Visual and performing artists and events in the news in November, 2024

This is who and what’s creating news in Southwest Florida’s visual and performing arts community during the month of November, 2024:

1     ART NEWS AND EXHIBITIONS

Daniel Venditti exhibition at Davis Art Center a riddle

A person’s body language, gestures and facial expressions provide important clues about how they’re feeling and what’s on their mind. For as long as he can remember, local artist Daniel Venditti has tried to capture these nuances in his portraits and figurative work. But the 32 paintings in his solo show this November at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center are truly an enigma. Listen to the interview and read the full story on WGCU.

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National Association of Women Artists exhibit at Marco Island Center for the Arts is ‘Timeless’

The Center for the Arts on Marco Island opened its 2024-2025 exhibition season with a show that features 60 pieces created by members of the Florida Chapter of the National Association of Women Artists. NAWA is the first women’s fine art organization in the country, and its members represent all areas of the visual arts from painting, drawing and print-making to sculpture, photography, encaustic, video art, installations and mixed media. Read more on WGCU.

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Naples Art Institute’s ‘Adventure in the Arts’ features works by Pollock, Rauschenberg, Johns and more

An Adventure In The Arts: The Guild Hall Collection opens November 9 at the Naples Art Institute. It contains 72 works by 59 artists, including George Bellows, Lynda Benglis, Chuck Close, Jane Freilicher, Adolph Gottlieb, Jasper Johns, Thomas Moran, Robert Motherwell, Jackson Pollock and Robert Rauschenberg. Their work spans the period beginning 1878 and concluding in 1994. For more on the show, visit WGCU.org.

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Molly Rowan-Deckart stepping down as Alliance Executive Director

The Alliance The Alliance for the Arts announced Monday that Molly Rowan-Deckart will step down from her role as executive director effective December 15, 2024. She will be assuming the role of CEO of Marquee Arts in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Rowan-Deckart has served in the position for four years. During her tenure, she has been instrumental in leading the organization through a period of transformation, growth, and challenges, including recovery efforts following the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton, and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ abrupt decision to veto all arts funding in Florida earlier this year. Read the full story on WGCU.

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Three floors of contemporary art greet Sarasota museum guests

Sarasota Art Museum has no permanent collection. Instead, it stages rotating exhibitions of transformative, relevant and pioneering artists in an ongoing effort to facilitate the appreciation and understanding of the art of our times. While the art on display changes, the museum’s point of entry remains constant, and that’s where visitors discover the intriguing “28 Colors of Sarasota” mural. Read or listen to the full story on WGCU.

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Tomaso Albertini creating dynamic art in studio at Naples Art Institute

Tomaso Albertini is creating dynamic three-dimensional art at Naples Art Institute. In the realm of art, Albertini’s process, medium and compositions are unique. They had to be in order to stand out among the competition in New York City, where he launched his career in 2015. Read the story on WGCU.

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2     THEATRE PRODUCTIONS

See what’s on stage the weekend of November 1-3

With election season winding down, people are looking for entertainment options away from all the politics. There are more than a dozen plays on stage from Naples to Sarasota, ranging from comedies and dramas to spirited musicals. Here’s what’s playing (alphabetically) at community and equity theaters from Naples to Sarasota, including play dates, times and a synopsis of each production.

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Belle Theatre enduring tribute to founder’s grandmother

For founder Tyler Young, the Belle Theatre in Cape Coral is not just a dream come true. It’s an enduring tribute to his grandmother.

“My nana, Belle Young, passed away in 2017, and that really got me thinking, got me running with an idea, and my family and partner really pushed to open the Belle and make it a dream come reality,” said Young.

Read the full story on WGCU.

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The Belle Theatre becomes SWFL’s first Penguin Project chapter

Once a year, groups of children and young adults with developmental disabilities take to stages across the country to perform a modified version of a well-known Broadway musical. These magical performances are orchestrated by The Penguin Project, a national program that seeks to demonstrate that the special challenges of disability should not handicap a child’s ability to participate in life experiences. The Belle Theatre in Cape Coral has recently joined in this effort. Hear the story on WGCU.

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Cultural Park’s ‘Carrie’ asks whether we’re prepared to pay the price of being hateful

“What does it cost to be kind?” sings Sue Snell in “The World According to Chris” in an early scene in “Carrie: The Musical.” Perhaps the better question is “Are you prepared to pay the price of being cruel and hateful?” Alas, bullies rarely consider the consequences of their actions, least of all Carrie’s chief tormenter, Chris Hargensen, played with menace and malice by Shaelyn Crabtree. She sums up the story in two succinct sentences. “It’s about Carrie White, a girl who has a very, very troubled home life, doesn’t really fit in with everybody else. And it’s kind of a story of the bullies at her school and kind of her revenge.” Listen to the interview, hear some clips from the show and read the full story on WGCU.

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Even after 62 seasons, Cultural Park Theatre still Cape Coral’s ‘best kept secret’

In 1963, Herb Strauss envisioned creating a space where local residents could showcase their talents and enjoy live theater productions. Originally known as the Cape Coral Players, the theater began its journey in a small, rented storefront. In 1982, Cultural Park Theatre found its permanent home in the Cultural Park area of Cape Coral. But many natives and newcomers are unfamiliar with the theater’s rich history. That’s something Marketing Director Shaelynn Crabtree is working hard to change. Hear the interview and read the full story on WGCU.

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Marco’s Arts Center Theatre opens season with Simonelli comedy ‘Where There’s a Will’

Authors and playwrights inevitably experience writer’s block. They often find inventive ways to overcome the debilitating phenomenon. But none is as imaginative as the one that the main character conjures in local writer Joe Simonelli’s comedy “Where There’s a Will.” In his case, he conjures a visit from The Bard himself. Is Shakespeare can’t shake a case of the author’s blues, who can? Read more here on WGCU.

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Urbanite’s dark comedy, ‘Jennifer, Who Is Leaving’ captures demands unfairly placed on women caretakers

Opening October 18 at Urbanite Theatre in Sarasota is the regional premiere of Morgan Gould’s dark comedy “Jennifer, Who Is Leaving.” Set in a lonely Dunkin Donuts on highway outside Boston, the play captures the demands placed on women, who are often thrust into the role of caregiver – like it or not. Hear the full story on WGCU.

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Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe opens 25th season with ‘Soul Crooners’ jukebox musical

Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe opened its 25^th season in Sarasota this month with “Soul Crooners: Solid Gold Edition.” WBTT Founder and Artistic Director Nate Jacobs wrote and directs the company’s signature jukebox musical, which continues through November 17. A celebration of the music that ushered in a new era of soul, the musical also includes such memorable hits as “Let’s Groove,” “Lady (You Bring Me Up),” “Easy,” “Superfly,” “Joy & Pain,” “Use Ta Be My Girl” and “Get Up Offa That Thing.” Listen to the interview and read the full story on WGCU.

3     MUSIC

Opera Naples and Luciano Pavarotti Foundation expand collaboration

A couple of years ago, some influential boosters began exploring the idea of building an opera house in Naples. An integral component of the project, called Theater in the Garden, is a museum dedicated to the artistry of Luciano Pavarotti. Rather than wait for the opera house and museum to be built, Opera Naples and the late tenor’s wife, Nicoletta Mantovani, decided to begin working together immediately. This season, Opera Naples and the Pavarotti Foundation are expanding their affiliation in two important ways. Read the story on WGCU.