Art Connects – Naples Art Association

Giovanni Lunardi, Famiglia Italiana, photograph, 1969

Art is everywhere and it impacts our lives every single day. Art influences in the most literal ways from coloring the world and filling it with painting, design and sculpture,
to much more subtle ways such as the creativity involved in solving life’s challenges. Art Connects is a series designed to ignite your imagination and help you discover the
world from new angles.

The Art Connects series began as a lecture series and expanded to include many different opportunities to connect with art and use art to make connections. Attend an Art Connects event and broaden your understanding of the arts and the power of the arts to make positive change happen in your life and our community.

In May, The Naples Art Association will present the fourth in its series called Dinner with Artists. The Dinner with Artists series pairs palate and palette experiences by bringing together visual and culinary artists. Before each event, the artist meets with the chef to discuss influences and artistic perspectives on their respective work.

The events consist of a gourmet dinner with wine and presentations by the featured artist and the chef. On May 6th, Dinner with Artists will feature legendary fashion
photographer Giovanni Lunardi and Chef Alberto Varetto at Alberto’s on Fifth. Lunardi’s work will be on view from May 3rd until May 23rd at The von Liebig Art Center in an exhibition called The Sweet Life: Photography of Giovanni Lunardi.

Giovanni Lunardi is one of Italy’s most accomplished photographers. This stunning photography exhibition features more than forty black & white images of Italian
fashion, café and street life spanning the past 60 years. He focuses his camera and reveals the best of Italy’s creative spirit. Lunardi worked with Italian fashion
designers Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Versace, and has photographed many famous models including Carol Alt, Heidi Klum, Valeria Mazza,
Greta Scacchi, Brooke Shields and Charlize Theron.

Publishers from around the world chose Lunardi’s photographs to grace over 4,500 magazine covers.

In conjunction with the exhibition by Italian photographer Giovanni Lunardi, ArtsNaples World Festival has an Italian theme this year. Of the multiple concerts that
will be held throughout Naples, as part of the World Festival, five of the concerts will occur at The von Liebig Art Center. These concerts offer the opportunity to listen to
renowned musicians expressing some of the sweetest Italian melodies and harmonies. Concerts include: “Fazioli Introduzione – An Introduction to the Fazioli Piano,” “Da
Italia, con Amore – From Italy, with Love,” “Paganini – 24 Capricci per Violin – The 24 Caprices for Violin,” and others. For more information, dates, times and locations
of concerts visit ArtsNaplesWorldFestival.org. Tickets to each concert are $35.00.

The Art Connects series offers the opportunity to connect with Los Angeles based artist, Erin Wright on June 4th at 5:30 pm in The von Liebig Art Center. She
will discuss “Reinventing a Museum: How I Learned to Move a 340 Ton Boulder.” Wright has recently worked with artists John Baldessari, Ed Ruscha, James Turrell,
Peter Zumthor and with Micheal Heizer on the installation “Levitated Mass.” She also worked on the film A Brief History of John Baldessari, which earned a
nomination for Best Documentary Short from South by Southwest Film Festival in 2012. Prior to her visit to Naples, Wright will serve as juror for the 50th Founders
Juried Awards Exhibition. She will select work for the exhibition online using Juried Art Services. Tickets are $10 for members or $15 for non-members. For tickets, please
call 239.262.6517 or visit naplesart.org.

Create with Art Classes

Naples Art Association’s sixth session of classes begins May 6th. Classes at The von Liebig Art Center are guided by qualified and talented art instructors who have real experience as artists and instructors. Take a class and be surrounded by like-minded and artful individuals engaged in the common goal of making art. There are classes
available in a wide variety of media from wet clay modeling to exploring French art and from working with colored pencils to figure drawing.

The Naples Art Association offers workshops as well and one of the community favorites is coming up on May 13th. Wine and Dezine, on May 13th, will feature painting (all supplies included), wine and you and a couple of your favorite people. Every Tuesday, artist Carmelo Blandino hosts an open studio at The von Liebig Art Center that focuses on figure drawing and features a live model. Practice figure drawing with a nationally famous and collected artist! Taking a class through The Naples Art Association is a great way to cultivate a new skill or fine tune your talent. If you are interested in engaging art and would like a fantastic introduction to The
Naples Art Association, take a class! For more information on classes visit NaplesArt.org or call 239.262.6517.

An Invitation to Connect

Come see why The Naples Art Association at The von Liebig Art Center has been voted one of the best galleries in Naples with more local art for sale by a wider variety of local artists than anywhere else in Naples. There are many ways to engage art offered by NAA : enjoy the second largest art resource library in Southwest Florida, take a class with a master instructor or find the perfect gift in our one of a kind gift shop. Admission is free and opens the door to a greater participation in community and the arts. Tour the galleries, shop, take a class or volunteer. The Naples Art Association works to support your creative evolution. Visit Naplesart.org for information
on upcoming events and schedule of classes and workshops. The Naples Art Association is built from the resources and passion of our community to serve the members of our community. Come be a part of the art: Imagine! Discover! Create!