCU

David Chase – FGCU

Carina Favale – FSW

Fernando Guerra – Azusa Pacific University

Marie Gunias – FGCU

Shannon Holland – FGCU

Simon Huebler – Northwestern University

Hannah Johnson – FGCU

Erica Krieger – Penn State University

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Chloe Lewis – Marlyand Institute College of Art

Kevin Madieros – FGCU

Leila Mesdaghi – FGCU

Ashley Niebles – FGCU

Nicholas Orlando – FSW

Daniel Papanikolaou – FGCU

Caitlin Rosolen – FGCU

Aria Ramirez – FGCU

Grayson Stoff – FGCU

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Paintings by Clewiston artist Joshua Martinez were featured in the Member Gallery during the Portfolio exhibit. The 21 year old, who was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2, is a painter of delicate shapes, with a unique vision and tone. His depictions of colors and shapes reveal new sides of ordinary objects, and his paintings make a vivid impression. The interplay of light and dark in Joshua’s works is remarkable, and great attention is given to volume and form. You can view Joshua’s paintings online at www.artbyjoshandmore.com or at his Clewiston gallery Art by Josh & More.

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29th Annual All Florida Juried Exhibit

Exhibiting June 5 – June 27, 2015
Opening Reception Friday, June 5, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Alliance Youth Programs
Gallery Walk and Talk with Juror: Saturday, June 6, 10AM

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The exhibition featured 57 pieces by 43 artists residing in Florida. This year’s juror, Fran Gardner, is Professor of Art & Art History at the University of South Carolina Lancaster. She presented awards during the reception. Kellen Beck Mills was awarded $750 for Best in Show for her collage/mixed media piece “Does Beauty Matter?” Beau Wild won a $250 GOLDEN Paints gift certificate for her 2^nd Place acrylic & graphite piece on canvas piece “Sisterhood”. Alicia Schmidt won $100 for 3^rd Place for her oil painting “Powder River Pass, WY”. Steve Conley was awarded Juror’s Choice for his digital photograph “Midtown Diner”.

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Featured artists:

A native South Carolinian, Fran Gardner lives and works in the communities of Heath Springs and Lancaster. She earned her BFA from Columbia College (1982) and later, her MFA from Vermont College of Norwich University (1993). She is professor of art and art history at the University of South Carolina Lancaster where she teaches a variety of studio courses, art history, and art education. Her work has been exhibited regionally and nationally and published in numerous magazines and books. In addition to creating, exhibiting and writing, Gardner teaches workshops, and judges exhibitions. She often consults with artists about deeper meaning in their work and how to improve writing about their art.

Gardner hosted a Gallery Walk and Talk on Saturday, June 6.

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Best in Show Winners: The Past Decade

Exhibiting May 8 – May 30, 2015
Opening Reception Friday, May 8, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Vic Delnore and Ellen Sheppard

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During the month of May we featured works by artists who have won Best in Show awards at the Alliance in recent years. Best in Show Winners: The Past Decade features works in a variety of mediums by Lia Galletti, Nat Krate, Eric Levin, Renee Rey, Laura Waller, Roy Rodriguez, Joan Sonnenberg, Sherry Rohl & Eric Riemenschneider.

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An Evening with John and Ellen Sheppard

Wednesday, May 13, 4-6PM

Join us on Wednesday, May 13 from 4-6PM as we celebrate John and Ellen Sheppard’s contribution to our community. Guests will be treated to a book signing with John and an exhibit featuring Ellen’s paintings! Food & beverages are generously provided by Leigh Frizzell Hayes. All are welcome, spread the word!

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THE FUTURE OF ART

Exhibiting March 30 – April 11, 2015
Elementary & Middle Opening Reception Tuesday, April 7, 5-7PM
High School Opening Reception Wednesday, April 15, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Art(ist) Teachers Exhibit
Exhibit Sponsor: Pediatric Dentistry of Ft. Myers, Dr. Tim Verwest, DMD
Pizza for the Reception provided by Evan’s Neighborhood Pizza

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Works of art created by students across Lee County will fill the gallery walls at the Alliance for the Arts throughout the month of April. This is the 23rd year the Alliance has partnered with the Lee Arts Educators Association (LAEA) to provide students with an opportunity to display their artwork in a formal exhibit. This annual show features more than forty schools and hundreds of pieces of art in a wide variety of mediums.  Artwork by elementary and middle school students will be on display from March 30 thru April 11 with an opening reception on Tuesday, April 7 from 5-7PM. Work created by high school students will then be exhibited with a second opening reception on Wednesday, April 15 from 5-7PM. Judges will select winners in several categories and award a Best in Show. The high school work will remain on display until April 24.

LAEA is a group of art teachers who work to recognize and promote students who show an interest and aptitude in the visual arts. Artwork by LAEA member teachers will be on display in the Alliance Member Gallery.

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Exhibit Sponsored By

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Pizza for the Reception Provided By

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PRINTMAKING: A JURIED EXHIBIT

Exhibiting March 6 – 25, 2015
Opening Reception Friday, March 6, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Marilyn Hedlund
In the Theatre Lobby: Ikki Matsumoto

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The Alliance for the Arts presents Printmaking: A Juried Exhibit which opens with a reception on Friday, March 6 from 5-7PM. More than 60 artists submitted works in a variety of printmaking techniques including monotypes, etchings, woodcuts, linocuts and lithographs. Click HERE to see a fantastic interactive exploration of various kinds of printmaking created by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

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FEATURING WORKS BY

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Robert Aronson – Bloomfield Hills, MI
Erica Barajas – Livermore, CA
Rachel Bass – Cape Coral, FL
Eliza Brewster – Sanibel, FL
Andy Browne – Fort Myers, FL
Abraham Camayd – Miami, FL
Gary Day – Omaha, NE
Keith Dull – Ashland, OH
Samantha Earley – New Albany, IN
Xiaolong Fang – Grand Rapids, MI
Toni Ferrell – Fort Myers, FL
Cindi Ford – Byron Center, MI
Daniele Gabriel – Miami, FL
Lia Galletti – Fort Myers, FL
Andy Getch – Fort Myers, FL
Karla Hackenmiller – Athens, OH
John Hankiewicz – Oxford, OH
Jennifer Hays – Naples, FL
Leo Johnson – Fort Myers, FL
Eric A. Johnson – Hillsboro, ND

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Mike Kiniry – Fort Myers, FL
Nicole Klebosis – Cape Coral, FL
Susy Kosek – Naples, FL
Kim Marhoefer Willis – Naples, FL
Deborah Martin – Naples, FL
Martyna Matusiak – Pittsburgh, PA
Robert Lee Mejer – Quincy, IL
Leila Mesdaghi – Fort Myers, FL
Andy Owen – Naples, FL
Daniel Papanikolaou – Fort Myers, FL
Sherry Rohl – Fort Myers, FL
Grayson Stoff – Fort Myers, FL
Juergen Strunck – Southlake, TX
Guy Tieman – Cape Coral, FL
Monika Urbanska – Cape Coral, FL
Daniel Venditti – Fort Myers, FL
Ian Welch – DeKalb, IL
Susanna Wingenroth – Fort Myers, FL
Barbara Yeomans – Fort Myers, FL

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MATSUMOTO

Featuring Work by Ikki & Polly Matsumoto

Exhibiting February 6 – 28, 2015
Opening Reception Friday, February 13, 5-7PM
In the Member Gallery: Mike Kiniry
In the Theatre Lobby: Diane Rutherford: 13 Portraits

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Listen to Polly Matsumoto’s Gallery Walk Held on Saturday, February 14

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This unique exhibit features new fiber artwork by Polly Matsumoto and prints by her late husband, renowned artist and designer Ikki Matsumoto, who passed away last year after a long & successful career. The artistic couple spent years in Southwest Florida making their art, and operated a gallery on Sanibel Island for more than a decade.

Ikki Matsumoto was born in 1935, in Tokyo, Japan. He came to the U.S. in 1955 and studied at the John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis. He met his future wife, fiber artist Polly Adamson, after transferring to the Art Academy of Cincinnati, Ohio a few years later.

Ikki worked in advertising for more 15 years before moving to Sanibel Island in 1975, where he established a career as a painter and printmaker. He and Polly opened a gallery in 1987 which they operated for more than a decade.

Polly Matsumoto began weaving in the 1960s. Her mixed media works incorporate weavings, paintings, and found objects to create pieces rich with colors and textures.

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Black & White

January 9 – January 31, 2015
In the Member Gallery: Artistic Collaborations
In the Theatre Lobby: Artistic Collaborations
(Works by Alliance Instructors & Students)

For our January exhibit we brought together four Florida artists who work in different mediums, but who all work primarily in black & white. The Black & White exhibit opened to the public with a reception on Friday, January 9 from 5-7PM.

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Luke Greer

Luke Greer says he began his photography work to preserve the landscapes, stories, and collective history of the rapidly vanishing rural lifestyle in Loudoun County, Virginia. His historically based black and white photography is primarily focused from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to Richmond, Virginia and throughout the Shenandoah Valley. His passion for the natural world and conservation is reflected through his Everglades photography. Whether it be historical locations, endangered landscapes, wildlife, or vanishing local culture, Greer says there is always a story to be told. A collector and conservator of antique prints, his historical work pays homage to the photographic styles used from the 1860’s through the early 1900’s juxtaposed with modern digital practices.

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Ted Lincoln

Through the influence of both eastern and western cultures, philosophies, and practices, Ted Lincoln creates paintings that explore the transitory nature of landscape. Drawing from his background and experience in eastern culture he uses industrial materials such as steel, aluminum, acids, and automotive enamel to create landscapes that simultaneously feel strong and illusive. The austere nature of his materials are softened and rendered into contemplative spaces. Using sumi ink and rice paper each piece is begun employing a chance driven process based on a traditional style of Chinese landscape painting. To this foundation he adds various combinations of painting methods that include, but are not limited to, the use of acrylic paint, epoxy glazes and automotive paint to create a hybrid of Eastern and Western techniques. With the addition of other elements such as the bar codes, binary codes and geometric shapes, the modern is persuaded to co-exist with the ancient. The combination of the abstract organic spaces created by the ink, and the more formal modern elements, helps coerce a visual dialogue between nature and its filtration through technology. In doing so, Ted dissects ideas of censorship, diversion, and manipulation, which are themes that he continues to explore.

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Steve Pennisi

Steve Pennisi says his work as an experimental artist grew out of his desire to “own something” as an artist. “In my earlier work what frustrated me was that I knew after a while where the painting would end up and the rest of the process was just a matter of moving to the inevitable conclusion. I wanted to find a way to stay open and be continually surprised and engaged.” He says his technique is something that was only made possible with the invention of acrylic paints and their plastic qualities. “I stumbled upon it by chance when one day the corner of dry paint on my waxed paper disposable palette peeled up. When I peeled it off I was amazed at what I found on the hidden side of the paint. It had a life and spontaneity that I had never seen before…something that felt human but freed of any doubt or hesitation.” So after many experiments Pennis found that he could paint on this clear cellophane they use for gift wrapping, and when he glued it to the canvas the film would peel off, essentially creating printing plates. The resulting works contain surreal, abstract landscapes and images that are as mesmerizing as there are distinctive.

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Joel Shapses

Shapes’ Award winning sculptures are prominently displayed in private collections and public venues throughout North America. The more, avant garde statements that are made in the mixture of neon, led lights, metal, fused glass and stone media to elicit an excitement that occurs when the artist takes a quantum leap toward ingenuity. Whether realistic or abstract, the viewer’s tactile senses are aroused with almost a sense of urgency to explore each form in greater depth than just visually.

Born in New Jersey, he has spent most of his life on the Eastern coast of the U.S. Having an inherent artistic gift, he began sculpting in a primitive way at the age of five. Much of his schooling concentrated on the sciences. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from C.W. Post College in 1967. It was during his studies here that famed sculptor and professor, Alfred Van Loen, recognized his talent. Shapses traveled throughout the world at which time he acquired much knowledge about how and where various stones were quarried and how various civilizations had used them creatively throughout the centuries. Soon after his travels, he relocated to South Florida, which has remained his residence since 1972. In 2007 Shapses moved to Naples and has since the opened a studio and showroom located at the Artisan’s Plaza on Shirley St in Naples.
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WORKS IN GLASS

December 5 – December 27, 2014
Exhibit supported in part by the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass
In the Member Gallery: John Scoppa
In the Theatre Lobby: Su Zan Vorobel

For our December exhibit we brought together four artists to create a show that gave viewers an opportunity to explore how glass has traveled into the hierarchy of fine art. Works in Glass featured works by Brian Cast, Susan Gott, Richard Mueller, and Andy Owen. While these four artists’ works are complementary, they had never been exhibited together. Works in Glass, which opened with a public reception on Friday, December 5 from 5-7PM, created a revelatory and stunning experience for the Southwest Florida community.

All four artists have taught with distinction at universities in the United States, exhibit regularly at national and international galleries and museums, have been distinguished with awards and fellowships, and have their work represented in public and private collections.

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Brian Cast works with multiple materials including melted aluminum auto parts, steel from the salvage yards, and melted glass that once was bottles. He primarily uses recycled materials in his work, along with other more traditional materials such as paint. Although he works in other media, Cast is best known for his cast metal and glass totems.

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Susan Gott has worked in glass for more than 30 years. She creates one-of-a-kind, cast glass sculptures that incorporates steel, copper, and stone. Her works embody her interest in mythological symbolism and philosophies from ancient cultures that express the union of human being and nature.

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Richard Mueller’s glass works utilize wood and steel in combination with fired ceramic and mineral inks fused onto the glass. His current work responds to the phenomenon of surplus information in western societies and changing notions of truth, beauty and knowledge. It employs as its premise the discarding, shredding and appropriation of word and image as a metaphoric device to generate new and relevant forms.

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Andy Owen is an Associate Professor of Art and Art Program Leader at Florida Gulf Coast University. He worked as a master printer for Harvey Littleton, creating prints from a glass plates known as vitreographs. His experience at Littleton Studios led to teaching glass printing at Bild-Werk Frauenau, a small arts academy in Bavaria. Surrounded by actively working glass artists and deep traditions of Bavarian glassmaking he was introduced to the potential of glass as medium of artistic expression. He says his fascination grew with the discovery of the glass engravings created by Jiri Hircuba and Christian Schmidt, and that their work inspired him to explore the possibilities of engraving.

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The exhibit opens with a reception from 5-7PM on Friday, December 5. Works in Glass remains on display until December 29. Paintings by Fort Myers artist John Scoppa will be displayed in the Member Gallery.

Works in Glass is made possible with support from the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass.

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2014-2015 EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

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100 Under $200

November 7 – November 29, 2014
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7, 5-7PM
Member Gallery: Lia Galletti

For our November exhibit we asked our member artists to submit two small works, both priced at $200 or less. This “100 Under $200” exhibit is a non-traditional art show. The gallery walls will be filled to the brim, and all sales will be ‘cash & carry’ meaning purchasers will get to take the piece with them when they buy it, instead of waiting until the end of the exhibit. The opening reception is Friday, November 7 from 5-7PM. Save Room for Dessert will provide cupcakes for the opening reception. The exhibit runs through November 29. Fort Myers abstract painter Lia Galletti is featured in the Member Gallery.

Participating Artists:

Alicia Schmidt | Alisha Koyanis | Analilia Clay | Andy Brown | Andy Getch | Anne Tuttle | Annemarie Blue | Annette Brown | Ava Roeder | Barbara Albin | Barbara Yeomans | Beverly Taht | Bobbi Robertson | Buck Ward | Carmine Ballarino | Carol E. Baskin | Celeste Borah | Charlotte McClathey | Cheryl Fausel | Chris Ceci | Chris Young | Christine Worthington | Claude Lyles | Claudia Goode | Connie Farmer | Dale Weber | Dana Nicloy | David Acevedo | David Chase | David Hatchett | Deborah Butler | Dee Cooper | Donald Gilmore | Dot Oestreich | Doug MacGregor | Eileen Amster | Ellen Sayet | Gay Cable | Glory Mooberry | Gordon Warren | Guy Tieman | Honey Costa | Hugh Higgins | James “J.R.” Roberts | Jan Palmer | Janis Grau | Jason Snyder | Jeff & Dale Ocasio | Jeffrey Scott Lewis | Jessi Dilich | Joel Loeper | John Scoppa | Joyce Kenney | Judi Braid | Julie Griffin | Kandy Love | Karen Flanders | Katherine Boren | Kathleen Sullivan | Kathryn Owen | KiKi Brewsaugh | Kim Hurwitz | Krista Johnson | Leigh Herndon | Leo Johnson | Lia Galletti | Lily Hatchett | Linda Lally | Lorraine Capps | Lourdes Mora-Shay | Lydia Fogaras-Ljuboja | Marc Gerdon | Marcy Calkins | Marilyn Hedlund | Marilyn Niederman | Mary Beth Barbato | Mary Klunk | Mary N. Rodriguez | Maureen Ginipro | Michelle Rothacker | Mike Kiniry | Nancy Krehniak | Nancy Metze Smith | Nicole Nowicki | Pat Collins | Patricia Aylward | Patricia Fay | Patrick Conolly | Paul David Adamick | Paul Rodino | Peg Roehm | Priscilla Jeffcoat | Randy Clay | Renee Rey | Robin Cox Walsh | Ron Labar | Sam Kaler | Savanah Bonnette | Sherry Lynn Diaz | Skip Weber | Stacey Brown | Stephen Staack | Steve Bufter | Steve Conley | Steve Kalb | Susan Fraley | Susan Mills | Suzanne G. Bennett | Terri Day | Terry Lynn Spry | Tom Haydock | Toni Ferrell | Tracy Owen Cullimore | Veron Ennis | Vic Delnore | Vicki Baker | Welby Worthington | Xavier Brignoni

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Layers, Fiber, Collage & Assemblage: Juried Exhibit

October 3 – November 1, 2014
Opening Reception: Friday, October 3, 5-7PM
Gallery Walk with Juror, October 4, 10AM
Member Gallery: Andrew Hart
Theatre Lobby: Honey Costa

For its October exhibit the Alliance for the Arts asked artists to create new works following the theme “Layers, Fiber, Collage & Assemblage.” 74 artists submitted 140 pieces representing a wide variety of 2D & 3D mediums. On Friday, October 3 the 39 pieces selected by juror Jeffrey Scott Lewis will go on display to the public during a reception from 5-7PM.

Participating artists include: Jayne Baker, Katherine Boren, Stacey Brown, KiKi Brewsaugh, Deborah Butler, Donna Chase, Dennis Church, Dan Cronin, Juan Diaz, Sheila Elsea, Patricia Esposito, Ronald Evans, Toni Ferrell, Karen Flanders, Lia Galletti, Katie Gardenia, Gay Germain, Andy Getch, Muffy Clark Gill, Donald Gilmore, Carolyn Gora, Leo Johnson, Mike Kiniry, Kim Goins Kosek, Julie Markytan, Polly Matsumoto, Carolyn McGahey, Kellen Beck Mills, Marilyn Niederman, Jeff & Dale Ocasio, Bea Pappas, James J.R. Roberts, Ava Roeder, Michelle Rothacker, Joel Shapses, Africa Valdez, Dale Weber, Beverly Yankwitt, Barbara Yeomans and Roseline Young.

Juror Jeffrey Scott Lewis is a visual artist and former Visual Display Artist for national companies such as Disney, Ace Hardware, and Ralph Lauren. He has an MFA in Media Design from Full Sail University and a BA in Liberal Studies Florida Gulf Coast University. He says the selection process was challenging. “While all the entries had merit, I chose works that seemed to achieve an excellence in terms of aesthetics or that interpreted the theme of the show in a new or unique way. It is my hope that inclusion in this show inspires the artists to continue to strive for that level of excellence.”

In recognition of outstanding works, cash awards will be presented at 6PM during the reception for Best in Show, 2nd and 3rd Place. The exhibit remains on display until November 1. The juror will lead a Gallery Walk on Saturday, October 4 from 10-11AM.

Paintings by Andrew Hart will be on display in the Member Gallery during the exhibit. Hart works primarily with acrylic paint on mixed media paper, starting most works in charcoal. He says he enjoys painting portraiture, and recently has incorporated different and varying inspirations into his work, including black and white photographs, caricature, bold outlines, collage work, and splashes of vibrant color.
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Modern Atelier: The Methods of Today’s Training

September 5 – September 20, 2014

Opening Reception: Friday, September 5, 5-7PM
Gallery Walk & Demo with Carol Broman, September 6, 10AM
Member Gallery: Tracy Owen Cullimore
Theatre Lobby: Martin Freling

The Modern Atelier (French for “school” or “workshop”) is an educational practice that attempts to revitalize some of the theories and methodologies of the European ateliers of the 18th and 19th century whose primary aesthetic was the pursuit of beauty through truthful depiction. This show is meant to be an exposition of one incarnation of the Modern Atelier and its students.

The participating artists are alumni from the Grand Central Atelier in New York City: Carol Broman (FL), Todd Casey (MA), Carla Crawford (NY), Angela Cunningham (NC) Danny Grant (TX) and Gregory Mortenson (NY).

The individual works, many available for purchase, include preliminary drawings, color studies, transfer drawings and both monochromatic (grisaille) and color paintings that illustrate elements of the modern atelier methodology. This show is an opportunity to see the process of Atelier training in the masterful work of professional artists who have successfully applied their discipline to find beauty in the contemplation of their subjects.

Carol Broman presented a two day Classical Figure Drawing workshop on September 19-20.

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DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED MEMBER EXHIBIT

August 8 – August 29, 2014

Opening Reception: Friday, August 8, 5-7:30PM
Member Gallery: Art by Kids With Cancer
Theatre Lobby: Joel Loeper

The Alliance for the Arts invites its more than 1000 members to contribute artwork following a different theme each year for its Members Exhibit. It’s one of the many benefits of membership. Beginning August 8 the Alliance Gallery will be filled with work following the theme “Diametrically Opposed.” The opening reception is Friday, August 8 from 5-7:30pm. The exhibit runs August 8 through 29. ‘Art by Kids with Cancer’ will be featured in the Member Gallery. Artwork by Fort Myers painter and sculptor Joel Loeper will be on display in the Theatre Lobby.

The Young Artists Awards ‘Art by Kids with Cancer’ project donates and delivers art supplies for use by pediatric oncology patients throughout the year, working in conjunction with the Child Life Specialists at the Pediatric Oncology/Hematology program at the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, while also showcasing the artwork of children with cancer. The organization provides monetary assistance to local families in crisis facing the financial challenges of childhood cancer, assisting those families with expenses such as groceries, transportation, and prescription costs.

The Young Artists Awards, a not for profit organization serving area children, mats and frames and then showcases, sells, and auctions selected pieces of the children’s artwork at numerous venues throughout the area. Trained volunteers will be available to talk about the artwork and program during the opening. More information can be found at www.youngartistsawards.org.

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MAJESTIC PLACES / MAJESTIC FACES

July 3 – August 1, 2014

Opening Reception: Friday, July 11, 5-7:30PM
Gallery Walk with David White: July 12, 10AM
Member Gallery: Alliance Youth Programs

The gallery at Alliance for the Arts was filled with hundreds of images taken by photographer David White during his 9 years living and teaching in Jakarta, Indonesia. “Majestic Places / Majestic Faces” included 300 photographs and maps, all strung together into an installation representing a sort of walkthrough scrapbook. White, who grew up in Fort Myers but has lived abroad since 1999, said he wanted to give his family, friends and hometown community a glimpse into the diverse destinations and peoples that have enriched his life while living in Jakarta. “Majestic Places / Majestic Faces” featured the cultural and natural beauty of Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“I am blessed to live and learn overseas. I hope to foster understanding between my Eastern and Western worlds through sharing moments of the truly, majestic places and faces of South East Asia. My intent, as always, is to seek and share positive, compassionate connections in all my worlds and with all peoples.  It is an honor to be shown at the Alliance for the Arts.  I look forward to seeing how the installation impacts my friends and the Lee County community. If a picture truly speaks a thousand words … imagine what 300 can say?”

The “Majestic Places / Majestic Faces” opening reception was from 5:00 to 7:30 on Friday, July 11. White hosted a Gallery Walk on Saturday, July 12 from 10-11AM.

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28th Annual All Florida Juried Exhibit

May 30 – June 28, 2014

Opening Reception: Friday, May 30, 5-7:30PM
Walk & Talk: John Loscuito, Juror, May 31, 10AM
Member Gallery: Alliance Youth Programs

The Alliance for the Arts’ 28th Annual All Florida Juried Exhibit features 49 works by artists residing in Florida. This year’s juror is John Loscuito, Director of the Bower School of Music and the Arts Gallery at Florida Gulf Coast University. Loscuito will present the Best in Show and other awards, including a $250 Golden Paints gift certificate, at 6PM during the reception.

Loscuito came to FGCU in January of 2014 from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he worked with a number of arts institutions including the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Theatre X and the Haggerty Museum at Marquette University. As an artist, teacher, collections manager and curator he has exhibited in and organized national and international exhibitions. Notable exhibitions he has traveled with include Wifredo Lam in North America and Keith Haring: the Milwaukee Mural. He received his Masters of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and his Masters of Business Administration degree from Marquette University.

Featured artists: David Belling, David Berridge, Celeste Borah, Katherine Boren, Xavier Brignoni, Rod Busch, Steve Chase, Dennis Church, Vic Delnore, Beth Everhart, Lia Galletti, Muffy Clark Gill, Janis Grau, Leigh Herndon, Cara J, Steve Kalb, Megan Kissinger, Carolyn McGahey, Ellen Miller, Kellen Beck Mills, Jan Palmer, Steve Pennisi, J.T. Phillippe, Roy E. Rodriquez, Alicia Schmidt, Christine Scott, Carl Schwartz, Joel Shapses, Terry Lynn Spry, Anne Tuttle, Mary Voytek, Laura Waller, Buck Ward, Kathleen Welch and Patricia Zalisko.

John Loscuito will host a Gallery Walk on Saturday, May 31 from 10-11AM. It’s free and open to the public. The 28th Annual All Florida Juried Exhibition is proudly sponsored by Finemark National Bank & Trust. Golden Paints generously provided at $250 gift certificate for the 2nd place award. The exhibit remains on display until June 28.

Exhibit Proudly Sponsored By

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ALEATORIC ART IN THE 21ST CENTURY

May 2 – May 23, 2014

Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 5-7:30PM
Walk & Talk: Veron Ennis, Curator, May 3, 10AM
Closing Talk with Veron Ennis, May 23, 5PM
(Will move to the Art Loft in the Edwards Building at 6PM)
Member Gallery Ernest Settani

On Friday, May 2 the Alliance for the Arts will present the first ever dedicated gallery show featuring selected bodies of work by members the Movement of Aleatoric Modern Artists (MAMA). The show will feature 15 of MAMA’s top talents displaying works in a variety of disciplines, all with one thing in common—their collaboration with nature, chance and the laws that govern the universe. When an element of uncertainty is intentionally incorporated into the concept and creation of a work of art it is referred to as “aleatoric art.” Examples of aleatoric methods can be seen in several of the more recent periods in art but the method became a style, then a school, and today we proudly present master works by 15 of the best aleatoric artists from around the world.

MAMA pays tribute to the DADAists of the early 20th century, among the many other artists throughout history who have chosen to relinquish partial control of their creative processes to the hands of fate, the laws of physics and the continuum of perpetual chaos which prevails over our universe by design. By learning to value and preserve that which we can never own, to respond and yield to that which we can never predict, and to respect and trust that which we can never control, the aleatoric artist inherits the divine principle of acceptance, and the creative process becomes a cooperative collaboration between the artist’s deliberate intentions and the unpredictable hands of fate. Thus, the aleatoric artist gambles, and either fails or transcends the limitations of the mind and body to reach artistic plateaus previously unattainable.

The Movement of Aleatoric Modern Artists is a hand-picked assemblage of 48 extraordinary painters, sculptors, photographers and craftspeople representing an emerging “period” in art which has spontaneously occurred all over the world with uncanny simultaneity. In response to society’s apathy toward the undermining of our planet’s ecological balance by the ever-advancing technology of industry, every member of our movement has discovered a unique artistic approach that is philosophically, spiritually, and/or functionally aligned with nature. Each artist has selflessly devoted his/her talents to advocating the virtues of our Mother Earth and discovering new ways of collaborating with her design to produce a body of work greater than our abilities alone would allow. MAMA’s members were chosen for their willingness to “roll the dice” (the literal meaning of the root word “alea” in aleatoric), and to take a faithful exploratory leap into the vast unknown realm that is the future of fine art. Click HERE to read more about the artists.

Exhibiting Artists:

• Ray Cabarga (California)
• Cristine Cambrea (Florida)
• Tsvetan Chetashki (Bulgaria)
• Veron Ennis (Florida)
• Don Frost (Ontario)
• Reed Ghazala (Ohio)
• Beth Holt (Netherlands)
• Newel Hunter (Washington State)
• Ted Lincoln (Florida)
• J Coleman Miller (Texas)
• Anick Morel (Canada)
• Allan Rodewald (Texas)
• Stoffel de Roover (Montreal)
• Mark Stock (Massachusetts)
• Art Venti (California)
• Alex Volborth (1925-2009, Montana)’

The show’s curator, Fort Myers artist Veron Ennis, will hold a Gallery Walk on Saturday, May 3 from 10-11AM. The exhibit remains on display and open to the public during normal business hours until May 23. Artwork by Ernest Settani will be featured in the Member Gallery.

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The Future of Art: Student Exhibition

Exhibiting April 2 – April 25, 2014

Elementary & Middle School Opening Reception Wednesday, April 2, 5-7PM
High School Opening Reception Wednesday, April 16, 5-7PM
Member Gallery: Art(ist) Teachers
Theatre Lobby: Ikki & Polly Motsumoto thru April 5
Broadsides: Poetry off the Shelf April 7-25

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Works of art created by students across Lee County will fill the gallery walls at the Alliance for the Arts throughout the month of April. This is the 22^nd year the Alliance has partnered with the Lee Arts Educators Association (LAEA) to provide students with an opportunity to display their artwork in a formal exhibit. This annual show features more than forty schools and hundreds of pieces of art in a wide variety of mediums.  Artwork by elementary and middle school students will be on display from April 2-11 with an opening reception on Wednesday, April 2 from 5-7PM. Work created by high school students will then be exhibited with a second opening reception on Wednesday, April 16 from 5-7PM. Judges will select winners in several categories and award a Best in Show. The high school work will remain on display until April 25. Refreshments for the high school reception will be provided by Evan’s Neighborhood Pizza in Fort Myers.

LAEA is a group of art teachers who work to recognize and promote students who show an interest and aptitude in the visual arts. Artwork by LAEA member teachers will be on display in the Alliance Member Gallery. The Theatre Lobby will feature “Broadsides: Poetry off the Shelf,” works created by artists and poets.

Join your friends and neighbors at the Alliance on April 2 and April 16 to support these youth artists, or come by anytime to peruse the exhibits while they’re on display. The Alliance galleries are open Monday through Friday from 9AM-5PM and Saturdays from 9AM-1PM and are free and open to the public.

Pizza for High School Opening Reception Provided By

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Burnett, Fithian and Ocasio

Exhibiting March 7 – March 27, 2014

Opening Reception Friday, March 7, 5-7:30PM
Gallery Walk with Exhibit Artists Saturday, March 8, 10AM
Member Gallery: Ken Lamers
Theatre Lobby: Ikki & Polly Motsumoto

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Our March exhibition features bright, colorful and surreal landscape paintings and large, whimsical 3D sculptures of animals all created by four Florida artists. The Burnett, Fithian & Ocasio exhibit opens with a reception on Friday, March 7 from 5-7:30PM. A Gallery Walk with the artists is Saturday, March 8 at 10AM.

Painter Cecelia Burnett captures visionary moods and feelings in her large works that are created using a form of acrylic staining on unprimed canvas. She builds her forms with layers of transparent colors to create a lyrical and luminescent quality. Her paintings hang in private and corporate collections all over the world.

Painter David Fithian, Exhibition Coordinator at the Museum of Florida Art, has won numerous awards, judged many shows, taught countless photography and watercolor classes, and exhibited around the country for more than 40 years. He says, “For me, art is simply a way of life. This life of art is a never ending quest beyond the horizon for an ever receding perfection that is always evolving before dissolving into one point perspective. The objects left are fleeting but hopefully filled for a moment with a glimmer of what lies within and a premonition of what lies beyond.”

Southwest Florida residents, Jeff and Dale Ocasio, are a husband and wife artistic duo and creators of OcasioCasa Artworks. Jeff is well known for his work sculpting with masking tape. He applies his imaginative designs over wire and 3-dimensional reclaimed objects, and then Dale paints the sculptures and creates illustrations of the pieces with her own original photography.

All four artists will hold a Gallery Walk on Saturday, March 8 from 10-11AM. The exhibit remains on display and open to the public during normal business hours until March 27. Ken Lamers is featured in the Member Gallery, and works by Ikki & Polly Matsumoto will be in the Theatre Lobby during the Burnett, Fithian & Ocasio exhibit.

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GALE BENNETT 75

February 7 – March 1, 2014

Opening Reception Friday, February 7, 5-7:30PM
Gallery Walk February 15, 10AM
In the Member Gallery: The Many Faces of Gale Bennett

We present a retrospective covering the years 1969 to 2007 in honor of the 75th anniversary of Gale Bennett’s birth (1939-2008). It will feature 39 works on canvas and paper from the collection of Bennett’s widow, Cello Bennett. The Member Gallery exhibition, The Many Faces of Gale Bennett, will feature a collection of portraits of Bennett by his workshop students. Most pieces in the exhibition will be for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Alliance for the Arts.

A book on Bennett’s art and method of teaching art will be released during the opening reception.  “Eyes into Art” begun by the artist more than 30 years ago, was completed by Cello Bennett with the assistance of a committee of 15 artists, all former participants in Gale Bennett workshops both in Southwest Florida and at his famed ArtStudy Giverny in Giverny, France. Most of the committee members will be on hand at the Opening Reception to autograph copies. Committee members are Sanibel residents Marcy Calkins, Sheila Hoen, Jane Hudson, and Marilyn Miglio; Cape Coral residents Paula Eckerty, Barbara Mintz, and Joanna Olsen; Fort Myers resident Barbara Wilson and former resident Pat Dunn (now of Nashville, TN); Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte residents Liz Hutchinson-Sperry, Jane Geronime, and the late Muriel Van Patten, as well as Gayle Keith Ashley of Useppa and Caroline Homes Nuckolls of Marietta, GA.

Gale Bennett can justifiably be called Southwest Florida’s most renowned native artist and art teacher. During the years from 1996 to 2007 he welcomed nearly 1,000 artists to his workshops in Monet’s famous village of Giverny where they enjoyed the rare privilege of painting in Monet’s Gardens seven days a week. Bennett also regularly exhibited his paintings at exhibitions in Giverny and Paris.  It’s not surprising then that Bennett has been called “one who could justly lay claim to the title of successor to the great Monet” by French magazine, Plaisir de peindre, in “Gale Bennett; the Heir from America” in 2002.

In 1975 the Alliance for the Arts opened with a Gale Bennett retrospective. In 2004 the Alliance again featured Bennett’s works in the highly popular exhibition When Florida Meets Normandy.  Jay Williams, Curator of the Vero Beach Museum of Art and former Curator of what is now the Rauschenberg Gallery at Edison College, said this about Bennett and the exhibit, “Gale Bennett’s landscape paintings remind us of the essential harmony underlying sensory experience. The poetic composition of his lines and forms corresponds to a larger truth, the human need for connection to the binding energy within nature–a nameless but very real presence that saturates his canvasses. Bennett’s work bridges the sensibility of Corot, Rousseau and the Barbizon painters with the tradition of abstraction found in the works of Kandinsky, Hoffman, and de Kooning.  In Bennett’s paintings visual experience undergoes a kind of alchemy, what Degas called ‘a transformation in which imagination and memory work together.’ The works in this exhibition are evidence of that mysteriously powerful process.  Every one is a love story, demonstrating to gallery visitors Bennett’s passion for the beauty of paint on canvas.”

In addition to teaching his popular life drawing class at the Alliance, Gale also taught painting and drawing workshops at BIG ARTS on Sanibel, at the Cape Coral Art Studio and at the Art League of Bonita Springs. He was honored twice by the “Angels of the Arts” – in 2006 as “Artist of the Year” and posthumously in 2008 for “Lifetime Achievement.”

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FLAG 7

January 10 – February 1, 2014

Opening Reception Friday, January 10, 5-7:30PM
Gallery Walk with Leo Johnson Saturday, January 11, 10AM

Since 1949, the Florida Artists Group (FLAG) has held an annual members’ juried exhibitions in multiple Florida cities. This year they will exhibit at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers with an opening reception for FLAG 7 on Friday, January 10 from 5-7:30PM. The non-profit organization is comprised of professional artists whose work has achieved national or state-wide recognition. The group’s purpose is to “stimulate attainment of the highest standards of creative art within the State of Florida.”

There are 10 area groups in the state. The FLAG 7 juried exhibit features work by artists in Lee, Collier & Hendry Counties. Featured artists include: Ahlin, Janis Balabon, Cheryl Bogdanowitsch, Pam Brodersen, Patrice Burkhardt, Joanna Coke, Honey Costa, Cheryl Fausel, Gay Germain, Cecily Hangen, Joan Klutch, Richard Rosen, Joan Sonnenberg, Susan von Gries, Patricia Zalisko and Peter Zell.

Over its 60+ year history the Florida Artists Group has counted among its jurors many distinguished artists, educators, writers, curators, museum directors and major gallery owners, including: Lamar Dodd, Head, Department of Art, University of Georgia, Athens; Homer Saint-Gaudens, Director of the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburg, PA; Robert Beverly Hale, Head of the American Art Section, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC; Albert Christ-Janer, Dean of the Art School, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY; Dr. H. Lester Cooke, Curator, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; and many more.

Artwork by Alliance instructors and their students will be featured in the Member Gallery during the FLAG 7 exhibit. Fort Myers artist Leo Johnson will hold a Gallery Walk on Saturday, January 11 from 10-11AM. Leigh Frizzell Hayes is the FLAG 7 exhibit sponsor. The exhibit is on display and open to the public during normal business hours until Saturday, February 1.

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REJECTAMENTA

December 6 – December 28, 2013

Opening Reception Friday, December 6, 5-7:30PM

For our December Juried Exhibition Rejectamenta we asked artists to create new works out of “Things, matter or substances that have been rejected as useless or trash.” This show is a sequel to Refuse Repurposed which generated a wide spectrum of fascinating artwork that delighted the hundreds of people who experienced it in 2011. More than 200 people turned out on Friday, December 6 for the opening. The juried exhibition featured works by nearly 70 artists in a wide variety of mediums.  The juror, Mary Voytek, selected winners which were announced during the reception.  Andrew Corke won $100 for his piece “Death Owl” which was created from bicycle tires. Lily Hatchett’s “Pole” won 2^nd Place and Lindsey Wollard English took 3^rd Place for her piece “Biography of a Tree II”. Four Honorable Mentions were awarded to Kellen Beck Mills, Leo Johnson, Dale Weber and J. Wolfgang Fry.

Stop by anytime during normal Alliance business hours to see the exhibit, which remains on display until December 28. Artwork by Dr. Kyra Belan is on display in the Member Gallery. The Alliance’s next exhibit FLAG 7 opens Friday, January 10. It will feature work by artists who are members of the Florida Artists Group, a collection of accomplished artists that has been organizing exhibitions around the state since 1949.

Rejectamenta Sponsored By:

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Honor, Country & Heroism

November 1 – November 15, 2013

Opening Reception Friday, November 1, 5-7:30PM

In the Member Gallery: James “JR” Roberts

The “Honor, Country & Heroism” public art exhibit graced the walls at Southwest Florida International Airport for more than a year as part of the Art in Flight Program, a partnership between the Lee County Port Authority and the Alliance for the Arts that brings artwork to the millions of travelers who pass through RSW every year.  The Alliance brought together 32 local artists, including six veterans, to bring this patriotic-themed exhibit to RSW.  “Honor, Country & Heroism” was a welcome home message for troops returning to Southwest Florida, and a tribute to veterans everywhere.

It featured artwork by: David Acevedo, Carmine Ballarino, Katherine Boren, Pat Collins, Toni Ferrell, Martin Freling, Scott Guelcher, David Hatchett, Lily Hatchett, Jennifer Hemstreet, Raymond Herndandez, Krista Johnson, Leo Johnson, Patricia LaVigne, Jeffrey Scott Lewis, Leoma Lovegrove, Doug MacGregor, Jason McDonald, Kevin Mills, Leo Navarro, James “JR” Roberts, Alicia Schmidt, Carl Schwartz, Ernest Settani, Ellen Sheppard, Terry Lynn Spry, Anica Sturdivant, Gordon Warren, Barbara Yeomans and Peter Zell.

The “Honor, Country & Heroism” exhibit came down, but the public had one last chance to see it during this two week exhibition. Work by James “JR” Roberts was on display in the Member Gallery during the exhibition.  David Robinson was featured in the Theatre Lobby.

“Honor, Country & Heroism” has been replaced at the airport by an exhibit created by Lee County art students and their teachers called “Oh, The Places We Will Go.”

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The Sinking World

October 4 – October 28, 2013

Opening Reception Friday, October 4, 5-7:30PM

Gallery Walk & Talk with Andreas Franke Saturday, October 5, 10-11AM

Earlier this year Austrian photographer Andreas Franke and a team of divers attached 12 of his large surreal images encased in steel-framed Plexiglas to the WWII era Coast Guard Cutter The Mohawk sunk off the coast of Sanibel.  Franke’s pieces feature photos of the sunken ship, combined with photographs he took of actors dressed in 1940s attire.

After being at the bottom of the gulf for months, they have now been brought back to the surface and prepared for a public exhibition which opens on Friday, October 4 with a reception from 5-7:30PM at the Alliance for the Arts. Franke will attend the reception, and will host a Gallery Walk the following morning on Saturday, October 5 at 10AM, during which he’ll answer questions about his process and inspiration.

This is Franke’s second such exhibition in the United States. He created similar images for the 1950s era USS Vandenberg about a mile offshore from Key West. The Sinking World exhibition is on display in the Alliance Main Gallery from October 4 through October 28.  Artwork by Beverly Taht is featured in the Member Gallery. David Robinson is in the Theatre Lobby. Gallery aquarium provided by Boardroom Aquatics. Click HERE to learn more about Andreas Franke and his work.

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Exposed: Face & Figure

September 6 – September 28, 2013

This month long invitational exhibition features two and three dimensional artwork created by 31 local and international artists.  It offers an opportunity for viewers to come face to face with engaging and provocative depictions of the human form.  Exposed: Face & Figure opens to the public with a reception on Friday, September 6 from 5-7:30PM and remains on display until September 30.  The exhibition is sponsored by Suncoast Photo Solutions.

The Exposed exhibition features: David Acevedo, Cesar Aguilera, Todd Babb, Carol Broman, Andy Browne, Jerry Churchill, Pat Collins, Tracy Cullimore, Geoffrey Hamel, Lily Hatchett, Raymond Hernandez, Doug Heslep, Marcus Jansen, Krista Johnson, Leo Johnson, Jonathan Kane, Bryon Paul McCartney, Kellen Beck Mills, Dale & Jeff Ocasio, Darryl Pottorf, Sherry Rohl, Diana Rutherford, Arturo Samaniego, Ellen Sayet, Jeffrey Scott Lewis, Alicia Schmidt, Carl Schwartz, Ellen Sheppard, Michelle Tricca, Lawrence Voytek, Gordon Warren & Peter Zell.

The Alliance fundraiser Take a Nude Home on Saturday, September 21 is tied into the Exposed exhibit.  It will feature live music, fine tapas, interactive art installations and a silent auction.  Participants will have a chance to take home one of dozens of additional ‘mini nudes’ created for the event by artists including Darryl Pottorf and Marcus Jansen.

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27th Annual All Florida Juried Exhibit

More than 100 artists submitted nearly 300 pieces for consideration in the Alliance for the Arts’ 27^th Annual All Florida Juried Exhibition.  The juror, Frank Verpoorten, narrowed the list to just 51 pieces which were presented to the public during an opening reception on Friday, May 31.  Winners were announced during the reception and prizes awarded.  The exhibition included oil & acrylic paintings, mixed media pieces, photographs and sculptures.  Artwork from Alliance Youth Programs was on display in the Member Gallery.

About the Juror

This year’s juror is Frank Verpoorten, Director & Chief Curator at The Baker Museum Artis—Naples.  Mr. Verpoorten has more than 15 years of experience at cultural institutions and museums in Brussels, Belgium and New York City.  Originally from Brussels, he moved to New York City in 2002, where he served in curatorial roles at the Museum of Modern Art, Snug Harbor Cultural Center, the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, the Dahesh Museum of Art and, most recently, as Cultural Attaché for the Representation of the Government of Flanders (Belgium) to the U.S.

“Judging an exhibition such as this is at the core of my interests as a curator. However, selecting work for the final exhibition proved quite difficult as one needs to see the pieces first-hand to be truly exposed to what they offer. Colors, textures, and movement are more fully experienced when a work is viewed in person. Southwest Florida has a vast array of talent to offer and I’m looking forward to seeing the finalists’ work on display.”

Mr. Verpoorten hosted a Gallery Walk and Talk on Saturday, June 1.

Proudly Sponsored By:

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Individual Artist Grant Recipient Exhibit

Presented by the City of Fort Myers. May 3-25, 2013. The Individual Artist Grants are awarded to the artists who work or live in the City of Fort Myers and make a contribution to the art and cultural climate.  The criteria also include: artistic merit, community outreach, and art-related educational value. Artwork by members of the Pan American Alliance for Art was displayed in the Member Gallery.

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The Future of Art: Student Exhibit

April 3-28, 2013
Elementary & Middle School Opening Reception: April 3, 5-7PM
High School Opening Reception: April 17, 5-7PM
Member Gallery: Art(ist) Teachers

2013 marked the 21^st year the Alliance has partnered with Lee Arts Educators Association (LAEA) to display youth work in a formal exhibit.  This annual show featured more than forty schools and hundreds of pieces of art. LAEA is a group of art teachers who work tirelessly to recognize and promote area students that show an interest and aptitude in the visual arts.

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Jeff Murphy & Heather Freeman: Dig & Momma’s Boy

March 1-28, 2013
Opening Reception: March 1, 5-7:30PM
Walk & Talk: March 2, 10-11AM
Member Gallery: Young Artists Awards

Jeff Murphy has been working with digital media for more than a decade, exploring a wide range of production and publication techniques in a quickly advancing and dynamic field. He has exhibited online in curated exhibits such as @art (the University of Illinois) and Digitally Born (the Alternative Museum, NY), developed interactive multimedia projects for both the Web and CD ROM,  and has also shown works in traditional gallery and museum settings with solo exhibitions at such places as The Mint Museum of Art, The University of Notre Dame, and The University of Colorado. His work has been published in publications including WIRED Magazine, World Art Magazine, and the textbook Exploring Color Photography.  Murphy is currently an Associate Professor of Art at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he teaches digital imaging, interactive design, photography, video, and animation. He received his BFA from the Ohio State University in 1989 and his MFA from the University of Florida in 1995.

Heather D. Freeman is Associate Professor of Digital Media at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte where she teaches digital print, animation, video, installation and drawing. She grew up in Skillman, New Jersey and was heavily influenced by her parents’ careers in the sciences. She holds a B.A. in Fine Art and German Studies from Oberlin College and an MFA in Studio Art from Rutgers University.  Freeman has worked as an art director, graphic designer, editor and animator in New York and New Jersey.  She has also taught art, graphic design and visual rhetoric since 2001 at various institutions including the University of Kentucky and Clemson University. Her work is regularly exhibited regionally and nationally and has appeared in international exhibitions in Canada, China, Cuba, Germany, Hungary, New Zealand, Sweden and Thailand.  More of her work can be viewed at EpicAnt.com.

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ART OF THE BOOK

In partnership with the Southwest Florida Reading Festival
February 1-23, 2013
Opening Reception: February 8, 5-7:30PM
Walk & Talk: February 9, 10-11AM
Member Gallery: Mary Ann Czarnecki

“Altered Book Art” has becoming increasingly popular in recent years as the publishing world turns to digital, and more artists utilize bound books as a new medium. Everything from scrapbook-style assemblages to sculptures literally carved from the pages of old, hardbound books are considered ‘Altered Book Art’. This is the first time the Alliance has hosted such a show.

The juried exhibit is presented in partnership with the Southwest Florida Reading Festival. Prizes were awarded during the reception, including $300 for Best in Show. Selected pieces from the exhibit were displayed at the Reading Festival on March 16 at Harborside Event Center in downtown Fort Myers.

 Art of the Book Exhibit Was Sponsored By

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Joanna White: Curtains

January 4-26, 2013
Opening Reception: January 4, 5-7:30PM
Walk & Talk: January 5, 10-11AM
Member Gallery: Artistic Collaborations

Using primarily folded paper box forms, Joanna White incorporates materials such as thread, onion skins, oil paint, and plastic in the construction of her three-dimensional work.  She utilizes byproducts of her environment and career, such as abandoned student drawings, used post-it notes, and junk mail.  In all her work, connections and gaps play an important role, as well as material incongruities such as translucency and opacity, crisp and saggy, fragile and sturdy, geometric and organic, authentic and fake.  She says the boxes function as several things at once, “as houses, bodies, a time sequence, or segments of a greater whole.  My work addresses concepts of mortality, eternity and corporality.”

Miss White completed her Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Florida State University in 2005, where she focused on installation and inter-media projects.  Currently, she is Assistant Professor of Art at Brevard Community College in central Florida, where she has worked for the past seven years.

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Art Council of Southwest Florida Winners’ Circle Biennial Exhibit

November 16 – December 27, 2012
Opening Reception: December 7, 5-7:30PM
Walk & Talk: December 8, 10-11AM
Member Gallery: Barbara Valentine

This exhibit showcases 58 award winning pieces in a variety of mediums by artists from the Art Council of SWFL’s 18 member organizations.  Entries will be judged and cash prizes given for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd places in both 2D & 3D categories.  Art Council of Southwest Florida president, Sandra F. Mark, describes the show as “the cream of the cream of artwork being created in southwest Florida.”

The Art Council of Southwest Florida has been the voice of Southwest Florida’s non-profit visual arts community for 50 years, providing opportunities for education, exhibitions and demonstrations.  It has grown from a small group of art leagues to now include 18 groups with a combined membership of more than 6,750 artists in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties.

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State of Mind: Politics 2012

October 5 – November 7, 2012
Opening Reception: October 5, 5-7:30PM
Walk & Talk: October 6, 10-11AM
Member Gallery: Sandi Orgovan
Theatre Lobby: Jan Palmer

It was election season and we asked artists to choose their political issues and speak their minds through their creativity.  State of Mind: Politics 2012 featured work in all mediums by artists from across south Florida.

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Fly Me to the Moon

September 7-29, 2012
Opening Reception: September 7, 5-7:30PM
Member Gallery: Art by the disABLEed

“How would you get to the moon?”  Lee County students and their art instructors used this question as a starting point and let their minds soar to create the artwork in “Fly Me to the Moon.”  The 32 piece exhibition was on display for a year at the Southwest Florida International Airport prior to being exhibited at the Alliance.

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Black & White – Alliance Member Exhibit

August 10 – September 1, 2012
Opening Reception: August 10, 5-7:30PM
Member Gallery: Harley Young

Current Alliance members were invited to submit one piece following the theme and containing no color.  Shades of gray were allowed.

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