The Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket will continue free backyard farming workshops at 10:30 a.m. every Saturday morning in July. This year’s workshop series is titled “When the Shelves Go Bare” and deals with increased concerns about a potential future food shortage. The next workshop in the series, “Pickling and Canning,will be presented by Robert Pascuzzi and held Saturday July 8 at 10:30 am.

Robert Pascuzzi is a local restaurant owner, executive chef and pitmaster. Pascuzzi has been creating preserves, pickles, relishes and chutneys for many years, and he promises his class will be fun and practical with a hands-on approach. Participants will have an opportunity to learn about pickling and canning, important skills necessary to ensure a year-round supply of homegrown food. Many fruits and vegetables have limited growing seasons, which makes preserving the crop necessary for a variety of local harvests, from tomatoes to mangoes. Traditional methods for preserving food don’t rely on electrical power, but on techniques to sterilize and process the food so that it will have a long shelf life without refrigeration when stored in cool, dark storage areas.

Although workshops are free, small donations are welcomed, as the Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket strives to support local growers, bakers and artisans. A Q&A session will follow the presentation.

The urban farming presentations start at 10:30 a.m. after free GreenMarket Yoga by Chip & Anna Withrow ends. With several local growers, food vendors, and live music in the shade, the GreenMarket at the Alliance is a rich family friendly activity to do in Fort Myers on Saturday mornings year round.

What: “When the Shelves Go Bare” – urban farming workshops
When: Every Saturday morning in June and July at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers FL 33919
Cost: Free

Saturday, July 8 at 10:30 a.m.
Pickling and Canning presented by Robert Pascuzzi, restaurant owner, executive chef and pitmaster
(photo GM6)

Saturday, July 15 at 10:30 a.m.
Raising Small Animals for Eggs & Meat presented by Millisa Bell, homestead farmer and organic gardener

Saturday, July 22 at 10:30 a.m.
An Introduction to Cheese Making presented by Caroline Hostettler, cheese connoisseur, business owner and world traveler

Saturday, July 29 at 10:30 a.m.
Backyard Beekeeping presented by Claudia Silveira, beekeeper, environmentalist and candlemaker

Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts presents the first production of its 2017-18 season: Women in Jeopardy by Wendy MacLeod and directed by Bill Taylor. Modern, fun and flirtatious, Women in Jeopardy tells the story of three divorced women trying to cope with being single mothers, the dating scene and the dangers of camping in the red rocks of southern Utah with a serial killer dentist!

Liz Abbott, Stephanie Davis and Karen Goldberg star in this riotous comedy about trading in wine glasses for spy glasses when the mid-life crisis just isn’t your speed. Attempting to get to the bottom of a murder mystery, these ladies’ imaginations run wild as they try to discover the truth and save their friend in this hilarious adventure.

Women In Jeopardy opens Aug. 11 and runs through Aug. 26. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Aug. 20. This production of Women In Jeopardy is sponsored in part by Susan Ion Hogan, DDS.

Season subscriptions  are available and range from $105 per person for 5 shows to $153 per person for all 9 shows. Individual tickets to each show are $25, $11 for students or $22 for Alliance members.

PURCHASE TICKETS

More About Theatre Conspiracy’s 17/18 Season

Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins
October 6-7 & 12-14 at 8 p.m.
October 8 at 2 p.m.

An outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs.

Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling actor in L.A., Alex takes a job working in the Malibu basement of a beloved megastar: Barbra Streisand. One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs?

Florida Rep’s Education Director Kody C. Jones stars in this one-man show!

Seven Guitars by August Wilson
November 3-4, 9-11, & 16-18 at 8 p.m.
November 12 at 2 p.m.
Sponsored by: Noreen Raney

After serving jail time on a trumped-up vagrancy charge, blues musician Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton sets out to win back his girl and reclaim his pawned guitar, hoping to make a new hit record. Set in 1948 in the backyard of a Pittsburgh apartment house, Seven Guitars follows Floyd’s circle of friends and neighbors—the play’s seven voices—as they spin a rich tale of the deck that’s stacked against them, what they’ve lost and all they dream.

This lyrical play is part of August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, which charts the African-American experience through each decade of the 20th century.

A One-Man Christmas Carol adapted by James Rana and Timur Kocak
December 15 & 16 at 8 p.m.

Back by popular demand! With only the aid of a steamer trunk full of props, Timur Kocak plays all 24 roles in this dynamic one-man version of Charles Dickens’ 1843 holiday classic.

Your Love, Our Musical by Rebecca Vigil and Evan Kaufman
January 11-13 at 8 p.m.
January 14 at 2 p.m.

Fresh off their successful run in New York City, comedic musical improvisers interview a couple in the audience about their relationship and spin an impromptu musical about the couple’s love story. If you like comedy, musicals, or just being in love, this show was designed for you.

 “The premise sounds nearly impossible, but the execution is reliably brilliant.” — The NY Times

New Play Contest Fundraiser
January 27 at 8 p.m.

The evening will begin at 7 p.m. with a reception in the gallery with food, wine and drinks. At 8 p.m. there will be reading from the top three entries of the Annual New Play Contest. After the last play is read, the audience will vote for their favorite and determine the winner. That show will then be produced in full in August of 2018. Tickets to the New Play Contest are $50.

Gidion’s Knot by Johnna Adams
February 8-10 & 15-17 at 8 p.m.
February 11 & 18 at 2 p.m.

Amidst the fallout from her 5th grade son’s suspension from school, a mother demands answers. What begins as a highly charged parent/teacher conference with Gidion’s reticent teacher soon develops into a revelatory confrontation. A thought-provoking exploration that keeps us guessing about where to lay blame when children go astray. A suspenseful drama that is as elegant as it is chilling.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
March 1-3 & 8-10 at 8 p.m.
March 4 & 11 at 2 p.m.
Sponsored by: Janet & Bruce Bunch

A stark and unforgiving look behind the façade of an ideal marriage: Nora and Torvald Helmer are living their dream life, happily married with children and security. When Nora risks her reputation to save her husband’s life, the consequences test the limits of their love.

Grounded by George Brant
March 22 – 24 at 8 p.m.
March 25 at 2 p.m.

A hotshot fighter pilot sidelined by pregnancy is forced to operate military drones from a windowless trailer in the Las Vegas desert. This one-woman show targets our assumptions about war, family, and the power of storytelling.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
May 3-5 & 10-12 at 8 p.m.
May 6 & 13 at 2 p.m.
Sponsored by: Noreen Raney

A fateful life insurance policy becomes a catalyst that will forever transform the lives of a family living on the South Side of Chicago, as they consider buying a house on the white side of town. Their shared dream of a better life collides with conflicting aspirations, betrayal and racism in this timeless production.

GET SEASON TICKETS SEASON SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS

Lee County’s Nonprofit Arts and Culture Industry Generates $140.1 million in Economic Activity and Supports 3,875 Jobs Annually, According to Americans for the Arts
Arts Industry Returns $18.8 in Revenue to Local and State Coffers

The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $140.1 million in annual economic activity in Lee County—supporting 3,875 full-time equivalent jobs, and generating $18.8 million in local and state government revenues, according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 national economic impact study. Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 was conducted by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education and is the most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States.

According to the study, nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Lee County spent $34 million during fiscal year 2015. This spending is far-reaching: organizations pay employees, purchase supplies, contract for services and acquire assets within their community. Those dollars, in turn, generated $89.3 million in household income for local residents and $18.8 in local and state government revenues.

“The arts provide a host of cultural and entertainment benefits.  They keep us connected through picture and movement, story and song.  They introduce our children to our history and the endless possibilities that lie ahead of them,” says Lydia Black, Executive Director of Alliance for the Arts. “What is less understood is their positive economic contributions. The Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 sends a clear message: the arts are an investment that delivers both community well-being and economic vitality.”

As part of the Lee County study, the Alliance for the Arts created a pop out study for the nonprofit arts organizations residing within the city limits of Fort Myers.   Within the city limits of Fort Myers, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $49.7 million in annual economic activity —supporting 1,389 full-time equivalent jobs, and generating $6.7 million in local and state government revenue.

The Alliance for the Arts will formally announce the results of Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 on June 27 at 5:30 p.m. at 10091 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers 33919. The presentation will include a welcome from the Alliance for the Arts Board of Directors, brief remarks by city of Fort Myers Mayor Randall Henderson and Southwest Florida Community Foundation CEO Sarah Owen and conclude with a Lee County arts impact overview presentation by Lydia Black. Attendance is free, but a reservation is required.

Nationwide, the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 reveals that the nonprofit arts industry produces $166.3 billion in economic activity every year, resulting in $27.5 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. In addition, it supports 4.6 million full-time equivalent jobs.

“This study demonstrates that the arts are an economic and employment powerhouse both locally and across the nation,” says Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “A vibrant arts and culture industry helps local businesses thrive and helps local communities become stronger and healthier places to live. Leaders who care about community and economic vitality can feel good about choosing to invest in the arts. Nationally as well as locally, the arts mean business.”

Arts Industry Boon for Local Businesses

In addition to spending by organizations, the nonprofit arts and culture industry leverages $106.1 million in event-related spending by its audiences. As a result of attending a cultural event, attendees often eat dinner in local restaurants, pay for parking, buy gifts and souvenirs, and pay a babysitter. What’s more, attendees from out of town often stay overnight in a local hotel.  In Lee County, these dollars support 3,875 full-time equivalent jobs, and generating $18.8 in local and state government revenues.

“It’s essential for our area businesses to support the role the arts play in local communities and economic vitality. The arts are an integral component of workforce development and recruitment, enhance quality of life and foster beauty and creativity.  Businesses succeed and employee satisfaction rises when their communities are vibrant and full of life,” says Jeffrey Mudgett, Parker/Mudgett/Smith Architects.

The Arts & Economic Prosperity IV study was conducted by Americans for the Arts in partnership with the Alliance for the Arts.   Nationally the study was supported by The Ruth Lilly Fund of Americans for the Arts. Americans for the Arts’ local, regional, and statewide project partners contributed both time and financial support to the study.

Local study funding partners include the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, City of Fort Myers and the Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau.

This study could not have been completed without the cooperation of the 41 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Lee County that provided detailed financial and event attendance information about their organization:

Acoustic Music Society of Southwest Florida; Art Council of SWFL; ArtFest Fort Myers; Arts for Act Gallery; Arts in Healthcare Program; BIG Arts; Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at FSW; Cape Coral Art League; Center for the Arts of Bonita Springs; Cultural Park Theater Company; JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge; Edison and Ford Winter Estates; Edison Festival of Light; Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center; Florida Gulf Coast University Art Gallery; Florida Repertory Theatre; Fort Myers Community Concert Association; Fort Myers Symphonic Master Singers; SWFL American Sewing Guild; Ghostbird Theatre Company; Gulf Coast Symphony; Gulfshore Ballet; Imaginarium Science Center; Laboratory Theater of Florida; Lee County Alliance for The Arts; Mound House; Music For Minors Foundation; River District Alliance; Ronald McDonald House Charities Of Southwest Florida; Sanibel Music Festival; Shell Museum & Educational Foundation; Southwest Florida Historical Society; Southwest Florida Pastel Society; Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra; Southwest Florida Museum of History; Symphonic Chorale of Southwest Florida; Theatre Conspiracy; Uncommon Friends Foundation; Weavers of Char-Lee; WGCU Public Media; and Young Artists Awards.

The full text of the Lee County and City of Fort Myers reports can be found at www.ArtInLee.org/Impact.

The Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket will continue free backyard farming workshops at 10:30 a.m. every Saturday morning in June and July. This year’s workshop series is titled “When the Shelves Go Bare” and deals with increased concerns about a potential future food shortage. The next workshop in the series, “Growing Medicinal Herbswill be held Saturday Jun e24.

Farmer Tatiana Logvinova, along with her family, own and operate an all organic farm locally, GreenParadise Eco Farm. There, she grows many edibles, raises poultry and fish, and has different areas dedicated to medicinal plants & herbs. Her experience was acquired over the course of many years and in different locations where she has lived including Russia, Cuba, and Canada, but as a current southwest Florida resident she will base her presentation on local growing conditions and varieties well suited to our climate and terrain.

The goal of the presentation is for listeners to walk away with a basic understanding of useful medicinal & therapeutic plants that can be grown in this area. A Q&A session will follow the presentation. Although workshops are free, small donations are welcomed, as the Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket strives to support local growers, bakers and artisans.

What: “When the Shelves Go Bare” – urban farming workshops
When: Every Saturday morning in June and July at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Alliance for the Arts GreenMarket, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers FL 33919
Cost: Free

Saturday, June 24 at 10:30 a.m.
Growing Medicinal Herbs presented by Tatiana Logvinova, from Russia to Cuba to southwest Florida, a lifetime of loving nature
(photo GM4)

Saturday, July 1 at 10:30 a.m.
Growing Edible Mushrooms Indoors presented by Ken Ryan, award winning specialty grower and business owner

Saturday, July 8 at 10:30 a.m.
Pickling and Canning presented by Robert Pascuzzi, restaurant owner, executive chef and pitmaster

Saturday, July 15 at 10:30 a.m.
Raising Small Animals for Eggs & Meat presented by Millisa Bell, homestead farmer and organic gardener

Saturday, July 22 at 10:30 a.m.
An Introduction to Cheese Making presented by Caroline Hostettler, cheese connoisseur, business owner and world traveler

Saturday, July 29 at 10:30 a.m.
Backyard Beekeeping presented by Claudia Silveira, beekeeper, environmentalist and candlemaker

For more information, click here.

Tickets and subscriptions are on now sale for our 2017-18 season, featuring classics, comedic favorites and ambitious new works!

“From the classics to the cutting edge, we invite audiences to experience the broadest range of theatrical entertainment,” says founder and Producing Artistic Director Bill Taylor.

Theatre lovers can save up to $72 with a Season Subscription. Season subscriptions range from $105 per person for 5 shows to $153 per person for all 9 shows. Individual tickets to each show are $25, $11 for students or $22 for Alliance members.

Women in Jeopardy by Wendy MaCleod
Sponsored by: Susan Ion Hogan, DDS

A side splitting comedy with an all-star local cast! Liz Abbott, Stephanie Davis and Karen Goldberg star in this riotous comedy about trading in wine glasses for spy glasses when the mid-life crisis just isn’t your speed. Attempting to get to the bottom of a murder mystery, these ladies imaginations run wild as they try to discover the truth and save their friend in this hilarious adventure.

Buyer & Cellar by Jonathan Tolins

An outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs.

Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling actor in L.A., Alex takes a job working in the Malibu basement of a beloved megastar: Barbra Streisand. One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs?

Florida Rep’s Education Director Kody C. Jones stars in this one-man show!

Seven Guitars by August Wilson
Sponsored by: Noreen Raney

After serving jail time on a trumped-up vagrancy charge, blues musician Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton sets out to win back his girl and reclaim his pawned guitar, hoping to make a new hit record. Set in 1948 in the backyard of a Pittsburgh apartment house, Seven Guitars follows Floyd’s circle of friends and neighbors—the play’s seven voices—as they spin a rich tale of the deck that’s stacked against them, what they’ve lost and all they dream.

This lyrical play is part of August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, which charts the African-American experience through each decade of the 20th century.

A One-Man Christmas Carol adapted by James Rana and Timur Kocak

Back by popular demand! With only the aid of a steamer trunk full of props, Timur Kocak plays all 24 roles in this dynamic one-man version of Charles Dickens’ 1843 holiday classic.

Your Love, Our Musical by Rebecca Vigil and Evan Kaufman

Fresh off their successful run in New York City, comedic musical improvisers interview a couple in the audience about their relationship and spin an impromptu musical about the couple’s love story. If you like comedy, musicals, or just being in love, this show was designed for you.

 “The premise sounds nearly impossible, but the execution is reliably brilliant.” — The NY Times

Gidion’s Knot by Johnna Adams

Amidst the fallout from her 5th grade son’s suspension from school, a mother demands answers. What begins as a highly charged parent/teacher conference with Gidion’s reticent teacher soon develops into a revelatory confrontation. A thought-provoking exploration that keeps us guessing about where to lay blame when children go astray. A suspenseful drama that is as elegant as it is chilling.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
Sponsored by: Janet & Bruce Bunch

A stark and unforgiving look behind the façade of an ideal marriage: Nora and Torvald Helmer are living their dream life, happily married with children and security. When Nora risks her reputation to save her husband’s life, the consequences test the limits of their love.

Grounded by George Brant

A hotshot fighter pilot sidelined by pregnancy is forced to operate military drones from a windowless trailer in the Las Vegas desert. This one-woman show targets our assumptions about war, family, and the power of storytelling.

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
Sponsored by: Noreen Raney

A fateful life insurance policy becomes a catalyst that will forever transform the lives of a family living on the South Side of Chicago, as they consider buying a house on the white side of town. Their shared dream of a better life collides with conflicting aspirations, betrayal and racism in this timeless production.

To purchase tickets or for more information, call the box office at 239-939-2787 or visit www.ArtInLee.org.