DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery

In 2008, artist and gallery owner David Acevedo co-founded Fort Myers Art Walk. When DAAS Gallery relocated to the Royal Palm Square, he established a second Saturday art crawl south of Colonial. Now, he’s launching SoCo First Fridays, which encompasses eight venues in one creative destination — all on the Alliance for the Arts’ 10-acre campus. In addition to art exhibitions and artist studios, there are unique shopping, refreshments and special event offerings. SoCo First Fridays kicks off on Friday, Nov. 6 from 5 to 9 p.m.

Nick Masiello is a fan of irony. He maintains that large corporations use luxury labels to promote the have/have not construct that distracts people from recognizing the role these companies play in funding foreign conflicts. He hopes that his solo show at DAAS CO-OP next month brings awareness to the ethical dilemma implicated by this growing financial divide.

It’s “Scream Time” at DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery in October. The exhibition features the artwork of Pamela Jones and Michael Santacroce. Her contribution to the show is “Bad Clowns,” a series that voices Jones’ fear and loathing of clowns – a metaphor for Americans’ anxiety about the future. Santacroce brings ink creatures that signify his personal demons - involving identity, addiction, mental health and sexuality.

Roland Ruocco is a studio artist, but he’s best known for the dozens of murals he’s painted across Southwest Florida. Wendy White is an abstract impressionist painter, but she’s renowned for her award-winning short film “Roses Are Blind” and one-woman play, “The Jewish Nun,” performed Off-Broadway and internationally. Their September show, “Counterparts,” at DAAS CO-OP features their studio work.

DAAS CO-OP at the Alliance for the Arts is exhibiting new work from top area creatives in August in a variety of mediums and sizes. “Fresh Offerings” will feature additions to Ocasiocasa’s Flower Power collection, ‘Midnight Voyeur’ by Danielle Branchaud and pieces by Nick Masiello, David Acevedo, Xavier Brignoni more than a dozen other career artists.

Fort Myers-based artist Ananda War holds her first solo exhibition at DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts titled “IS.” War is also a tattoo artist and owner of the Light Hand Tattoo & Healing Arts studio. Ahead of the exhibition’s opening reception, Feb. 2, War joins us in studio to talk about her creative process, her art and its connection to the metaphysical.