wizard of ozThe Alliance for the Arts announces the return of its popular Outdoor Family Movie Nights beginning Friday, January 31 at 7PM with a screening of The Wizard of Oz. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, picnic baskets and coolers and watch this all-time classic film under the starts with your family and friends!

The series continues on Friday, February 28 at 7:45PM with Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 and concludes on Friday, March 28 at 8:30PM with Despicable Me 2. A suggested $5 donation helps ensure continued free family programming at the Alliance. Support for Family Movie Night generously provided by Briers CPA, Riverside Realty, Staging Matters and Winged Foot Title.

DSC_0213aWinter break will be here soon and there’s no better way for kids to engage in the arts then at Florida Rep’s Wild Winter Arts Camp at the Alliance for the Arts! Students ages 5-17 will act, sing, dance and create during four, two-day sessions:

SESSION 1: CLOWN TOWN (Dec 23 & 24)
Get serious about clowning around! Work with Instructors to develop your own, unique clown character. Focus on mime and physical storytelling in Theatre and Movement Classes and create your own clown wardrobe in Costume Craft Class!

SESSION 2: MUSIC THEATRE MANIA! (Dec 26 & 27)
Work it out in this two-day musical theatre intensive. Learn the moves and notes to Broadway’s Classic musical numbers. Learn the basics of theatre painting techniques as you sketch and paint like a Scenic Artist.

SESSION 3: KA-POW! (Dec 30 & 31)
Find your inner superhero or villain in this Comic Book themed camp! Learn the basics of Comic-book storyboarding and artistry and work on scenes and songs from classic comic book stories!

SESSION 4: THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX (Jan 2 & 3)
Show a little spontaneity and color outside the lines a little! Create scenes, songs, artwork and dance using your imagination, improv games, and a little guidance from our professional instructors. Find the artist, actor, and choreographer inside of YOU!

These two-day camps are all about acting, movement, the visual arts and HAVING A BLAST! Each camp session features classes in music, dance, drama, and visual art and will leave campers with a sense of ownership and pride in their work. Space is limited so register your child today. Each two-day session is $80. The camp runs 9am-4pm. Aftercare is available until 5PM for $5 per day. Contact Claire Simpson at Florida Rep by calling 239-332-4665 or go to www.floridarepeducation.org for more information or to register your child.

Madonnas of Leningrad coverThe Alliance for the Arts Member Gallery Book Club continues on Tuesday, January 21 from 7-9PM with a discussion of The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean. Join fellow Alliance members in this monthly exploration of art-centered literature. Participate in thoughtful group discussions that will expand your appreciation and knowledge of the world of art. This is one of the many benefits of membership at the Alliance!

The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean tells the story of an elderly Russian woman named Marina. Bit by bit, the ravages of age are eroding her grip on the everyday. And while she cannot hold on to fresh memories—the details of her grown children’s lives, the approaching wedding of her grandchild—her distant past is preserved: vivid images that rise unbidden of her youth in war-torn Leningrad.

The Alliance Member Gallery Book Club meets from 7-9PM on the third Tuesday of every month. Club members must purchase their own copy of each book. Pre-registration is encouraged – all that’s needed is an active Alliance membership. The club continues on Tuesday, February 18.

Alliance individual memberships are $50 per year, families can join for $75 per year and students can become a member for just $15. Membership benefits include 20% discounts on all classes & workshops, a wide variety of FREE class Try It sessions, discounts on theatre tickets and youth camps, special exhibition opportunities and the satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting a vibrant community of artists and art enthusiasts here in southwest Florida.  Click HERE to become a member today.

Rejectamenta Best in Show_Death Owl by Andrew Corke_sm
Andrew Corke with Death Owl

More than 200 people turned out on Friday, December 6 for the opening of the Rejectamenta exhibit.  Artists were challenged to create new works out of discarded materials or trash. The juried exhibition featured works by nearly 70 artists in a wide variety of mediums.  The juror, Mary Voytek, selected winners which were announced during the reception.  Andrew Corke won $100 for his piece “Death Owl” which was created from bicycle tires. Lily Hatchett’s “Pole” won 2nd Place and Lindsey Wollard English took 3rd Place for her piece “Biography of a Tree II”. Four Honorable Mentions were awarded to Kellen Beck Mills, Leo Johnson, Dale Weber and J. Wolfgang Fry. Covanta Energy was the Rejectamenta exhibition sponsor.

Stop by anytime during normal Alliance business hours to see the exhibit, which remains on display until December 28. Artwork by Dr. Kyra Belan is on display in the Member Gallery. The Alliance’s next exhibit FLAG 7 opens Friday, January 10. It will feature work by artists who are members of the Florida Artists Group, a collection of accomplished artists that has been organizing exhibitions around the state since 1949.

susan mills handbagWe are once again expanding our Gift Shop  into the Main Gallery on Saturday, December 14 from 10AM-2PM when artists display and sell their hand-crafted items. This is your best chance to find truly unique gifts for your friends and relatives while supporting local artists at the same time! Coffee and refreshments will be served. Alliance members receive a 10% discount off their total purchase. This is just one of the many benefits that come with an Alliance membership.

Mix & mingle with more than a dozen local artists including Aboriginals, Jayne Baker, Stever Bufter, DLynne Designs, Katie Gardenia, David Hammel, Tom Haydock, Susan Mills, Marta Sicajan and Union Artist Studios.

Located in the Alliance lobby, the gift shop supports local, independent artists and is continuously restocked with new items including jewelry, hand bags, pottery, paintings, fabric art, repurposed art, hand-made books, photography, and more.