Love (And Art) is in the Air

Harkened by blooming flowers, budding romance and a billion pounds of chocolate, love is stirring our hearts and reminding us of the importance of connection.

Love is an art form. Love and art connect. This time of year, love and art entwine in the form of countless expressions of gratitude and romance. The Naples Art Association wishes to reach out and wish a very Happy Valentine’s Day to its many true loves: The Southwest Florida community, NAA members, artists and art supporters in our area and around the world, creativity, imagination and innovation. They may have many loves, but rest assured that The Naples Art Association’s heart is true and pure; they simply love art, and those who make it, with all of themselves. Happy Valentine’s Day!

The New Year is a fantastic one for The Naples Art Association. On January 3rd and 4th, the community converged on Fifth Avenue South for The Downtown Naples New Year’s Art Fair. The weather was gorgeous and the streets were positively packed with over 280 local and national artists and approximately 18,000 community members and visitors browsing and shopping an amazingly wide variety of artworks. The Naples Art Association is so grateful to Southwest Florida for making this festival incredibly successful and fun.

A VALENTINE’S MONTH FOR THE BIRDS

John Costin

Come see The Naples Art Association at The von Liebig Art Center as February brings a variety of artistic experiences sure to woo even the most stoic hearts (including another opportunity to enjoy the art festival experience). Three fantastic exhibitions are hanging at the von Liebig Art Center through February: John Costin’s Florida Birds, Wild Florida: An Exhibition by Naples Art Association Member Artists and Members’ Gallery: Mother Nature. The community art center is open from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and entrance to the galleries is free during normal gallery hours.

Attending an exhibition is a great way to get a conversation with your kids going and inspire critical thinking and interpretation, or come with a special Valentine’s someone and have your heart softened by browsing beautiful works of art, or just come alone and become creatively inspired. Enjoy the romance of nature interpreted through art, just come before the end of February when the exhibitions will change and another set of amazing artwork will go on view, ready for you to browse and purchase. One of the things that make the von Liebig Art Center special is that the artwork is always for sale and so exhibitions are always supporting local artists.

February 5th is a fantastic day to bring a date to the von Liebig Art Center, because violinist Dr. Jeff Leigh will perform musical interpretations of the calls of the birds featured in John Costin’s exhibit, Florida Birds at 5:30 p.m. Offered as part of NAA’s Art Connects series, which is designed to ignite your imagination and help you discover the world from new angles, Dr. Jeff Leigh’s performance and discussion is titled The Bird Calls.

There is something very romantic about bird calls and Dr. Leigh is excited to be presenting this unique and boundarycrossing artistic experience. Bring a loved one or lover, tour the gallery and top-off the evening with a special performance of bird calls interpreted through violin by a philharmonic violinist! After you come for this special evening, you will surely fall in love with John Costin’s etchings of Florida
birds. Done in the tradition of Audubon, his etchings are deeply detailed and breathtakingly gorgeous. On February 19th at 5:30 p.m., John
Costin will present an Art Connects Lecture wherein he will discuss his work creating life size images of birds in the etching medium.

He creates complex and colorful images of birds, botanicals and other subjects that enrich the viewers’ perception. The last Art Connects lecture of the month will feature “The Dean” Bill Belleville, author of seven nonfiction books and hundreds of articles and essays on Florida’s environment and how it has shaped the state’s history and culture. This lecture, titled Celebrating the Wild Side of Florida with Bill Belleville, will be on February 26th at 5:30 p.m. Don’t miss the rare opportunity to meet and hear from “The Dean” of Florida nature writers and add an extra level of depth to your February romance with Florida. Art Connects lectures are $10 for members and $15 for non-members.

However, Bill Belleville’s lecture is free of charge thanks to generous funding provided by the Florida Humanities Council. The lecture is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

GET ARTISTIC! GET INVOLVED!

As a non-profit 501(c)(3), The Naples Art Association is constantly seeking ways to leverage community support through intelligent  partnerships, grants and fantastically fun events. One such event is happening on February 7th and is shaping up to be one of the big mustattend events of the season: For the Love of Art is The Naples Art Association’s annual gala. Featuring live and silent auctions, an interactive graffiti wall (with virtual spray can allowing you to paint on a projected surface), and three new awards: The Hirshhorn Award for an individual who has shown visionary leadership and a commitment to advancing and enriching the arts in our community, The Impact Award is for a business or business professionals who have demonstrated significant leadership in the arts and culture of our community though involvement in, or support of, innovative programs and creative partnerships, and the Gulfshore Life Emerging Arts Leader Award for an individual who is either a new and/or young artist or arts leader who has demonstrated an ability to engage and impact our  community.

For a high quality opportunity to support and engage with the arts community in Southwest Florida, make sure to mark your calendar and attend For the Love of Art, The Naples Art Association’s Annual Gala.

The fourth session of classes and workshops available at the von Liebig Art Center begins on February 9th. The Naples Art Association proudly offers a professional level faculty of artists offering courses from Basic Designing for Kids to Advanced Oil & Acrylic Painting, from Intuitive Art & Yoga to You and Modern Art – 50 Years of Innovation.

Offered throughout the week and on Saturday, classes and workshops are a delightful and social way to expand your artistic horizons and
have fun, too. If you have ever tried a class combining art and wine elsewhere, you MUST give Wine & Dezine with Anne Chaddock a try!

Her classes offer a more sophisticated emphasis on artwork that will ensure you walk out with a masterpiece to be proud of whether you are brand new to painting or an established artist.

The Naples Art Association focuses on providing exceptional arts education, equivalent to the technical training provided by collegiate art programs.

With gorgeous weather and love in the air, art festivals are in full season in Southwest Florida. Why not attend the local original?

NAA’s Art in the Park is Naples’s oldest outdoor art fair. Now in its 58th season, Art in the Park is a local favorite providing a high quality experience showcasing 40-80 local arts in an intimate environment. Browse, shop, and chat with the local artist who created your newest prized possession. Art in the Park happens each first Saturday of the month from November through April.

Join your community and take a look at the latest local creative treasures on Saturday, February 7th from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Art in the Park is the oldest, but Naples National Art Festival is the biggest. On February 21st and 22nd over 280 artists and crowds in excess of 20,000 people will converge on 8th Street South and Cambier Park in Downtown Naples for NAA’s most prestigious display of fine art from around the world. The Naples National Art Festival features awards for participating artists, live entertainment and food galore. Come and enjoy high quality art, engaging personalities of the artists and the festive atmosphere.

AN INVITATION TO CONNECT

There are many ways to participate in the exciting artistic community in Southwest Florida that has built around The Naples Art Association. From shopping for great books at The Naples Art Association’s Annual Library Book Sale on February 20th and 21st, to volunteering, to leveraging your philanthropic impact through are many outreach programs, making a difference is right around the corner. Help us to help you help the artistic world! Imagine! Discover! Create!

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 in creativity offered by NAA: enjoy one day workshops and art fusion events, 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 arts and our community.

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.