Incognito

Incognito, Naples-style!

Is this ever going to be fun! At 4:30 today I will be arriving at The Naples Museum of Art along with 299 other lucky art lovers! The wonderful event, being sponsored by The Friends of the Art at The Jay and Patty Baker Museum of Art, with proceeds benefiting the museum and all the amazing exhibitions and lectures it brings to the citizens of Naples and our visitors & tourists. Included in the fund raising is monies raised to transport Collier County school children to the museum to enhance their education of the arts! We are incredibly blessed to have a venue of this caliber here in Naples Florida!

300 local, national and internationally known artists have participated by painting and donating an original 8" X 10" work of art. Everyone in attendance goes home with an original work of art, which is distributed by raffle drawing! As the tickets are drawn, the ticket-holders will select the painting of their choice! The paintings are signed on the back, so no one will know who their artist is until after they have made a selection! Later in the evening, after all the paintings have been selected, the artists will then be invited into the romm to meet the patron that selected their work! It will be so cool to meet the person whose art I am drawn...

I am thrilled to be attending! ~and, I hope to see you there!

The Naples Art Blogger

Gina & me

Chalk Art 2011 & The 14th Annual Naples Invitational Art Fest!

"The world is but a canvas to the imagination."

~Henry David Thoreau

There are a lot of artsy things going on around Naples this weekend! I can tell you right now, you will see The Red Pick-Up Artist working along side popular Naples muralist Gina Fischer on 5th Avenue all day on Saturday, January 29th...They can be found right in front of the blue & white Coldwell Banker Previews building in the 500 block of Naples main street, 5th Avenue South! They are planning to create a masterpiece depicting one of Olde Naples charming homes. This fund raiser is benefiting The Rotary Scholarship Fund, and over 5,000 spectators are expected to watch 5th Avenue turn into a huge, color splashed canvas! Please, if you happen to make your way downtown, Gina and The Red Pick-Up Artist would really appreciate you voting for your "favorite" street painting...and we really hope it's ours!

Also this weekend, The Art Fest will be attracting well-known artists from around the country. Taking place in Fleischmann Park, this juried art show benefits 'Eden Autism Services Florida'. There will be 132 artists showing their work at the park. The Art Fest will run both Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to5 PM. For more information about this amazing undertaking and the charity that they support please click here: EDEN FLORIDA

These are just 2 of the amazingly artful happenings you can expect to find in Naples this weekend...It's no wonder Naples was named "Best Small Art Town in America"...and it's no wonder The Red Pick-Up Artist lives here!

A few more LINKS to this weekends activities: Bayshore Festival of the Arts and the Harry Chapin Empty Bowl fund raiser in Cambier Park!

Thanks everybody, and have a great weekend!

The Red Pick-Up Artist

The Arts in Downtown Naples

"I dream a lot. I do more painting when I'm not painting. It's in the subconscious."

~Andrew Wyeth

There are so many upcoming events on the calendar for the downtown Naples area, it's almost impossible to keep up with it all! One great site to log onto to get details of what is happening is The Naples Art website. Mark your calendar now for the 2011 Lecture Series schedule. Also, the entire Studio Art Classes and Workshops are also listed on this site! One of mt most favorite events will be held at The von Liebig Art Center is the Non-Juried All Artist Members Show of Shows Exhibit and Members' Gallery Opening Show of the Season! November 6th through November 27th.

The Naples Art Festival season is kicking off its 54th season, [no wonder Naples was named best small art town in the nation] on November 6th with ART IN THE PARK! This is held on Park Street from 10 am to 4 pm and will showcase the von Liebig's member artists! The Naples Fall Fine Art & Craft Festival will be held on November 27th & 28th [see, I told you there's a lot of upcoming events]!

Have a great day,

The Naples Art Blogger

"Underground Art Wednesday"

Sprinkled about the industrial park in North Naples one would be surprised to find an eclectic mix of artists' studios and wonderful galleries...a haven for working artists tucked back in amongst the typical industrial metal buildings and drab commercial facades....
Most folks take that drive south on Airport Road, then west on Pine Ridge without ever giving a second thought to what treasures may be discovered on those streets with names like J & C Blvd., Shirley Street and Trade Center Way. For the 33+ years that I've lived in Naples, these streets have never conjured up more than an image of an electrical supply house or tile distributor...But somewhere along the way one artist became two, and two became three, and now there are no less than a couple dozen studios and galleries...this is the North Naples Art Alliance!


Sweet Art Gallery

Last Wednesday, October 6th, I had the pleasure of attending the first "Underground Art Wednesday" of the 2010-2011 season. I was told that this is their 4th year. This unique event occurs on the first Wednesday of every month from October thru April from 6-9 PM. Typically many of the studios in the North Naples Art Alliance participate. I began the evening at Sweet Art Gallery located at 2054 Trade Center Way. I was astounded at the caliber of art on display--there is no shortage of local talent in Naples. As an example, Sharon Erbe, whom I have long admired and whose work I enjoy so completely for the joy it evokes...the movement and color in her paintings is pure happiness. She is one of the proprietor's featured artists. DeDe Sweet was warm and gracious. She pointed out immediately upon our introduction, that 'Sweet' is her real name---and it fits her too a T! She is so passionate about her gallery and 'her' featured artists! I was especially struck by the work of one up and coming painter, Juan Diaz. I absolutely want him to be one of the very first local artist that I interview for this blog!

I invite all art lovers, decorators and designers to the next "Underground Art Wednesday" on November 3rd...and please look for the red pick-up truck in the parking lot because I'll be there!




Here are a few shots from inside Sweet Art Gallery!