Art Connects – Naples Art Association

Welcome to our 60th Anniversary

This month begins our 60th anniversary celebration of providing quality artistic opportunities to Imagine, Discover and Create!

The Naples Art Association, which owns and operates The von Liebig Art Center is a cultural gem located in the heart of downtown Naples. With tree galleries and six studios, you are encouraged to take time to enjoy a painting class, experience the synergy between culinary, performing and visual artists that will delight the senses or find that perfect piece of artwork that speaks to you.

New for the 2013-2014 season include extended hours, on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights the Art Center will be open until 9:00 p.m. This means there is plenty of time to take in an open studio session, visit the galleries, or hone your skills at one of the many classes for all ages.

Imagine, Discover, Create!

November is packed with special events at the von Liebig Art Center. Artist Lynda Fay Braun will present a lecture on Facebook Marketing on November 5, 2013. Anne Dalton will present a lecture for all those photographers wanting to know the legal tips for photographing while on holiday. Both lectures start at 5:30 p.m.

This year there are several new initiatives that continue to support our mission and expand the understanding of how art impacts our lives. These programs show how art gives us a voice, allows us to explore art as a career and expands our creative connections.

The first of program of the new season started October 1st. Arts & Alzheimer’s gives participants an opportunity to connect to their inner self through art appreciation, creativity and memory connectors. Designed for participants and their caregivers, the program emphasizes the benefits of encountering, experiencing and creating art. “Art has the power to lift us up, give us a voice and is such a strong connection to who we are as individuals,” says Aimee Schlehr, executive director of the NAA. “We enthusiastically included ‘The Arts and Alzheimer’s’ in our offerings because we believe in the healing power of art.” Interactive gallery walks and conversations will introduce participants to specific works of art while engaging their reactions and recollections. These will be followed by an opportunity to create art in various forms in studios
at The von Liebig. They enhance our ability to empathize, affirm and engage,” she adds. Ms. Duncan, an art therapist and mental health counselor, concurs.

“We want to reintegrate them into the community and help others recognize them as individuals, not as a disease. Having the means of coming to a safe and welcoming place in the arts bridges these connections. Here they thrive in a positive, social experience that sparks recognition, brings back memories and increases their quality of life,” she says. Natasha Lidow, president of the Opera Naples Guild, is also contributing to program development for “The Arts & Alzheimer’s.” Tuition for the six week program is free for enrollees, thanks to a gift from Peter and Stella Thomas and sponsorship by Moorings Park. Special thanks to Whole Foods, our lunch sponsor and Gibraltar Private Bank and Trust for underwriting the purchase of Mr. Paul Arsenault’s book, “My Journey as an Artist,” for each student and Europiano for the use of a grand piano. The program is co-directed by Bernadette La Paglia BSN, M.Ed and Angel Duncan M.A.-MFT , ATR. A second series will be offered starting in April, please check the website if you are interested. New educational opportunities for all ages include a portfolio workshop for teens. Over a four week period, Kelly Hollingsworth helps students develop and organize their portfolio in preparation for growing their future creative careers. Additional classes and workshops run one day to six weeks giving participants a wide variety of dates and time to connect to their inner artist.

November is the start of the oldest and longest running art fair, Art in the Park, now in its 57th season. Held the first Saturday of each month, Art in the Park gives guests the opportunity to purchase one of a kind artwork by some of the most talented artists that call Naples home. Inside The von Liebig Art Center, hands on activities allow families to discover hidden talents and create their own masterpieces.

Joan Sonnenberg:

The Middle Point

Join us Friday November 22, 2013 at 5:30 p.m. as we open our new season with a unique one women show called Joan Brechin Sonnenberg: The Middle Point. Joan Sonnenberg transcends her media by combining realism and abstraction. She is best known for producing large-scale pastels and mixed-media paintings of familiar objects seen up-close or from a new vantage point. Sonnenberg moved to Naples in 1996 from her native Pennsylvania. Her work is held in the Naples Art Association’s Collection; in numerous corporate collections in the United States including CBS, Mellon Bank and Xerox; and in private collections throughout the world.

The only child of parents who held polarized and conflicting political ideals, Sonnenberg remained neutral while listening to their discussions and observing each one entrench more deeply into his or her own beliefs. Occasionally Sonnenberg was pulled aside for an in-depth explanation of one parent’s viewpoint. She learned early in life to find the middle ground and take a holistic point of view.

“There are two sides to everything,” she says. Sonnenberg’s comprehensive worldview continued in adulthood. After earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Carnegie Mellon

University in Pittsburgh, she married Fred Sonnenberg. They started a family and through it all she was creating artwork. Some artists and art lovers have a preference for either realism or abstraction. Hearing the often heated discourse on the subject, Sonnenberg conceived of a different view. Again, she chose the middle path and began to combine aspects of each genre in her work. She believes each style complements the other and says: “I believe in the harmonious coexistence of abstraction and realism thereby enhancing and enriching each other. My work embodies realism in abstraction and abstraction in realism – transcending and encompassing these doctrines.”

Celebrate 60 Years ofArtistic Excellence

Finally, save the date! Come celebrate with us 60 years of history, education and impact the Naples Art Association provides to the residents and guests of Collier County. Our annual Naples National Art Festival Gala will be held February 20, 2014 at the Naples Beach Club. The Brazilian themed evening will be a night to remember. Come experience the incredible talent of Juan Diaz as he creates a piece of artwork live during the evening. New this year will be a silent auction as well as a live auction to include a
trip to the Amazon. You won’t want to miss this night in the tropics.

As always, we invite you to experience all that the Naples Art Association has to offer the residents and guests of Collier County. See you soon at your
community art center.