May-June 2017

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Paula Bolado, Julie Clay, Carol DeFrank, Cindy-jo Dietz, Gregory Wilkerson

Comedian Steve Hytner, Kenny Bania on Seinfeld, is appearing at the Laugh In Comedy Cafe in Fort Myers, May 18-20. Call 479-5233 for information.

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ontheGulf

Ringling to Showcase AiWeiwei’s ‘Zodiac Heads’ Bronze Sculptures

A cclaimed Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei’s collection of 12 monumental bronze sculptures, ‘Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads’ will be installed in the Bayfront Gardens of The Ringling in Sarasota, June 9 and will be on view for a year, through May 2018.

Artist, sculptor, photographer, architect and social activist, Ai Weiwei is one of the most renowned artistic figures working today. ‘Zodiac Heads’ is one of the most-viewed sculpture projects in the history of contemporary art.

‘Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads’ was inspired by the fabled fountain-clock of the Yuanming Yuan, an 18th century imperial retreat just outside Beijing. Designed in the 18th century by two European Jesuits at the behest of the Manchu Emperor Qianlong, the fountain-clock of the Yuanming Yuan featured the animals of the Chinese zodiac, each spouting water at two-hour intervals. In 1860, the Yuanming Yuan was ransacked by French and British troops, and the heads were pillaged.

Seven of the 12 animal heads in Ai’s recreation of this work are based on the original fountain examples that have been

discovered: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, horse, monkey, and boar. The remaining five are the artist’s reimagining of the currently missing artifacts: dragon, snake, goat, rooster, and dog.

The 12 bronze Zodiac Heads stand on tall columns, with each animal head measuring approximately 4 feet high and 3 feet wide. The head and base together measure approximately 10 feet high and weigh nearly 800 pounds each. This ‘Zodiac Heads’ series—including a smaller gold gilded edition—has been exhibited worldwide since 2011.

The Bayfront Gardens, on The Ringling’s grounds, are free and open to the public. The Ringling is located at 5401 Bay Shore Rd. in Sarasota. The Ringling is open daily 10am-5pm, Thursday evenings until 8pm. For information, call 941-359-5700.

Naples Arts Fest Continues Thru May

The Stay in May Festival, featuring 40 events over three weeks at various venues throughout the Naples area, opened April 25 and continues when violinist Lara St. John & the 5th Avenue Chamber Orchestra perform ‘Mozart Violin Concerto #3’ & ‘Symphony #25’ at 7pm on May 1 at the First Methodist Church, located at 388 1st Ave. S. in Naples.

There are afternoon concerts at the Naples Art Association by Lara St. John and pianist Matt Herskowitz on May 2, pianist Ilya

Itin on May 3, Latin jazz legend, Arturo Sandoval on May 9, and pianist Kevin Kenner on May 11. Concerts start 2pm. The Naples Art Association is located at 585 Park St. in downtown Naples. Shangri-La Springs offers lectures on Mindfulness on May 6, 2pm and May 10, 7pm in the East Clubhouse of Bentley Village. Shangri-La Springs is located at 27750 Old 41 Rd. in Bonita Springs. Bentley Village is located at 810 Retreat Drive in Naples.

A Short Film Fest, featuring screenings of independent short films, is scheduled for May 3 & 7 at Sheffield Theatre, located at Moorings Park, 120 Moorings Park Drive in Naples. Screenings start at 7pm.

An ‘Organ Crawl Across

Ai Weiwei’s ‘Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads’ will be installed in Sarasota’s Ringling Museum of Art’s waterfront courtyard, June 9 thru May 2018.

Latin jazz legend, Arturo Sandoval performs May 9 at the Naples Art Association in Naples.

Naples’ on May 4 includes concerts at five area churches, from 12:30-7pm.

On May 5, ‘Rockin’ the Library’ brings big band music to South Regional Library, 8065 Lely Cultural Pkwy. at 6pm.

‘Dancing with the Stars,’ a music & dance show with Susan Clayton is May 8, in the JFCS Community room, 5025 Castello Dr.

Seraphic Fire Choral Concert is May 9, 7pm, at the Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church, 1225 Piper Blvd.

Malenda Trick paints & Steffanie Pearce sings during ‘A Night in Paris: Painting & Cabaret Classics,’ May 11, 5:30pm at Marco Island Historical Museum, 180 S. Heathwood Dr.

The Stay in May Festival ends with a concert at 5:30pm by The Tokens and Rocky & The Rollers at the Naples Zoo, located at 1590 Goodlette-Frank Rd. For information, call 390-2788.

Bluegrass, Brew & BBQ on the Bay

Matanzas on the Bay on Fort Myers Beach will host its fourth annual ‘Bluegrass, Brew & BBQ’ fundraising event on May 27, 11am-10pm. Proceeds will benefit Operation Open Arms, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the care and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in military personnel and veterans.

In addition to great BBQ, the event will feature live music from the Bugtussle Ramblers (1-4pm) and the Cooter Creek Bluegrass

The Bugtussle Ramblers will be performing at ‘Bluegrass, Brew &BBQ’ on May 27 at Matanzas on the Bay in Fort Myers Beach.

Band (5-10pm), and craft beer from Fort Myers Brewing Company. BBQ will be served begining at noon. Free car parking and boat dockage will be available.

Matanzas on the Bay is located on Estero Bay at 416 Crescent St. on Fort Myers Beach. Call 4633838 for information.

New MarineLife Exhibit at Rookery Bay

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve has unveiled a new, 180-gallon marine life exhibit at its Environmental Learning Center. More than a dozen species of marine animals are now on display. The new state-of-the-art interactive exhibit houses sea stars, horseshoe crabs, mollusks and other species.

The 180-gallon display is designed to look and feel like Rookery Bay Reserve's natural environment, with detailed rock formations and a mangrovethemed overflow box. In addition to self-guided engagement with these animals, docent-led programs will also be scheduled throughout the day.

The Environmental Learning Center is open Mon-Fri 9am4pm. The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is located at 300 Tower Rd., off Collier Blvd., between Naples and Marco Island. Call 530-5940 for information.

The Colorful World of George Snyder

The current exhibit at the Marco Island Historical Museum featuring several three-

dimensional sculptures and canvases by the internationally acclaimed artist George Snyder is on view thru May 2.

At the entrance of the gallery is a brilliantly painted configuration of PVC tubing stands on end and reaches six to over nine feet in the air.

At the back wall of the gallery, hang a series of graphic configurations in explosive colors and oversized proportions. From a distance, they appear sculptural, an army of gigantic Slinkys or ‘Urchins,’ as Snyder refers to them, lined up in contortionist poses. Up close, they are flat and made of painted wood. Snyder’s skill at applying acrylics is what creates their sense of three-dimensionality.

Snyder is one of a handful of well-known contemporary artists, including Paul Jenkins, Robert Rauschenberg and Arthur Secunda, who are considered innovators in the use of acrylics. He carefully hand-paints each design, using tape to define hardedged lines and geometric patterns and shapes, and then applies layer upon layer of rich, jewel-like colors until he achieves an airbrushed finish.

Included in this show are some of Snyder’s landscapes.

Unlike his sculptural work, they are traditional, serene, and highly stylized. Yet, there is a twist. The landscapes are nestled within a wide framework of double mats, which are, upon closer examination, an optical illusion—a wonderful example of trompe l’oeil—and an integral part of the painting.

The Marco Island Historical Museum is open TuesdaySaturday, 9am-4pm. It is located at 180 S. Heathwood Drive on Marco, across from the library. For information, call 389-6447.

SoapFest Returns to Marco Island S

oapFest, one of Marco Island’s biggest fundraising events for almost two decades, returns to Marco Island for its 18th annual weekend festival, May 26-29

Hosted by the Marco Island Yacht Club, the festival features daytime celebrity actors and special events that raise funds for several local children’s charities.

Thirteen actors from daytime shows such as General Hospital, TheYoung and the Restless, Guiding Light, Days of Our Lives, and One Life to Live are expected to attend, many for return visits.

The three days of non-stop festivities include favorites such as the legendary ‘A Night of Stars.’ ‘Cruisin.’ Boozin’ and

Brightly colored sculptures of George Snyder are among his works on view at the Marco Island Historical Museum thru May 2.

Schmoozin’ with the Stars’, ‘Celebrity Karaoke Bar Bash’, and ‘VIP Farewell Brunch.’

A current list of elebrities scheduled to appear include:

General Hospital: Brytni Sarpy, Donnell Turner, Robert Palmer Watkins, Ryan Carnes, Hayle Erin

The Young and The Restless: Kate Linder, Jeff Branson, Christian LeBlanc, Sean Carrigan, Camryn Grimes, Robert Adamson

Guiding Light: Tom Pelphrey

Days Of Our Lives & One Life To Live: Melissa Archer

SoapFest Charity Weekend kicks off with A Night of Stars, Saturday, May 27th at 7pm. This VIP event will offer several opportunities to meet the actors for a Q & A, autograph signings, and photos. Marco Island Yacht Club is located at the foot of the Jolley Bridge, at 1400 N. Collier Blvd. on Marco.

An added feature to ‘A Night of Stars’ is ‘SoapFest Game Night.’ Guests can win with a spot on one of the actors’ teams as they compete against each other. Festivities continue on May 28

aboard the Marco Island Princess yacht for an afternoon of ‘Cruisin’ Boozin’ & Schmoozin’ with the Stars,12-3pm. The yacht departs from Marco River Marina. The 3-hour boat ride offers the opportunity to meet and mingle with the soap stars, while sightseeing Marco Island’s coastal beauty and enjoying a luncheon buffet.

The annual ‘Celebrity Karaoke Bar Bash’ starts at 9pm on May 28 at Mango’s Dockside Bistro, located at 760 N. Collier Blvd. This evening features daytime actors singing and bartending.

SoapFest concludes on May 29 with a VIP Farewell Brunch with aspecial surprise guest.

For information, call 394-0080.

and develop digital camera, image enhancement and exhibition skills.

Set in Naples’ first passenger train station, the restored Naples Depot Museum takes visitors back to Florida’s railroading heydays of the Roaring Twenties and tells how technology and transportation helped Naples grow from a village of 300 pioneers to today’s world-famous Gulf Coast resort.

play must be the writer’s own original work, not an adaptation, and not commercially published or produced, though it may have been work-shopped or presented in staged readings. A submitted play also may have been entered in an earlier contest, so long as it was not an earlier finalist.

Playwrights must submit 2 copies of their script in standard stage play format.

Call 263-7990 for information.

Artists

The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is seeking submissions of 2D & 3D art for its 2017 juried exhibition. The 8th annual juried art exhibition is asking artists to explore '+/- (Positive/Negative).' All entries must be received via an online submissions form by 5pm on May 8. The exhibition will be on view June 2-26, with an opening reception on June 2, during the downtown Fort Myers River District Art Walk.

The exhibit hopes to explore how positive and negative forces cannot exist without one another, and how they can coexist.

All entries must be digital files uploaded via the June Juried Exhibition submission form. Image files cannot exceed 1MB. The file format must be JPEG. There is an entry fee and cash prizes. For information, call 333-1933.

HAMMOND STADIUM

14400 Six Mile Cypress Parkway Fort Myers

800-338-9467

May 1-4: VS Daytona Tortugas

May 8-10: VS Palm Beach Cardinals

May 1 5-18: VS Clearwater Threshers

May 19-21: VS Bradenton Marauders

May 30: VS Bradenton Marauders

Jun 7-10: VS Tampa Yankees

Jun 12-15: VS Charlotte Knights

Jun 27-29: VS Clearwater Threshers

Jun 30-Jul 3 : VS St. Lucie Mets

Jul 7-10: VS Palm Beach Cardinals

Jul 15-17 : VS St. Lucie Mets

Jul 21-24: VS Tampa Yankees

Aug 3-6: VS Jupiter Hammerheads

Aug 10-13: VS Dunedin Blue Jays

Aug 14-17: VS Lakeland Flying Tigers

Aug 25-27: VS Charlotte Knights

Sep 2 & 3: VS Jupiter Hammerheads

GAMES START 7PM

Transportation Photographs at Naples Depot Museum

The Naples Depot Museum presents ‘Transportation in the Digital Age,’ and exhibition by the Naples Digital Photography Club, from May 3-July 31. There will be an opening reception on May 4, 5-7pm that is free and open to the public.

‘Transportation in the Digital Age’ features several works depicting transportation from around the world, including trains, planes, and automobiles, as well as other modes of transportation.

The Naples Digital Photography Club was formed in 2004 and meets monthly. They offer workshops, tips and group discussions that help one learn

The Naples Depot Museum, located at 1051 5th Ave. S. in Naples, is open Mon-Sat 9am-4pm. Call 262-6525 for information.

WANTED Playwrights

The Naples Players’ ETC…Readers Theatre is now accepting original one-act scripts for its 14th Annual Evening of New Plays contest for Southwest Florida playwrights. In addition to having their play performed, up to four finalists will each receive a cash prize, memorial plaque, event poster and two complimentary tickets to The Naples Players’ ‘Evening of New Plays’ and awards ceremony on January 21. Deadline for submission is July 31. Winners will be notified by October 31.

Playwrights must be a resident of Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Glades or Hendry counties of Florida. Only non-musical one-acts are accepted. Only one play per writer can be submitted. Each

Poster Designs

The Edison Festival of Light is calling for entries for the 2018 Official Poster celebratiing the 80th Anniversary of the Edison Festival to be held February 10-18, 2018. Artists and graphic designers are invited to submit entries for the competition. The art can be of any medium and must be a completely original concept not used in other posters, promotions, events, organizations, or materials. The deadline for submissions is noon on June 15. Artwork should represent the activities and events of the Edison Festival, the contributions and/or images of Thomas Edison, and imagery of Fort Myers and Southwest Florida. The poster is used for advertising the festival and in merchandising products and opportunities. Entries will be considered based on concept, artistic imagery, visual presentation, and merchandising opportunities. For information, call 334-2999.

An exhibition by the Naples Digital Photography Club, ‘Transportation in the Digital Age’ is on view at the Naples Depot Museum, May 1-July 31.

25 Years of The Miracle

by Julie Clay

ITH

WMAJOR

LEAGUE BASEBALL IN FULL SWING,our

Southwest Florida spring training ballparks are taken over by the farm teams, and that means good ol’ family fun all summer long with the Fort Myers Miracle at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. This year, the Miracle celebrate 25 years as an organization, so a visit to the Centurylink Sports Complex and a chat with John Kuhn, their Senior Director of Business Development, was in order.

John’s a familiar face ‘round here. His family moved to Fort Myers in 1970 and he’s worked in varying capacities with the Miracle since their inception in 1992. OK, mayyyybe he was there for a few years, left for almost two decades to work elsewhere in the industry, then found himself back in Southwest Florida in 2012, where really not much had changed at all. (NOTESARCASM…)

“When you’re gone for 17 years, it’s an entire generation,” John remembers, “There was nothing here past Fiddlesticks back then. Fort Myers was still kind of a big small town when I left and maybe I felt like I knew everyone when I grew up here. Coming back, it was entirely different. The growth was incredible.”

He recalls his first go around from 1992-’95. The team was run by Mike Veeck, whose father Bill, an owner of the Cleveland Indians at one point and Baseball Hall of Famer, was also known as the greatest promoter in the history of baseball. Mike inherited that know-how, making a name for himself as the ‘funniest man in baseball,’ a moniker he more than lived up to, says Kuhn.

“Mr. Veeck created an atmosphere of wanting to be here. The first two years we were here we were in last place. The team was so bad we did stuff,” says John, the memories rolling out, “Our mascot was Jericho the Miracle Dog. We did post-game séances to call up the

spirit of Thomas Edison, the spirit of nighttime baseball. We showed movies on the centerfield backdrop on bedsheets stitched together by my grandmother. Until they renovated the stadium we had the pulleys to hold it up. We did a Field of Screams event on Halloween in 1992, and we had the Beach Boys play here. We had 7,300 people for that show. We had post-game toy scrambles and CD scrambles,” adding, “Mike said we didn’t want to be boring.”

It even went so far as introducing a recurring character. “I was the Phantom of the Ballpark,” laughs John, “I dressed in all black with a black & white catcher’s mask. In 1992 Phantom of the Opera was real big so I was the Phantom of the Ballpark. The music would play and the kids would chase me and try to unmask the Phantom. We’d play the music a couple times a game, then the Phantom would come out.”

He recalls the family atmosphere that developed around the fledgling team, “Starting here and learning the business with Mike, we were such a small group of people, we did everything together. We had no walkie talkies, no cell phones. It became a family with the fans. We didn’t have enough people to pull the tarp when it rained so fans would jump down and help. Parents would pull up and drop a carload of kids off at the gate. We would take care of them. I would drive some kids home. I would see a kid I hadn’t seen before and take him to a room full of stuff and give him five minutes to grab stuff. Nowadays, parents freak out, because they don’t know you. So that was a big mindset change. Now there are kids that come every day that love to help out.”

One correction here. There actually was a cellphone in those early days. ONE. “The biggest thing we

“The first two years, the team was so bad we did postgame séances to call up the spirit of Thomas Edison, the spirit of nighttime baseball.”

had, in ‘92-‘93, at the end of the concourse, was a walkin cellular phone booth,” laughs Kuhn, “We had a bag phone hanging there and people would stand in line to make phone calls! We were the only ball park that had that.” John left in 1995 to work with other minor league teams, with stops in the upper Midwest, Canada and Massachusetts before coming back to The Miracle in June 2012. One of the biggest changes he noticed upon his return was the younger audience due in large part to Florida Gulf Coast University. “Baseball overall has not done the best job of marketing to younger people, but the Miracle has.” He says, “The market got younger, especially with FGCU.” John remembers discovering that he’d gone to college with

the head baseball coach at FGCU, and at the first game upon returning running into a guy with whom he’d played college baseball.

It’s almost as if he’d never left. Miracle General Manager Andrew Seymour reflects on how Kuhn is the quintessential, prodigal son-comes-home story, “John embodies the passion and enthusiasm that makes the ball park a great place to come to. He's the engine that drives the workplace and he has the care that makes every guest feel like they are the most important person in the ball park."

Kuhn adds that the family atmosphere is strong with the fanbase, “We have a lot of longtime fans. One lady who comes has been here since we started. She comes every night. She and her husband have seats in front of her father, who has been coming since the first year. We now have a video board, and the biggest test is how to incorporate the video board into something that has always been so human-driven. I think people really enjoy going to a place where you’re familiar with the people that are there. I’ve missed two games in 25 years of doing baseball. People notice when you’re not there. When my wife got really sick last year people would ask me how she was doing. When that feeling goes away I might leave. Our job when people come is to make them feel at home. They’re guests as well as fans.”

“And fans get the weather, particularly the hot, sticky, rainy Florida summer. We had to know how the team operates under such unpredictable, tropical conditions,” Kuhn says, “Weather is the most important thing. It’s the toughest part and people don’t understand. The number one factor in drawing fans is the weather. You grin and bear it. The hard part is it might be pouring in Naples and Bonita Springs, but it might not be raining here. We keep our tarp clothes in our offices. There are times you put it on and take it off three times in one day. When we had the league All-Star game the weather was perfect in July.” He adds that the 2015 renovations created many more shaded seats, and with the removal of the team store and a section of seats, more than 200 fans enjoy improved airflow behind the plate, and a nice breeze to cool down the area.

This being the big 25th anniversary for the Miracle, John shares that fans can expect lots of extra fun on the field, including fireworks after every Friday night game, Independence Day fireworks after the game on July 3, and on July 8 a post-game comedy show with local comedians atop the Miracle dugout. • For information, call 768-4210.

For the 25th anniversary of The Miracle, fans can expect lots of extra fun on the field, including fireworks after every Friday night game.

“Baseball overall has not done the best job of marketing to younger people, but the Miracle has,” he says.

Frankie Colt’s Music Mission

by Cindy-Jo Dietz

“Everyone is going to have his or her good or bad night.

If you have a bad show, shake it off. Have courage, and know every time you get on stage you’re making progress.”

OPEN MIC AND JAMS may never be the same if full time musician, MC, fashion designer and dream catcher craftsperson, Frankie Colt has her way.

It was a Thursday night and another open jam at Howl Gallery & Tattoo, off Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers. The crowd consisted of hungry musicians, comedians, poets and artists, each anticipating their turn at the microphone. We walked in, greeted by a dark room and a brightly lit stage. To the right was a small bar serving craft and local beer, among other beverages. Howl’s interior boasts the sort of style one might find in larger cities like St. Petersburg, thick with an air of the eclectic. One by one each act took the stage, as Frankie Colt, host and fellow musician, announced them. In between performances, Frankie threw in a joke and one or two of her own songs. The evening flowed by effortlessly. From comedians to musicians everyone gave it all they had. The highlight of the night was Margaux Royale’s flawless burlesque performance executed to music played by a live trio. The song was an old-time strip tease. Frankie tells me a new burlesque dancer appears each week and attracts quite the crowd. I can see why. Margaux’s performance was classy and sophisticated. Her outfit fit the music and gave a very solid circa 1950’s pinup feel.

There was a sizable crowd, ages ranging from twenty somethings all the way to over 65. There happened to be a really fun group of performances that night and the crowd was very supportive of one another. You could tell many audience members and performers were familiar with how Frankie runs her open jam. She gives everybody their equal time and she rallies support from audience like a ringleader. It seemed as though a lot of the musicians had played together before and were eager to try new combinations and jam.

There is a line from the Dhammapada that says “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world.”

This is Frankie Colt — overwhelmingly positive.

Frankie is what her friends like to call an ‘Encourager.’ She explains, “My friend Claire said this to me: ‘The best thing you can do is to be an encourager. You are an encourager.’ I thought that was the coolest way she could

“In times like these, when the world is so crazy, its nice to have artists and musicians, people like that, come together.”

photographs by Greg Wilkerson

have put it. If we had more of that, that’s when you would see things build, when you would see the community flourish.”

Frankie wants to create an environment at her events where people are just nice to each other. An event where people give each other a chance on stage. She says “Everyone is going to have his or her good or bad night, make the most of it, give it all you got. If you have a bad show, shake it off. Have courage, and know every time you get on stage, you’re making progress. In times like these, when the world is so crazy its nice to have artists and musicians, people like that, come together. It really is.” With a growth in popularity for her open mic and jam nights, showcases and other events, Frankie seems overjoyed by what is manifesting before her eyes.

Aside from the Thursday nights at Howl, Frankie hosts two additional open mic events. You can catch her Tuesdays at Point Ybel Brewing Company in Fort Myers, from 7:3010:30pm, and Wednesday nights at Whiskey Park in Naples, from 8-11pm. Frankie says each location is very unique, bringing in different age groups and styles of music. For each event she likes to feature one band, comic or artist. She says it gives the artist the opportunity to shine. Rather than just going to an open mic and playing a couple of songs, the featured musician gets to open and play for up to 30 minutes.

In addition to being an accomplished musician and MC, Frankie also makes clothing and crafts dream catchers, posting them for sale on her Facebook page. She recently got married to her husband Colin O’Brien in a dress she made herself. Her natural talent in creating bridal design may stem from her love of assembling tutus. She says that she is working on putting together an inventory of crafts and clothing, hoping to sell them once she is ready.

Born and raised in Naples, I imagined Frankie had come from an upbringing most likely loaded with musical influences. It turns out it wasn't as encouraged as you would think. “No. I grew up in a household where it was like ‘Shut up!’ I had six brothers and sisters. I come from a big family.”

Frankie didn't actually start playing until she was 12, but fell in love fast. Her first guitar was a Yamaha, one her mother dabbled on in the 1960s, but the action (the distance between the strings and neck of the guitar) was high, making it hard to learn and play on. “My fingers felt like they were literally going to fall off. My sister actually got an electric guitar first. I used to steal it from her room and hide it in my closet — like she wasn't going to find it. She would always find it and kick my butt.” Eventually her grandfather suggested they buy her a guitar of her own. Although at the time she wasn't aware, she ended up with a Kurt Cobain Jaguar by Fender. Who knew Kurt

Cobain would become one of Frankie’s major influences musically later in life?

Guitar is Frankie’s primary instrument, but she enjoys singing and playing the mandolin, keyboards, and other instruments, often performing in a number of different genres. “Transmutation, my EP, is very alternative,” she says. The music was written during a very dark part of her life. She adds, “It was cool to get on an electric again, but honestly, I love playing bluegrass or folk. I love singer-songwriter, acoustic style, coffee house kind of music and blues. I like it all. I think as an artist you shouldn't limit yourself. You gotta test the waters. I wouldn't like to do one specific thing. I kind of want to switch it up. Actually, I’m going to be working on some EDM.”

Frankie produced the five song (with bonus instrumental) EP CD, Transmutation . The project was recorded in Cape Coral at Kirkbride Recordings with Chris Whited as engineer. Frankie says you can really hear her 90s alternative and grunge influences in the music. The recording also showcases her electric guitar skills while playing with a full band. Musicians in on the project include Frankie’s

new husband, bassist and singer Colin OBrien, and drummer Louie Calavera.

Transmutation took about six months to record. Frankie says she felt comfortable with Chris Whited recording. “I had gone into the studio very self-conscious about singing. A lot of musicians struggle with that, but it was nice to work with someone I felt understood me and could get the sound that I wanted. It was pretty cool how the emotion was captured.” She continues, “Now that I’ve got a band again, I’m kind of going back to my roots. I think that’s what’s cool about playing with the band — people get to see the harder side of my music. Plus I get to play electric.”

Rack’em, on 47th Terrace in Cape Coral, hosted the CD release of Transmutation. “We played with bands like F and Bloodwise,” she says. “It was pretty epic! It was the first time I had played with a full band in almost a year.” Aside from the current group of musicians Frankie works with on the CD, she can often be found performing solo or with a local duo/trio The Sweet Tease.

All musicians have their methods of coming up with lyrics. I asked Frankie what hers was. “I was actually talking to someone about this the other day,’ she explains. “When I used to write, I would write a song in about fifteen minutes or less, but now that I’m older I approach it as quickly as I can. I’ll write a guitar part or something first, get the emotion, then go from there, and write my lyrics. Music for me, is such an outlet. In the past, I would repress a lot if something was bothering me or something upset me.”

I asked Frankie if she had any important lessons she might be willing to share concerning working in a career in music. She laughed and urged new musicians to remember to take extra strings with them to gigs, sighting her earlier days playing bluegrass and breaking them herself. She also warns that if you are thinking of playing outside, remember to bring a tent. Wise words.

So, you would think like many young artists, her goal is to become famous. Right? I asked Frankie if she felt like that might be a possibility for her? “If it happens, great! If it doesn’t, its OK,’ she answers. “I think growing up and through my early 20s that’s what I wanted, but now I get to play music and be around people I love. I feel like I have already made it. You don't have to make thousands of dollars. I live in a cool house, with my dogs and my fenced-in yard, my husband and my kiddo. I'm just happy. I think that’s the goal, to just be happy.”

•

You can find Frankie Colt’s latest CD, Transmutation online at CDBaby.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

“Now that I’ve got a band again, I’m kind of going back to my roots. I think that’s what’s cool about playing with the band — people get to see the harder side of my music.”

PoetryandProblemSolving

by Paula Michele Bolado

ON A TUESDAY AFTERNOON,in the persistent flickers of sunlight volleying off the sabal palm trees surrounding his Santiva home, Erik Entwistle sits down at his walnut Steinway and plays his newest compositions. His fingers tap along the keys like a lyrical dancer stretching, and bounding onto stage. The music itself becomes a poem, a painting, an impression of something words cannot quite evoke; as if one could truly describe Degas’ blue ballerinas or understand why Monet’s layers of colors are laced with brush bristles—intentional, frantic, impres-

sionistic? Maybe what is seen and heard are just solutions to problems the artist has to solve. As spectators and listeners we get their answers. Degas said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

For Entwistle, “You are the creator, you are in charge of something, and composing music is about problem solving.” The answer to the problem becomes what we hear, which moves us into an experience. For example, in one of his newest compositions, ‘Elegy,’ in memory of his mother, he starts

“Sanibel has so many beautiful aspects: the beach, the preserve, the dolphins, the stars. Those things inspired me to start writing this suite.”

playing somberly, but finishes the piece luminously and lightheartedly, as her memory is a celebration and not a lamentation. He also can take the listener to a place of activism for the brilliance of wildlife and the need for conservation through his ‘Sanibel Suite,’ which recently premiered at BIG ARTS’ Schein Hall on Sanibel Island.

As he plays ‘Elegy,’ we recognize the introduction’s opening into C Major before it transitions into C Minor. The song listens like a waltz taking place gracefully across the floor in circling and sweeping movements. Then the scene changes to evoke a montage of images from one’s life: from playing in the park with children to bedtime prayers with grandchildren as the music gently comes to a close. This is what Entwistle has me hear: an elegy of love for one whose song still lives on, a reminder of Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 18,’ but to a mother’s legacy.

Music is poetry and one cannot just look at the poem to know how it should sound, as poetry is meant to be read aloud. Like with poetry, Entwistle says that knowing the title and the background story helps influence how you hear and play it. He points out, “Debussy puts titles at the end of his preludes and you don’t really know what they are about until you look at the title. It’s a truism that if you have a title it’s going to influence what you are going to hear. So if I said ‘Elegy’ you’re going to be prepared to listen to something sad.”

Moving through grief seems to be integral to his composing process. Shortly after his mother passed away, he lost his younger brother. Thus, the piece, ‘Elegy’ has another layer woven into the sound; it is not a sad harmony, but is further enrichened with depth and meaning.

Entwistle makes a choice to play songs that are positive and pleasing to the ear, tonal and consonant. He says, “I like a lot of music that uplifts people that doesn’t have a negative reflection of ugliness. There’s plenty of art and music where there’s a place for that [atonal, anxious, and dissonant] but it’s not what I feel like I want to write.”

As he prepares for the next piece, his Shiba Inu sneaks in to take a nap next to the piano, soaking in the warm sunshine from the window. Before he plays, ‘Her Most Beautiful Smile,’ by Japanese composer Taro Iwashiro, he tells me this impressionistic piece inspired him to get back into composing. As he plays, I envi-

sion the expansion of spring and flowers budding brilliantly in the sun and closing in the night. Perhaps it is the rustling of the palms outside, or the April air, but the love of people and of nature can be felt in his work as I listen to him play. He says, “What you can’t express with words, you can express musically. It’s also about sharing love.”

Discovering how to get there as a composer is the main part of the journey. “Sometimes the material will take you places you didn’t know you would go, which is interesting, or you would find something unusual in what you are composing that you weren’t expecting because you are problem solving. Sometimes a solution comes up that’s different than you’d thought you’d find.” If he hits a bump, like with the piano solo he’s working on, he works through it and allows the unpacking of a problem to happen naturally.

Throughout the years, Entwistle has learned that composing music is all about problem solving. Starting late at age fifteen, Entwistle found that he had a lot to catch up on, so he felt at Dartmouth College he could explore music and found that the impressionistic styles of Debussy and Stravinsky were inspiring to his composing process. He explains, “It was the most challenging thing for me and it was the thing that was the most difficult. Composing didn’t come easy or naturally for me so I had to work really hard at it. With composition I had a lot to learn. I still feel the same about it because the more you do the better you get at it.”

Despite his incredible talents, he hasn’t been really ambitious with his compositions in the past. He has a degree in music from Dartmouth and a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and he was an instructor at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, a conservatory in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but his degrees do not hang in his studio like tactical validations of pedigree. Instead, his numerous publications on music, from magazines to critical essays (he’s a published scholar on Czech composers such as Dussek, Martinu and

Kapralova), rustled pages of sheet music, books, pets, and technology used for modern music programs, distinguishes his presence as a teacher and composer.

And he’s an islander now. He left the demands of his job up North which has allowed him to open up the emotional space needed to compose. He says, “There’s an enormous amount of time required to write out your scores and figure out your pieces and I didn’t have that… and Sanibel has so many beautiful aspects: the beach, the preserve, the dolphins, and the stars here are so brilliant because there isn’t any light pollution. Those things inspired me to start writing this suite, which started with one movement and then one led to another. Suddenly, I had four movements that all worked together.” The pieces include ‘Deserted Beach,’ ‘Cycling through the Refuge,’ ‘Under the Stars,’ and ‘Dolphins in the Wake’.”

Entwistle moved here with his family in 2014 and his name already creates a buzz among musicians in the area, as well as with people referring him as a piano teacher. He always encourages his students to compose. According to Entwistle, “These students are coming up with beautiful pieces. You can be creative at every level and the self-conscious aspect where you judge yourself you need to set aside. It can be completely individualized. Students can be proud of what they composed. It teaches them about notation, history, musical styles, analysis, and lot about what makes music work.” He has an easy teaching style and laid back attitude reflective of island life.

As the sunlight flickers into the studio, cascading deeper hues of yellows and golds upon his Steinway, and his dog stretches in the glow, Entwistle ends the interview with his newest piece, which has reverent tones of modern Japanese influences.

The Sanibel Trio, with Erik Entwistle at piano, Espen Lilleslatten on viola, and Renata Arado on violin, will perform May 22 at Shell Point in Fort Myers, as part of their Concert & Conversations Series. This is their premiere concert as a Trio. They are playing selections by Mozart, Bach, Dvorak, and ‘Sanibel Suite,’ the trio version for violin, viola and piano. The concert is at 7pm in the Grand Cypress Room at The Woodlands, followed by a reception. •

For information about the concert, call 4542067. For more information about Erik Enstwistle, visit erikentwistle.com.

“Sometimes the material will take you places you didn’t know you would go. Sometimes a solution comes up that’s different than you thought you would find.”

Palm is Southwest Florida’s premier dinner theatre. The theatre’s season features the best of Broadway, for all ages, combining your favorite shows of the past along with the most recent musical hit sensations. Broadway Palm features a delicious buffet, nationally selected performers, dazzling sets and costumes and a live orchestra.

9 AM -5 PM

1345 5th Ave. S. NA PLES

239-775-1000 hy atthousenaples.com

L UNCH : D AILY 11 AM -4 PM H APPY H OUR : D AILY 4-7 PM

INNER : D AILY : 5-10 PM

Whether it's a low-key evening or a prelude to the night out, you'll enjoy the new menu filled with delicious home-cooked comforts, including gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, delicious entrees and sandwiches and a variety of mouthwat ering Snacks + Sharables. Also enjoy any of the sip-worthy cocktails, plus premium beers and wines, not to mention their signature ‘Smoke on the Water’ cocktail, all served in a nautical and B ritish West Indies-inspired décor. Enjoy the comfort and atmosphere inside or out. We d: Prime Rib Night. Happy Hour Daily Specials 4-7pm: food & drink specials st arting at $5.

The Restaurant at Shangri-La Springs

27 75 0 Old 41 Rd. B ONITA SPRINGS

239-949-0749 s hangrilasprings.com

L UNCH : M ON -S AT 11 AM -2:30 PM D INNER : T HU , F RI & 2 ND W ED 5-8 PM Nes tled among lush botanical gardens, the legendary resort offers a beautiful, lightfilled all organic restaurant. Dec adent ingredients are from the property’s organic gardens. Dine indoors surrounded with local fine art or select our patio seating, c anopied by the historic Mysore fig tree. Enjoy the ultimate in garden fresh options with a glass of our organic wine.

F ogg Café is about unique and creative food using local, sustainable and seasonal products including items from the Botanical Garden itself. Menus are changed seasonally, focusing on high q uality. In addition to incorporating an exciting garden-to-table inspired menu, Fogg Café offers some of the most beautiful dining views in the area.

Laugh In Comedy Cafe 8595 College Pkwy. • # 270

FORT MYERS 239-479-5233

laughincomedycafe.com

SHOWS :T HU 7 :30 PM ,F RI &S AT 7 :30&9:30 PM

Laugh In Comedy Café: "Where the Laughter Never Stops." Nothing compliments great entertainment better than great food! Laugh In's menu has everything from clams, mussels, crab cakes, and cod to the house favorite chicken parmesan and Shrimp Orleans. 10 oz. NY strip steak with fresh vegetables and potato of the day! For the late night crowd, four cheese fried rigatoni, pulled pork nachos, hot wings, hot apple pie, citrus base sunshine cake!

The Veranda rest aurant

2122 Second St. (at Broadway)

FORT MYERS 3 32-2065 ver andarestaurant.com

UNCH : M ON -F RI 11 AM -2 PM

L

D INNER : M ON -S AT 5:30-9 PM

The Veranda's romantic setting in two turn-of-the-century homes, combined with our Southern Regional Cuisine, an ext ensive wine list, and first class service staff will provide you with the most unique dining experience in Southwest Florida. Celebrating excellence since 1978 and consistently honored as one of the most award-winning re st aurants in Fort Myers.

PastTimesoftheNationalPastime

by Andrew Elias

Lefty O’Doul

Baseball’s Forgotten Ambassador

by Dennis Snelling (UNIVERSITYOF NEBRASKA PRESS)

The untold and incredible true story about the man many believe to be the most important figure not enshrined in Cooperstown. O’Doul debuted in 1919 with the Yankees as a pitcher, but an injury forced him to convert into an outfielder. He became one of the greatest hitters in baseball history before becoming the winningest manager in the Pacific Coast League, where he helped develop Joe Dimaggio while with the San Francisco Seals. Yet the most fascinating story in O’Doul’s life is that he is credited with bringing baseball to Japan, forever changing both Japan and baseball forever.

An excellent portrait of a thoughtful and generous man with a scientific approach to hitting and an unbridled passion for the game; an athlete, a pioneer, a diplomat, a teacher —and one of baseball’s forgotten greats.

Baseball Meat Market

The Stories Behind the Best and Worst Trades in History

by Shawn Krest (PAGE STREET PUBLISHING)

An informative and entertaining survey of deals that helped build dynasties and deals that cost General Managers their jobs, trades beneficial for both team and catastrophic for everyone. The author presents the issues and players involved in these trades, details about the negotiations, results, and afterthoughts by those involved.

From the Florida Marlins’ ‘fire sales’ after winning the World Series in 1997 & 2003, disappointing stunned fans twice, to Whitey Herzog’s four transactions involving 23 players, these are behind-the-scenes stories of the people behind the trades, offering insights into the art and the science of the deals.

Though not really the best or worst in all of baseball history —the earliest trade in the book was in 1969 — the book is recommended for baseball aficionados who revel in statistics and second guessing.

One Nation Under Baseball

How the 1960s Collided with the National Pastime

by John Florio & Ouisie Shapiro

(UNIVERSITYOF NEBRASKA FREE PRESS)

A clear-eyed account of how the turbulent 1960s changed baseball, on and off the field, and its changing

place in the media and American life. The same themes and issues percolating in society at large were incubating inside the baseball world: civil rights, workers’ rights, urbanization, branding. Among the stories here are the shocking holdout by Dodger pitching stars Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, Curt Flood’s fight for free agency and his economic freedom, the amazing ‘Year of the Pitcher’ in 1968, and the Amazing Mets’ 1969 surprise championship.

A sober look at the wild events and outsized personalities that shaped baseball in America during a decade of big changes.

50 Moments That Defined Major League Baseball

by Rocco Constantino (ROMAN & LITTLEFIELD)

Instead of rehashing the best known events or mythological moments from baseball’s longand illustrious history, the author chooses events often underappreciated at the time and now mostly forgotten, even by many hardcore fans. He retells some of baseball’s most important and significant moments, often from the perspectives of the players, coaches, managers, and umpires who lived them.

We learn about the story behind Hank Aaron’s first home run and not his record-breaker, and instead of Babe Ruth’s 60th home run in 1927, the author recalls the Bambino’s 50th home run in 1921, in his first year with the Yankees, and the end of the ‘dead ball’ era. He treats us to fresh looks at some of the most famous moments in baseball, like the first AllStar game ever and Jackie Robinson’s first All-Star game. There are tragic stories, like the deadly beaning of Ray Chapman and the career-ending beaning ofTony Conigliaro, and stories about some of the wildest characters in the game, like Bob Uecker and Mark ‘The Bird’ Fidrych.

An excellent collection of short, interesting stories and anecdotes, often told in a new light and always entertaining. Recommended easy summer reading for baseball fans. •

‘One Nation Under Baseball’ examines theturbulent decade that brought big changes to baseball, on and off the field.

‘Lefty O’Doul‘ is a biography of the Father of Japanese Baseball.

Sounds of Spring

by Andrew Elias

Preservation Hall Jazz Band So It Is

(SONY LEGACY)

Possibly the greatest of all New Orleans’ jazz bands, this might be their greatest album of all. A combustible gumbo of Crescent City funk spiced up with Cuban rhythms.

The title track opens the record with a smooth, jazzy shuffle, before exploding into the frenzied pace of ‘Santiago,’ which like ‘La Malanga,’ showcase Cuba’s inspiration the most. Even with a horn section that cooks red hot, it’s the pianist, Kyle Roussel, who stand out among all these fantastic musicians.

The band has been expanding its repertoire in recent years and their exploration of Cuban music has re-invigorated their sound, infusing their more traditional New Orleansstyle jazz with newfound vigor. To put it simply: a great jazz record that is nothing but a party from beginning to end.

The Soul of John Black Early in the Moanin’

(CADABRA RECORDS)

With equal parts Chicago, Memphis and Delta blues, the man known as The Soul of John Black (John Bigham is his real name) has released the album his career was always leading him to. After years with the band Fishbone and working with several producers on previous solo records, Bigham produced this record himself. And the result is as impressive a blues record as any in recent years.

Imagine a mix of Bill Withers’ rich vocals and Gary Clark, Jr.’s raunchy guitar, a mix of John Lee Hooker and Dr. Dre, and you’ll have some idea of what The Soul of John Black is all about — but not quite, because although he sounds familiar, he is an original.

Standouts are the title track and ‘Cher,’ on which you might think you were listening to Bill Withers himself (it’s that good!), as well as the swampy blues of ‘Crooked Leg.’ There isn’t a blues fan who won’t love this record.

Chano Dominguez Over the Rainbow (SUNNYSIDE)

One of the greatest pianists alive, Dominguez has released a remarkable recording of a 2012 solo performance

An endlessly inventive and often provocative player, his music is infused with the many and varied Spanish musical traditions. Throughout this 74 minutes you are constantly aware of his mastery of the instrument and repeatedly reminded of his sophisticated eloquence and the poetry in his fingers.

A pristine live recording, you will be hard-pressed to find a more gorgeous 74 minutes of piano playing, not the least of which is Chano’s breathtakingly beautiful version of ‘Over the Rainbow.’

Imelda May Life Love Flash Blood (VERVE)

May burst onto the scene with a kick-ass rockabilly band, a nouveau-retro look and a bunch of ballsy bluesy songs. But after a few albums and guest spots singing with Jeff Beck, it was clear that her shtick would limit her creativity. Along comes producer extraordinaire, T Bone Burnett to guide her back to her music roots and a newfound depth to her songwriting. Songs like ‘Call Me’ and ‘The Girl I Used to Be’ show off a far more vulnerable side than evident on her previous records, but songs like ‘Black Tears’ and ‘When It’s My Time’ showcase that same sassy, sexy voice.

Old fans will not be disappointed —songs like ‘Bad Habit’ wouldn’t be out of place on her previous records —and she should gain a whole lot of new admirers.

Southern Avenue (STAX)

Named for the street in Memphis where the original Stax Records had it’s home, this young band is making that city proud, continuing the soulful R &B and bluesy gospel traditions that produced so much great music and so many big stars.

Burnett produced Imelda May’s excellent new album.

T Bone

The Soul of John Black sounds like a cross between Bill Withers and GaryClarkJr.

Singer Tierinii Jackson’s voice is sweet and strong, able to break hearts (‘It’s Gonna be Alright’ and ‘Love Me Right’) and kick asses (‘80 Miles to Memphis’ and ‘No Time to Lose’). Add her sister Tikyra on drums and the searing guitar of Israeli blues man Ori Naftaly and you have a first-rate band ready to party.

The hit here, among quite a few standouts, is ‘Slipped Tripped and Fell in Love,’

a throwback to the Stax and Motown classics of the 1960s &1970s.

Nina Massara Watch Me (CSPRECORDS)

Bold and brassy, Nina Massara belts out the blues with a decidedly New Orleans funk, and while comparisons to Bonnie Raitt are inevitable, Massara is very much her own woman. With a kittenish Eartha

Kitt-ish voice and a collection of seductive shuffles and bumping blues, and songs with titles like ‘You Ain’t Up to It,’ Impossible to Resist’ and ‘Full Grown Woman,’ she delivers, with the aid of a hot band and cool horn section, a playful, rockin,’ rhythm & blues record.

For fans of Raitt, Little Feat, John Hiatt, Sheryl Crow, Sharon Jones, and Beth Hart. •

EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS

May 1

MONDAY

•Fort Myers Miracle vs Daytona Tortugas: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 800-338-9467.

•Mozart Violin Concerto #3 & Symphony #25: Violinist Lara St. John & the 5th Ave Chamber Orchestra. Stay in May Festival. First Methodist Church, 388 1st Ave S, Naples. 8p. 3902788.

2

TUESDAY

•Art Reception: Harbour View Gallery, 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. 6-8p.Free. 5405789.

•Fort Myers Miracle vs Daytona Tortugas: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 800-338-9467.

•Fusion of Enchantment: Violinist Lara St. John & pianist Matt Herskowitz. Stay in May Festival. Naples Art Assoc, 585 Park St, Naples. 2p. 3902788.

3

WEDNESDAY

•Fort Myers Miracle vs Daytona Tortugas: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 800-338-9467.

•Ikebana Meeting & Workshop: Naples Botanical Garden, FGCU Research Center, Bueller Aud, 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. 9:30a. Free. 2549999.

•Short Film Fest: Film screenings. Stay in May Festival. Sheffield Theatre, Moorings Park, 120 Morrings Park Dr, Naples. 7p. 390-2788.

•The World Series of Comedy Contest: 8 comics compete. Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Two Monumental Sonatas: Pianist Ilya Itin. Stay in May Festival. Naples Art Assoc, 585 Park St, Naples. 2p. 390-2788.

•Art Reception: BIG ARTS Center, 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. 5:30-7p. Free. 395-0900. 4 THURSDAY

•Art Reception: ACSWF Coop Gallery, Coconut Mall, 8074 Mediterranean Dr,

Church, 1225 Piper Blvd, Naples. 390-2788.

5 FRIDAY

•Art Reception: Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 939-2787.

•Art Reception: Art League of Fort Myers, 1451 Monroe St, Ft Myers. 6-8p. Free. 275-3970.

•Art Reception: Arts for ACT Gallery, 2265 1st St, Ft Myers. 6-10p. Free. 3375050.

•Art Reception: Cape Coral Arts Studio, Rubicond Park, 4533 Coronado Pkwy, Cape Coral. 10a-4p. Free.574-0802.

•Art Reception: Center for the Arts Bonita Springs, 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs.6-8p. Free. 4958989.

•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at severalgalleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 610p.Free. 337-5050.

•Body & Sold: Laboratory Theater of Florida,1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 218-0481.

•Brian T Shirley, Jamie Utley: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

FtMyers, 4-6p. Free. 9493073.

•Art Reception: Wine & cheese. Cape Coral Art League, 516 Cultural Blvd, Cape Coral.5-7p. Free. 772-5657.

•Brian T Shirley, Jamie Utley: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Community Kirtan Jam: Music, singing. Kids welcome.Happahatchee Center, 8791 Corkscrew Rd, Estero.6p. 992-5455.

•Fort Myers Miracle vs Daytona Tortugas: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 800338-9467.

•Naples Philharmonic: Abbado Conducts Beethoven.Artis–Naples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Prelude 7p, concert 8p. 597-1900.

•Organ Crawl Across Naples: Concerts at 5 churches 12:30-7p. Stay in May Festival. Bower Chapel, Moorings Park, 120 Moorings Park Dr, Naples. Trinity by the Cove Episcopal Church, 553 Galleon Dr, Naples. First Presbyterian Church, 250 6th St S, Naples. Moorings Presbyterian Church, 791 Harbour Dr, Naples. Vanberbilt Presbyterian

Utley: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Florida Tarpons vs Richmond Rough Riders: Arena Football. Germain Arena, 11000 Everblades Pkwy, Estero. 7:30p. 494-4452.

•Gallery Walk & Talk: w artists. Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 10a. Free. 939-2787.

•Improv Café - Youth Improv: Comedy. Center for the Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 3p. 495-8989.

•Improv Tonight: Comedy. Center for the Arts Bonita Springs, 10150 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 8p. 495-8989.

•Naples Philharmonic: Abbado Conducts Beethoven.Artis–Naples, 5833Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. Prelude 7p, concert 8p. 597-1900.

•Tommy Lee Cook, T Bone Funk, Larry Bell & Friends: Live music. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-6p. Free. 693-7111.

•World Labyrinth Day Labyrinth Walk: Happahatchee Center, 8791 Corkscrew Rd, Estero. 1p. 992-5455.

•Friday Night Concert: Cinco de Mayo Celebration. Miromar Outets, 10801 Corkscrew Rd / Miromar Outlets Blvd, Estero.6-9p. Free. 948-3766.

•Rockin’ the Library: Big band music. Stay in May Festival. South Regional Collier Library, 8065 Lely Cultural Pkwy, Naples. 6p. 390-2788.

•Roots & Boots – Aaron Tippin: Concert. The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon, 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 9p. 9859839.

6 SATURDAY

•Art Walk: Receptions, exhibits, demos, live music at severalgalleries & studios in downtown Ft Myers’ historic River District. 11a-4p.Free. 3375050.

•Auditions: Show Aug 4-26. Laboratory Theater of Florida,1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 3-5p. 2180481.

•Backyard Bluesfest: Mac Arnold Tommy Lee Cook & The Heathens w Panache. Buckingham Blues Bar, 5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-11p. 693-7111.

•Body & Sold: Laboratory Theater of Florida,1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 8p. 218-0481.

•Brian T Shirley, Jamie

7 SUNDAY

•Body & Sold: Laboratory Theater of Florida,1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 2p. 218-0481.

•Left Bank ArtFest: Outdoor art fair. The Esplanade, 740 N Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 10a-4p. Free. 3890280.

•Short Film Fest: Film screenings. Stay in May Festival. Sheffield Theatre, Moorings Park, 120 Morrings Park Dr, Naples. 7p. 390-2788.

8

MONDAY

•Dancing with the Stars: Music & dance show w Susan Clayton. Stay in May Festival. JFCS Community rm, 5025 Castello Dr, Naples. 7p. 390-2788.

•Fort Myers Miracle vs Palm Beach Cardinals: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 800-338-9467.

•Gregory Kunde & Ramon Tebar: Opera Naples concert. Wang Opera Center,2408 Linwood Ave, Naples. 8p. 963-9050.

9

TUESDAY

•Arturo Sandoval: Latin

Comedian Greg Hahn performs at the Laugh In Comedy Cafe in Fort Myers, June 1-3. For information, call 479-5233.

5641 Buckingham Rd, Ft Myers. 2-6p. Free. 6937111.

27

TUESDAY

•Fort Myers Miracle vs Clearwater Threshers: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 800-338-9467.

28

WEDNESDAY

•Fort Myers Miracle vs Clearwater Threshers: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 800-338-9467.

29

THURSDAY

•Cal Verduchi: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30p. 479-5233.

•Fort Myers Miracle vs Clearwater Threshers: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 800-338-9467.

30

FRIDAY

•Cal Verduchi: Laugh In Comedy Cafe, 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Fort Myers Miracle vs St Lucie Mets: Hammond Stadium, 14400 Six MileCypress Pkwy, Ft Myers. 7p. 800-338-9467.

ongoing theater

•55 and Over: May 26-28. Laboratory Theater of Florida,1634Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 218-0481.

•A Year of Frog & Toad: thru May 12.

Broadway Palm Children’s Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Body & Sold: May 5-7. Laboratory Theater of Florida,1634Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 218-0481.

•Clue - the Musical: May 18-Jun 24. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Don’t Dress for Dinner: May 12-21. Cultural Park Theater 528 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. 772-5862.

•Doublewide: thru May 14.

World Premiere. Florida. Repertory Theatre,2267

1st St, Ft Myers. ArtStage Studio Theatre. 332-4488.

•Fences: May 4-21. Venice Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•Heaven Help Me: thru May 7. Marco Players.

Marco Players Theater, Marco Town Center Mall, 1089 N. Collier Blvd, Marco Island. 642-7270.

•I Hate Hamlet: thru May 14. The Naples Players. Blackburn Hall, Sugden Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.

•It’s My Funeral: May 3-Sep

3: Sun, Wed, Thu. Seminole Gulf Railway Murder Mystery Dinner Train,2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•Jesus Christ Superstar: thru May 14. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Legs Diamond: thru May 7. TheatreZone, G & L Theatre, Community School of Naples, 13275 Livingston Rd, Naples. 888-966-3352.

•Mary Poppins: Jun 29-Aug

12. Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Noli Timere (Don’t Be Afraid): May 5-20. New Play Contest Winner. Theatre Conspiracy. Foulds Theatre, Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 936-3239.

•Once on This island - a Musical: May 16-21. Venice Theatre, 140 W. Tampa Ave, Venice. 941-488-1115.

•Rapunzel: Jun 2-23. Broadway Palm Children’s Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Right Bed, Wrong Husband: Jun 15-Jul 29. Off Broadway Palm Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Sister Act: Jun 29-Jul 30

The Naples Players. Blackburn Hall, Sugden Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.

•Stage II Improv: May 19Jun 17. The Naples Players. Tobye Studio, Sugden Theater, 701 5th Ave S, Naples. 263-7990.

•The Christians: thru May 21. Gulfshore Playhouse, Norris Center, 755 5th Ave S, Naples. 866-811-4111.

•Three Strikes You’re Dead: thru Jul 1: Fri & Sat.Seminole Gulf Railway Murder Mystery Dinner Train,2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

THEATERS

•BIG ARTS Strauss Theater: 2200 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel. 395-0900.

•Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre: thru May 14: Jesus Christ Superstar;

May 18-Jun 24: Clue - the Musical;Jun 29-Aug 12: Mary Poppins. 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers.278-4422.

•Broadway Palm Children’s Theatre: thru May 12:A Year of Frog & Toad; Jun 2-23:Rapunzel.1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•FGCU TheatreLab: FGCU Arts Complex, 10501 FGCU Blvd S, Ft Myers. 590-7268.

•Florida Repertory Theatre: Arcade Theatre — thru May 14: Doublewide. 2267 1st St, Ft Myers. 332-4488.

•Laboratory Theater of Florida: 1634 Woodford Ave, Ft Myers. 218-0481.

•Off Broadway Palm Theatre: Jun 15-Jul 29: Right Bed, Wrong Husband. 1380 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 278-4422.

•Theatre Conspiracy: May 5-20: Noli Timere (Don’t Be Afraid). Foulds Theatre, Alliance for the Arts, 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. 936-3239.

•TheatreZone: thru May 7: Legs Diamond.G & L Theatre, Community School of Naples, 13275 Livingston Rd, Naples. 888-966-3352.

•Venice Theatre: May 4-21: Fences. May 16-21: Once on This Island; 140 W. Tampa Ave, Venice. 941488-1115.

art galleries

•Alliance for the Arts: 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. May 5-26: Pushing Boundaries - Art Quilters Unlimited, Nancy Goodenow, Richard Stanton; Jun 2-30: All Florida, Alliance Youth Programs. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 9a-1p. Free. 9392787.

•Another Time: 1414 Dean St, Ft Myers. Daily 11a-6p; Fri & Sat 11a-8p. Free. 672-4607.

•Arsenault Studio & Banyan Arts Gallery: 1199 3rd St, Naples. Mon-Wed 10a-5p, Thu-Sat 10a-7p, Sun 1-5p. Free. 263-1214.

•Art Bar: 1416 Dean St, Ft Myers. Free. 292-8072.

•Art Council of Southwest Florida Co-Op Gallery: Coconut Point Mall, 8074 Mediterranean Dr, Estero. Thu & Sat 10a-6p, Fri 11a7p, Sun 12-5p. Free. 2673049.

•Art League of Fort Myers: 1451 Monroe St, Ft Myers. May 5-26: Blooming Art; Jun 2-30: Jumping Into June. Free open painting Wed 9:30-12p. Tue-Sat 11a3p & 6-9p 1st Fri of month. Free. 275-3970.

•Arts For ACT Gallery: 2265 First St, Ft Myers. May 5-29: Pat Cleveland Retrospective, Annette Brown. Jun 2- Jul 3: Tom Breckinridge, DAAS Co-op Group show. Mon-Sat 11a4:30p, 1st & 3rd Fri 11a10p. Call for Sat hrs. Free. 337-5050.

•Baker Museum: ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. thru Jul 23: Olga Hirshhorn Collections. thru May 3: Robert Indiana - Now & Then; thru Jul 23: Dawn’s Forest - sculptures of Louise Nevelson; thru Jul 23: Inside the Outside; Opens May: The Pursuit of Abstraction; May- : Student Exhibition; . TueSat 10a-4p & Sun 12-4p. 597-1900.

•Bert’s Pine Bay Gallery: 4332 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Sun & Mon 10a5p, Tue-Sat 10a-7p. Free. 283-1335.

•BIG ARTS: 900 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. May 3-31: Art by the DisABLEd, Open Doors. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 395-0900. Mon-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 395-0900.

•Bob Rauschenberg Gallery: Florida SouthWestern State College, 8099 College Pkwy SW, Ft Myers. thru Jun 3: James Franco & Kalup LinzyCollaborations. Mon-Fri 10a-4p & Sat 11a-3p. Free. 489-9313.

•Cape Coral Art League: 516 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. thru May 2: Media Mix; May 4-Jun 5: Fish & Ships. Meetings 1st Mon 9am. Open painting Wed 1-4p. MonThu 11a-4p Sep-May. Free. 772-5657.

•Cape Coral Arts Studio:

4533 Coronado Pkwy in Rubicond Park, Cape Coral. May 5-25: May’s Bouquets. Mon-Fri 9a4:30p. Free. 574-0802.

•Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs: 26100 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Thru Jun 24: The Art of Alvarez, LePree, Spartin & Vita; May 5-12: High School Showcase; May 1519: Elementary/Middle School Exhibit. Mon-Fri

10a-4p & Sat 1-5p. Free. 495-8989.

•Clark Art Studio: Mercato, 9155 Strada Place, #5155, Naples. Mon-Sat 11a-9p & Sun 1-9p. Free. 616-2601533.

•Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery: 52388 Tamiami Tr, Ochopee. Daily 10a-5p. Free. 6952428.

•Clyde Butcher’s Venice Gallery & Studio: 237 Warfield Ave, Venice. TueFri 10a-4:30p. Free. 4860811.

•DAAS Co-op Art Gallery: Royal Palm Square, 1400 Colonial Blvd, # 84, Ft Myers. May 13-Jun 3: Dharma Lefevre; Jun: Jeff Abbott. Tue-Sat 10a-6p. Free. 590-8645.

•East West Fine Art: Bigham Galleria, 2425 Tamiami Tr N, #102, Naples. Mon-Fri 11a-4p & Sat 11a-2p.Free. 8219459.

•East West Fine Art: Mercato, 9115 Strada Pl, #5130, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-9p & Sun 12-6p. Free. 220-7503.

•Emily James Gallery: 720 5th Ave S, # 111, Naples. Tue-Sat 12-8p & Sun 125p. Free. 777-3283

•Englewood Art Center: Ringling College of Art &

Design, 350 S. McCall Rd, Englewood.thru May 4: Youth Art; thru May 5: EAC Students. Tue 9a-9p & Wed-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 941-474-5548.

•Florida Gulf Coast University Art Galleries: 10501 FGCU Blvd S., Ft Myers. Main Gallery —thru May 5: Senior Projects. Main Gallery in Arts Complex, ArtLab in Library. Mon-Fri, 10a-4p & Thu 10a-7p. Free. 5907199.

•Fort Myers Beach Art Association: 3030 Shell Mound, Ft Myers Beach. Thru Oct 5: Summer show. Wed & Thu 9a-12p. Free. 463-3909.

•Francoise-Marie Thein Studio/Gallery: 5760 Shirley St, Naples. 4054522.

•Gardner Colby Gallery: 386 & 365 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a-5p. Free. 403-7787.

•Guardians of The Everglades: 1719 Trade Center Way, # 3, Naples. Wed 2-7 & by appt. 4052010.

•Guess-Fisher Gallery: 1187 8th St S, Naples. Mon-Thu 12-5p, Fr & Sat 12-9p, Sun 1-5p. Free. 263-3417.

•Harbour View Gallery: 5789 Cape Harbour Dr, #104, Cape Coral. May: Shawn Gretz , Pam Pearson. Jun: Mimi Stim. Daily 11a-8p, closed Mon Jun-Sep. Free. 540-5789.

•Harmon-Meek Gallery: 599 9th St N, #309, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a-5p Nov-Apr. Free. 261-2637.

•Harmon-Meek Modern: 382 12th Ave S, Naples. Tue-Sat 12-5p Nov-Jul. Free. 261-2637.

•Howl Gallery/Tattoo: 4160

Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Fort Myers presents ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ thu May 14. For information, call 278-4422.

what Goes on

Cleveland Ave, Ft. Myers. Mon-Thu 11a-8p, Fri & Sat 12-10p,1st Sat of month 711p. Free. 332-0161.

•HW Gallery: 1305 Third St S, Naples. Daily 10a-5p. Free. 263-6640.

•Iona Art Gallery: 16681 McGregor Blvd, #301, Ft Myers. Tue-Sat 10a-4p. Free. 246-5826.

•Island Conclave: 5101 Pine Island Rd, Bokeelia. TueSat 11a-5p. Free. 282-8488.

•Island Visions: 4643 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Daily 10a-5p. Free. 282-0452.

•Jo-Ann Sanborn Sunshine Studios of Marco Island: The Esplanade, 760 N Collier Blvd, #102, Marco Island. Wed-Fri 10am-5pm & & Sat 10a2p. Free. 404-9179

•John Ebling Veteran Art Gallery: American Legion Post #38, 1837 Jackson St, Ft Myers. Free. 332-1853.

•Kathleen Bradford Studio/Gallery: 4259 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. May Tue-Sat 11a5p, Jun by appt. Free. 7766844.

•Lovegrove Gallery & Garden: 4637 Pine Island Rd NW, Matlacha.MonSat 10a-5p & Sun 11a4p.Free. 283-6453.

•Marc Harris Wildlife & Fine Art Photography Gallery: 1401 Lee St, #B, Ft Myers. Mon-Fri 10a-4p & Sat 12-4p. Free. 7897027.

•Marco Island Center for the Arts: 1010 Winterberry Dr, Marco Island. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 394-4221.

•Marco Island Historical Museum: 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. thru May 2: The Wonderful World of Snyder. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 642-1440.

•Marianne Friedland Gallery: 359 Broad Ave S, Naples. Mon-Sat 10-5p. Free. 262-3484.

•Naples Art Association: 585 Park St, Naples. thru May 31: Music Is My Muse; thru Jun 2: From Shanghai to Naples - The Art of Denna Gu Laties; thru Jun 2: Exploring the World with Elsa Victorios; Jun 19-Aug 4: Camera USA; Jun 19-Aug 4: Pictures in Process. May Mon-Sat 10a-4p; Jun MonFri 10a-4p. Free. 262-6517.

•Naples Depot Museum: 1051 Fifth Ave S, Naples. May 3-Jul 31: Transportation in the Digital Age. Mon-Sat 9a4p. Free. 262-6525.

•Ocasiocasa Art Studio: 10051 McGregor Bvd, Edwards Bldg, #201. Sat 10a-2p, 2nd Sat 5-10p. 691-8292.

•Ollie

Gentry Mack

Photography Studio & Gallery: 2180 W 1st St, #210, Ft. Myers. Thru Jun

1: Historic Fort Myers

photographs. Tue-Sat 10a6p & 1st Fri 10a-10p. Free. 332-1295.

•Phil Fisher Gallery: 810 12th Ave S, Naples. MonThu 11a-5p, Fri & Sat 11a9p. Free. 403-8393.

•Quidley & Company Fine Art Gallery: 375 Broad Ave S, Naples. 261-4300.

•Rene Miville Gallery: Franklin Shops, 2200 1st St, 2nd fl, Ft Myers. MonSat 10a-8p & Sun 12-7p. Free. 333-3130.

•Ringling Museum of Art: 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. thru May 14:

Territories – Photography, Space & Power; thru Nov

30: Last 5 Years of Art of Our Time; Jun 9-Sep 10:

Eternal Offerings – Chinese Ritual Bronzes; Jun 24-Oct

15: Skyway – A

Contemporary Collection.

Circus Museum —thru May

15: A Most Magnificent Sight; May 19-Sep 11:

Amazing Acts of The Greatest Show on Earth.

Bayfront Gardens –Jun 9Jul 1, 2018: Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac

Heads. Gardens of Ringling

Guided Tour: Thu 10:30a. Daily 10a-5p, Thu 10a-8p. 941-359-5700.

•Rosen Gallery & Studios: North Line Plaza, 2172 J & C Blvd, N Naples. thru Jun 5: Rosita Gilsenan –Not Your Mother’s Watercolors. Mon-Sat, 126p. Free. 821-1061.

•Shangri-La Springs:

27750 Old US 41, Bonita Springs. 2nd Wed: Community Art & Nature Night 6-9p. Mon-Fri 9a4p, Sat & Sun 10a-3p. Free. 949-0749.

•Sheldon Fine Art: 460 Fifth Ave S, Naples. 10a10p. Free. 649-6255.

•Sidney & Berne Davis

Arts Center: 2301 First St, Ft Myers. May 5-24: Invasive; Jun 2-21: Positive/Negative. Mon-Fri 10a-5p & 6-9p & 1st Fri of month. Free. 337-1933.

•Space 39 Art Bar & Lounge: 39 Patio de Leon, Ft Myers. Tue-Sat 5:30close. Free. 204-9949.

•Sweet Art Gallery: 2054 Trade Center Way, Naples. Mon-Fri 11a-4p & Sat by appt. Free. 597-2110.

•The Artist’s Gallery: 6240 Shirley St, #104, Naples. Mon-Fri 10a-4p & Sat by appt. Free. 596-5099.

•The Lady from Haiti: 110 10th St N, Naples. May Mon-Sat 10:30a-5p; Jun Tue-Sat 3-8p. Free. 6498607.

•Thomas Riley Studio: 26 10th St. S, Naples. thru May 25: Tadao Cern & Taek Lee. Mon-Fri 10a-5p; May 1-Aug 31: Mon-Fri 125p. 529-2633.

•Timeless: 2218 First St, Ft Myers. Daily 11a-6p; Fri & Sat 11a-8p. 332-8463.

•Tower Gallery: 751 Tarpon Bay Rd, Sanibel. Daily 10a-9p. Free. 340-6467.

•Two Newts Gallery: 2502 2nd St, #104, Ft Myers. Tue-Fri 10a-6p, Sat 10a4p, Sun 12-4p. Free. 3322300.

•Union Artists Studios: Alliance of the Arts, 10051

McGregor Blvd, #202, Edwards Bldg, Ft Myers. Free. 826-3861.

•Unit A: 2633 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Ft Myers. Marcus Jansen studio/gallery. By appt & special events. 240-1053.

•Visual Arts Center: 210 Maud St, Punta Gorda. May 1-18: Charlotte County student exhibition; May 20-Jun 15: Water Water Everywhere; Jun 17-Jul 20: Recycle Reclaim Recreate. Mon-Fri 9a-4p & Sat 10a-2p. Free. 951-6398810.

•Watson MacRae Gallery: 2340 Periwinkle Way, #G1, Sanibel. thru summer: Summer Salon. Mon-Sat 10:30a-5p. Free. 472-3386.

attractions

•Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Tribe of Florida Museum Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, 30290 Josie Billie Hwy, Clewiston. Daily 9a-5p. 877-902-1113.

•Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum: 3075 SanibelCaptiva Rd, Sanibel. Ongoing: Journey to the Center of a Shell, Raymond Burr Memorial Exhibit,Deep-Sea Mollusks, Henry DomkeNature Photographer. World record-sized Shells. Daily 10a-5p. 395-2233.

•Baker Museum: ArtisNaples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd, Naples. thru Jul 23: Olga Hirshhorn Collections. thru May 3: Robert Indiana - Now & Then; thru Jul 23: Dawn’s Forest - sculptures of Louise Nevelson; thru

Jul 23: Inside the Outside; Opens May: The Pursuit of Abstraction; May- : Student Exhibition; . Tue-Sat 10a4p & Sun 12-4p. 597-1900.

•Burroughs Home & Gardens: 2505 First St, Ft Myers. Living history tours daily 11a & 1p, 5-9p. 337-0706.

•Butterfly Estates: 1815 Fowler St, Ft Myers. Sun & Tue-Th 10a-5p, Sat 10a-7p. 690-2359.

•Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium: 3450 Ortiz Ave, Ft Myers. Museum, butterfly aviary, trails, live reptile shows daily. Planetarium shows daily. Solar observing thru telescope Fri 11a. 10a-5p & Sun, 11a-5p. 275-3435.

•Cape Coral Historical Museum: 544 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral. Wed, Thu & Sun 1-4p. 772-7037.

•Children’s Museum of Naples: North Collier Park, 15080 Livingston Rd, Naples. Special hours for children on autistic spectrum: Breaking the Barriers, 2nd Sat of month 8-9a & Sensory Night, 4th Tue of month 5-8p. Register. 514-0084.

•Collier County Museum: 3301 Tamiami Tr E, Naples. Educational programs, Wed, 2pm. MonSat 9a-4p. Free. 774-8476.

•Conservancy of SWFL: 1495 Smith Preserve Way off Goodlette Frank Rd. Mon-Sat 9:30a-4:30p. Free. 430-2466.

•Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: 375 Sanctuary Rd W, Naples. Blair Audubon Center, Boardwalk Exploration & Exhibits. Daily 7a-5:30p. Free. 348-9151.

•CREW: Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. 23998

Corkscrew Rd, Estero. Guided walks: 1st & 3rd

Tue & 2nd Sat Nov-Apr, Marsh Hiking Trails, 4600 Corkscrew Rd, Immokalee. Trails open sunrise-sunset. Free. 657-2253.

•CROW: Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife. 3883 Sanibel-Captiva Rd, Sanibel. Healing Winds Visitor Education Center.

Wonders of Wildlife:

Nature presentations MonFri 11a. Tue-Sun 10a-4p. Free. 472-3644.

•’Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge: 1 Wildlife Dr, Sanibel. Education Center. May-Dec 9a-4p, Jan-Apr Sun-Fri 9a-5p. 472-1100.

•Edison & Ford Winter

Estates: 2350 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Ongoing: Edison & Rubber - A Scientific Quest, Edison &

Ford in Florida. Daily 9a5:30p. 334-7419.

•Everglades Wonder Gardens: 27180 Old 41 Rd, BonitaSprings.Botanical gardens, animals, art gallery.Daily 9a-4p. 9922591.

•Holocaust Museum & Education Center of SWFL: Sandalwood Square, 4760 Tamiami Tr N, # 107, Naples. thru May 14: The World Knew – Jan Karski’s Mission for Humanity. Tue-Sun 1-4p. Guided Tours: 1:30p. Free. 263-9200.

•Imaginarium Science Center: 2000 Cranford St, Ft Myers. Mon-Sat 10a-5p & Sun 12-5p. 321-7420.

•Immokalee Pioneer Museum at Roberts Ranch: 1215 Roberts Ave, Immokalee. Mon-Fri 9a4p. Free. 658-2466.

•Marco Island Historical Museum: 180 S Heathwood Dr, Marco Island. thru May 2: The Wonderful World of Snyder. Tue-Sat 9a-4p. Free. 642-1440.

•Mound House: 451 Connecticut St, Ft Myers Beach. Guided tours Tue, Wed & Sat 9a-3p; programs Tue, Wed, Sat 10a; free guided beach walks Tue 9a, Newton Park, 4650 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Tue, Wed & Sat 9a-4p. 765-0865.

•Murder Mystery Dinner Train: Dinner & play during 3 hour train ride. Seminole Gulf Railway, Colonial Station, 2805 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. 275-8487.

•Museum of the Everglades: 105 W Bwy,Everglades City. Tue-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 9a-4p. Free. 695-0008.

•Museum of the Islands: 5728 Sesame, Pine Island Center. Free. 283-1525.

•Naples Botanical Garden: 4820 Bayshore Dr, Naples. Dogs in the Garden walks Sun 911:30a, Tu 8-11a, Thu 35p. Daily 9a-5p & Tue8a5p Oct-Jun; daily 8a-3p Jul-Sep. 643-7275.

•Naples Depot Museum: 1051 Fifth Ave S, Naples. May 3-Jul 31: Transportation in the Digital Age. Mon-Sat 9a4p. Free. 262-6525.

•Naples Museum of Military History: Naples Airport, Commercial Terminal, 500 Terminal Dr, Naples. Mon-Sat 10a4p & Sun 12-4p. Free. 941575-0401.

•Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens: 1590 GoodletteFrank Rd, Naples. Daily 9a-5p. 262-5409.

•Palm Cottage Museum &

The Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers presents the work of Art Quilters Unlimited, May 5-26. For information, call 939-2787.

Norris Gardens: Naples Historical Society, 137 12th Ave. S, Naples. Walking tours of Naples historic district: Wed 10a; Guided garden tours: 1st & 3rd Thu of month 10a. Tours: Tue-Sat 1-4p. Free. 2618164.

•Ringling Museum of Art: 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota. thru May 14: Territories – Photography, Space & Power; thru Nov 30: Last 5 Years of Art of Our Time; Jun 9-Sep 10:

Eternal Offerings –Chinese Ritual Bronzes; Jun 24-Oct 15: Skyway –

A Contemporary Collection. Circus Museum thru May 15: A Most

Magnificent Sight; May 19Sep 11: Amazing Acts of The Greatest Show on Earth. Bayfront Gardens

–Jun 9-Jul 1, 2018: Ai

Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads. Gardens of Ringling

Guided Tour: Thu 10:30a. Daily 10a-5p, Thu 10a-8p. 941-359-5700.

•Rookery Bay

Environmental Learning Center: 300 Tower Rd, Naples. New interactive marine life exhibit. Daily programs: 11a & 2p. MonSat 9a-4p. 530-5940.

•Sanibel Historical Museum & Village: 950 Dunlop Rd, Sanibel. Wed-Sat, 10a-4p. 472-4648.

•Shell Factory & Nature Park: 2787 N Tamiami Trail, N, Ft Myers. Shell exhibits, Animal exhibits, petting farm, Christmas House, Natural History Exhibit, Money Museum, water games, video arcade, miniature golf, playgrounds, Soaring Eagle Zip Line. Daily 10a-5p. 995-2141.

•SWFL Historical Society: 10091 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Wed 9a-12p & 4-7p, Sat 9a-12p. Free. 9394044.

•SWFL Military Museum & Library: 4820 Leonard St, Ft Myers. Mon-Sat 9a-5p. Free. 541-8704.

•Williams Academy Black History Museum: Clemente Park, 1936 Henderson Ave, Ft Myers. Mon-Fri 9a-5p & Sat 124p. Free. 332-8778.

parks

•Bonita Beach Park: 27954 Hickory Blvd., Bonita Springs. Free. 533-7444.

•Bowditch Point Regional Park: 50 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Free. 4633764.

•Bunche Beach: 18201 John Morris Rd, Ft Myers. Free. 707-6794.

•Caloosahatchee Regional Park: 18500 North River Rd, Alva. Free. 693-2690.

•Collier-Seminole State Park: US 41 (Tamiami Trail), S Naples. Guided walks: Sat 10a. Hiking trail, self-guided boardwalk nature trail, exhibits, camping, fishing, boating canoeing. 3943397.

•Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park: 11135 Gulfshore Dr, Naples. Beach, fishing, picnic areas. 597-6196.

•Estero Park: 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd, Estero. Free. 248-1609.

•Everglades National Park: Gulf Coast Visitor Center,815 Oyster Bar Ln.Everglades City. 9a4:30p. 695-3311.

•Hickeys Creek Mitigation Park: 17980 Palm Beach Blvd, Alva. Free. 6932690.

•Koreshan State Historic Site State Park: US Hwy 41 & Corkscrew Rd, Estero. 992-0311.

•Lakes Regional Park: 7 330 Gladiolus Dr, Ft Myers. Guided walks: 1st Sat 8:30a, Garden tour: 2nd Sat. Free. 5337575.

•Lovers Key State Park: South of Ft Myers Beach. 463-4588.

•Lynn Hall Park: 950 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Free. 229-7356.

•Manatee Park: 10901 Palm Beach Blvd, Ft Myers. 8a-dusk. Free. 690-5030.

•Matanzas Pass Preserve: 119 Bay Rd, Ft Myers Beach. Free. 707-3015.

•Myakka River State Park: 13207 SR 72, Sarasota. Canoeing, camping, wildlife tours by air-boat & tram, scenic drive, guided walks. 361-6511.

•Naples Preserve: Ecocenter. 1690 Tamiami Tr N, Naples. dawn-dusk. Free. 261-4290.

•North Collier Regional Park: 15000 Livingston Rd, Naples. Free. 252-4060.

•North Ft Myers Park: 2021 N Tamiami Tr, N Ft Myers. Yoga: Wed 6p. Free. 652-4512.

•Rutenberg Park EcoLiving Center: ‘FloridaFriendly’

Garden/Landscape

Workshops: Wed 10:30a. Free. 533-7515.

•Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve: 7791 Penzance Blvd, Ft Myers. Free. 5337550.

•Veterans Park: 55 Homestead Rd, Lehigh Acres. Free. 369-1521.

•Wa-Ke-Hatchee Park: 16730 Bass Rd, Ft Myers.

Flow Yoga & Mat Pilates: Mon-Thu 9a; Yoga & Meditation: Tue 4:30p; Tai chi: Wed 1p; Laughter Yoga: Wed 6:30p. Classes free. Free. 432-2154.

live music & comedy

•Americana Community Music Association Listening Room: All Faiths Unitarian Congregation, 2756 McGregor Blvd, Ft Myers. Select Fri, Sat, Sun 7p. Free. 691-4069.

•Bert’s Bar & Grill: 4271 Pine Island Rd, Matlacha. Live Tue-Sun. 282-3232.

•Big Blue Brewing: 4721 SE 10th Pl, Cape Coral. Live music select nites. ThuSat. 471-2777.

•Buckingham Blues Bar: 5641 Buckingham Rd., Ft Myers. Open blues jam Wed 8-11p & Sun 3-6p. Live music weekends. 6937111.

•Bury Me Brewing: 4224 S Cleveland Ave, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 332-2337.

•Cape Coral Brewing Company: 839 Miromar St, Cape Coral. Live music select nites. 257-1033.

•City Tavern: 2206 Bay St, Ft Myers. Live music ThuSat. 226-1133.

•Cottage Bar: 1270 Estero Blvd, Ft Myers Beach. Live music nightly. 765-5440.

•Fort Myers Brewing Company: 12811 Commerce Lake Dr, #27, Ft Myers. Live music select Wed-Sat. 313-6576.

•Hotel Indigo: 1520 Broadway, Ft Myers. Wed: Open Mic. 337-3446.

•Laugh-In Comedy Café: 8595 College Pkwy, Ft Myers. Thu-Sat: comics 7:30 & 9:30p. 479-5233.

•Matanzas on the Bay: 414 Crescent St, Ft Myers Beach. Live music nitely

6-9p. Fri: Father Al & The Jazz Congregation. 4633838.

•Millenium Brewery: 1811 Royal Palm Ave, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 271-2255.

•Momentum Brewhouse: 9786 Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. Thu: acoustic open mic 6-9p; live music select dates 69p. 949-9945.

•Old Soul Brewing: 10970 S Cleveland Ave, #402, Ft Myers. Wed: Jason Nail Family Jam 8-10p. Live music select nites. 3344334.

•Point Ybel Brewing Company: 16120 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Tue: Open mic 7:3010:30p; Thu: Apollo’s Phonograph Jazz Band 7:30-10:30p; Fri: live music 2-10:30p; Sat: live music 12-11p; Sun: 12-7p; 1st Sun: reggae band 6-9p. 603-6535.

•Red Rock Saloon: 2278 First St, Ft Myers. Live music Fri & Sat. 6898667.

•Reserve Cigar & Wine Bar: 10950 S. Cleveland Ave, Ft Myers. Live music Fri & Sat. 210-0300.

•RJ’s Bar & Grill: 1475 N. Tamiami Tr, N.Ft Myers. Live music nightly. 9979600.

•Roadhouse Café: 15660 San Carlos Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select nites. 415-4375.

•Shangri-La Springs: 27750 Old 41 Rd, Bonita Springs. Thu & Fri: Original live music 5:308:30p in lounge. 9490749.

•Space 39 Art Bar & Lounge: 39 Patio de Leon, Ft Myers. Live music WedSat 8:30-11p. 204-9949.

•The Barrel Room: Twisted Vine, 2214 Bay St, Ft Myers. Live music ThuSun. Thu 7-11p: Dan Miller

465 Bayfront Pl, Naples. 4-8p.

•Friendly Farmers Market: Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 3-7p.

•Government Complex Farmers Market: 3335 US 41 E, Naples. 11a-2p.

•Health Park Farmers Market: Village Shoppe at Health Park, 1620 Summerlin Rd, Ft Myers. 9a-1p.

SATURDAY

•Alliance for the Arts’ Green Market: 10091 McGregor Blvd., Ft Myers. 9a-1p.

•Bonita Springs Farmers Market: The Promenade Shoppes, 26811 South Bay Dr,Bonita Springs. 8a-12p.

& Lew Del Gatto Jazz Quartet; Fri & Sat: blues bands; Sun 10:30a-1p: Jazz Brunch w Joe Delaney & Brandon Robertson. 333225.

•The Joint at Cape Harbour: 5785 Cape Harbour Dr, Cape Coral. Live music Tue, Fri, Sun. 542-0123.

•The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon: 2158 Colonial Blvd, Ft Myers. Live music select Fri & Sat. 9859839.

•The Rhythm House: 16440 S Tamiami Tr, Ft Myers. Live music Fri 6:30p. 4668326.

•The Veranda: 2122 Second St, Ft Myers. Piano Bar Tue-Sat 6:30-9p. 3322065.

FARMERS MARKETS

TUESDAY

•Health Park Farmers Market: Village Shoppe at Health Park, 1620 Summerlin Rd, Ft Myers. 9a-1p.

•Surfside Farmers Market: Shops at Surfside, 2408 Surfside Blvd, Cape Coral. 2-7p.

WEDNESDAY

•Health Park Farmers Market: Village Shoppe at Health Park, 1620 Summerlin Rd, Ft Myers. 10a-2p.

THURSDAY

•Coconut Point Farmers Market: Coconut Point, 23106 Fashion Dr, Estero. 9a-1p.

•Health Park Farmers Market: Village Shoppe at Health Park, 1620 Summerlin Rd, Ft Myers. 9a-1p.

•River District Farmers Market: Under Caloosahathcee Bridge, Centennial Park, 2000 W First St, Ft Myers. 7a-1p.

FRIDAY

•Bayfront Farmers Market:

•Bonita Springs Lions Market: Naples Fort Myers Greyhound Track parking lot,10601 SE Bonita Beach Rd, Bonita Springs. 7am12:30p.

•Cape Coral Farmers Market: 2051 Cape Coral Pkwy, Cape Coral. 8a-1p. May

•North Naples Farmers Market: North Naples United Methodist Church, 6000 Goodlette Rd N, Naples. 8a-1p. May

•Friendly Farmers Market: Golden Gate Community Center, 4701 Golden Gate Pkwy, Naples. 9a-3p.

•Fort Myers Downtown Farm & Art Market: Cornog Plaza, 2450 First St, Ft Myers. 9a-1p.

•Third Street Farmer’s Market: 1220 Third St S, Naples. 7:30-11:30a.

•Vanderbilt Farmers Market: 355 Vanderbilt Beach Rd,Naples. 8a-1p. May

SUNDAY

•Koreshan Farmers Market: Koreshan State Park, 3800 Corkscrew Rd, Estero. 8a1p.

•North Naples Green Market: Ole Towne Center, 8020 Grand Lely Dr, Naples. 12-4p.

•Pine Island Tropical Fruit Market: Stringfellow Rd & Ficus Tree Ln, Bokeelia. 10a-3p.

•Pine Ridge Farmers Market: Pine Ridge Rd & Airport Pulling Rd, Naples. 9a-2p. May

•Sanibel Island Farmers Market: Sanibel City Hall, 800 Dunlop Road, Sanibel. 8a-1p. May

•Sugden Park Farmers Market: Sugden Park, 4824 Avalon Dr, Naples. 8a-2p.

•

Market: The Village at Venitian Bay, 4200 Gulf Shore Blvd N, Naples. 8a-2p.

The DAAS Co-op Gallery in Fort Myers presents the work of Dharma Lefevre, May 13-June 3. Call 590-8645 for information.