boost, Author at Alliance for the Arts

On Thursday, April 17 twenty poetry-inspired works of art will be presented to the public during Broadsides: Poetry off the Shelf. Several months ago 11 visual artists were asked to create works inspired by poems from 13 writers. The artwork they created was then digitized and the poet’s words added, creating the 20 finished Broadsides which comprise the exhibit.

Historically, broadsides are a form of printed communication containing a mixture of text and images, typically designed to be posted in a public place. From the 1600s to the early twentieth century, this visual medium was used to convey information, issue proclamations, make revolutionary statements, or publish the lyrics to poetry and songs.

Come celebrate National Poetry Month during this inaugural showing and reading of Broadsides: Poetry off the Shelf on Thursday, April 17 at 7PM at the Alliance for the Arts. The public is invited to see the finished broadsides and hear the poets read their works during a reception in the Foulds Theatre lobby. A $10 suggested donation is appreciated. Limited edition framed Broadsides will be available for sale for $90. Posters are $15 each or 3 for $40. LCEC and Matsumoto Framing are the event sponsors. For more information visit ArtInLee.org or call 239-939-2787.

Participating Artists and Poets:

ARTISTS
Collin Davis
Phillip Heubeck
Leo Johnson
Megan Kissinger
Reina Lombardi
Jason McDonald
Jan Palmer
Paul Rodino
Berry van Boekel
Barbara Yeomans
Peter Zell

POETS
James Brock
Dorothy Howe Brooks
Carol Drummond
Jim Gustafson
Bob Lerew
Gary McLouth
Jesse Millner
Joe Pacheco
Naomi Rosado
Allison Serraes
Larry Stiles
Lorraine Walker Williams
Joan Heller Winokur

"Demon" by Alex Volborth — “Demon” by Alex Volborth

On Friday, May 2 the Alliance for the Arts will present the first ever dedicated gallery show featuring work by members of what’s called the Movement of Aleatoric Modern Artists or MAMA. The show will feature 15 of MAMA’s top artists 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.

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.

"Sorcerer" by Stoffel De Roover — “Sorcerer” by Stoffel De Roover

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. You can read more about the artists at http://thedice.smugmug.com/Art/LCAA-2014-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.

The Fort Myers Film Festival, in partnership with the Alliance for the Arts, present a screening of the new film Last Stop, Flamingo on Saturday, March 22 at 2PM in the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance. The one hour documentary explores early visions of Florida, from the early 20th-century Koreshan utopian community, to the world’s largest planned subdivision—Golden Gate Estates—which projected a population of more than 400,000 residents. Imagined landscapes give way to mythological creatures, from the Skunk Ape to the mermaids at Weeki Wachi Springs. Before reaching the coastline at Flamingo—one of the last coastal regions of Florida to remain undeveloped upon—Koszulinski stops in Miami to visit his grandfather’s eclectic tropical garden. The garden presents a utopian vision of landscape in the microcosm and intersects with Koszulinski’s own personal histories and memories of Florida. Exactly 500 years after Ponce de Leon’s European discovery of Florida the film reflects on the many ways in which Florida’s landscapes have been irreversibly shaped by human desires. Last Stop, Flamingo is the third and final installment in Koszulinski’s trilogy of Florida-focused films. The previous two, Immokalee U.S.A. (2008) and Cracker Crazy (2007, both received wide acclaim.

Georg Koszulinski is an award-winning filmmaker and educator who has directed more than 25 films, ranging from documentary and narrative features to avant-garde films and videos. The documentary, Cracker Crazy, explores the history of slavery and exploitation in Florida from first European contact to the present day. The film earned numerous festival awards and was nominated for a Notable Video of the Year by the American Library Association. Immokalee U.S.A. documents the experiences of migrant farm laborers working in the U.S.A. and was widely programmed at film festivals and universities. The Documentary Channel acquired both films in 2009.

Space is limited so arrive early to guarantee a seat in the Foulds Theatre at the Alliance. Seating is open and there is a $5 suggested donation at the door. The Fort Myers Film Festival runs March 20-23 with screenings at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center and Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. More information is available at ArtInLee.org.

The Alliance GreenMarket will host a free workshop on vermiculture and composting on Saturday, Feb 22 at 10:30AM. Vermiculture is the art and science of using beneficial earthworms the garden. Composting refers to the practice of recycling biomass like kitchen scraps and dead leaves in the garden to optimize production and reduce waste.

The presenter, Ed Wilson, has been gardening in Fort Myers since 1973. He says he enjoys growing vegetables and propagating rare fruit trees and has been a member of the Caloosa Rare Fruit Exchange for more than 20 years.

The Alliance GreenMarket supports efforts to make our area more sustainable through gardening workshops, environmental activities, and active involvement in the community. Its mission is to support local growers, bakers and artisans, and to provide a space for the community to explore different ways to become more sustainable.

The GreenMarket’s Fall & Winter Growing Season Workshop Series continues every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month through March.

The Alliance for the Arts is celebrating a major milestone this month — reaching 1000 Members for the first time in its nearly 40 year existence! Thousands of people have been Alliance members over the decades, but never all at once and the staff and Board couldn’t be prouder of the achievement. Alliance Board President Pamela Beckman says “This milestone drives home the fact that families and businesses ‘get’ the value that the arts bring to our culture and comprehend how it elevates the quality of life in our community.” As a member-driven non-profit organization, the Alliance connects people to their community and to the many forms of art that enriches Southwest Florida.

An art-centric gathering place, on the corner of McGregor & Colonial in Fort Myers, the Alliance presents a diverse range of programming on its campus including monthly exhibits, concerts, festivals, plays, poetry readings, movies, book clubs as well as a weekly GreenMarket. The Alliance offers more than 50 classes and workshops annually for adults and youth. There are conventional visual arts classes in drawing and painting and a wide variety of other options from photography and music lessons to weaving and yoga.

Advocacy for the arts plays a crucial role in the Alliance’s fulfillment of its cultural mission. The 2011 Arts & Economic Prosperity Study, which would not have occurred but for Alliance staff, showed that Lee County’s non-profit arts organizations created more than 2,000 jobs and generated more than $68 million dollars in economic activity in 2010. The study’s results have changed the conversation from the arts as entertainment to the arts as a substantially contributing force to a healthy economy. Alliance members and arts patrons, Robert & Anne Arnall, understand that and say “The Alliance is a significant contributor to the quality of life in our community and its continued expansion is important to the economic and social growth of the area.” From an advocacy perspective, the Alliance succeeds when it can act as the catalyst for these types of conversations about the arts. And an ever-expanding membership base is crucial to the continued delivery of the Alliance’s message about the impact of the arts on our local community.

The Alliance staff, Board, and countless volunteers truly believe that succeeding in their mission to enrich lives through art creates a better Southwest Florida for everyone. Benefits of membership include discounts on classes and workshops, summer camp, event tickets, gift shop purchases and member-only events. Alliance volunteer Sandra Stone says membership benefits are great, but that for her it’s really about forging new relationships. “You meet the most interesting and exciting people in Southwest Florida at the Alliance. It is a place where real connections are made and a real sense of community is being formed.”

The Alliance simply could not do it without the support of its 1000+ members.

Author: boost

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