A Really Beautiful Bird Around Southwest Florida.

 Pileated woodpeckers, the largest woodpeckers in North America, hammer their heads into trees with a force of 15 mph, 20 times a second. So, how do their heads not turn to mush?

Thick muscles, sponge-like bones, and a third eyelid keep bird brains intact. For more information, go to: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/pileated_woodpecker/id/nc

 This is a MUST SEE IN FORT MYERS

Event Still Ongoing Through November 27th

 The World Championship of Sand Sculpting is underway and the winners for this solo division competition have been announced!

PHOTOS ATTACHED OF EACH, ADDITIONAL HIGH-RES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

The Sculptor’s Choice Award is one of the most prized, as it’s an award given by the sculptor’s peers. It signifies distinct creativity and skill demonstration.

Charlie Beaulieu, event director and a World Championship winner twelve times over, commented “This is the best venue the World Championship event has ever been held at. The sculptures are amazing which makes the judging very difficult.”

This is the first time the World Championship of Sand Sculpting event has ever been held in Florida. From today until the 27th, master sculptors will be on-site to create additional exhibition art, and answer questions about the masterpieces.. Guests will also enjoy a myriad of other activities including live music daily.

Event hours are as follows: Monday-Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For a more detailed schedule of activities and event information, please visit: http://www.worldchampionshipofsandsculpting.com/fmb/world_championship_of_sand_sculpting_ft_myers_beach_event_schedule.htm

Today, Tuesday, November 22nd, The Beach Arts Cooperative will host The Orpheus Players’ performance of an original play, “Sisters of the Sea” on a stage set in the sand behind the Holiday Inn. The opening reception starts at 6:00 p.m. followed by the performance at 7:00 p.m. $30 ticket price includes two drinks. For ticket information, please call 239-463-4461 or visit: http://www.beachartscooperative.org/

Discounted World Championship of Sand Sculpting event tickets are available for purchase at Costco in Fort Myers, Naples or Estero, any 7-11 store in Lee or Collier County and all Pinchers Crab Shack locations while supplies last.

Tickets at the event are just $6 for adults, $5 for children 5 to 17 years old and those 4 and under are free. For more information on the event, please visit: http://www.worldchampionshipofsandsculpting.com.

A designated portion of the event proceeds will be donated to the “Eliminate Project” sponsored by Kiwanis International and UNICEF. For specific details about this cause, please visit: http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/theELIMINATEproject/home.aspx.

LOCATION & TRANSPORTATION
The World Championship of Sand Sculpting will be held at the Holiday Inn located at 6890 Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers beach. Attendees are encouraged to arrive from the south in order to avoid traffic congestion. Event directors have coordinated a revolving bus system to transport attendees from the Lover’s Key parking area to the site. Parking is also available in the Publix shopping center at Bonita Beach Road and U.S. 41 where the Lee County beach “Trollee” will pick up attendees. CLICK BELOW TO SEE MORE: 

“Sanibel Turtle Garden,” an acrylic on wood painting by artist Teri Causey, has been selected as the poster image for the Annual Sanibel Masters Art Festival, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on FRIDAY Nov. 25 and SATURDAY the 26th at the Sanibel Community House. The festival features 75 terrific artists. The proceeds from the event benefit the programs at the Sanibel Community House and BIG ARTS, a home for all the arts.  Admission is free, but donations are accepted at the gates. As a special treat, the BIG ARTS Chorus will perform a preview of their holiday concert at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 26.  For more information, visit boulderbrookproductions.net or facebook.com/boulderbrookart.

Regarding this years poster art: The festival hs used a similar type of underwater sea turtle image for the past three years, and this year when we saw the vibrant colors of Teri’s painting, we immediately selected it. The color palette of the painting offered us a chance to freshen up the design. The new colors are so varied from the past that it allowed us to create a similar poster but something that really looks new and fresh. Sanibel Island has a fondness for turtles and we like to keep the poster for this event from changing too much, so that it is recognizable each year.  Many guests have started a Sanibel Masters Art Festival poster collection. Signed posters will be available for the first 50 visitors to Teri’s booth.

ALSO CHECK OUT THIS EXCITING NEWS:

She’s a baker, artist and former Bubble Room restaurant owner. And, now she’s an author.

Katie Gardenia, one of the most prominent Sanibel-Captiva area residents, recently released “A Bubble Moment,” a combination cookbook and coffee table book sure to delight residents and visitors to the area. She will sign her book, and sell her fabric sculpture and fiber art pieces, during the Sanibel Masters Art Festival being held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25 and 26 at the Sanibel Community House.

For years, Gardenia owned the whimsical Bubble Room restaurant on Captiva Island. It was famous for serving the biggest slices of homemade cake, with wedges that looked as if they were designed for an art gallery. In her book, she shares al her recipes including red velvet cake, bubble bread, and orange crunch cake. But, she emphasizes, it’s more than a cookbook. The four-color, hardcover, 117-page book chronicles the history of the Bubble Room building, the people who came in and out of its door, the people who helped create it, long and tall stories, local color, her original recipes, old photos, and page after page of handmade collages. As the reader travels through the story, they will come upon handmade paper pages that have “secret envelopes” that were artfully hand stamped, chalk colored, that are waiting unveil more information.

Lakes Park announces winners of “Scarecrows in the Park” celebrity-judged contest,
invites the public to vote and help determine winners

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Oct. 20, 2011) – Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation announces the  winners of the “Scarecrows in the Park” contest chosen by local celebrity judges during the “Scarecrows in the Park” kick-off event held on Friday, Oct. 14. The winners were selected from three categories: Gulf Coast Orthodontics’ scarecrow “Scared Straight” was selected “Most Creative,” the award for “Best Company Correlation” was given to Coral Veterinary Clinic for their scarecrow “Walking the Doc’s,” and Girl Scout Troop 858, sponsored by Miller, Helms & Folk, swept the “Best Youth-Created Entry” with “Samoa-crow.”  Lakes Park invites the public to cast their votes to help determine the grand winners. The contest is part of the annual Lakes Park “Fall Festival and Halloween Extravaganza,” which continues through Halloween, Oct. 31. Celebrity judges and festival attendees vote for their favorite scarecrow to determine the winners.

“The contest and festival are off to such a great start,” says Marsha Asp, chairperson for the Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation. “During our opening weekend, more than 1200 attendees cast their votes for their favorite scarecrow. That exceeds our vote total for the entire two weeks last year! We can hardly wait for next weekend.”

In addition to “Scarecrows in the Park,” the festival includes a pumpkin patch, bounce houses, hayrides, and a Halloween Express train.

The Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation established in 2004 by a group of Lee County business leaders and dedicated citizens who recognize Lakes Park as an extremely important green area in Lee County. The foundation’s main focus is to assist Lee County Parks and Recreation in the continued implementation of the $30 million Lakes Park Master Plan, enhancing the park’s environmental aesthetics, wildlife habitat and recreational amenities for the community to enjoy for many years to come. Currently, the Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation is focusing its fundraising on creating a botanical garden at Lakes Park.  For more information on the foundation, visit www.LakesParkEnrichmentFoundation.org.

John Sayles, Henry Rollins, Dan Bern and John K. Samson will headline the conference.

Veteran filmmaker and novelist Sayles will deliver the keynote address Saturday, Nov. 5. Sayles’s most recent novel is the critically acclaimed “A Moment in the Sun” (2011, McSweeney’s). The address will begin at 6 p.m. in Schein Hall at BIG Arts, 900 Dunlop Road, and is open to the general public once all the registered conference attendees have been seated.  Author Steve Almond (“Candyfreak,” “God Bless America”) will open.

Henry Rollins brings “An Evening of Storytelling” to the conference at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4 in Schein Hall at BIG Arts.

Registered conference attendees and FGCU students gain immediate admission. Tickets for the general public to Rollins’ event are free, but must be reserved in advance.  To reserve tickets, visithttp://henryrollinssanibel.eventbrite.com/.  Rollins hosts a weekly radio show on L.A.’s renowned NPR affiliate KCRW, is a regular contributor to VanityFair.com with his “Straight Talk Espresso” blog and recently joined forces with National Geographic as host of a series of television specials.

On Thursday, Nov. 3, acclaimed singer-songwriters Bern and Samson will perform solo concerts at 6 p.m. in Schein Hall.

Bern has released over a dozen albums, including the critically acclaimed “Fifty Eggs,” “New American Language,” and the children’s album “2 Feet Tall.”  Bern’s songwriting skills were used in the films “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” and “Get Him to the Greek.”

Samson is the singer and songwriter for The Weakerthans, an acclaimed Canadian rock band that has released five CDs, including the award-winning “Reconstruction Site” (2004) and “Reunion Tour” (2008). Samson’s poetry and prose have appeared in Matrix Magazine, Geist, The Believer, and Post-Prairie—an Anthology of New Poetry. He lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he’s also the managing editor and co-founder of a small publishing house, ARP (Arbeiter Ring Publishing).

The concert is open to the general public once all the registered conference attendees have been seated.

In addition to the artists mentioned above, the conference offers workshops, presentations, panels and readings from the following authors, editors and literary agents:

Lynne Barrett (fiction/editor), Nickole Brown (poetry/editor/publicist), Kevin Canty (fiction), Ron Currie Jr. (fiction), John Dufresne (fiction), Carmen Edington (editor), William Giraldi (fiction/editor), Barbara Hamby (poetry), John Hoppenthaler (poetry), Christopher Joyce (NPR-writing for radio), David Kirby (poetry), Christopher Phillips (Socrates Cafe), Robert Root (creative nonfiction/editor), Christopher Schelling (literary agent),  Laurel Snyder (YA lit), Darin Strauss (memoir), Jay Wexler (creative nonfiction), Thomas Williams (novella/editor), Tom Zoellner (investigative journalism).

For a complete schedule or to register visit www.fgcu.edu/siwc. Contact Tom DeMarchi at tdemarch@fgcu.edu or (239) 590-7421.

Art Walk will jump start an active Labor Day weekend in downtown Fort Myers.

The next monthly Art Walk will be held Friday, Sept. 2 with local art galleries and art stops featuring new exhibits and shows.

Then on Sunday, Sept. 4, the River District Alliance will host a Labor Day Weekend Block Party featuring live music on three stages. Those festivities begin at 6 p.m.

The monthly Art Walk runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. The September Art Walk will include more than a dozen art galleries and art stops and will include new art shows, live music, and the traditional after party.

In October, Art Walk will celebrate its third anniversary. This monthly cultural event draws between 1,500 and 2,500 people each month.

Some highlights of the Friday, Sept. 2 Art Walk:

- Art of the Olympians: Table Tennis opening reception and exhibition match featuring former US Open & Florida State Champion Marvelous Marvin Leff.  Also, “21” featuring original works by 21 international Olympian artists. Vocalists Callie Atkinson, Sarah Daigle, and Jordan Pilant, winners of the 2011 Young Artists Awards competition, perform from 7-9 p.m.

- Art League of Fort Myers: Opening reception for Time of Transition exhibit.

- Arts for ACT Gallery: Opening reception for new show featuring artists Philip Heubeck, Sam Brough, and Annie St. Martin.

- Coloring The World: Opening reception for visiting featured artist Scott Guelcher.

- daas Gallery: Opening reception for Unfair: The Art of Alex Heria.

- Gallery Showcase and Information Center at IberiaBank (Bayview Court at First Street). Art Walk T-shirts are available at this location as well as buttons, maps and brochures.

- The Franklin Shops: Artwork on display by one of America’s greatest wildlife illustrators, John James Audubon.

- HOWL Gallery: Opening reception for a new exhibit featuring the fine art of Ohio based rock concert poster icon Derek Hess.

- In One Instant: Opening of Snap Flash Photo: Photography Portfolio of David Dack Maki.

- Leoma Lovegrove: “America America” showcases Lovegrove’s patriotic spirit and brilliant colors. Percentage of sales benefits local NYPD 10/13 in tribute to the fallen of the 9-11 attacks on America ten years ago.

- Sidney & Berne Dais Art Center: Opening for master artist Stacie Krupa’s “Sassy Spicy Soulmates – Seahorses, Sea Turtles & Salty, Socialite Friends.”

- Space 39 Gallery:  Group art show.

- Syzygy Gallery: Spiritual and religious art by Christina Jarmolinski.

Nearly 50 participants make Art Walk successful each month and they include the Alliance for the Arts, AmeriDry, Art League of Fort Myers, Art of the Olympians, Arts for ACT Gallery and Boutique, Browtopia, Cigar Bar, Coloring The World, Cool Hand Luc’s, daas Gallery, Downtown House of Pizza, Enjewel, First United Methodist Church, Florida Repertory Theatre, Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency, The Franklin Shops, French Connection Cafe, Green-n-Groovy Gallery & Boutique, Hampton Inn & Suites, Happenings A&E Magazine, Hideaway Sports Bar, Hotel Indigo, HOWL Gallery/Tattoo, Ichiban Japanese & Chinese Restaurant, IberiaBank, In One Instant Gallery of Photography, Legacy Harbour Hotel & Suites, Leoma Lovegrove, Mad Hatter Galleries, Main Street Antiques, Market America Realty & Investments, Morgan House Restaurant, The Oasis Luxury Condos, Potomac Bead Company, Red Door Studio, Red Rock Saloon, Renaissance Creativity Center, River District Alliance, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Select Transportation, Space 39 Gallery, Spirits of Bacchus, Syzygy Gallery, Twisted Vine Bistro, United Café, Bar & Bistro, The Veranda Restaurant, What’s Up Dogs?, Yanos Restaurant, and the Young Artists Awards Program.

Held the first Friday of every month from 6 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 September after party will be held at Spirits of Bacchus on Hendry Street.

Another highlight of the very popular evening is the weekly Friday Night Live free concert series which takes place in the Patio de Leon. Sista Sanjah (reggae) will perform from 6 to 9 p.m.

Always a collector’s item, new Art Walk buttons will be available at galleries that night. Art Walk has its own T-shirt (in red or black). Shirts are available for a $12 donation at the IberiaBank gallery showcase during Art Walk.

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 Condominiums, Art of the Olympians, and the Patio de Leon entrance at First Street.

In October, look for the return of the seasonal Saturday Art Fair along the sidewalks of downtown. This will be the third year for the monthly Saturday Art Fair which runs October through April. This year, the art fair is a juried event. To find out more about the Saturday Art Fair, contact Claudia Goode at 239-337-5050.

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. Art Walk is a River District Alliance event. For more information on Art Walk, participating galleries and links to gallery websites, visit www.fortmyersartwalk.com.

MUSIC WALK Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary

The monthly Music Walk returns August 20th to the downtown Fort Myers River District for its 1 Year Anniversary. Music Walk started in August of 2010 and was modeled after the extremely successful Fort Myers Art Walk. Over a dozen restaurants, bars, and galleries became Music Walk venues, and a massive outpouring of local musicians continue to perform month after month. The interest and attendance in the event has only grown since the first Music Walk in August of 2010, with the off-season summer months being just as busy as the traditional in-season months.

Music Walk founder and chairman of the event, Andy Howl, who co-owns HOWL Gallery/Tattoo, attributes the success of the event to the area’s need for more monthly entertainment options and a untapped grass roots music culture. “I think Fort Myers has the potential to be a magnet for art and music, it just takes the right timing and mixture of people to make it happen. Downtown Fort Myers has everything to be a state-wide destination for art and music.”

The first 400 attendants of the 1 Year Anniversary on August 20th will be able to get a free Music Walk guitar pick manufactured by Clayton Guitar Picks. Guitar picks will be evenly distributed among the venues. Additionally, a limited edition 1 Year Anniversary button will also be available at the venues. Blue Music Walk balloons will decorate the historic downtown streets. Visit the Music Walk website for a list of venues. www.fortmyersmusicwalk.com

The 3rd Saturday event features live music at over a dozen venues, including restaurants, galleries, and bars, plus street performers all over the beautiful downtown streets. Music Walk venues showcase a variety of music, from punk, rockabilly, indie, reggae, and folk, to piano, steel drums, and more. The event is the largest of its kind regionally. Music Walk is an all ages event that starts at 7 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m. or close at many venues. Free parking available.

Music Walk partners and venues include: HOWL Gallery/Tattoo, Spirits of Bacchus, Space 39, Red Rock Saloon, United Cafe, French Connection Cafe, Enjewel, Happenings Magazine, Hotel Indigo, Twisted Vine Bistro, Indigo Room, Harborside Event Center, Coloring The World, City Tavern, Downtown House of Pizza, World Famous Cigar Bar, Hideaway Sports Bar, Morgan House, The Veranda Restaurant, Market America Realty, Syzygy Gallery, Main Street Antiques, WinkNews6, Classic Rock 94.5, Cool Hand Luc’s, and AmeriDry.

Each month brings more people to Music Walk, with an estimated 4,000 attendees to the July event. Music Walk is organized by Andy Howl with help from Dee Hohimer, Suzy Lewis, and Jamie Kuser of Happenings Magazine.  Music Walk is a River District Alliance event. The River District Alliance is a non-profit organization that manages events and unifies business owners in the Fort Myers River District.

THIS IS HIGH QUILITY STUFF!! ANIQUITE AND COLLECTABLES, UNIQUICE/NATIVE ARITFACTES, CARS, HIGH END CLOTHING, AND MISC.  SATURDAY JULY 30^th AT 918 MAIN STREET, SANIBEL ISLAND FLORIDA 33957, 7 AM.  SHARP. BE SURE TO GET THERE EARY TO GET WHAT YOU WANT. THIS WILL GO VERY FAST. Click below to see more items: