Tom Hall

If you’re trying to break out of the cliched dinner-and-movie Valentine’s Day routine, here are four suggestions for an artful Valentine’s.

Last June, the Florida Division of Arts & Culture gave arts organizations three weeks to file applications for this year’s Florida arts & culture grants. United Arts Collier Executive Director Elysia Dawn was in Tallahassee recently to advocate for funding. She reports that 746 organizations have qualified for grants. They’re seeking $76 million. That represents .06 percent of the state’s $117.4 billion budget. Dawn says the return on investment provided by arts organizations warrants the increase she's seeking.

For decades, the Beaux Arts Ball was the Sarasota cultural event of the season. Art Center Sarasota is bringing it back. This year, the themed roaring 1920s costume ball will honor artistic legacy, celebrate Art Center Sarasota’s centennial anniversary, and support the future of art in Southwest Florida.

Florida Rep Producing Artistic Director Greg Longenhagen says that "Tuesdays with Morrie" is about life, about dying and about how to be a good human being. While its themes may be weighty, the script is replete with humor, imbuing audiences with the renewed resolve to live every day to the fullest.

In February, 4 exhibitions open, 3 close and 32 others continue their runs at Southwest Florida museums. At the top of the list is “Growing Obsession – The Enchanting Story of Orchids in the Everglades” at Museum of the Everglades.

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 February, there are 25 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

“Moonlight and Magnolias” headlines the five shows opening this week at Southwest Florida community and equity theaters. Three others close and 17 continue their runs as well.

The FGCU Jazz Combo will perform original student compositions inspired by multidisciplinary Miami artist Onajide Shabaka on Feb. 3. His exhibition, “Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream,” is on view in the Wasmer Gallery in the Arts Complex at Florida Gulf Coast University.

This week, 3 shows open, 3 close and 16 continue their runs and there are 2 limited engagements at Southwest Florida equity and community theaters.

Over the holidays, the Fort Myers Mural Society installed murals on the obelisks flanking Edwards Avenue outside the Luminary Hotel. One recognizes Manuel A. Gonzalez; the other, Harvie Heitman.