Year: 2018

Artists from all over Florida submitted more than 530 pieces for consideration in the Alliance for the Arts’ Annual All Florida Exhibition. The juror, Mark Ormond, narrowed the list to 57 pieces which were unveiled to the public during an opening celebration on March 9. The exhibit will continue until March 29 at 10091 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33919.

Betsy DJamoos was awarded $1,000 for Best in Show for her abstract piece “Natural Vibrations.” Elisabeth Arena  won a $250 Golden Colors Gift Certificate for her 2^nd place for her graphite work “The Contemplative Crow.” Gay Germain won $100 for 3^rd place for her acrylic piece “Sculpture Garden Reductive III.” David Belling, Sherry Rohl, Tammra Sigler and Buck Ward were awarded Juror’s Choice Awards.

“My intuition guides my palette, brush strokes and knowing when the painting is finished,” says Best In Show Winner DJamoos. “All my paintings start out with intuitive marks on a white canvas and the piece evolves from that flow.”

Full list of exhibiting artists include: Kaitlyn Handley, Hilda Champion, Beverly Yankwitt, Paul Dengler, Alane Enyart, David Belling, Betsy DJamoos, Susan Rienzo, Roxanne Hanney, Carolyn Steele, Ellen Miller, J.T. Phillippe, Elisabeth Arena, Imani Gibbs, Sherri Hubby, Maggie DeMarco, Tammra Sigler, Grayson Stoff, Buck Ward, Stephen Staack, Barbara Groenteman, Gregory Presley, Katrina Parker, Paula Rucket, Julio Pacheco Delgado, Deborah LaFogg Docherty, Megan Kissinger, Jeff and Dale Ocasio, Taylor Scalzo, Susan Ritter, Gay Germain, Christine Di Staola, Diane Schultz, Carol Stream, Vae Hamilton, Sharon Rodgers, Dirce Kennedy, Jolie Black, Mariapia Malerba, Luba Drahosz, Dianne GreenWoman Wickes, Peter Zell, Roseline Young, Sherry Rohl, Mark Wlaz, Victoria Milne, Tracy Owen Cullimore, Susan Martin and Deborah Martin.

“It’s exciting to host artists from across all the pockets of Florida,” says exhibitions coordinator Krista Johnson. “The submissions truly showcase the breadth and creative talent of Florida’s independent artists.”

The Alliance for the Arts presents a limited run of Grounded by George Brant March 22-25 at 10091 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33919. The production is directed by Theatre Conspiracy Founder and Artistic Producing Director Bill Taylor and stars Katie Pankow as The Pilot. This one-woman show targets our assumptions about war, family, and the power of storytelling.

Grounded is the story of an ace fighter pilot who becomes pregnant and gets reassigned to operating drones from a windowless trailer on an Air Force base in the desert outside Las Vegas. Hunting terrorists by day and coming home to her family by night, the boundaries between reality and the screen – between the desert where she lives and the desert where she fights – blur as the pilot struggles to navigate her dual identities.

Katie Pankow is a classically trained actress based in South Florida. She has previously starred in Lend Me A Tenor, BIG ARTS Strauss Theatre; Swell Party, Theatre Conspiracy; The Odd Couple (Female Version), Off-Broadway Palm, Ajax in Iraq, University of Florida. A bit of a jack-of-all-trades, Katie is a published poet, an award-winning radio news journalist, and a decorated artist.

“This visceral production demands a strong female actor who can own the show and we’re thrilled to welcome Katie, one of the best in southwest Florida,” says Bill Taylor. “Grounded is a riveting play filled with powerful storytelling about the dualities of war and family.”

Individual tickets to each show are $25, $11 for students or $22 for Alliance members. Performances run March 22 – 24 at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on March 25.

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

What the Critics Say

2012 Smith Prize Winner – Recognizing outstanding achievement for plays focused on American politics

“Gripping” —The New York Times

“A searing piece of writing”—The Guardian

“Compelling and provocative” —San Francisco Chronicle

“As close to perfection as is possible to imagine…Grounded is a powerful, hallucinogenic experience.” – What’s On Stage

“Thought provoking, thoroughly engrossing…pulses with the rhythms of an epic war poem” – TheatreMania

The Alliance for the Arts will present Red Carpet Cabaret, a fundraiser supporting its youth theatre program, on May 25 at 8 p.m. at 10091 McGregor Blvd. Fort Myers, FL 33919. Red Carpet Cabaret will provide light refreshments, a silent auction and a student artist variety show featuring a range of creative and musical entertainment.

“I believe the arts inspire a sense of purpose in children that follows them as they grow up,” says youth theatre director Carmen Crussard. “I understand the importance of math and science and other subjects that promote industry. But the arts promote humanity, kindness, and relationships. This is where kids learn how to be team players, problem solvers, a collaborators and good friends.”

Tickets to this event are $25 and benefit young performing artists.  Sponsorship and visibility opportunities are available.

For tickets or more information, visit www.ArtInLee.org/RedCarpet or call 239-939-2787.