Alliance for the Arts Presents We Contain Multitudes

Alliance for the Arts Presents We Contain Multitudes

The February Gallery by Deb Zwetsch and Zan Lombardo will be on view February 2- 24

FORT MYERS, FL (January 24, 2024) – The Alliance for the Arts invites the public to its opening reception for We Contain Multitudes on February 2 from 5-7:00 p.m. The free event features works by both Deb Zwetsch and Zan Lombardo. Light refreshments will be provided. The exhibit will be on view from February 2-24, 2024 at 10091 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers.

Immediately following the opening reception of We Contain Multitudes will be a live, outdoor concert featuring Pipe Dream. Tickets will be free for Alliance members and $10 for non-members. 

Deb Zwetsch and Zan Lombardo built a relationship as collaborative artists to specifically create the works for this show. They have “channeled multitudes” together, harnessing watercolor paints and liquid silk dyes to create works of imbibition.

Elusive skunk apes peer between the trunks of pines, saw palmettos and bald cypress trees. A veritable yearbook of character portraits of local mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects is juxtaposed with a litany of leftovers from the trauma of Hurricane Ian. The moon in all its phases is featured as it influences all creatures and phenomena of the natural world. Human figures wear the silken skins of other beings as they interact with them, whether that be listening to the choruses of frogs in the rain, considering the fecundity of a rookery, facing the imposing mass of a brown bear, darting from the silver spears of mullet schools, or gasping at a graceful nest of snakes. The artists show them embodied, not separate.

“Collaboration is not to be undertaken by the weak or faint of heart,” according to the artists’ statement for the exhibition.“Collaborative struggle has required enormous amounts of flexibility and integrity. The result is concrete, visible evidence that channeling the Creation together is possible. The artists’ intentions are for their artworks to embrace this resplendence and acknowledge that life is overwhelmingly abundant and well worth their effort, laughter, and tears. They remind us to be humble and to keep expanding out into the universe.”

In the Theatre Gallery: John Rizza

John Rizza has devoted his time to creating art, he is committed to exploring it fully. At times he has as many as 6-10 works in progress, all in different phases of creation. His style can be described as “post-Impressionistic” with a blend of “fauvism”, especially with its emphasis on form and color. Composition, palette selection and expressing movement with loose brush strokes and palette applications are some of the main factors in his creation process. Exploring the unique possibilities of using different “limited palette” techniques has opened his eyes to the complexity of a harmonious piece of art.

In the Member Gallery: The Students of Terry Lynn Spry 

Terry Lynn Spry has been a dedicated painting instructor at the Alliance for the Arts for several years, and has a dedicated group of students that attend her Tuesday classes. In a celebration of their artistic journey, the members’ gallery will proudly feature an exhibition of their works. 

Receptions are open to the public and do not require tickets or reservations. While gallery admission is free, a $5 suggested donation keeps AFTA programming affordable and accessible. 

About Alliance for the Arts

The Alliance for the Arts is a nonprofit community visual and performing arts center located in the heart of Fort Myers, Florida. Since 1975, the Alliance has been committed to transforming lives and improving community through the arts. The Alliance campus and galleries are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Located at 10091 McGregor Boulevard just south of Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers. For more information, please call 239-939-2787, visit us at www.ArtInLee.org, find us on Facebook and Instagram.