" It's Art Royale
Expect anything (and everything...)
BY NANCY STETSON Florida Weekly Correspondent
W hen Fort Myers artist Jen Riley learned that the theme for this year's Art Royale event was "Games

People Play," she instantly

thought of the psychological games people play.

"The game of manipulating someone emotionally, physically, or psychologically - it's all about control," she says. "I think it's one of the biggest games people play."

An art teacher at Mariner High, Riley hooked up with fellow artist and friend Scott Guelcher, also a high school art teacher, to make a statement.

"Pull My Strings Yank My Chain" is a 9' 4" tall robotic marionette that dangles from a banyan tree on the north side of the Alliance for the Arts campus. Attendees will be able to move its limbs, manipulate its mouth and change its eyeballs, making it look asleep, knocked out, or crazy.

Though the limbs, head and feet of the marionette are a robotic silver (a wood skeleton with styrofoam padding, topped with liquid latex and spray paint), the torso of the figure is open to viewing. Its rib cage is crafted from clear plastic, emphasizing our fragility. Behind the ribcage: a heart made of string.

FLORIDA WEEKLY PHOTO Fort Myers artists Jen Riley, left, and Scott Guelcher, back right, created this 9-foot, 4-inch tall robot for Art Royale. The interactive piece will be suspended from a tree on the grounds of the Alliance for the Arts for Saturday's fundraising event. Helpers Benjamin Johnson, left, next to Riley, and Kelly Guelcher, right, muscle the robot into place.

"People play your heart; they either play on your heartstrings or they pull on them," Riley says.

Below the heart are the figure's intestines, tied in knots.

"When you are anxious, excited, upset or stressed, your stomach goes into knots," she says. "We can all relate to that."

The small intestines are a thin rope with knots; the large intestines are made with larger rope and painted pink, blue, yellow, white and red. In-between the intestines is a giant hook, to which the artists attached a large chain.

"That's a chain you can yank that's attached to the abdomen," Riley says. "Whenever somebody pushes a button with you, that's exactly where you can feel that, you feel that yank in your gut."

The contrast of the outer silver and the inner colors is intentional, she says.

"We look one way on the outside, and on the inside, a lot of colorful stuff is going on," Riley says. "And color is emotion.

"I want the viewers to understand the symbolism in it, to relate to it: I feel like a robot, but my insides are emotional. I understand pulling on someone. And the interaction with the piece is very important. I've always enjoyed interacting with art. When you interact with an artwork on a personal level, you take more from it. And let's not forget the element of fun."

Interaction and fun are two mainstays of every Art Royale, no matter what the year's chosen theme.

Other works created for this year's event include "Video Games" by Pete Fournier, "Game of Letting Go" by Ricki Cooper and Tylor Compton, "Word Games" by Compton and Bennett, "Play Nice" by Pam Beckman and "My Ugliest Feelings Create the Most Beautiful Things" by April Marie Duperault.

Performing on the Main Stage will be "War Games" (the Immaculate Crew SFHS Step Group), "Game of Seduction" (Marianne's Middle Eastern Dancers) "Playing with Fire" (Toa Tropical Productions) and even a version of "The Dating Game," just to name a few.

Attendees will feel as if they're part of a giant gameboard, as the sidewalk of the Alliance will be painted in brightly colored squares. And everyone's encouraged to dress up in the evening's theme, however they choose to interpret it. Expect to see video game characters, football players, hockey players, Vanna Whites and game show hosts, jesters and chess pieces wandering about. One couple plans to attend as two-faced people, each with a mask on the back of their heads.

It's Art Royale. Expect anything and everything.

Art Royale is the Alliance's signature annual event and is unlike anything else put on in Southwest Florida. It's an interactive art happening incorporating sculpture, painting, film, fashion, theater, music, food, spoken word and even firedancers.

Art Royale started with a vision by Ada Bukovica, who came to Fort Myers from Europe.

"Ada's vision was to replicate Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain, a 24/7 art happening with food, music and theater" says acting executive director Jane Lane. "The entire area itself is painted, mosaic-ed. She wanted to establish that kind of art happening in our area, because of the area's richness in art."

"It's not a viewing, it's an experience," says board member Deirdre Mann.

Attendees stroll around the Alliance campus and building, stopping to dance to a band, listen to a monologue, paint graffiti on a wall, create a short film or watch fire dancers perform.

"It looks different every year, but the constant is the experience, that it's an interactive cultural experience between the artist and the audience," Lane says.

"It's the Alliance's signature event," Mann adds, "our signature fundraiser. There are lots of activities here. This is the pinnacle for the arts community. They're showcased and celebrated. That's what the Alliance's job is. We're the designated local arts agency for Lee County, designated by the state and the county."

According to Publicity Director Kathleen Moye, Art Royale raises 10 percent of the Alliance's annual operating budget, which fluctuates between $600,000 and $700,000. Last year's Art Royale, held on a chilly night, raised $80,000. Attendance grows every year, as word of the event spreads.

Art Royale board members say each year's event seems to reflect the personality of that year's board chairperson. This year, Pam Beckman, owner of Bon Soiree, is the chairperson.

"I've attended every year, since its inception," she says. "This year, we'll have images projected into our pond. Florida Gulf Coast University is creating a giant Magic 8-ball. A South Fort Myers step group is dressing in camouflage and calling their presentation 'War Games.' Then there's 'Playing With Fire' - fire dancers. The silent auction inside the Foulds Theatre will be set up like an old game show, with game shows playing on televisions. We're even going to be playing with our food, with food created to look like game pieces, chess and checkers.

"Everything has been calibrated to tweak your mind to play along with the arts in a variety of ways: play with your food, play nice, video games, mind games."

The only complaint some may have?

"There's so much going on, you can miss something," warns Mann. "You get so focused on one thing, you miss something else."

"It grows every year," Beckman says, "It's become the event that people recognize."

"This is the most fun thing," Lane said.