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 Welcome to Febru-arts! We’re kicking off the month of love with our collaboration gallery, We Contain Multitudes, featuring the works of Deb Zwetsch and Zan Lombardo. Bring your SweetheART to one of our three theatre performances! Which Way to the Stage kicks off the month. The Women Who Mapped the Stars is another collaboration, this time with the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium. We wrap up the month with everyone’s favorite darkly-dreaming do-gooder, Dexter, The Improve Musical. Mark your calendars for our FREE family-friendly Sweet Art Party, February 10 and our celebration of local vendors at the Wednesday Night Market on Valentine’s Day, February 14! February’s Featured Gallery Exhibit  We Contain Multitudes In the Gallery February 2-24 • Opening Reception: February 2, 5-7pm • This event is open to the public. Come meet your neighbors and enjoy beverages and light refreshments from Jayne Baker at this event! 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. “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 flex- ibility 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.” 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. 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. Find Out More → View All Events → In the Theatre This February  The Women Who Mapped the Stars February 8-18 • This inspirational play depicts the true story of five female astronomers who helped shape the development of astrophysics. Celia Payne is a central character who concludes in her 1925 Ph.D. thesis that hydrogen is the main component of stars. Given the time period, the struggle is real for female scientists to be recognized and respected, and this aspect of the play is examined closely. Watching this play at the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium will add dimension and the per- fect setting to an already amazing story. Be prepared to learn a thing or two about the magic of our night sky as you sit back and enjoy this show. This performance is being held at the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium as a fundraiser. This performance is generously sponsored by Janet & Bruce Bunch. Get Tickets → View All Events →  Dexter, the Improv Musical February 23-25 • Jeff Lindsay, the creator of Dexter Morgan, has written more than his Dexter and Riley Wolfe novels. He’s also written over two dozen plays for theatre, and he did improv comedy in L.A. And now he’s written something new that combines all three: Dexter the (Improv) Musical. Conceived with Josie Music Award-winning producer and composer Julian Sundby, the show changes at each performance due to audience participation. Some of it is scripted, some of it is made up, and all of it is Dexter, your favorite darkly-dream- ing do-gooder. Get Tickets → View All Events →  F*ckUp Nights Vol. 4 February 8 • F*ckup Nights is a global movement (300+ cities, 90 countries) focusing on how failure can transform into radical solutions that help people make better decisions and challenge the status quo. At our events in Fort Myers, we create the environment, exposure, and experience to radically change the way we think about failure. Get Tickets → View All Events →  Sweet Art Party Saturday, February 10, 10:00 am-1:00 pm • Come get to know the Alliance at our “Sweet Art Party” Open House. We’ll have artist-guided tours of the gallery exhibit “We Contain Multitudes”, demonstrations by Instructors, the chance to observe current classes and interactive art projects for all ages! All topped off by a dessert table and a coffee/hot chocolate bar! Bring you family, friends and neighbors to this free event and see what the Alliance has to offer you! Find Out More → View All Events →  Wednesday Night Market Wednesday, February 14, 5-8:00 pm • Join us under the stars every second Wednesday of the month from 5 pm to 8 pm for our pop-up Night Market. We feature a selection of art, live music, food trucks and beer and wine. There will be a free family art activity hosted by our own Youth Education Coordinator, Minna Maillakakis. Interested in becoming a vendor? Fill out the vendor application here. Find Out More → View All Events →  Open Mic at Wednesday Night Market Wednesday, February 14, 5-8:00 pm • Join us for Open Mic at the Night Market, celebrating local musicians. Enjoy live performances in a vibrant atmosphere. Register online to participate. Basic sound system provided. Limited to one song or 5 minutes per performer. Spread the word and join us for an evening of talent and community spirit! Interested in participating? Click here. Find Out More → View All Events →  Outdoor Bluegrass Concert featuring Swinging Bridge Sunday, February 11, 3-5:00 pm • Swinging Bridge Bluegrass Band is a bluegrass and classic country band established in 1997. The five members of Swinging Bridge are Alan Colpitts, Chris Bryson, Doug Rowe, JR Davis and Bobby Martin. Swinging Bridge members are five talented gentlemen from the Venice area of Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. The band was formed in the year 1999 and performs regularly throughout the region. The group can be found at the monthly Southwest Florida Bluegrass Association Jam/Fests and they have become a fixture at many blue- grass festivals in Florida. In the spring of 2003, the band released their first CD project Rough Edges which has become a hit with their growing cadre of fans. Pre-sale seating is limited to 132 and is first come, first serve. In the case of bad weather, the show will be moved indoors to the Foulds Theatre. Additional tickets may be available at the door, weather permitting. Get Tickets → View All Events →  Breaking the News-A Film Screening Wednesday, February 21, 6:00-9:00 pm •Seeking to buck the white male status quo, a group of women and LGBTQ+ journalists launch a news startup asking who’s been omitted from main- stream coverage, and how to include them. Find Out More → View All Events →  Check Out Our Gift Shop Tues.-Fri. 9 am-7 pm • Did you know we have a Gift Shop FULL of unique, one-of-a-kind items crafted by our Alliance Members? Everything from jewelry and greeting cards to art- work and books! The Gift Shop is open during business hours, so be sure to swing by and find your next treasure. The Alliance is open Tuesday-Friday 9 am – 7 pm and Saturday 9 am – 1 pm. Check Out Our E-Store → Become a Vendor →  Art Classes for All Ages and Abilities Your creative journey starts with you, so pick your level and don’t stop until you get to your destination. Upcoming classes include: ADULT & TEEN –Painting with Francesco (18+) –Evening Instructed Life Drawing with Francesco (18+) –Children’s Book Illustration –Are You Stuck? –Instructed Life Drawing with Francesco (18+) –Hula Dance (10+) –Evening Instructed Life Drawing with Francesco (18+) –Larger Than Life Watercolors (16+) –Koru Mosaic Two-Day Workshop –Members Only Photography Club –Discovering SoulCollage –Sweet Art Party –Step-by-Step Batik-Pelicans, the Gathering –Fine Art Acrylic A –Zentangle for the Seasons –Fine Art Acrylic B –Creative Writing for Wellness –Beginner Bonsai –Fridays with Francesco: White Chalk (18+) –Back to Basics Acrylics: Beginning Zhostovo –Beyond Basics Acrylics –Fluid Art: The Dustpan Pour –Mixed Level Belly Dance –Beginner Belly Dance –Hula Dance (Ages 10+) –Neurographica –Fridays with Francesco: Painting with a Limited Palette (18+) –Two-Day Workshop: Discover Watercolor Pencil –Mind, Body & Soul Mini Retreat –Watercolor Painting (16+) –Watercolor Wild Nest –Ceramic Coil Building Workshop –Mosaic Mania (16+) YOUTH –Intro to 3D Modeling Using Blendr (Ages 10-15) –Beginner Drawing –Manga Night (Ages 12-18) –Art Seekers: K-3rd –Art Seekers: PreK –Art Seekers: 4th-6th –Friend-Swift Bracelets –Hula Dance (Ages 3-9) –Make a Holiday Gnome –Free Family ArtLab –Scrunchie Making Workshop-Intro to Sewing (Ages 9-13) Register → View All Classes →  Free Family ArtLab Saturday, February 17• Make creativity part of your family routine the 3rd Saturday of each month during Family ArtLab! Drop in for free, hands-on family fun from 10 a.m. to noon. Explore something new every month like art making, gallery activities, games and more – all inspired by artworks on view in the gallery, famous artists, national holidays and artistic traditions around the world. All ages and abilities are encouraged to participate. Family ArtLabs are free and open to the public, but a $10 suggested family donation keeps programming affordable and accessible. Find Out More → View All Events →  Registration Open Now for Our Spring Break Arts Camp March 18-22, 2024 •Welcome to our Spring Break Art Retreat Camp designed just for your little creatives! This camp offers a variety of activities for kids ages 7-11, our mornings will sparkle with art journaling and meditation for focus and revitalization. Children will unveil hidden talents in the afternoons with the rhythm of music and creative expression. Conveniently scheduled March 18-22nd, during spring break for Lee County Schools, we invite campers to explore the boundless realms of their imagination through self expression and self awareness. Register online to embark on a journey of colorful self-discovery. Sign up for 1 or 2 days, or the full week. Extended care available for before care and afternoon care. Camp hours are 9:00AM – 4:00PM. Find Out More → View All Events →   Alliance for the Arts • ArtInLee.org 239-939-2787 • 10091 McGregor Blvd, Fort Myers Membership • Donate • Classes • Exhibits • Theatre • Digital Arts Lab  |