Fly with me by Alisha Koyanis

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 11, 2014) – The Art Council of Southwest Florida is presenting works from the Alliance for the arts and Art Quilters Unlimited in this month’s Art & Community exhibit at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s headquarters located at 8771 College Parkway, Building 2, Suite 201 in Fort Myers.

The exhibit will include varied works of art including acrylic, fiber, mixed media, silk and even vinyl records from artists Dale and Jeff Ocasio, Carol Holsopple, Alisha Koyanis, Roseline Young and Pam Richardson.

All participating artists will give 35 percent of any sale to the Fund for the Arts in Southwest Florida, which benefits art organizations in our region.

The foundation invites the community to celebrate the exhibit by hosting a reception on Friday, April 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. Reservations can be made by emailing RSVP@floridacommunity.com.

The exhibit will run through May 30 and is available for public viewing hours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule a tour, call Kim Williams at the SWFLCF office at 239-274-5900.

Founded in 1975 by community leaders such as David Robinson and Barbara B. Mann, the Alliance for the Arts a nonprofit member-supported organization with a passion to facilitate and nurture the creation, development, promotion, and education of arts and culture. Its membership includes more than 50 arts and cultural organizations. It supports local organizations by providing meeting and classroom space in the 12,000-square foot William R. Frizzell Cultural Centre on a 10-acre campus, which opened in 1992.

Art Quilters Unlimited is a group of fiber artists interested in expanding their knowledge and pushing the boundaries of their own creativity while inspiring and supporting one another. The group’s purpose is to provide an opportunity to network with and learn from others in the fiber arts field while  establishing a learning environment for all levels of art quilt makers by bringing in topnotch workshop instructors.

Founded in 1976, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation supports the communities of Lee, Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry counties and also acts as the regional convener and leader with firsthand knowledge of community needs. With assets of more than $75 million, the SWFLCF has provided more than $57 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves. During its 2013 fiscal year, the SWFLCF granted more than $4 million to more than 100 different organizations supporting education, animal welfare, arts, healthcare and human services.

For more information about the SWFLCF, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.floridacommunity.com.

Meltdown by Carol Holsopple

Harriet & Dart by Dale and Jeff Ocasio

Gone with the wind by Rose Young

Pam Richardson self portrait