on the gulf
NEWS & PREVIEWS
Storm Stories
at the Alliance
for the Arts
The Alliance for the Arts presents the exhibition, ’Storm Stories’, in conjunction with a year-long oral history project of the same name which collected people’s personal accounts of Hurricane Ian and its aftermath. The exhibit will be on display September 1-30.
The exhibition will culminate with a closing reception on the anniversary of Hurricane Ian’s landfall on September 28, 5-7pm.
There will be several related events throughout September, including collaborations with the Gulf Coast Writers Association and the University of Florida’s Center for Arts, Migration, and Entrepreneurship.
For the exhibition, artists are being asked to create artwork about their experiences during or after the storm in any capacity. It may be stories of resilience or trauma or loss. It can evoke a wide range of emotions. It is meant to be cathartic and therapeutic and shareable, something everyone can relate to in some way.
Through August 7, artists may submit one to three works for consideration for this exhibition. There is no entry fee. They are encouraged to submit 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional artwork using found objects and recycled materials collected after the hurricane. Works in all media will be accepted, including paint, collage, photo, drawing, print and sculpture. Only original artwork will be accepted.
All entries must be submitted online no later than August 7 at 5pm. No materials will be accepted at the Alliance for the Arts. Entries must be submitted online only.
“At the Alliance for the Arts, we believe in the healing power of art,” said Gallery Manager Emily Radomski. “In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, we have seen a great need for healing in our community. Following Hurricane Ian, Alliance for the Arts teamed up with the Gulf Coast Writers Association to launch the oral history project, Storm Stories, where anyone could submit their story from Hurricane Ian. Those collected stories will be compiled into a printed book, and available for purchase at Alliance for the Arts during the month of September.”
An exhibition of photographs by Kinfay Moroti, ‘Moments from Hurricane Ian’, documenting the hurricane and its aftermath, will be on display in the Alliance for the Arts Theatre Gallery September 1-30.
The Alliance for the Arts is a nonprofit community visual and performing arts center is located at 10091 McGregor Blvd. in Fort Myers. The Alliance campus and galleries are open Tue-Sat 9am-7pm & Sat 9am-1pm. For information, call 939-2787.
Songwriter Festival
Expands This Year
The ninth annual Island Hopper Songwriter Fest, a 10-day music festival featuring performances by best-selling and up-and-coming singer-songwriters across the country, returns to Southwest Florida, September 22-October 1.
This year, the Songwriter Fest adds the city of Cape Coral to the lineup. The first weekend of the music festival kicks off on Captiva Island, then moves to Cape Coral and downtown Fort Myers during the week, and ends with a weekend on Fort Myers Beach.
Performances are scheduled for a variety of venues in Captiva, September 22-24; in Cape Coral, September 25 & 26; in downtown Fort Myers, September 27 & 28; and in Fort Myers Beach, September 29-October 1.
Concerts are scheduled for the following venues:
• CAPTIVA: Mucky Duck, RC Otters, Green Flash, ‘Tween Waters Resort
• CAPE CORAL: Westin’s Nauti Mermaid, Gather, High Point Social House
• FORT MYERS: City Tavern, Downtown Social House, Banyan Hotel rooftop, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center
• FORT MYERS BEACH: Pink Shell Beach Resort, DiamondHead Beach Resort, Matanzas Inn, Bayside, Mound House
More than 30 singer-songwriters will be performing during the music festival, including Adam Ezra, Billy Cunningham, Clint Daniels, Coretta King, Dave Pahanish, Dwayne Haggins, Emily Shackelton, Sonia Leigh, Robinson Treacher, and local singer-songwriter Sheena Brook, among others.
The Americana Community Music Association hosts a Songwriter showcase, September 27 at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center at 7:30pm, featuring Roy Schneider, Kim Mayfield, Robert Bidney, Bill Metts, and Ray Cerbone.
Most shows are free with the exception of a few ticketed experiences and shows:
• September 24: Songwriter’s Sunset Cruise with Captiva Cruises (McCarthy’s Marina, 11401 Andy Rosse Ln., Captiva)
• September 25: Chef’s Dinner with Songwriter at Gather (Tarpon Point Marina, 5971 Silver King Blvd., Cape Coral)
• September 27: ACMA showcase at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center (2301 First St., Fort Myers’ Historic River District)
• September 28: Sunset Cruise on Sanibel Princess (launches from Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort, Sanibel Harbour Marriott, 17260 Harbour Pointe Dr., Fort Myers)
• September 30: Music on the Mound at the Mound House (451 Connecticut St., Fort Myers Beach)
• October 1: Pink Shell Pool Party featuring Chris Janson (Pink Shell Beach Resort, 275 Estero Blvd., Fort Myers Beach).
At the time of publication, information about specific shows was not available. For up-to-date information, call 338-3500.
Steampunk
& Fantasy
in Cape Coral
Southwest FloridaSteamCon returns to the German American Social Club of Cape Coral on Saturday, September 26 for a full day of steampunk fantasy.
A subgenre of science-fiction, SteamPunk features retro-futuristic technology inspired by 19th century steam-powered machinery, a mix of the Victorian era and the American Wild West. Steampunk incorporates elements of fantasy, horror, historical fiction, and alternate history.
SteamCon features steampunk and fantasy theme vendors, panels discussions, authors and artists, as well as steampunk themed activities like parasol and tea dueling, costume and talent contests, and splendid teapot racing. There will be live music, entertainment and special cosplay guest appearances.
Attendees are invited to dress in Victorian and Steampunk themed outfits.
SWFL SteamCon is open 10am-6pm. The German American Social Club of Cape Coral is located at 2101 SW Pine Island Rd. in Cape Coral. For information, visit swflsteamcon.com.
Arts for ACT Gallery
Re-Opens
Arts for ACT Gallery in Fort Myers’ Historic River District will reopen on Friday, July 7, nine months after being destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
Arts for ACT Gallery was flooded by more than two feet of river water and mud covered the entire gallery. All displays, furniture, and much of the art had to be disposed of.
A Grand Re-Opening reception, where guests can meet the artists, will be held 6-9pm, during Fort Myers monthly Art Walk evening. The first exhibit will be Black & White, featuring all the ACT Co-op Artists/Volunteers. Guests are encouraged to wear black & white for the re-opening celebration.
The gallery, the oldest in downtown Fort Myers, will have a totally new look, but is still owned by and benefiting Abuse Counseling & Treatment, a community center that shelters, supports, and counsels men, women and children that are victims or survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. The non-profit Arts for ACT Gallery is devoted to representing and offering original works of art and fine craft.
The gallery, representing more than 30 artists, is curated by Claudia Goode with the help of ACT Artists and Volunteers. The gallery is seeking volunteers and new artists.
Arts for ACT Gallery, located at 2265 First St. in Fort Myers, is open Mon-Sat 11am-6pm & Sun 12-5pm. Call 337-5050 for information.
Chris Janson performs at the Island Hopper Songwriter Festival's headliner concert, October 1 at the Pink Shell Resort Pool Party on Fort Myers Beach.
Performances of Summer Circus Spectacular are at the Historic Asolo Theatre in Sarasota thru August 12.
John Pirman's illustrations are on view at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, July 22-September 17.
SWFL SteamCon returns to the German-American Social Club in Cape Coral on September 26.
Art for ACT Gallery, the oldest gallery in downtown Fort Myers' Historic River District, re-opens July 7, nine months after being destroyed by Hurricane Ian.
The Children's Museum of Naples hosts ''The Pigeon Comes to Naples! A Mo Willems Exhibit, thru September 3.
Lee County Sports Complex
Hammond Stadium
14400 Six Mile Cypress Parkway
Fort Myers
768-4210
JUL 1: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers *
JUL 2: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers *
JUL 3: vs Lakeland Flying Tigers *
JUL 14: vs Clearwater Threshers
JUL 15: vs Clearwater Threshers *
JUL 16: vs Clearwater Threshers **
JUL 25: vs Clearwater Threshers *
JUL 26: vs Palm Beach Cardinals **
JUL 27: vs Palm Beach Cardinals
JUL 28: vs Palm Beach Cardinals
JUL 29: vs Palm Beach Cardinals *
JUL 30: vs Palm Beach Cardinals **
AUG 8: vs Bradenton Marauders
AUG 9: vs Bradenton Marauders
AUG 10: vs Bradenton Marauders
AUG 11: vs Bradenton Marauders
AUG 12: vs Bradenton Marauders *
AUG 13: vs Bradenton Marauders **
AUG 22: vs Daytona Tortugas
AUG 23: vs Daytona Tortugas
AUG 24: vs Daytona Tortugas
AUG 25: vs Daytona Tortugas
AUG 26: vs Daytona Tortugas *
AUG 27: vs Daytona Tortugas **
SEP 5: vs Bradenton Marauders
SEP 6: vs Bradenton Marauders
SEP 7: vs Bradenton Marauders
SEP 8: vs Bradenton Marauders
SEP 9: vs Bradenton Marauders *
SEP 10: vs Bradenton Marauders **
all games start at 7pm,
except *6pm, **12pm
New Works Festival
Finalists Announced
Gulfshore Playhouse has announced the ten finalists from which three winners will ultimately be chosen to participate in their Tenth Annual New Works Festival in September.
Each submission is reviewed during a months-long anonymous process by a committee of theatre professionals. The ten finalists are then chosen by the Gulfshore Playhouse artistic team.
The annual New Works Festival will take place at Gulfshore Playhouse from September 14-17. The Festival will include developmental workshops for the winning plays and will culminate with staged readings.
The ten finalists are:
• Blood of the Lamb, by Arlene Hutton
• BUZZ, by Hope Villanueva
• Circle Forward, by Deb Hiett
• Cracked Pots, by Kristen LePine
• Emergency Protocol Camouflage, by Erin Osgood
• Hrdza, by F.J. Hartland
• Stockade, by Andrew Rosendorf
• The Gentle Life-Changing Magic of Burning it All Down to the Ground, by Heather Beasley
• The Lion Tamer, by Ivan R. Lopez
• Westminster, by Brenda Withers
“I was really impressed with how well-crafted this year’s submissions were,” said Kristen Coury, Gulfshore Playhouse Founder & Producing Artistic Director. ‘Plus they all had something important to say. The ten finalists chosen stood out not only in how well they tell a story, but in their uniqueness.”
Each of the winners will receive actor input, revision time, and a staged reading that will help in its development. These are plays that Gulfshore Playhouse may or may not produce, but feels it important to contribute to the creation of new work by providing feedback that a professional director, talented cast, and audience can provide.
In addition to the three winners, who will each receive 16 hours of rehearsal culminating in a staged reading, Gulfshore Playhouse will also be workshopping one or two other shows that it has interest in specifically developing for future production. These shows have been selected for development by the artistic team at Gulfshore Playhouse and will receive a full two-week workshop.
The shows will also be performed as staged readings with light blocking and some props alongside the three winners. A post-performance Q&A with the playwright of the show will follow each performance.
Tickets for individual performances as well as multi- show packages, are available now.
Performances are at the Norris Community Center, located at 755 8th Ave. S. in downtown Naples. For information, call 261-7529.
Summer Circus
Spectacular
Circus Arts Academy and The Ringling have partnered again to present their annual Summer Circus Spectacular with performances at the Historic Asolo Theatre in Sarasota thru August 12. Showtimes are Tue-Fri 11am & 2pm & Sat 2 & 5pm.
Summer Circus Spectacular patrons can enjoy access to The Ringling’s Circus Museum on the day they attend a show for an additional $5.
The Historic Asolo Theatre is located on the The Ringling campus, located at 401 Bay Shore Rd. in Sarasota. The Circus Museum and the Ringling Museum of Art, open daily 10am-5pm, are short walks from the Asolo Theatre. For information, call 941-360-7399.
Selby Gardens
Showcases
John Pirman's Illustrations
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens will feature the iconic artwork of Sarasota-based designer and illustrator John Pirman at its downtown Sarasota campus, July 22-September 17.
John Pirman: Diving into Nature will be presented both inside Selby Gardens’ Museum of Botany & the Arts and outdoors throughout the bayfront Gardens. The retrospective show will include many of Pirman’s signature views of Sarasota and its surroundings, complemented by a diverse range of works from earlier in his career. A number of pieces in the show have never been exhibited to the public before.
Pirman has lived in Sarasota since 2008. “John Pirman is a beloved treasure locally and a renowned artist nationally,” said Jennifer Rominiecki, President of Selby Gardens. “His work celebrates Sarasota and its world-class attributes in such a fun and alluring way.”
The exhibition will feature Pirman’s distinctive digital illustrations of Sarasota and its natural and architectural features showcased in each issue of Sarasota magazine for over a decade, as well as his work for the Sarasota Orchestra and The Ringling.
It will also include some of Pirman’s earlier work as a freelance illustrator over three decades in New York City. They include editorial art for Fortune, Vogue, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications, as well as shopping bags, promotional materials, and holiday cards for Bloomingdale’s, Estée Lauder, Nick at Nite, The Museum of Modern Art, American Express, and others.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, located at 1534 Mound S. in Sarasota, is open daily 10am-5pm. For information, 941-366-5731.
Mo Willems
Exhibit at
Children's Museum
The Children’s Museum of Naples is hosting The Pigeon Comes to Naples! A Mo Willems Exhibit thru September 3. The exhibit, inspired by the art and characters of the beloved children’s book author and illustrator, will feature prints of illustrations, including sketches and other preliminary materials by Mo Willems.
Mo Willems is an author, illustrator, animator, playwright, and the inaugural Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence.
He is best known for his best-selling and award-winning picture books, including Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny, and the Elephant & Piggie series). His career began his career as an Emmy-Award winning writer and animator on PBS’ Sesame Street, and has become the most produced playwright of Theater for Young Audiences in America.
Many familiar characters will be featured, including best friend duo Elephant & Piggie, faithful companion Knuffle Bunny, and the wily city bird, The Pigeon. Visitors will learn about the social and emotional lives of the author’s characters through several educational hands-on activities.
Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples is located at 15080 Livingston Rd. in Naples. The museum is open daily, 10am-5pm, except Wednesday, For information, call 260-1604.
