Insider tip for all of the husbands and boyfriends out there, there is not a woman alive who would not love to throw on her little black dress, some pearls and heals, sip a glass of wine and enjoy a night out listening to jazz with you.  So how do you keep your better half happy without taking a hit to your wallet? The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs has got you covered this Thursday, October 27 at 7:00pm with an affordable night of smooth Jazz at their intimate café theater at the Promenade in Bonita Springs.

Local Jazz legends, vocalist Rebecca Richardson and guitar and bassist Dan Heck, present, “An Evening of Jazz, Live at the Promenade!”  Rebecca and Dan offer a night of jazz music from the great American songbook including tunes from Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, Rogers and Hart, and Irving Berlin.  Ron Hefner and Stu Shelton will accompany Rebecca and Dan on this journey into the music that not only shaped Broadway and Jazz, but also the entire musical landscape of the 20th century.

Richardson’s smooth melodic vocal style has been compared to popular jazz vocalist Diana Krall.  Rebecca earned her Bachelor’s of Vocal Jazz Performance from Cornish College of the Arts and went on to study in New York, with esteemed jazz musician David Budway and attending master classes at the Juilliard School. Richardson’s career has spanned ten years, beginning in Seattle, where she performed jazz in popular venues including Tula’s, The Space Needle, and the Sorrento Hotel. It was in Seattle that Richardson met professional jazz Guitarist and Bassist Dan Heck, who would become her husband and musical partner.

Recording artist, composer and educator Heck, graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston.  A move to Seattle in 1993, offered Heck the perfect opportunity to establish his professional jazz reputation. As a founding member of the band “Bebop and Destruction”, he experienced national success and recognition for his efforts, winning several awards and recording four critically acclaimed CD’s with the group.

After Seattle, Richardson and Heck spent five years pursuing their musical dreams in fabulous New York City, working in famous venues such as the blue Note, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Kavehaz, Flute, The Pierre Hotel, Cleopatra’s Needle, and the French Consulate with a wealth of incredible musicians.  Lured away from the grey skies of New York by the sun and surf of Naples, Richardson and Heck relocated where they continued to play together, solo and with larger groups.

After moving to Naples, the two The Jazz Forum is a relaxed evening for lovers of jazz. The Live at the Promenade performance space creates an intimate venue where the audience and the performers can relax together. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served before the performance and during intermission. The performance begins at 7:00 p.m., with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 for Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs members and  $25 for non-members.

A full calendar of upcoming events, programming and classes at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs is available online at www.artcenterbonita.org or by calling 495.8989

Join the Center for the Arts for the first time and receive 2 free tickets to a Live at the Promenade performance, including this performance by Dan Heck and Rebecca Richardson.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information. * One membership per household.

The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs 2011-2012 Affairs of the Arts Series

The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs “Affairs of the Arts,” are under way bringing you thirteen-entertaining and memorable events that help support the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  From November through May, attending any or all of CFABS Affairs of the Arts will make this a season of affairs you will always remember.

Join the Center for the Arts this Wednesday, October 19, as they “Tee off for Kids” at their first annual golf tournament at Copperleaf Country Club. Gather up your most philanthropic foursome of friends for 18 holes of golf, prizes, lunch and lots of fun. Contests will include longest drive, closest to the hole and closest to the line. This event is limited to 120 guests.  Tickets are $100 per person includes golf and cart, lunch and prizes

On November 9, treat yourself to “Afternoon Tea with Gertrude Bell.” Hosted by Northern trust, this affair features a phenomenal performance by actress, Janina Birtolo, as Gertrude Bell, the brilliant scholar, archaeologist, mountaineer and linguist.  Beautiful red hair, fine features and piercing green eyes,Bellwas the first woman to get a degree in modern history atOxford; first woman ever to travel theSyrian Desertalone, and the first female officer in British Military Intelligence. The afternoon includes; a fun and entertaining raffle auction filled with collectibles, gift certificates and art.

On November 30, meet Doug MacGregor, book author, and cartoonist with the News-Press and enjoy a light hearted look at his process for creating cartoons that are both pointed and funny.   Author and illustrator of a number of creative books, in addition to his newspaper cartoons, Doug will explore his creative process, highlight his particularly Southwest Florida art and humor; and share insights into his published books. 

On February 6, meet Robert Wittman, the man who the ‘Wall Street Journal’ called a ‘Living Legend.’ Founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, this real-life James Bond of the art world, pulls back the curtain on his remarkable career working undercover to catch art thieves, scammers and black-market traders. Rising from humble roots as the son of an antiques dealer, Wittman built a twenty-one year law enforcement career that was nothing short of extraordinary.  Armed with a scholar’s passion, a con man’s smile, and a daredevil’s nerves, he worked undercover to catch art thieves, scammers, and black-market traders inParis,Philadelphia, Rio,Santa FeandMadrid.

On March 7, Ellen Prager, Marine Scientist, president of Earth2Ocean and author of “Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime,” brings you deep into the sea to introduce an astonishing cast of fascinating and bizarre creatures that make the salty depths their home. 

With affairs from an evening with Judy Garland to a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, fun and unique entertainment is yours for the reserving all season long.  Space is limited and the Center for the Arts of Bonita Spring’s “Affairs” sell out fast. Contact CFABS at 495-8989 to reserve your space.  Learn more on line at www.artcenterbonita.org.

 Join the Center for the Arts for the first time between and receive 2 tickets to one of our Live at the Promenade performances.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

Full Calendar of 2011-2012 Affairs of the Arts Series:

 November 9, 2011

“Afternoon Tea with Gertrude Bell”

 November 30, 2011

“Inside the Mind of a Cartoonist” –Doug MacGregor

January 11, 2012

“The Art of Food and Wine”

February 6, 2012

“Go Undercover With Robert Wittman”

February 17, 2012

“Art of Dressing Well” –Haute Looks

February 19, 2012

“Amazing Race”- Road Rally Scavenger Hunt and Urban Sleuthing Adventure

February 25, 2012

“Bonita’s Best Bridge Game!”

February 28, 2012

“An Evening with Garland & Gershwin” – American Musical Theater

March 7, 2012

“Sex, Drugs & Sea Slime”-Ellen Prager

March 14, 2012

“Lunch with Cleopatra”

April 27-28, 2012

“Who Killed the Director?” – Mystery Dinner Theatre Extraordinaire

May 12, 2012

“Up Close, Personal & Wild”

“Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.”

― Salvador Dalí

If you ask a successful artist, actor or musician what the key to success is, they will likely give you the same advice, “be yourself.”  The advice is sound, but difficult to follow unless you know who “you” are.  Artist Alan Pimentel has bravely externalized his journey of self-awareness in oil on canvas for over twenty years and through that journey he has met with success.

Pimentel’s most recent encounter with success was taking “Best in Show” at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs “Portrait and Figure” exhibition.  Pimentel’s oil on shaped canvas piece “Wrestling with Myself Again,” impressed Jack Thompson, author and artist who judged the show.  “I have always been drawn to artists whose artworks take a bit of a chance,” offered Thompson about Pimentel’s piece and the Portrait and Figure Exhibition.  “Certainly I’m schooled in the traditional sense of art and techniques, but there’s something about a person who, once really perfecting his or her craft, decides to step outside the box.”

The first of Alan Pimentel’s shaped canvases emerged over twenty years ago, as his journey into the observations of his emotional nature became the subject matter of his art. For Pimentel, the geometric boundaries of the traditional canvas became limiting as his personal awareness expanded. Moving beyond the constraints normally prescribed to painters, Alan’s work took a giant step towards altering the personal boundaries he felt were imposed upon him by the demands of modern culture.  Pimentel describes his style as “my own,” explains Alan.  “I think of it as a psychological, metaphysical, spiritual portrayal of growth.  My painting style is deeply rooted in realism, with the addition of variations in textural quality through intended or casual application.”

Pimentel’s unconstrained perspective is evident in his current works where the canvases continually get shapelier and the surfaces range from utter smoothness to rich dimensional application of paint and wax medium.  The luminous lighting and savory blends of color allow us to safely venture into a realm beyond the reach of the ordinary to observe emotions that reside in the shadows. 

Alan credits his creative gifts to his father’s drawing skills and musical talents, his grandmother’s aptness with a needle, and his maternal aunts’ dressmaking and culinary skills.  At the age of ten, Alan lost his father to a tragic car accident.  A neighbor who was aware of Alan’s interest in art suggested a class in oil painting offered by a renowned portrait artist and illustrator, Carroll Jones.  At the age of fourteen Pimentel began his formal training in oil painting.

Salvador Dali was the first artist to inspire Pimentel.  “I was eleven or twelve years old when I first visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” offers Alan.  “There I viewed the ‘Persistence of Memory.’  This painting reached me on so many levels that it affected my thought process in general, and I think that is the genius of Dali.”

When asked what advice he would give to aspiring artists, Alan responded, “Peruse, persist and listen to your own inner voice.”  Be yourself.

Pimentel’s work can be seen at his studio # 166 at the promenade inBonitaSprings.  The artist studios are currently open Thursday through Saturday from 10am – 3pm.  You can view Alan’s work and the work of over 30 artists at their studios at the Promenade during Art Walk on Thursday, September 29, 2011 from 4:00pm – 7:00pm.

Join the Center for the Arts for the first time and receive 2 tickets to one of this season’s Live at the Promenade performances.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

“You have to paint who you are,” offers Eileen Walden Johnson as she adds just the right amount of Cerulean blue to a painting she is working on at her bright and open studio gallery at the Promenade at Bonita Bay.  Eileen Walden Johnson is her art. Joyful, sophisticated, intelligent, vibrant, unique and warm, describe both the art and the artist. 

“My style would probably be nonobjective abstract,” explains Johnson.  But the abstract style that wins her awards in almost every juried show she enters, evolved from criticism filtered through Eileen’s positive outlook.  The daughter of an accomplished regional landscape artist Roy Walden, Eileen began her artistic career painting landscapes as her father had.  “My father taught me to take notice of the world around me, always drawing attention to unusual shapes of rocks and trees and the vibrant colors of sunsets and flowers.  He passed away when I was young, but instilled in me and my siblings his love of nature, music and art,” says Johnson.  It was during a workshop at Notre Dame, that her landscape painting met with unexpected criticism.  “My professor told me, ‘this is great, now throw it away and do something completely different’.  I was shocked, but thought why not try something new,” explains Eileen.  Eileen tried abstract painting and found the perfect medium for expression. 

“Eileen is bright and energetic and so is her work,” explains Susan Bridges, President of the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.   “Her paintings are joyous and lyrical.  People who tell me they don’t like or understand abstract paintings like Eileen’s work, they have an immediate connection when they see her art.”  It is almost impossible not to love Eileen’s work.

Although her work has universal appeal, Eileen does not paint with that intent; she paints who she is and what she loves.  Eileen credits her father and the artists Kandinsky, Jonas Gerard and Bob Burridge as her inspiration.  “I took Bob Burridge’s class at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs and it taught me so much about opening up and relaxing which improved my work immensely,” explains Eileen.

Robert Burridge is offering the workshop, “Larger and Looser; The New Master’s Program for the Post Modern Painter,” again this year at CFABS from February 13-17, 2011. The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs suggests that anyone interested sign up early as Bob’s classes sell out very quickly.

Eileen’s involvement with the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs has included volunteering and taking classes which is where she met the two artists, Ursula Cappelletti and Barbara Brenton who share studio #156 with her at the Promenade.   Eileen lights up when she talks about her connection with the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs and the Artists Studios at the Promenade.

“I love the Art Walks, it is like a big party,” says Johnson of the event held at the Promenade on the last Thursday of each month.  “Barbara loves to cook so she makes lots of fancy hors d’oeuvres and we have a great space to watch people dance to the live entertainment that the promenade offers during the Art Walks.”  The next Art Walk at the artist studios at the promenade is on Thursday, August 25, 2011 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Art Walks are free, open to the public and include wine, light-hors d’oeuvres and live music.  The Artist Studio’s are open Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the summer.

Who:    The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs

What:   The Artist Studios at the Promenade

When:   Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Art Walk- Thursday August25, 2011, 4:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m.)

Where:  Promenade at Bonita Bay, 26811 S Bay Dr, Bonita Springs, Florida

Cost:    Free

 Join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 and receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

A full list of Center for the Arts classes is available online at www.artcenterbonita.org or by calling 495-8989.

The kids may be back in school, but the summer fun continues at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs. 

 Now through August 25, 2011 the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs’ August exhibition, “Mix It Up”, is open to the public during regular business hours at CFABS. The transition from summer to fall offers the perfect opportunity to “Mix it Up.”.  “Mix it Up” is an exhibition of mixed media and multimedia artworks created by regional artists.  The exhibition is open to all artists and all media, this exhibition features artworks that combine more than one medium.  This can be a combination of pencil and paint, or possibly clay, wire, wood, metal, etc.  It can be 2D or 3D.  This exhibition offered area artists the opportunity use collage materials that have been tucked away, dried tea bags, old love letters kept in a beautiful box in the garage, natural found objects or reuse items that have been discarded.  Come see what the artists have created!

 Now that the kids are back in school, it is time to treat yourself to the creative outlet you deserve.  On August 22, adult art classes begin.  So don’t forget to pick up a full list of workshops and classes.  Classes include Oil and Acrylic Painting as well as Mastering the Potter’s Wheel.  If your children need an after school activity, then look no further than the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs for fun things to do.  After School and Saturday classes for children ages 4 and up begin on September 6, 2011 and include fun activities like, Print Making & Silk-Screening, Cookonomics, Acting for TV & Film, Wheel Throwing Pottery, Movie Makers, Cartooning and every type of Dance you can imagine.  There is even a class called “Mommy & Me” for children ages 18 months through 3 years.  So don’t allow the words “I’m bored,” in your house this fall, send them to CFABS for afternoons filled with the word “fun.”

 “Cinemaistas” can find a haven with like minded movie buffs by attending the Center for the Arts Film Society’s “Films for Film Lovers” at the Promenade atBonitaBaybeginning on Monday August 15 at 7:00pm.  The series offers 22 films and runs through June of 2012.  Don’t sit at home alone waiting for your next Netflix movie to arrive, enjoy great films at CFABS cozy space at the Promenade to watch films on their giant 9’ by 12’ screen.  This year’s series brings you the best in films from around the world.  August 15, kicks off the series with “Black Book” a film from theNetherlandsabout a young Jewish woman who becomes a spy for the resistance during WWII.  “Ginger and Fred,” a film fromItalyfollows on August 22, 2011. CFABS Promenade Theater is furnished with comfortable chairs and tables.  Wine, non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are available to enhance your movie viewing experience.  Bring a group of friends or come alone and make some new friends.  You can join in the lively, fun and entertaining discussion after each film, led by a Film Society Chairman and a Film Society Member.  General admission is $8 per person.  You can become a member of the Center for the Art’s Film Society and chose from any of the following packages that offer great savings and VIP seating as well as advance notice of film events, screenings and schedule:  22 Films (the full series) for $126.50, 11 Films (half-series) for $66 or 5 Films (starter-pack) for $35.

 Learn an ancient art while having fun on August 16, 2011 from 5:30-8:30pm at “Raku and You.”  Raku is a centuries old pottery glazing and firing process. The technique produces a lustrous, often metallic, finish. Raku & You is an evening devoted to this ancient process.Attendees choose from a number of bisque fired pots and are introduced to the history of Raku while glazing their pot in a simple or extravagant manner.

While the outdoor kiln heats up to the correct temperature; attendees enjoy a picnic-style meal. Then the fun begins as red hot pottery is plunged into metal containers filled with combustible material. The containers are lidded and the pots rest for a few moments before being quickly cooled with water. The results are spectacular and everyone is invited back into the studio to view each piece. Everyone goes home with their very own raku masterpiece.  The cost is $40 per person.

 Budding actors and actresses are in for a treat this fall with the Youth Theater Department of the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  If a Mime gets murdered at a fancy bed and breakfast, does he make a sound?  What if there is no murder at all, just a lot of laughter. Auditions for this “Who didn’t do it” comedy will be held September 7 & 8 by appointment. Auditions are open to ages 12+. The Youth Theater Department is free. Those who are selected to be in the performance will rehearse throughout the fall and will perform on November 4 & 5. Join director Craig Price for this fun musical theater production where students learn not only how to act and sing but also the basics of set and costume design and show promotion.

 Thursday, August 25, 2011 from 4:00p.m.-7:00 p.m., catch an evening summer breeze as you stroll through the Center for the Arts Studios at the Promenade viewing Center for the Arts Member artists at work in their studios.  Painters, sculptors, photographers and glass artists, display their work in various storefront locations at the Promenade atBonitaBay. Artists Studios are open Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. New exhibitions, and artists, occupy the studios every 30 to 60 days. The last Thursday of each month kicks off a new group of artists and exhibitions in an evening Studio Walk, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., accompanied by musical entertainment, light hors d’ oeuvres and wine.  This event is free and open to the public.

 Friday, September 2, 2011; join fellow art lovers from 6 to 8 p.m. for The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs’ “Portrait and Figure Exhibition,” opening reception.  Come see what area artists have been creating as they seek to capture the complex and amazing human form.  Peruse works in abstract and realism; enjoy paintings, photography, sculpture and more. Join the artists for hors d’oeuvres, wine and conversation at the opening reception as we learn what inspires them. The exhibition is open to the public during regular business hours at CFABS from September 2 – 29, 2011.  Admission is free.

 Thursday, September 15, 2011; 5:30-8:30 p.m., grab a group of friends and join artist Patty Kane at “Alla Prima, Alla Fun.”   Learn to paint in one sitting and have fun with friends at the same time. At Alla Prima, Alla Fun, painter Patty Kane will walk guests step by step through the painting process. Join friends for pizza, wine and painting. Since Alla Prima is a style of completing a painting in one session, guests will have a masterpiece to take home with them at the end of the evening. The cost for the evening is $42 per person and includes paint, brushes, canvas, aprons, wine, pizza and guidance. This month the painting selection is Flip Flops.

 AsSouthwest Floridaheads into fall, find a date and head to Live! at the Promenade.  The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs is proud to present internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Kelvin Fischer of Love Hunter for an evening of acoustic music from his new CD “Drawn to The Light”, as well as other favorites from the band Love Hunter.  The show takes place Thursday, September15 at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15 for members of the Center for the Arts and $20 for non-members.

 For those who join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 will receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

 For more information on any of these events call us at 239-495-8989 or visit us www.artcenterbonita.org or join us on Facebook at Center for theArtsBonitaSprings.  The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs is located at 26100 Old 41 Road,BonitaSprings.

The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs 2011-2012 Films for Film Lovers Series Begins August 15, 2011

By Patrice Shields

Every Monday night my parents had a standing date to see a movie.  Even with six children they took the time to spend an evening out, allowing themselves two rare hours to get lost in a movie together.  They are still in love and have been happily married for over 55 years, which may be based on the fact that they never stopped dating each other. While a cozy night at home watching a Netflix film is nice, it does not constitute a date.  Beginning on Monday, August 15, 2011 the Center for the Arts Film Society offers you 22 great dates for 2011 and 2012 with its series “Films for Film Lovers”.

“This year we are offering the best of the best in foreign and independent films,” offers Tom Falciglia, Chairman of the Center for the Arts Film Society.  “The 22 film series are juried favorites that will offer the audience insight into the lives and cultures that exist around the world, far from Bonita Springs.”  As Bonita Springs only alternative to big box films, the Center for the Arts Film Society exists to entertain, inspire, educate, and connect the community through film. Beginning as an event for members of the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs, the film society has expanded to a full season open to the public for its second year, offering films that are a valid form of art for film lovers.

The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs Film Series offers two movies each month beginning in August with a uniting theme:

Films for Film Lovers Series

August  – Oppression – then Fellini

Black Book (2006) Netherlands                August 15

Ginger and Fred (1986) Italian                   August 22

September  - Living under Communism

The Lives of Others (2006) Germany       September 12

Goodbye Lenin! (2003)  German                September 26

October – Heaven and Earth

As it is in Heaven (2004) Sweden             October 10

Night on Earth (1991) US                           October 24

November – Women of Strength

Chocolat (2000) US/UK                              November 14

The Girl in the Cafe (2005) UK                  November 28

December – See Paris and Montevideo from different eyes

Paris, Je T’Aime (2006) French                             December 12

Gigante (2009) Uruguay                                         December 19

January –Celebrate Audrey Tautou

Coco Before Channel (2009) French                    January 9

Amelie (2001) French                                             January 23

February – French look at love

The Man Who Loved Women (1977) French     February 13

A Man and A Woman (1966) French                   February 27

March – Two versions of intimate love

Before Sunrise (1995) US                                       March 12

Bonjour Monsieur Shlomi (2003) Israel                     March 26

April – Great artists

La Vie en Rose (2007) French                               April 9

Basquiat (1996) US                                                  April 23

May – Children’s lives

I Am David (2003) US                                             May 14

Kolya (1996) Czech                                                  May 28

June – Arrived at love?

In The Mood for Love (2000) Chinese                 June 11

Before Sunset (2004) US                                         June 25

The Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs “Films for Film Lovers”  season begins with “Black Book,” a 2006 World War II film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Carice van Houten, Sebastian Koch, Thom Hoffman and Halina Reijn. The story is about a young Jewish woman in the Netherlands who becomes a spy for the resistance during World War II after tragedy befalls her in an encounter with the Nazis.

All of the films are shown in CFABS cozy café theater at the Promenade at Bonita Bay.   Enjoy a romantic date at a table for two or bring a group of friends and share a larger table.  Refreshments including wine and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are available. Doors open at 6:30pm and films begin at 7:00pm. Be sure to join their lively, fun and entertaining film discussion after each film, led by a Film Society Chairman and a Film Society Member. 

Film lovers can become a member of the Art Center’s Film Society and enjoy VIP seating and receive advance notice of films.  So take some advice from my parents, put down the Netflix envelope and phone in your happily ever after to the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs and reserve your space for the best 22 dates of the season.

Who:    Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs

What:   Films for Film Lovers Series

When:   2 Mondays Each Month Beginning on, August 15, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.

Where:  Promenade at Bonita Bay, 26811 S Bay Dr, Bonita Springs, Florida

Cost:    $8 individual ticket (series discounts are available)

 Join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 and receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

A full list of Center for the Arts classes is available online at www.artcenterbonita.org or by calling 495-8989.

If you live inSouthwest Florida, chances are you hold a deep appreciation for the water that surrounds us.  The sparkling blue gulf water nourishes, entertains and enriches our lives.  For local artist Patty Kane, water has been her medium for over 20 years.  The richness of Patty’s paintings are a result of her watercolor technique in which she patiently layers transparent color, allowing the paint and paper to do a lot of the work, producing unexpected bursts of color. Patty began her dream of leading an artistic life by studying at the Crealde School of Art inWinter Park,Florida.  When she and her husband Tom, relocated toSouthwest Floridain 2006, it offered her the opportunity to paint and teach on a full time basis.

 “My biggest inspiration is the skies, palm trees and beaches ofSouthwest Florida,” explains Patty.  “I can travel all over the world and see amazing exotic sites, but nothing compares to the beauty I see of things that are no more than an arms length away.”

Interpreting the beauty of the local scenery is something Patty does every day, one stroke at a time.  Her subjects include palms lining the everglades, lazy pool and beach scenes that feel so warm and easy that you instantly relax and the flowers and vegetation that make our world a tropical paradise.  Patty calls her style “loose, juicy and full of color.” “I paint what I love and I paint it often.  My art brings so much joy to my life.  Interestingly enough, that is the same reason why I teach.  I teach because I want my students to experience the same joy in their lives.” 

Patty’s love of teaching won her The Arts Educator of the Year Award from the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs, where she teaches a variety of classes throughout the year.  “Patty Kane is always working to become a better artist and teacher,” explains Adult Visual Arts Director at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs, Jake Hand.  “She is the consummate student of the arts always exploring, investigating and learning.  In turn Patty generously passes along what she has learned to her students with spirit and gusto.” 

Beginning on October 3, 2011 Patty is offering a five-week watercolor class for students of all levels of skill on Mondays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm., and Tuesdays from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm., at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  In this class students can explore traditional watercolor techniques with an emphasis on color and composition.  Patty teaches her technique of limiting the palette and layering transparent watercolor on color.  For those who feel intimidated by committing to a five-week class, Patty offers her extremely popular “Alla Prima, Alla Fun,” at CFABS.

Alla Prima is a style of completing a painting in one painting session. Patty offers a fun evening that sends everyone home with their own masterpiece.  It is a fun way for students to learn the basics of painting and enjoy the company of friends or co-workers.  Students are guided through the process step by step as they recreate their own impressions of a featured painting.  On September 15, 2011 from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm, students will be painting “Martini on the Edge,” while enjoying wine and pizza.  The cost for this fun evening of art is $42 per person and includes supplies.

When Patty is not teaching she is painting and submitting her work in juried shows, like “Mix it Up,” the August exhibition at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  Artists were encouraged to bring forth all forms of mixed media and multimedia art for this exhibition that is sure to be a delight for the senses.  Artist combined acrylics with blown glass, handmade jewelry with pottery and a myriad of elements to create their art.  Patty’s work for this exhibition includes a collage symbolizing her positive approach to life and art.  The exhibition is free and open to the public from August 5 through 25, 2011.

Patty offers the advice that she lives by to aspiring artists, “Paint, paint, paint.  Take a class.  It helps you to stay focused and opens you up to new concepts, which ultimately will put you on your own path.”

For information on Patty Kane’s classes or any of the classes offered at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs, call 239-495-8989 or www.artcenterbonita.org

Join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 and receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class (including theater classes) to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

Who:   Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs

What:  MIX IT UP Exhibition

When:  Friday, August 5-25, 2011

Cost:    Free

Spoiler alert!  Summer is coming to an end and school starts in Bonita Springs on Monday, August 8, 2011.  The smiles are starting to come back to the faces of mothers across Lee andCollier Counties, but the grins are fading on the sun kissed faces of children everywhere.  Summer camp may be a dwindling memory for some, but at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs, an endless summer is available with summer camps running until August 19, 2011 and after school classes starting up as soon as September 5, 2011.

Endless summer fun is still available in with classes like “Things That Fly,” a camp for children ages 6 to 8 years-old at CFABS.  Last week, campers explored the mysteries of flight and made art too.  “This is actually a really technical class that challenges students to use a different part of their brain while engaging in art,” offers Jordan Smith, Youth Education Director at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  Each day of camp the students created a new air craft, designing, decorating them and then watched as their creations took flight.  Starting in September, students can continue the fun with “Anything But Flat,” where 3D comes to life as students explore different materials like paper, clay and almost anything students can get their hands on.  “Students will be learning about composition, visual balance, motion and tension, taking inspiration from trees, architecture, animals and people,” adds Smith.

While some campers were launching rockets into orbit, others were putting the finishing touches on art they had created for “Art Show,” a class taught by Amy Jensen.  Students created a variety of art from acrylic painting to clay sculptures and displayed them in their own exhibition space.  Students ranging in ages form 9-11 leaned how to assemble a simple portfolio and transform the classroom space into a playful art show complete with music and hors d’oeuvres.  Amy helped the students make invitations for family and friends who attended the show on Friday.  “Amy taught students to create art from recycled objects like soil and pencil for this show,” say Jordan Smith.  “She treats the students with respect and is able to bring the best out in each. Amy has the ability to identify the student’s individual needs and adjust her teaching accordingly no matter what age or experience level.”  Students can continue learning with Amy in September when she teaches “Cookonomics.”  Move over Emeril, because here comes the next generation of celebrity chefs.  In this scrumptious course, children learn about the preparation and business of food from selection of ingredients to catering

As young artist discussed their work, a beastly looking contraption that looked like it came from a post apocalyptic future was rolled out onto the deck at CFABS.  Students ranging in age from 12-15 were glazing the pots they made in”wheel Throwing” with the ancient art of Raku.  This fall students can learn to make jewelry with “PMC Metal and Clay Jewelry” for ages 12 and up.

So put down those back to school supplies and visit www.centerforthearts.org, to learn more about the classes offered at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs this fall.  School may be inevitable, but the summer fun is endless in art class.

Who:   Center for the Arts ofBonitaSpringsSummer and Fall Classes for Children Ages 4-18.

When:  Summer Camps continue through August 19, 2011. FallAfter-SchoolClasses begin September 6, 2011.

Where: Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs26100 Old 41 Road,BonitaSprings, FL 34135.

Cost:    Varies.  Great Scholarships are available.

Join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 and receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class (including theater classes) to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

A full list of Center for the Arts classes is available online at www.artcenterbonita.org or by calling 495-8989.

Eileen Walden Johnson Shows a visitor Her Technique at Art Walk

On the last Thursday evening of every month something beautiful happens inBonitaSprings.  The glistening glass doors of the retail spaces of the Promenade atBonitaBayare propped open, musicians begin tuning their instruments, plates of hors d’oeuvres are set out and bottles of wine are uncorked.  Beginning at 4:00 p.m. the Promenade becomes awash with color as over 30 of the areas most talented artists set to work on their craft during the Artist Studios Art Walk at the Promenade.  Artist Ed Takacs painstakingly adds fine feathers with his brush to an egret’s wing while Dot Lingren adds a pearl to a necklace she is working on.  InBonitaSprings, this is where art happens. Thanks, to the partnership of the Promenade and the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs, over 30 juried artists are scheduled on a rotating basis to work alongside the great retail merchants in the lovely tropical setting of the Promenade at Bonita Bay. 

Artists have transformed retail storefronts into studio and gallery spaces infusing them with artistic energy and creativity; and the result is an exciting blend of potters, jewelers, painters, sculptors, glass artists, mixed-media artists, photographers and more. The artists have created a studio environment in each location, providing visitors an opportunity to observe them creating art.

“Synergy is what I enjoy most about making art and jewelry,” offers Dot Lingren, mixed media artist, painter and jewelry artist who shares studio #116 at the Promenade.  “My jewelry focuses on the use of fine silver handcrafted into rings, necklace clasp, and beads.  I create natural shapes by hand and by using molds that I make myself from natural and found objects.”  Dot’s work wins award at local exhibitions including taking fifth place at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs July Exhibition, with her painting titled “Unforgettable – Nat ‘King’ Cole.”  Dot is a resident of Estero, but her inspiration for her jewelry came from her childhood inBelmont,Massachusettswhere she lived on a wooded hill overlookingBoston, which to Dot looked like a jewel box at night.

“There is a wonderful camaraderie between the artists at the Promenade,” offers Jordan Smith, Youth Education Director for the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  Jordan, who is also a ceramic artist began working and exhibiting in Studio #164 at the Promenade in June.  “Artists from the other studios just stopped in to welcome me and offer assistance.  I was really impressed with how polished the space was.”

German born artist, Ursula Cappelletti studied Fiber Art at the Ecole des Beaux Arts inBelgium, working with diverse materials including fabrics, rope, wire, plastics and aluminum.  The study of color was an equally important element inspiring Ursula to concentrate on combining colors on canvas and other supports.  Now a resident ofBonitaSprings, Ursula works out of Studio #156 at the Promenade.  “My inspiration is influenced by embracing past experiences, living everyday’s events and focus on the uniqueness of the life that surrounds us,” explains Ursula of her process.

The Studio’s are open to the public Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  Mark your calendar for the last Thursday of each month from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. when you can visit the Artists Studios, view their art, demonstrations and enjoy a live musical concert, light refreshments, and visit other great merchants of the beautiful Promenade.

Who:   Artist Studios Art Walk at the Promenade

When:  Thursday, July 28, 2011; 4:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m. (The last Thursday Evening of every month) 

Where: Promenade atBonitaBay,26811 S Bay Dr,BonitaSprings,Florida

Cost:    Free

Join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 and receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class (including theater classes) to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.

A full list of Center for the Arts classes is available online at http://www.artcenterbonita.orgor by calling 495-8989.

“I can’t,” laments a four-year old girl in a pink tutu.  “Yes, you can,” answers Angela Hicks resolutely.  “You just need to bend at the knees.”  On this Tuesday afternoon, Visual and Performing Artist, Angela Hicks is teaching more than just ballet to a group of three year old girls attending a “Ballet Fairytales” class at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  Angela is teaching seven tiny dancers that they are the choreographers of their lives story.

“Through dance I have achieved self-discipline as the greatest lesson to guiding me through life. When I practice I am literally looking into a mirror to see where my body moves and imagining where it needs to be.  I apply that to my career and personal life; constantly reviewing where I am today and think what can I do to bring myself where I want to be, need to be,” offers Angela.

“Angela is such a unique talent and teacher,” explains Craig Price Performing Arts Director at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs.  “She is accomplished in so many disciplines of dance and is able to teach all of these styles to such a broad range of age groups, from young children to adults.”

Angela has been dancing since she could walk. “The house I grew up in and my parent’s jewelry store were my first studios. Just counting training in dance schools, I have been dancing a total of seventeen years. At age five I started ballet in a dance academy. I then continued into Pointe, jazz, hip-hop, modern, ballroom, Latin, and Polynesian. Along side of that, I also practiced belly dance from the instruction of my grandmother. She was a belly dance performer and instructor at a belly dance school that was next to her etiquette school in Michigan in the 70’s,” explains Angela.  “When I was thirteen years old, I was dancing behind my instructor in ballet, closely following her steps and thought, “This is what I want to do for the rest of my life, be a professional dancer.”

When Angela is not teaching dance she is performing at cultural fairs, Zorba’s Greek Restaurant inBonitaSprings, and special events through outFloridaandLos Angeles.  Angela has performed her sword balancing act at an exclusive vintner dinner for the Naples Winter Wine Festival, where attendees paid a minimum of $8,500 per couple to enjoy the festivities.  Angela’s captivating sword balancing dance, performed with her sister Jessica, mesmerizes crowds and was born from her desire to overcome aichmophobia, the fear of sharp objects.   While studying the different styles of belly dance and the props used for shows, she came across the idea of dancing with a sword. Initially Angela dismissed the idea due to her fear, however, one week later Angela had a sharp double edge Turkish Scimitar Sword in her hands and she was ready to break free from her fear. In 2001 Angela began the self-training process of sword balancing, using her grandmother’s old school etiquette technique of balancing books on her head for posture and grace.

 Angela places golden tiaras on the heads of the seven tiny ballerinas sitting cross-legged in a circle around her.  “Now what was that story we were telling?” Angela asks the group.  “Rapunzel,” the tiny voices echo in chorus.  Rapunzel was saved by a prince, however the lesson Angela imparts on her ballerinas is a different one learned from her sword dancing, “You are the most important person you can depend on…make that person strong.”

To lean more about the dance classes Angela Hicks teaches at the Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs call: 239-495-8989 or visit: http://www.artcenterbonita.org  You can learn more about Angela on her website: http://www.swordbalancer.com/

For those who join the Center for the Arts for the first time between May 1 and September 30, 2011 will receive a free 4-, 5-, or 6-week class to be used by December 31, 2011.  The Center for the Arts offers this promotion for first time members.  Call the Center for the Arts at 239-495-8989 for more information.