Alliance for the Arts

On June 15, Fort Myers City Council awarded $150,000 in arts and culture grants. Of the 47 applicants this year, grants were awarded to over a dozen arts organizations, one group and one individual artist. The total awarded, $150,000, was the same amount the city awarded last year.

This week, one show opens, two close, eight continue their runs and limited engagements include 'Monsters Inc. JR' and "The Laramie Project," at Southwest Florida equity and community theaters.

In June, there are 28 shows at art centers throughout Southwest Florida, including “This Is Not a Pizza Box” at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

The 16th Fort Myers Film Festival concluded on May 24 with the announcement of awards in 12 categories.

The 16th annual Fort Myers Film Festival will deliver five days of film screenings, filmmaker panels, and celebration. The festival, which runs May 20-24, 2026, will include 81 selected feature, documentary, and short films from all over the world. We’ll get a preview of the festival in a conversation with Fort Myers Film Festival founder and Executive Director Eric Raddatz. We’ll also talk with multi-award winning filmmaker Jordan Axelrod, whose short film “Szypliski” will be featured at the opening night red carpet gala at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.

Heidi Lewis Coleman is a big fan of legendary artist Robert Rauschenberg, who made Captiva Island the epicenter of his artistic pursuits from 1970 until his death in 2008. Coleman never met Rauschenberg. She moved to Naples in 2021, 13 years after Rauschenberg’s death. But at the opening of her “Dreamscape” solo show at the Alliance for the Arts, she learned that she and Rauschenberg had something in common.

From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In May, there are 31 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

Every two years, the City’s Public Art Committee hosts an exhibition of the work created by the artists who have received Arts & Culture grants during the preceding two years. This year’s Biennial show is being hosted by the Alliance for the Arts and will feature work by 15 visual artists and two local filmmakers.

The 2026 International Baccalaureate Visual Arts Exhibition at the Davis Art Center headlines 29 visual art exhibitions on view in April at Southwest Florida art centers.

Four powerhouse singer-songwriters. An intimate listening room setting. A rare, behind-the-scenes look at how songs evolve from life experiences. This is “For the Love of Music Vol. III, An Intimate Evening of Song & Story,” and it features four female musicians at the top of their craft: April Cushman, Claire Liparulo, Shelly Fairchild and Kelly Neff.