Alliance for the Arts

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.

Tim Jaeger is Director and Chief Curator of Galleries and Exhibitions at Ringling College. Also an educator and artist, he is drawn to images that tell a story, his work often explores culture, identity and memory through a blend of realism and abstraction. His goal is always to connect people through art and create spaces where diverse voices and stories are seen and celebrated. This philosophy is on full display in the 43 artworks he chose for the Alliance for the Arts’ 40 Annual All Florida Exhibition.

In March, there are 28 exhibitions at SWFL art centers, including “Rooted in Community,” a group exhibition that honors the rich contributions of artists from Sarasota’s Newtown and Overtown communities—two historically Black neighborhoods whose cultural and creative voices have profoundly shaped the city’s artistic identity.

Lee County arts organizations once again find themselves in jeopardy of missing out on Florida arts and culture grants. Although the Florida Division of Arts & Culture approved full funding for 15 Lee County grant applicants, the Secretary of State has recommended funding for only four.

The 40th Annual All Florida Exhibition takes place March 6th through the 28th in the main gallery of the Alliance for the Arts. This year’s All Florida show features 43 artworks created by 39 artists chosen by juror Tim Jaeger from more than 450 submissions. Works span a broad spectrum of styles and media, including 33 wall-hung and 10 sculptural pieces.