Actors, artists, directors, filmmakers and events in the news May 22-31, 2021

Grouped under headings that include art openings, film, outdoor art fairs and festivals and theater are advances, announcements and articles about the actors, artists, filmmakers and events making news in Southwest Florida this week:

1       BONITA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Bonita International Film Festival runs through May 23

The Bonita International Film Festival (BIFF) opened last night with Paint, a dramedy about three friends from art school who are struggling to start their careers in the bizarre New York City art world while trying to figure themselves out and get by economically. Written and directed by Michael Walker, the film stars Josh Caras (The Highwaymen, The Glass Castle), Olivia Luccardi (Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block, It Follows) and Paul Cooper (The Gifted, Westworld).

Over the next two days, BIFF will present more than 60 carefully-curated narrative, documentary, animation and short films from around the world.

The rest of this announcement is here.

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‘Mr. Jones’ based on events that gave rise to Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’

Set in 1933, Director Annieszka Holland’s 2020 thriller Mr. Jones will screen on Saturday, May 22 during this year’s Bonita International Film Festival. The story follows an ambitious young journalist by the name of Gareth Jones, who travels to Moscow to uncover the truth behind Joseph Stalin’s Soviet propaganda that pushes their utopia to the Western world. His life, and those of his informants, become at risk after Jones gets a tip about the famine that Stalin has engineered to starve millions in the Ukraine (four million, to be exact) while grain was sold abroad to stuff Soviet coffers. The film stars James Norton (Little Women), Vanessa Kirby and Peter Sarsgaard.

The rest of this preview is here.

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‘Dating Amber’ refreshing take on fears of being different, being judged, coming out

Dating Amber (originally titled Beards) is an Irish dramedy directed by David Freyne. The 92-minute film features two closeted teens in 1990s Ireland who decide to fake a straight relationship in order to fit in. It will be screened by the Bonita International Film Festival on Saturday, May 22 at 12:30 p.m.

The film explores what it was like to be a gay teenager in Ireland in the mid-90s. While the movie is most relatable to the LGBT community, it captures the feelings many have during adolescence – the feeling of being different, the fear of being judged. The comedy follows Eddie (Fionn O’Shea), a closeted gay teen training for a cadet exam to join the army and follow in his father’s footsteps. The rest of this preview is here.

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‘Dating Amber’ actor Fionn O’Shea in the frame

Dating Amber (originally titled Beards) is an Irish dramedy directed by David Freyne. The 92-minute film follows Eddie, a closeted gay teen training for a cadet exam to join the army and follow in his father’s footsteps. After homophobic taunting from his small town classmates leads to a disastrous attempt at proving his heterosexuality, Eddie is approached by Amber,  a fellow closeted outcast who is also tired of being tormented at school. Fionn O’Shea plays the role of Eddie.

Los Angeles Times Digital Editor Tracy Brown raved about his performance, writing that he was especially adept at “preserving Eddie’s humanity even as he lashes out in pent-up self-loathing to keep the audience’s sympathies on his side.” [Go here for the rest of this spotlight.]

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‘Dating Amber’ actor Lola Petticrew in the frame

Dating Amber (originally titled Beards) is an Irish dramedy directed by David Freyne. The 92-minute film follows Eddie, a closeted gay teen training for a cadet exam to join the army and follow in his father’s footsteps. After homophobic taunting from his small town classmates leads to a disastrous attempt at proving his heterosexuality, Eddie is approached by Amber, a fellow closeted outcast who is also tired of being tormented at school. Lola Petticrew plays the part of Amber. The rest of this spotlight is here.

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Kathryn Parks returns to BIFF with award-winning ‘Her Place’

In 2019, Kathryn Parks and Mark Palmer brought 50 Words to Southwest Florida. The 28-minute film was an official selection of the Fort Myers Beach International Film Festival and was selected by the Bonita Springs International Film Festival as Best Florida Film in the Adult Category. This year Parks returns to the Bonita International Film Festival with another indie film that’s already garnered all kinds of awards.

Go here to preview Her Place.

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Meet ‘Her Place’ co-producer Elise Rodriguez

StThe Bonita International Film Festival will screen two blocks of short films this year. Leading off Shorts Block 1 at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 22 is Kathryn Parks’ Her Place. It’s a film that turns the idea of a 1950s instructional video (the kind that taught “homemakers” how to throw the perfect party or cook the perfect Thanksgiving Day turkey) on its head and explores the irony in 1950’s nostalgia compared to today’s modern world.

Go here for the rest of this spotlight.

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‘State of Rodeo’ explores 500-year history of rodeo in Florida

In 1521, Ponce de Leon introduced a small herd of cattle and horses to the shores of La Florida. Centuries later, rodeos evolved from impromptu contests that were held during cattle roundups and Mexican fiestas. (In fact, the word “rodeo” comes from the Spanish rodear, which means “go around” otherwise known as “round up.”) Having corralled their herds for branding and sorting, cowboys (sometimes called Florida crackers) used the occasion to exhibit their skills in riding, roping and bulldogging. Competitions sprung up naturally among top hands as their fellow cowboys looked on.

Go here for the rest of this preview.

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’22 Every Day’ depicts day in the life of combat vet coping with PTSD

22 Every Day will be screened during Shorts Block 2 during this year’s Bonita International Film Festival. The movie follows a combat veteran as he goes about his daily routine, illustrating how he relives his experiences during the war years later.

With the war in Afghanistan coming to end this Fall, there is renewed interest in how a new generation of combat veterans will deal with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the wake of 20 years of armed conflict. But tens of thousands of combat vets from the war in Vietnam are still grappling with PTSD nearly half a century after that war ended.

The rest of this preview is here.

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You can see Maryann Connolly in ’22 Every Day’ – sort of

Isaac Osin’s short drama screens during the Bonita International Film Festival. Drawing attention to the struggles of combat vets coping with PTSD, the film features three former military people, Richard Bowers, Paul Croteau and Pedro De Armas, along with Joann Dinnen and Maryann Connolly.

“Maryann Connolly is a granddaughter of one of the veterans. You only really see her in photographs, and then she makes a phone call,” Osin notes.

The rest of this spotlight is here.

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‘The Wild Divide’ underscores need for large-scale habitat connectivity

This year’s Bonita International Film Festival (BIFF) will screen two packages of short films. One of the films included in Shorts Package 2 is The Wild Divide, a documentary produced by Florida Wildlife Corridor about the importance of maintaining effective wildlife corridors along the Lake Wales Ridge.

The Lake Wales Ridge is an ancient ribbon of sand dunes that is a hotspot for biodiversity found nowhere else in the world. It is also a place steeped in a long tradition of ranching and agriculture.

The rest of this preview is here.

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Meet ‘Wild Divide’ filmmakers Bendick and Schmidt

The Bonita International Film Festival will screen The Wild Divide in the Hinman Auditorium during Shorts Block 2 beginning at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, May 23. Directed by Eric Bendick and Danny Schmidt, The Wild Divide is denoted by exceptional production value (including breathtaking macro and micro cinematography and crystal clear studio-quality sound) and considered, thought-provoking content that makes a strong argument for preserving and protecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Eric Bendick is an Emmy-winning writer, director and series producer.

The rest of this spotlight is here.

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Bonita International confers awards in seven categories

The 6th Annual Bonita Springs International Film Festival concluded Sunday night (May 23) with an awards ceremony and concert. While every film and filmmaker who made it into the festival is a winner just by virtue of being screened, the Bonita Beach International Film Festival conferred awards several categories, as follows: Go here for the award winners.

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2      FORT MYERS FILM FESTIVAL

FMFF confers ‘best of’ awards in seven categories

The 11^th Annual Fort Myers Film Festival concluded Sunday night (May 16) with an awards ceremony and after-party that was held in the new sculptural garden atop the historic Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated shut-downs and quarantines, Director Eric Raddatz, Producer Melissa DeHaven and Programming Director Leslie Cimino received, watched and evaluated more than 400 submissions, jurying 60 outstanding local, national and international films into this year’s festival. While every film and filmmaker who made it into the festival is a winner just by virtue of being screened, the Fort Myers Film Festival awarded “best of” in several categories, as follows:

Go here to see who won.

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3      ACTORS

Sue Schaffel appears as Norma Desmond for Lab in ‘Sunset Schmoulevard’

Sue Schaffel loves zany, so it should come as no surprise that she’s been cast in the role of Norma Desmond in Lab Theater’s summer parody, Sunset Schmoulevard.  An accomplished EMC actor who is based in Southwest Florida, her roles in Lab’s other summer spoofs include Blanche DuBois in Death of a Streetcar Named Virginia Woolf: A Parody and Velma in Hush Up Sweet Charlotte. She also appeared in the hybrid filmed theater production of The Realish Housewives of Fort Myers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please go here to see all of Sue’s stage and film credits.

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Brian Linthicum appears next for Lab in ‘Sunset Schmoulevard’

On the heels of his performance of wealthy businessman Charles Stickland in David Mamet’s Race, Brian Linthicum appears next for Lab Theater in its traditional June parody, Sunset Schmoulevard, a spoof of the iconic 50s film Sunset Boulevard, which Lab Artistic Director Annette Trossbach has adapted for the stage. Brian Linthicum is a local actor who has been involved in community theater for more than 40 years. Go here to see all the shows in which he’s appeared.

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Gerrie Benzing plays Ruth in TNP’s ‘Calendar Girls’

Gerrie Benzing plays Ruth in The Naples Players’ production of Calendar Girls, which closes on May 23. Gerrie has appeared in more than 14 productions at Cultural Park Theater, three shows at Lab Theater and made her debut at Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts in 2019 as Lucy and Tommy of No Consequence in Adam Szymkowics’s Marian, or the True Story of Robin Hood.  at New Phoenix Theater in 2020 in The Full Monty and later that same year at The Studio Players as Theresa in Circle Mirror Transformation. Now TNP audiences have an opportunity to appreciate her stage work as well. Go here for her full profile – and go here to see why Art Southwest Florida celebrated her contributions to theater during Women’s History Month.

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Darlyne Franklin plays Celia in The Naples Players’ production of ‘Calendar Girls’

Darlyne Franklin is an actor, playwright and producer. Among her acting credits is the role of Chris in Neil Simon’s Rumors (for New Phoenix Theatre). And when Calendar Girls opens on April 28 at The Naples Players, Darlyne will be on stage in the role of Celia. Darlyne was born and raised in East Boston, but she’s been a resident of Naples for more than 15 years, after coming to the area as a snowbird and deciding to stay. Franklin is mentioned in Webster’s online Dictionary under “dinner theater” and was featured in a question on the TV game show Jeopardy. Go here to see her full profile.

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Sharon Isern plays bride-to-be Courtney in ‘One Slight Hitch’

One Slight Hitch comes to the Joan Jenks stage beginning May 28. In this Lewis Black farce, Doc and Delia Coleman’s daughter is getting married and Sharon Isern plays the blushing bride, Courtney.

A freelance writer, Courtney has just published her first novel, which was almost successful. Like every bride-to-be, Courtney expects just before the ceremony “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” But never in her wildest imagination did she dream that her something old would come in the form of her ex-boyfriend, Ryan, who shows up at her parents’ home on the big day needing a shower and completely oblivious to the fact that Courtney has moved on with a capital “M.” Or has she?

Go here for more.

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Danielle Channell plays Melanie in ‘One Slight Hitch’

One Slight Hitch comes to the Joan Jenks stage beginning May 28. In this Lewis Black farce, Doc and Delia Coleman have three winsome daughters. Their eldest, Courtney, is getting married. Their youngest, P.B., is a free spirit trapped in a tightly-wound, button-down family. Their middle girl, Melanie, is an attractive 20-something nurse. She’s not just psychotic. Melanie is distracted. When the vodka-guzzling naughty nurse finds her older sister’s ex half naked downstairs on the day of the wedding, well, let’s just say that her mind’s no longer on the nuptials taking place outside.

Who do you think of when it comes to casting psychotic – especially if you’re staging a farce? While there may be quite a number actors in Southwest Florida who’d be delighted to fill the bill, one choice seems abundantly obvious. That would be Danielle Channell, the Queen of Farce. Go here for more.

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Rosie DeLeon plays P.B. in ‘One Slight Hitch’

One Slight Hitch comes to the Joan Jenks stage beginning May 28. In this Lewis Black farce, Doc and Delia Coleman’s daughter, Courtney, is getting married and Rosie DeLeon plays the bride’s youngest sister, P.B., a free spirit in a tight-laced, button-down family.

Rosie last appeared on the Joan Jenks stage in the role of Lauren in Circle Mirror Transformation.

Go here for the rest of her growing resume.

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Terry Libby plays mother of the bride, Delia, in ‘One Slight Hitch’

In One Slight Hitch, Terry’s character plays the mother of the bride. Delia is bound and determined to give her daughter the “perfect wedding.” But things quickly go awry when the florist is arrested on the way to the wedding and needs to be bailed out and her daughter’s ex shows up at the house in need of a shower and a hot meal. But that’s nothing compared to a real life incident that Terry experienced out west. Go here to read this hilarious story and for all of Terry’s stage credits.

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John Strealy plays ex-beau Ryan for Studio Players in ‘One Slight Hitch’

One Slight Hitch comes to the Joan Jenks stage beginning May 28. In this Lewis Black farce, Doc and Delia Coleman’s daughter, Courtney, is getting married. But Delia’s plans for the “perfect wedding” go sidewise when her daughter’s ex-beau shows up on the day of the wedding in need of a show and a hot meal but oblivious to Courtney’s impending nuptials. Go here to view John’s stage credits.

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Keith Gahagan Plays fiance’ Harper for Studio Players in ‘One Slight Hitch’

One Slight Hitch comes to the Joan Jenks stage beginning May 28. In this Lewis Black farce, Doc and Delia Coleman’s daughter is getting married and Keith Gahagan plays Courtney’s fiance’, a psychologist by the name of Harper. Gahagan has performed in community theater productions in Marco Island, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers since 2007. Go here for more.

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4    THEATER

Broadway Palm’s ‘Bronx Tale’ closes today

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre’s A Bronx Tale closes May 22. This streetwise musical is based on Academy Award® nominee Chazz Palminteri’s story that The New York Times hails as “a Critics’ Pick; the kind of tale that makes you laugh and cry!”

This hit crowd-pleaser takes you to a working class Italian American neighborhood in the Bronx in the 1960s where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he would love to be.

Bursting with high-energy dance numbers and original doo-wop tunes, A Bronx Tale is an unforgettable story of loyalty, love, respect and, most importantly, family.

Tickets are $48 to $73. Children and group prices are available. Tickets can be reserved by calling (239) 278-4422, visiting BroadwayPalm.com or in person at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

Broadway Palm is continuing to follow CDC guidelines while providing a delicious meal and exceptional entertainment in a safe and socially distanced environment. For a list of the extensive health and safety measures they have taken, please visit BroadwayPalm.com. It is important to note that guests are required to wear masks while not eating or drinking.

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‘Beehive: The 60s Musical’ at Broadway Palm through June 26

Broadway Palm is taking you on a trip down memory lane with Beehive: The 60s Musical playing now through June 26, 2021. Beehive is an exciting and colorful salute to the powerful female voices of the 1960s, from the earliest part of the decade of fun and innocence to the unrest of the mid ‘60s and ending with the era of women discovering their own empowerment. Through the medium of son, Beehive documents the dramatic changes that America underwent during the ‘60s.

Beehive’s talented cast will sing and dance to 40 beloved hits made popular by the Chiffons, the Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Connie Francis and more, including My Boyfriend’s Back, Son of A Preacher Man, Me and Bobby McGee, R-E-S-P-E-C-T and many others!

Broadway Palm is continuing to follow CDC guidelines while providing a delicious meal and exceptional entertainment in a safe and socially distanced environment. For a list of the extensive health and safety measures they have taken, please visit BroadwayPalm.com. It is important to note that Broadway Palm is asking guests that are not fully vaccinated to wear a face mask while not eating or drinking.

Performances are Wednesday through Sunday evenings with selected matinees. Tickets are $48 to $73. Children and group prices are available. Tickets are now on sale and can be reserved by calling (239) 278-4422, visiting BroadwayPalm.com or in person at 1380 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

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Fort Myers Theatre brings 1963 classic ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ to stage for 8 shows

The new Fort Myers Theatre brings an updated version of the 1963 classic Bye Bye Birdie to the stage for eight performances over this weekend and next. Described as “one of the most captivating musical shows of our time,” Bye Bye Birdie is filled with memorable songs, including “How Lovely to Be a Woman,” “Honestly Sincere,” Kids,” and “Put on a Happy Face.” FMT’s production is the Young Performers Edition and it features strong vocals, wonderful choreography and a host of eager young faces.

You know the storyline.

Go here for more.

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‘Sunset Schmoulevard’ will have you laughing all the way home

The Laboratory Theater of Florida will present the world premiere of Sunset Schmoulevard from June 11 through July 3.

“Norma Desmond is back and ready for her close-up with Mr. DeMille,” says Artistic Director Annette Trossbach. “The original screenplay has been revamped into an over-the-top parody that will leave you laughing all the way home.

Go here for the rest of this advance.

Go here for play dates, times and ticket information.

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‘Calendar Girls’ rare play about female friendship, bonding and empowerment

The Naples Players’ production of Tim Firth’s Calendar Girls closes May 23. The play is based on the true story of a group of middle to late age British women who decided to pose nude for a calendar in order to raise money for a new sofa for the local hospital’s waiting room after one woman in the group lost her husband to leukemia. But while a lot of the show’s laughs result from the concept, the play itself is not about nudity. It’s about friendship, female bonding, and the corrosive, corruptive force of sudden fame and notoriety.

The script is replete with laughs, although some of the humor in the early-going is likely lost on American audiences because it presupposes a knowledge and understanding of British culture, current events and celebrity personas. It’s like being present when someone tells an inside joke. It sounds funny, you want to laugh, but you really don’t get it because you don’t really know what the joke-teller is trying to lampoon.

That aside, this play is full of lively, poignant and relatable dialogue, situations and, above all, characters.

The rest of this synopsis is here.

And go here for play dates, times and ticket information.

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‘One Slight Hitch’ mocks our all-too-human attempts to shape our own destiny

One Slight Hitch comes to the Joan Jenks stage beginning May 28. In this Lewis Black farce, Doc and Delia Coleman’s daughter, Courtney, is getting married. Her mom and maid of honor thought they had the Old English Rhyme covered (you know, “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue). But never did Courtney imagine that her something old would come in the form of her ex-lover, Ryan, who shows up clueless on her wedding day grungy and in need of a shower after returning from an extended hiking trip out of state. So much for Delia’s best laid plans for her daughter’s “perfect wedding.”

The rest of this advance is here.

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5     ARTISTS

Five artists chosen for Alliance’s 2021 ‘Art Lives Here’ billboard campaign

The Alliance for the Arts Art Lives Here Selection Committee has juried five artists into this year’s billboard campaign. They fabulous five are Tania Alves, Bruce MacKechnie, Doug Smithwick, Khaysie Tiburcio and Susi Wingenroth.

Now in its third year, the Art Lives Here billboard campaign transforms billboard space throughout Lee County into public art. By bringing artwork outside of the traditional context of museum and gallery walls, the campaign draws attention to emerging artists’ work while at the same time making the arts accessible to all.

Go here for the rest of this announcement.

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Susi Wingenroth creates ‘Frame of Reference’ for healthier choices to preserve planet

Susi Wingenroth is one of five artists juried into this year’s Alliance for the Arts Art Lives Here Billboard Campaign. The work that will be coming to a billboard near you is titled Frame of Reference.

“This painting shows the morning sun radiating through the cypress trees in the wild heart of the wetlands,” says Susi of Frame of Reference. “It is intended as a call to those who see it to enjoy, care for and preserve these wild places.  When we look up from our busy lives and notice our home, beautiful living planet Earth, we see a frame of reference for making healthier choices to preserve the planet for all living beings and for future generations.”

Wingenroth is a Lee County School District arts educator. Prior to her current post, Susi taught art at Canterbury School from May of 2006 through August of 2016 and Renaissance School from August of 2001 through June of 2016. She has her B.A. Fine and Studio Arts from the University of Maryland College Park.

Go here for more.

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Bruce MacKechnie’s ‘Fandiggity Fandango’ expresses ‘some sort of lively, joyful dance’

Bruce MacKechnie is one of five artists juried into this year’s Alliance for the Arts Art Lives Here Billboard Campaign. The work that will be coming to a billboard near you is titled Fandiggity Fandango, which possesses in the words of the artist “an exuberance and rhythm that seemed to express some sort of lively, joyful dance, hence the title.”

“I am inspired by the challenge of translating a composition created with mouse clicks into the physical world of paint strokes,” Bruce amplifies. “As subject matter, I am interested in how pure abstraction is so wide open to interpretation. For this reason, I enjoy playing around with shapes, colors, and compositions to see what comes out of the process—especially surprises and unforeseen meanings.”

You will find the rest of this spotlight here.

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For ‘Art Lives Here’ artist Khaysie Tiburcio, art becomes part of the artist

Khaysie Tiburcio is one of five artists juried into this year’s Alliance for the Arts Art Lives Here Billboard Campaign. The work that will be coming to a billboard near you is titled Art Within Their Souls.

“I wanted to create a piece that represented the impact that art has on the painter,” says Khaysie. “This artwork includes portraits of Basquiat, Picasso, and Andy Warhol morphing into their masterpieces. This is used as a metaphor to express how art becomes a part of the artist.”

Tiburcio was inspired to begin painting by her uncle, Cristian Tiburcio, when she was six years old.

Go here for the balance of this spotlight.

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6     ART SHOWS, EXHIBITIONS & ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

Jansen’s ‘Two Decades of Relevance’ at Naples’ Baker Museum through July 25

The Baker Museum is hosting a retrospective of work by internationally-acclaimed artist Marcus Jansen through July 25, 2021. Representing Jansen’s first solo museum exhibition in Southwest Florida, Two Decades of Relevance will showcase 18 powerful paintings, including Foreclosures (2008), Spotlight (2020) and The Colonialist (2021).

Over that span, Jansen has garnered numerous attention and accolades. Part of this recognition inheres in incredible technical competency and his revolutionary genre-busting style. But what sets Jansen apart from his contemporaries is his uncompromising critical commentary on global political and socio-economic issues and the world events that have shaped his life.

For Jansen, painting is an act of intense engagement with the world. It is this quality that emerges from his urban landscapes and portraiture and connects viscerally with those who encounter his colorful abstract-and-figurative constructions which, individually and in the aggregate, reflect his sustained preoccupation with the struggles of the displaced and disenfranchised, surveillance and technology, and power structures and their manifestations across different spheres.

Jansen’s response to the foregoing concerns is informed by a series of profound life experiences. He mother is Jamaican; his father German. He spent his formative years in the Bronx and his adolescence in Germany. He was diagnosed and treated for PTSD after fighting in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the first Iraq War. And after losing his first wife to cancer, he struggled as a single dad to two boys saddled with a mountain of medical bills while trying to establish himself as an artist with a story to tell. Jansen has emerged from these life events filled with a passion for universal human rights and improved societal conditions. Charged with a sense of empathy and a commitment to justice, his works are, not surprisingly, simultaneously emotional, introspective and intellectual.

Jansen had his first European solo museum exhibitions at La Triennale di Milano Museum, Milan and the Museum Zitadelle Berlin. He has participated in the 12th International Print and Drawing Biennial in Taiwan at the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art. Works by Jansen are in collections of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art (MMOMA), The University of Michigan Museum of Art, The New Britain Museum of American Art, The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art, The Housatonic Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

In addition to his studio practice, Jansen is founder of the Marcus Jansen Foundation Fund in Fort Myers, which aims to serve veterans with PTSD and economically-disadvantaged children through enhanced cultural awareness of art and music.

The Baker Museum is one of the foremost fine art museums in Southwest Florida. Emphasizing modern and contemporary art, the museum hosts several traveling exhibitions annually to complement installations of works from its permanent collections. Dedicated to stewardship and scholarship, The Baker Museum provides world-class exhibitions and educational opportunities for Southwest Florida’s diverse community.

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Van Bergen, McNeil opine on Jansen’s ‘Two Decades of Relevance’

Marcus Jansen: Two Decades of Relevance opens tomorrow (April 24) at The Baker Museum, and Artis-Naples CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen and Museum Director and Chief Curator Courtney McNeil weighed in on the show.

“We are honored to be welcoming Marcus Jansen and his work to The Baker Museum, especially while celebrating the museum’s 20^th anniversary,” van Bergen said of the impending show. “Marcus’ works are simultaneously emotional, introspective and intellectual, and he has built an international reputation for fully engaging the viewer in critical topics about our world.”

McNeil’s estimation of the significance of Jansen’s body of work is both interesting and spot-on. “Since the 1990s, Marcus Jansen has been creating powerful, painterly works of art that critically explore urgent topics, from industrial agriculture to the impacts of gentrification on city dwellers. He has experienced a meteoric rise over the past few years as art audiences in the United States and Europe have embraced artists with the ability to compellingly portray the issues and tensions that shape our lives in these challenging and complicated times. Jansen is not only sensitively attuned to the world around him, but he is also a dazzling practitioner of an expressive, gestural style of painting that arrests the viewer’s attention with its vibrancy and energy.”

“We have been thrilled to safely open our doors this season to the community, and we invite everyone to experience Marcus’ show,” van Bergen adds.

Additional information on the exhibition, related event, timed-entry tickets and details on The Baker Museum’s safety protocols (including face masks, social distancing and forehead temperature scans) is available at artisnaples.org

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Alliance’s June show, ‘Voices and Visions,’ celebrates inclusiveness

The Alliance for the Arts’ June exhibition, Voices and Visions, will be presented in partnership with Arts4All Florida, which provides support and champions arts education and cultural experiences for and by people with disabilities. The exhibition will feature adult artists of all abilities sharing their personal voice or statement through text and imagery as a means to celebrate inclusiveness.

The Alliance will host an online, virtual opening reception on June 6 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. The behind-the-scenes evening will feature a guided tour of the exhibit.

The reception is free to attend, although a $5 suggested donation keeps Alliance programming affordable and accessible. An RSVP is required at ArtInLee.org/Arts4AllOpening in order to obtain the access link.

The exhibition runs June 4 through June 26. For more information about the Alliance, visit ArtInLee.org or call 239-939-2787.

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SBDAC issues call for Artist Trading Card exhibit

The Davis Art Center has issued a Call to Artists for its August show, Carded: Miniature Masterpieces. The exhibition will feature artist trading cards or ATC, tiny (2.5 x 3.5 inches) original pieces of art created with the intention of swapping or trading with another artist. On the front of an ATC, an artist creates an original work to showcase their art. It can be a one-off, part of a series, or a limited edition. On the back, the artist puts their name, contact details, title of the ATC, number if it’s a limited edition, and sometimes the date it was created. The can be made in any medium and using any technique, whether it’s painting, drawing or collage.

ATCs date back to 1997 when M. Vanci Stirnemann, a Swiss artist, created 1200 cards by hand as part of an exhibit. On the last day, he invited others to create their own cards and trade with him during the closing reception. The movement took off and, today, there are ATC swaps in almost every major city around the world. There are also many online swaps.

The movement builds on different traditions, including miniature art, which has been in existence for centuries beginning with the illustrated manuscripts of scribes in the Far East and Europe prior to the 15th century. ATCs also reflect the influence of pop art, which features motifs taken from everyday life. In this regard, ATCs share an affinity with the Fluxus movement and with Robert Filliou’s notions of a “fête permanente,” a “création permanente” or an “eternal network.”

The origin of the modern trading card is associated with cigarette cards first issued by the US-based Allen and Ginter tobacco company in 1875.

Artist Ndola Pensy introduced the artist trading card idea to Southwest Florida in 2017 with great reception among artists of different mediums in the area. Carded: Miniature Masterpieces will be curated by Cesar Aguilera.

The deadline for submissions is July 24. There is no limit on the number of submissions.

Any medium, motif and theme is acceptable, but no prints or reproductions will be curated into the show (digital art excepted). Submit your good quality images to artbuzz66@gmail.com with your name, medium, and title of each piece.

The show exhibits August 6-26. Cards will not be for sale, but in the tradition of ATC events, there will be an optional trading part at the end of the show.

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Edison Ford issues Call to Artists for ‘Sustainable Concepts’ exhibition

Did you know that Henry Ford repurposed wooden crates used to transport material into floorboards in his automobiles? Or that Thomas Edison purified chemical solvents to be reused in the experiments he conducted in his Fort Myers laboratory trying to find a replacement for rubber? In this tradition, the Edison Ford Winter Estates has issued a Call to Artists for Sustainable Concepts, an exhibition of 2 and 3D works of art that will be displayed January 14 through May 29, 2022.

While the Green Movement was not popular during their lifetimes, Edison and Ford both recognized the importance of recycling and reusing materials. The deadline for submission is November 7, 2021. For information, please contact Tayelor Kakes at tkakes@edisonford.org.