Exciting Options for Art Enthusiasts

The Art Scene is still going strong in the Southwest Florida area, despite many seasonal residents departing for their northern climates. With so many wonderful art spots in town, it’s a juggling act to get everything into your calendar.  Depending on your preference, the creative options are plenty.

Take in some fresh air and stretch those legs during these upcoming ART WALKS:

• North Naples Arts Alliance’s last Underground Art Wednesday of the season, 6-9 p.m. on May 4th.
• May 6th marks another exciting Fort Myers Arts Walk, which draws large crowds for its first Friday of the month venue, 6-10 p.m.
• The May 14th Art After Dark is sure to entertain you, down at the galleries of Crayton Cove in Old Naples, 6-9 p.m.
• May 25th is the last Wednesday Art Walk at the Artist Colony at the Esplanade on Marco Island.

If you enjoy supporting student art you won’t want to miss the Collier County Student Art Show, going on through May 3rd at the Rookery Bay Learning Center.  This year’s theme is “Dive into Oceans” and some colorful pieces are currently on display.

Another fine exhibit of works by young aspiring artists can be seen at The Naples Museum of Art in the third annual Student Art Exhibition, which runs through May 15th.

The Naples Museum of Art is also currently displaying Louise Nevelson’s last major work, Dawn’s Forest, through June 30th. Nevelson’s largest and most complex sculptural environment, Dawn’s Forest consists of a dozen separate sculptures with elements dating back to 1971. Nevelson (1899-1988) was one of the most important and influential figures in postwar American art, and the most internationally celebrated woman artist of her time. Louise Nevelson’s Dawn’s Forest

From realism to abstraction, Florida Contemporary 2011 features familiar photographers, painters, sculptors and graphic artists who have spent a lifetime at their craft together with an exciting array of new artists that visitors can “discover” for themselves. On display through June 30th, this exhibition provides an intriguing impression of the innovative images, subject matter, techniques and mediums that exemplify the art being created in the state today.

Also at the Naples Museum of Art through the end of June is Tuscany: Wandering the Back Roads, the works of well-known photographers Paula Chamlee and Michael A. Smith.

In conjunction with the Naples Art Association, City Mattress is hosting a nature art exhibit for three Southwest Florida artists through July 25th: Growing Vision: Discovering Form and Shape in Nature

Also on view through July 25th with the Naples Art Association is Visual Storytelling – Four Narrative Artists at Physicians Regional Medical Center in Naples.

From local to international art, these inspiring venues are just a sampling of what Southwest Florida offers. All sure to entertain even the most discerning art fan.