Walk through the arts
BY NANCY _STETSON Florida Weekly Correspondent

The idea came late at night, as good ideas often do, without regard to time. Five years ago, Louise Senneff, then executive director of the

Alliance for the Arts, had a brainstorm: why not gather the area's various artists and arts organizations together on the Alliance campus and invite the community to come out and learn what they're all about.

Families would come and watch artists at work and interact with them and ask questions. They could also get a peek at local performing arts group, watching actors, musicians and dancers perform. Children could get their faces painted and make their own art, and adults could pick up season calendars or workshop schedules.

The annual program's been highly successful; last year, over 1,000 people attended.

This year's Walk Through the Arts will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, on the campus of the Alliance for the Arts (10091 McGregor Blvd.). Admission is free.

"There are going to be so many arts groups from around this community who are eager to share what they're doing all year 'round," says Alliance publicity director Katheleen Moye. The annual event jibes with the organization's mission, which is "to facilitate and nurture the creation, development, promotion and education of arts and culture."

Presenters include everyone from potters to painters, Irish step dancers to classical musicians. The Gulf Coast Symphony and the cast of the Schoolhouse Theatre's "Forever Plaid" will perform outside. Inside, on the stage of the Foulds Theatre, the line-up consists of: Dance Bochette, Cypress Lake High Orchestra, Creative Theatre Workshop presenting "The Wizard of Oz," Hot Flashz Dance Group, Young Artist Awards Finalist, Ring of Emerald School of Irish Dance and the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.

Outside, artists will demonstrate everything from calligraphy to weaving to book binding to fold-forming metal. For the children, there'll be face painting and the opportunity to create art on the sidewalk with chalk. They can also participate in what's been dubbed "Make and Take" activities: make and take crafts and make and take greeting cards.

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The annual event's a unique opportunity to see and interact with scores of arts organizations from the area, all gathered in one place.

Lineup for Walk Through the Arts

In the Foulds Theatre:
>>Dance Bochette: Dance Bochette, a Fort Myers institution, has been teaching children and teens all styles of dance for years, including jazz, tap and modern. Dance Bochette is the studio of professional dancer Jeanne Bochette, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2007 Angels of the Arts Awards ceremony and was also named Arts Teacher of the Year.
>>Cypress Lake High Orchestra
>>Creative Theater Workshop presents "The Wizard of Oz"
>>Hot Flashz Dance Group
>>Young Artists Awards Finalist
>>Ring of Emerald School of Irish Dance: The Ring of Emerald School of Irish Dance never fails to draw a crowd with its energetic, Irish step dancing, says Alliance Publicity Director Kathleen Moye. This popular school has studios in Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples.

COURTESY PHOTO Hot Flashz is a dance team of women 45 and older who previously danced at Florida Flames basketball games. They'll be performing energetic and fun dance routines in the Foulds Theatre.

>>Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre: Located just around the corner from the Alliance for the Arts, the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre will perform scenes from its current production, "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story." The musical looks at the short career of one of rock 'n' roll's early pioneers. The theater, celebrating its 15th year, will present "Holly Jolly Christmas," "Guys and Dolls" and "Cabaret" this season.

On the outside stage:
>>Schoolhouse Theatre "Forever Plaid":The Schoolhouse Theatre, on Sanibel Island, is known for its musical revues. Saturday they'll perform scenes from their current production, "Forever Plaid," a musical comedy about a four-man singing group with close harmonies. Songs include "Rags to Riches," "Three Coins in the Fountain" and "Shangri-La." The show runs through Dec. 1. Their 07-08 season includes "Tuxedo Junction," "Lucky Stiff" and "80s to the Max: A Musical Tribute to the 80s."
>>Gulf Coast Symphony
>>Hands-on Art: face painting sidewalk chalk drawing
>>Make and Take crafts for kids with ArtFest Fort Myers
>>Make and Take greeting cards with Decorative Artists of Southwest Florida

The Florida Rep offers acting classes for adults and children as well as children's plays.

Groups attending Walk Through The Arts
>>Aboriginals
>>Alliance of the Arts: The Alliance for the Arts is umbrella organization for the arts and arts associations of Southwest Florida. In addition to offering exhibits, it offers workshops and classes in visual art, dance, and theater, and offers a variety of theater and concerts in its Foulds Theatre. The Alliance's annual Arts Royale is a not-to-be-missed one-night event, a Southwest Florida version of a European street fair, with music, theater, film, fashion, and interactive art. This year's theme: The Games People Play.

Tower Gallery is home to 23 local artists who work in acrylic, oil, pastels, and fine metals.

>>Art Quilters Unlimited: "These are not your grandmother's quilts," says Moye. "Art Quilters Unlimited were a big hit last year. They create some of the most beautiful pieces. They do everything, including dying their own fabric. These are not quilts you'd put on your bed and snuggle up with, they're quilts you want to hang on your wall and display." Art Quilters Unlimited describe themselves as "a group of fiber artists interested in expanding our knowledge and pushing the boundaries of our creativity." They'll exhibit their work at the Harborside this winter, from Dec. 6-Jan. 27.
>>ArtFest Fort Myers
>>Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
>>BIG Arts: BIG Arts, on Sanibel Island, offers classes and workshops in the arts, as well as exhibitions in the Phillips Gallery and Founders Gallery. It also offers a calendar of music, dance, theater and lectures, as well as a films every Monday night. Offerings this season include the Zuckerman Chamber Players and the St. Petersburg Quartet as well as one-person shows "Vivien Leigh: The Last Press Conference" and "I Am My Own Wife."
>>Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium
>>Cape Coral Art Studio
>>Community Concerts
>>Creative Theatre Workshop
>>Cypress Lake High School Center for the Arts Orchestra
>>Decorative Artists of Southwest Florida
>>Edison Celebration of Art
>>Ferrari Gallery
>>Florida Repertory Theatre: The Florida Repertory Theatre, based in downtown Fort Myers's historic Arcade Theatre, celebrates its 10th season this year. Next on the boards: "Stones in His Pockets," from Oct. 26 - Nov. 18, about Hollywood invading Ireland. The 07-08 season also includes the musical "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," winner of multiple Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-winning play "Doubt." The theater offers acting classes for adults and children as well as children's plays. This year it started its Chico's World Classic Initiative, devoted to bringing classical theater free to high school students.
>>Florida Society of Goldsmiths, Southwest Chapter
>>Fort Myers Beach Art Association
>>Gulf Coast Symphony
>>Hot Flashz: Hot Flashz is a dance team of women 45 and older who previously danced at Florida Flames basketball games. After the team disbanded, the women decided to continue on their own, performing energetic and fun dance routines.
>>Jodick Productions
>>Lee County Library System
>>Lee Memorial Health System
>>Pine Island Art Association
>>Ring of Emerald School of Irish Dance
>>Southwest Florida Craft Guild
>>Southwest Florida Symphony
>>The Schoolhouse Theatre
>>Tower Gallery: Tower Gallery is an artists' cooperative gallery on Sanibel Island. Named Arts Organization of the Year at the 2007 Angels of the Arts Awards ceremony, it's home to 23 local artists who work in acrylic, oil, pastels, fine metals, pastels and Raku ceramics.
>>Weavers of Char-Lee
>>Young Artist Awards
>>Wild Pottery
>>Artists in Demonstration
>>Organic Floral Art with Cheryl Hanson
>>Book Binding with Dina Solano: Dina Solano will demonstrate the craft of bookbinding. Long stitch binding has been a technique used to bind books from at least the 18th century. Solano will be teaching a one-day bookbinding workshop for adults on Oct. 27 at the Alliance and an Altered Book workshop for kids 8 and up on Sat. Nov. 3. Solano also creates furniture and paints wall murals.

>>Fold-forming Metal with Pilar Baker "Pilar Baker is very popular," says Moye. "She works in silversmithing, jewelry making, with fold-forming metal. She demonstrates the different shapes you bend the metal in for various 3-D artworks or jewelry. She uses a special set of tools, including hammers and a torch, to create the designs." Baker is teaching a class in silversmithing at the Alliance Oct. 23-Dec. 4.
>>Clay Building with Joel Loeper
>>Storytime with Karen Sloan
>>Painting/Transfers with Perry Thompson
>>Painting with Terry Lynn Spry
>>Oil Painting Portrait with Ann McCarty
>>Quilting with Carol Holsopples
>>Wet on wet transparent watercolor with Patty Kane
>>Calligraphy with Victoria Kibildis
>>Watercolor with Ray Hernandez
>>Weaving and spinning with Rickie Howie