Art Walk 5th Anniversary Street Party Oct. 4 in Fort Myers River District The fifth anniversary celebration will be so incredible that Art Walk is blocking off the streets and throwing a party on Friday, Oct. 4. The event will be filled with art in the galleries and out on the streets and will include street performers. October marks the fifth year since the Fort Myers Art Walk was created by a group of gallery owners and art enthusiasts. Since then, Art Walk as been a major force in revitalizing the River District with new galleries, stores and restaurants. A team effort since the beginning, Art Walk’s success is due in part to a private and public partnership. Those team members include the local businesses, the City of Fort Myers, the River District Alliance and the Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency. The first Art Walk on Oct. 3, 2008, was under the leadership of Greg Knezevich, who owned the former La Casa del Arte gallery. Other co-founders include Andy Howl and Alainna Zwiernik of HOWL Gallery, Jamie Kuser of Happenings Magazine and Reverie & Rock Art Gallery, Claudia Goode of Arts for ACT Gallery, David Acevedo and Xavier Brignoni of the former daas Gallery, Terry Tincher and Tanya Daigle of Space 39, John Pappas of the Art League of Fort Myers, Marcella Avila of the former Union Street Artists Company and representatives from the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center, the Alliance for the Arts, ArtFest Fort Myers, Art of the Olympians, SW Florida Museum of History and Harborside Event Center. Additional Art Walk Committee members over the years included artist Stephen Gray-Blancett (Coloring The World Gallery) and Paul Rodino (In One Instant Gallery). For more than four and a half years, Art Walk has been co-chaired by Andy Howl and Jamie Kuser. After recently moving HOWL Gallery to a larger location south of the River District, Claudia Goode now serves as co-chair with Kuser. Today, the downtown Fort Myers River District is home to at least seven art galleries, another seven shops who sell local artwork and numerous restaurants, bars and businesses that partner with Art Walk to create a cultural destination like no other in Southwest Florida. For the Friday, Oct. 4 anniversary celebration, the streets will be blocked off from 6 to 10 p.m. to accommodate a larger crowd. Besides the exciting art exhibits in the downtown galleries, several artists will set up tents on the street. Local theatre groups and arts organization will perform short scenes and vignettes on small stages. Those groups include Florida Repertory Theatre, Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, Laboratory Theater of Florida, Young Artists Awards and Cultural Park Theatre Company. Additionally, street performers will include a fire dancer, stilt walkers, live art statues, performance artists and more. Beer and wine will be available for purchase on the street, thanks to volunteers from the local ACT Shelter. Key sponsors for the fifth anniversary street party include Broadway Palm, Seminole Casino Immokalee, Budweiser, River District Alliance and the City of Fort Myers and the Community Redevelopment Agency. Many of the downtown businesses will be conducting raffles and giveaways and offer a variety of specials to help create a remarkable experience for all who attend that night. The monthly Fort Myers Art Walk runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on the first Fridays of every month (rain or shine) in the Fort Myers River District. Art highlights of the Friday, Oct. 4 Art Walk: - Art League of Fort Myers: Opening reception for new exhibit called “Harvets of the Arts.” Additionally, the league will have a community canvas for people to paint. Tara Phillips will again be doing face painting. Small art pieces will be raffled off that night, too. - Arts for ACT Gallery: Opening reception for new exhibit “Protese Proposal” series by David Acevedo in the main gallery also showing off the main gallery will be Xavier Brignoni and Art of the DisAbled. - Charme: Live demo by artist Sarah Kiser. - Enjewel: Tie dye artists Brittany and Nick Mettro will be on hand. - Hotel Indigo and Broadway Bistro: Exhibit by artists from the Pan American Alliance. - Ocasiocasa Studio Gallery: A new collection of artwork featuring sculpted sculls, face masks wall art, wearable horns and hand-dyed art T-shirts. Guest will be invited to enter a raffle for a chance to win art by Jeff & Dale Ocasio. Face painting and live art demonstration will be in front of the studio gallery. - The Open Door Shoppes on Hendry: Live artist demos by Greg Wiegand (copper wire sculptures) and Carmen Munez (hand-crafted jewelry), Larry Garland (beach art water color paintings), Susan Cantwell (oil painting) and Marty Mirer (illuminated hand crafted flower arrangements. - Reverie & Rock Art Gallery: Exhibit features digital surrealism art by Kathy Kuser and concert photography by Jamie Kuser. Kathy will also be set up in a tent on the street. - Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center: The Blood Dimmed Tide, a solo exhibition of new photographic works by Florida artist Tony Myles opens. Incorporating complex photographic processes, Myles explores universal themes of dissolute order, loss, and societal decay. The exhibition continues through Oct. 24. - Space 39 Art Bar & Lounge: Opening for Dark Art 7 exhibit (in conjunction with Zombicon). - UNIT A Contemporary Art Space: The gallery will be hosting a special opening for the October Art Walk Anniversary with new works by world renowned artist Marcus Jansen accompanied by DJ in an after party setting. Art Walk partners include the Art League of Fort Myers, Arts for ACT Gallery and Boutique, Charme, Cigar Bar, The Deli, Downtown House of Pizza, Enjewel, First United Methodist Church, Florida Repertory Theatre, Ford’s Garage, Fort Myers Community Redevelopment Agency, The Franklin Shops, French Connection Cafe, Gulf Coast Times, Happenings Magazine, Hotel Indigo, HOWL Gallery/Tattoo, Legacy Harbour Hotel & Suites, Linen Cottage, Lush Bakery, Market America Realty & Investments, The Nest Home & Garden, Ocasiocasa Studio Gallery, The Open Door Shoppes on Hendry, Palm Printing, River District Alliance, The Shoppes at Broadway, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Spirits of Bacchus, Twisted Vine Bistro, UNIT A Contemporary Art Space, United Café, Bar & Bistro, The Veranda Restaurant and the Young Artists Awards Program.
Posted on: Sun, 22 Sep 2013 20:58:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015