Arts Bonita

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 August, there are 29 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

Athena Rose Belis is going into her junior year at Florida Gulf Coast University. She’s angling for a degree and career in theater, but when asked about her long-range goals, she gives a full-throated laugh. That’s because Belis is already living the dream.

This week, four shows open, one show closes, six continue their runs and there are five limited engagements at Southwest Florida equity and community theaters.

Several members of the cast of “Hair” may be making their last stage appearances in Southwest Florida. That’s because they’re heading to college in a few weeks to pursue degrees in musical theater.

“Hair” is one of those shows that has it all – memorable music, interesting characters, a large, cohesive ensemble and relevant themes. “Hair” is, and continues to be, a protest piece. The musical reminds us that people interpret silence as tacit acceptance, if not approval, of government action. But protest prevents the dreaded spiral of silence, which begets further misapprehension about what a society collectively believes and wants.

This week, two shows open, one show closes, four continue their runs and there are three limited engagements at Southwest Florida equity and community theaters.

The $115.5 billion budget signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis includes more than $18 million for 184 arts organizations. Most Southwest Florida arts and culture organizations remain on the outside looking in.

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 July, there are 24 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

Lantz Hemmert is the perfect choice to play Tevye the milkman in “Fiddler on the Roof Jr” at Arts Bonita Center for Performing Arts. The actor and his character share a zest for life.

Kody Jones and Joseph Brauer are working magic with area youngsters who come to Arts Bonita for theater direction and performance opportunities. With their current production of “Fiddler on the Roof JR,” Jones and Brauer are doing more than advancing their students’ singing, dancing and acting proficiency. They're connecting their students to materials, subjects and themes that are timelier than ever.