Arts & Culture Town Hall: Digging Deeper into Southwest Florida’s Creative Future

This event is being held at the Collaboratory located at 2031 Jackson St, Fort Myers, Florida 33901 — Telephone 239 274 5900

Following the success and strong turnout of the inaugural Town Hall in July, this gathering continues the momentum by delving deeper into the five key priority areas shaping the future of arts and culture in Southwest Florida: Access to the Arts, Community Collaboration, Art Education, Artist Empowerment, and Special Projects.

The evening’s discussion will be moderated by Tom Hall, WGCU Art and Culture Reporter, and will feature an expert panel of arts leaders driving change and innovation across the region:

• Access to the Arts: Sonya McCarter, Executive Director, Bridging the Gap
• Community Collaboration: Melissa Vogt, Group Publisher/Director of Operations, Florida Weekly
• Art Education: Jason Thomashefsky, Fine & Performing Arts Coordinator, Lee County Schools (returning from the first Town Hall)
• Artist Empowerment: Elysia Dawn, CEO, United Arts Collier
• Special Projects: Lisa Sbuttoni, CEO, River District Alliance

The event will include a panel discussion followed by a community Q&A session and networking opportunity, giving attendees a platform to share insights, ideas, and collaborative visions for the region’s creative future.

“This Town Hall is about turning conversation into collaboration,” says the Alliance for the Arts Director Neil Volz. “By bringing together leaders, artists, and advocates from across sectors, we’re building the foundation for long-term growth and sustainability in our arts community.”

This event is free and open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to attend, whether an artist, student, educator, or passionate supporter of the arts, to help shape the next steps for advocacy and creative development in Southwest Florida.