Summer is Coming, Relax into Some Art

Erin Wright

Erin Wright

The summer months are just around the corner. Many of our seasonal residents will head back to their northern homes. The number of tourists, visiting to take in the beautiful weather and beaches or experience our vibrant artsy culture, might just  decrease. Somehow, regardless of whether you are employed in a seasonal industry, things will seem more relaxed. The heat and humidity will act like a sauna, soothing away the aches and pains of a busy season.

Naples residents will be looking for things to do. The Naples Art Association continues to offer wonderful artistic opportunities to imagine, discover and create year round. If you are looking for something to do, or a meaningful way to create as an individual or as a part of an artsy community, come down to The Naples Art Association’s von Liebig Art Center and take a look at the numerous programs offering artistic inspiration to individuals of all ages and skill-levels.

During the summer, Naples Art Association programming includes: classes for children and teens, gallery exhibitions of local, national and international artists, art fusion programs such as Dinner with Artists, preview receptions featuring opportunities to view art and network with artistic personalities, an Art Connects lecture with Erin Wright, and ARTS cool summer art program for children and teens. With so much programming offered during the summer, The Naples Art Association is all set to help you make this summer a summer of exciting artistic growth and opportunity.

Kids Love Summer. Kids Love Art

Children and Summer ArtAccording to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the arts foster young imaginations and facilitate children’s success in school. Furthermore, they provide the critical thinking, communications and innovation skills essential to a productive 21st century workforce. Practice and education in the arts are vital components for a healthy and well-adjusted childhood. ARTS cool is a popular summer art education program serving nearly 1,000 students aged 5 to 14 each year. Students choose from an extensive curriculum taught by professional artists and instructors. They get creative plus develop healthy social skills. ARTS cool features accredited art instructors who provide children with individual attention and weave “STEM” or science, technology, engineering and math, as well as other academics into artistic sessions.

Registration is now open online at naplesart.org and in person at The von Liebig Art Center. Morning and afternoon classes are available. The program is affordable at only $125 for a 5-day class and financial aid is available. Early drop-off and late pick-up are available for working parents. For more information, or to register, visit naplesart.org or call 239.262.6517239.262.6517 ext. 100. Some of the classes offered through the ARTS cool program include: ClaysCOOL , Dinosaur Planet, Photoshop Fun, Creative Little Monsters, Tie Dye for Beginners, Bugs & Butterflies, Native American Folk Art, Pirate Boot Camp, Zoo Art, Comics & Illustrations, and many more. Each program offers exciting creative opportunity coupled with important and enriching academic information. One year, NAA ’s ClaysCOOL students earned a world record by creating the world’s largest clay chain!

Keeping Cool in the Summer Heat

Adult and Summer ArtDon’t worry adult readers, The Naples Art Association offers a variety of cool activities for you during the summer months as well. Classes and workshops run through May 31st and include topics such as: Still Life with Oils, Watercolor – Mastering the Media, Facebook Basics, Beginners Landscape Painting, Captivating Portraiture, Exploring French Art and many more. If you are interested in cultivating a new, creative and artistic new hobby, or are an experienced artist looking to hone and practice your skill set, classes and workshops at The Naples Art Association provide the opportunity with talented instructors at all skill levels. As member and artist Dan Jensen said, “You can’t play golf every day,” and classes are a great way to spend some time. And, for experienced artists Dan offers this advice: “Even Tiger Woods needs a golf coach.”

Living The Sweet Life

While you are out enjoying the Mediterranean climate, you might be thinking of Italy. After all, we are living in a Naples if not the Naples of Italy. From May 3rd through the 10th ArtsNaples World Festival will bring a touch of Italy to our community. Naples Art Association will present The Sweet Life: Photography by Giovanni Lunardi along-side another fantastic exhibit: Members’ Gallery: My Favorite Things. 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. Lunardi focuses his camera and reveals the best of Italy’s creative spirit. The preview reception for these exhibitions occurs on May 2nd at 5:30 p.m. in The von Liebig Art Center. Preview receptions are a fantastic opportunity to spend an evening’s elegantly shop fine-art and engage in art culture and community.

Lunardi - Gondoling in Canal Grande

Lunardi – Gondoling in Canal Grande

Bring a date! Members are welcome to the preview reception free of charge and non-members pay only $10. Wine and appetizers are provided. After the preview reception, works in The Sweet Life: Photography by Giovanni Lunardi are on view through May 23rd and works in Members’ Gallery: My Favorite Things are on view through May 31st.

On April 24th and May 6th, The Naples Art Association will present opportunities to meet and engage with artists while enjoying delicious gourmet food at Dinner with Artists. The Dinner with Artists series pairs palate and palette experiences by bringing together visual and culinary artists. Before each event, the artists will meet with the chefs and discuss influences and artistic perspectives on their respective work. The event will consist of a gourmet dinner with wine and presentations by the featured artist and the chef. April 24th will feature rozome artist Leigh Herndon and Asian-fusion chef Michael Kang at Veranda E, at Hotel Escalante. A cherished community artist, Leigh’s interesting artistic perspectives and delightful charisma are sure to entertain. On March 6th, Giovanni Lunardi will be the featured artist. These evenings are always fantastic and tickets sell out quickly, so act fast! Cost of the evening is $100 per person. For more information, please call 239.262.6517239.262.6517 or visit NaplesArt.org.

An Artistic Community Artfully Engaged

Goddess Night

Goddess Night

The Naples Art Association takes particular interest in engaging the community in art culture. In April, there are some special events that people will be interested to know about. Goddess Night is a women only  evening designed for women by women to benefit educational programming by The Naples Art Association on April 3rd. The energy at this annual Goddess Night is palpable as women enjoy a champagne reception, informative break-out sessions and a seated dinner. The keynote is Donna Noce, Brand President of White House | Black Market. Session speakers include: Sierra Bender, author of “Goddess to the Core,” Lyndsey Davis, Interior Designer at Reed DesignBuild LL C, Dr. Michon M. Floreani, obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Rebcca Lambert, dermatologist and Mohs Surgeoun at The Woodruff Institute, Dr. Kamela Patton, Collier County Schools Superintendent, Dr. Caroline Cederquist, weight loss expert and Rebecca Zung-Clough, Esq., marital and family law attorney. Tickets for Goddess Night 2014 have been sold out since February. Proceeds from Goddess Night support outreach and children’s education.

Another fantastic event supporting community arts culture is the 43rd Annual Jade N. Riedel Scholarship Competition. In 1971, members of The Naples Art Association initiated a scholarship program designed to encourage young aspiring artists to realize their dreams of becoming professionals in the visual arts. Since then, awards have been given annually by the NAA to Collier County high school students in conjunction with an exhibition of their work. Junior and senior high school students in Collier County, who are interested in furthering their art studies at the college level, eagerly participate in this competition for  scholarships that help to defray student tuition costs. The Jade Reidel Reception and Scholarship Presentation will be held on April 24th. For more information about The Jade Reidel Scholarship Competition visit NaplesArt.org.

A community favorite artsy workshop, Wine and Dezine is a great night out with friends on April 8th from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. This workshop is all about letting go of inhibitions and painting, whether you think you can or not. This is most fun you’ll ever have with a brush. Friends, fun, wine and leave with your own masterpiece in just three hours. Just relax as each workshop takes you step by step through the wonderful world of painting. Tickets are $75 and should be purchased in advance. Wine and other supplies are included. For more information call 239.262.6517239.262.6517 or visit NaplesArt.org.

On June 4th, Erin Wright, Director of Artist Initiatives and Special Projects at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LA CMA) will come to Naples to give an illustrated lecture on her projects with LA CMA including Michael Hiezer’s Levitated Mass sculpture on the museum’s grounds and 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, on view at The von Liebig Art Center from June 9th until July 25th. Admittance to exhibitions is free.

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, 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, 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!

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.