Fort Myers Daily

Fort Myers Art Walk &  Art Fair, Southwest Fl Art

The monthly two-day art event continues in downtown Fort Myers in May.

The next Art Walk will be Friday, May 7, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. That will be followed by the new Saturday Art Fair on May 8, in the Patio de Leon from noon to 4 p.m. The Friday, May 7, Art Walk will include more than a dozen art stops and feature new art exhibitions, live music, and the traditional after party.

Held the first Friday of every month from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Art Walk features local and national artwork in the downtown art galleries and several art stops in the Fort Myers River District. The evening culminates with an after party at 10 p.m. The May after party will be held at Spirits of Bacchus on Hendry Street.

The Saturday Art Fair will run from noon to 4 p.m. More than 20 local art vendors and artisans will be set up in the Patio de Leon selling their art. Galleries will be open and some galleries will be hosting “Make-It & Take-It” art projects for the kids. Admission is free. The Saturday Art Fair will take a break during the summer months and return in the fall.
The nearly 40 participants in Art Walk include the Alliance for the Arts, Art League of Fort Myers, Art of the Olympians, Arts for ACT Gallery and Boutique, Café Matisse, Cigar Bar, Coloring The World, Conch Sweet Corner Café, daas Gallery, Delicious Things, Digital Data Destruction, Downtown Deli & Market, Downtown House of Pizza, Enjewel, First United Methodist Church, Florida Repertory Theatre, Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency, French Connection, H2 Downtown Bistro, Happenings A&E Magazine, Hideaway Sports Bar, Hotel Indigo, HOWL Gallery, Ichiban Japanese & Chinese Restaurant, Iberia Bank, LaTrattoria Restaurant, Main Street Antiques, Morgan House Restaurant, The Oasis Luxury Condos, Potomac Bead Company, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Select Transportation, SKS PhotoShoot, Space 39 Gallery, Spirits of Bacchus, The Spot, The Veranda Restaurant, and the Young Artists Awards Program.

Some highlights of the Friday, May 7, Art Walk:
Art League of Fort Myers: Opening of Anything Goes exhibit. Noelle Aparte, a vocalist winner at the Young Artists Awards competition in March, will be performing from 7-8:30 p.m.
Art of the Olympians: Founder’s exhibit featuring the works of Al Oerter and Liston Bochette in the main gallery and a special showing in the downstairs gallery.
Arts for ACT Gallery: Opening reception for exhibit featuring artists Beth Everhart, Andrea Cambio and Africa Valdez.
Coloring The World: 50@50 exhibit and street party featuring 50 works for $50 each by 50-year-old artist Stephen Gray-Blancett.
daas Gallery: Opening reception for Paper Milk featuring the art of Veron Ennis.
Enjewel: Featured artist is Jena Forte (unique hand-crafted jewelry).
HOWL Gallery: Opening reception for Yoka Touring Toy Show, featuring Yoka Bear designer art toys, custom painted by artists across the nation.
Iberia Bank (Bayview Court at First Street) has been designated as an art gallery showcase and information center for the eight downtown art galleries.
Oasis Condos: Exhibit entitled Journey, featuring artists Rhonda Castillo and Javier Portilla.
Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center: Opening for Visions exhibit, showcasing international artists Otto von Kotzebue, Patricia Mulko, Gloria Audo, and Sandi Badash (6-8 p.m. only). Also, an awards reception for the Transit Oriented Development Design Competition will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Space 39:  Opening of a new show featuring artists Carl Schwartz and Alicia Schmidt.

Another highlight of the extremely popular evening will be the weekly Friday Night Live, which takes place in the Patio de Leon. Memphis 56 will perform from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
In the downtown theatres that night, Florida Rep will present The Big Bang on stage at 8 p.m. and The House of Bernarda Alba will be presented at 8 p.m. at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

In addition, the American Cancer Society Relay for Life will take place in Centennial Park and will include an art display by young oncology patients. The Alliance for the Arts will be holding an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for its new exhibit Under the Influence.

Always a collector’s item, new Art Walk buttons will be available at galleries that night.

A free shuttle service courtesy of Select Transportation Inc., with stops planned near the art venues, and parking at the Harborside Event Center will be available for Art Walk patrons. Shuttle stops include The Oasis, Art of the Olympians, and Enjewel on First Street.

A map of Art Walk, transportation, and parking will be distributed by participating galleries. Art Walk is a rain or shine event. Art Walk was started by a group of art galleries and art enthusiasts and debuted in October of 2008. For more information on Art Walk, participating galleries, and links to gallery websites, visit www.fortmyersartwalk.com.

Media Contacts (co-chairs):
Andy Howl, HOWL Gallery, andyhowl@earthlink.net or (239) 332-0161
Jamie Kuser, Happenings A&E Magazine, swfhappenings@earthlink.net or (239) 278-5236
Saturday Art Fair: Claudia Goode, Arts for ACT Gallery, cgoode@actabuse.com or (239) 939-2553.

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