Tower Gallery to host open house

By TIFFANY REPECKI trepecki@breezenewspapers com

An island gallery is planning a first-ever event to meet the community and highlight its artists

The Tower Gallery will host a Summer Open House on July 6 from 5 to 7 p m on Sanibel Free and open to the public, the event will feature meet-and-greets with the co-operative's artists and more

“It's trying to get some traffic and some interest and let p e o p l e k n o w w e ' r e o p c o - o p b o a r d President Marianne Ravenna said, referring to Hurricane Ian and ongoing storm recovery “And I think a lot of people look for things to do now that there's not a whole lot going on on the islands ”

“It's about getting the artists together and hopefully we'll get some island people,” she added

With about two dozen artists in the co-op, not all of them will be in attendance but many will

If you go

What Summer Open House

When

July 6 from 5 to 7 p m

Where

Tower Gallery, 751 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel

Details

Free and open to the public ters, to include wildlife.

Beer and wine will be available, along with some hors d'oeuvres

Art Stevens

Shell Shocked

Whenever my wife and I arrange to meet socially with Sanibel friends for dinner I tend to stare longingly at their necks What’s interesting is that no one has questioned the fact that I haven’t aged in the more than twenty years I’ve been on Sanibel People who know me obviously think I have youthful genes

I’ve looked long and hard to see if there are any other vampires on Sanibel but so far I haven’t come across any The problem is the vampires I’ve known for centuries simply can’t afford homes on Sanibel They tend to live near college campuses so that they can dine young and stay young They say that there is an embarrassment of riches where they live Sometimes I visit my friends in college towns and get there by way of overnight delivery via a Federal Express big box While visiting with my old vampire friends I also manage to fatten up somewhat before returning home But I can’t get any of my old friends to visit me on Sanibel

Yes, I’ve made many friends on Sanibel but I’m concerned that one day they will find me out Most people are rather uncomfortable around vampires and fear for their wellbeing Not too many folks have a thing about living forever and that’s the real problem They can’t imagine that their great grandkids could look older than they do one day

I’ve been a vampire exactly 287 years I was a member of the Cheyenne nation Yes, I have Native American blood in me along with all the other ethnic traces of blood that I’ve accumulated through the centuries I remember the moment I became a vampire I was out hunting for bison when I came across a band of Spanish conquerors I was chatting with them about what America would be like in a hundred years when they surrounded me, held me down and started biting my neck

At first I thought that this was the Spanish way of greeting new friends But after they left me I began to feel dizzy That night I had the most incredible urge to drink blood Now, mind you, I had never had a taste for drinking blood before It certainly wasn’t a Cheyenne thing to do

I went out of my village tepee that first night and wandered over to the nearby Mohican camp I crept into the barracks tent of division A warriors and had my first neck bite After that it became second nature to me

I’m sure you guessed by now that my girlfriend is also a vampire How could she put up with me otherwise? I was single for about a hundred years after my initiation into the vampire nation and at that time we didn’t have online dating services I met her about 135 years ago at a pottery show in New York and we’ve been together ever since In fact, we’re about to celebrate our 130th wedding anniversary soon I get goose pimples whenever I think about that

But she and I have had to make major sacrifices living the vampire life It’s so wonderful that Sanibel has such a great night life I can honestly say we’re literally out every night. We’re very sensitive about biting necks on Sanibel though We’re eager to protect the environment because if we didn’t would Sanibel still be Sanibel?

Art Stevens is a long-time columnist for the SanibelCaptiva Islander His tongue-in-cheek humor is always offered with a smile

“They can definitely meet with the artists. They can talk to the artists and talk about their artwork,” Ravenna said, explaining that the gallery is usually manned by one member at time when open

“It will be a good group of us,” she added

It will be an opportunity to see what the artists have been working on the last several months

With many faced with rebuilding or restoring their homes due to last year's hurricane, attendees can also use the event to inquire about commissioned artwork for when they are ready to redecorate

“Most of us, if you give us an idea, we can run with that idea,” Ravenna said.

Those interested in commissioning a special piece to fit a particular space, such as over a doorway, a tall narrow area between windows or over a bed, are encouraged to bring those measurements with them She added that the artists can work with specific colors and subject mat-

She noted that the Bleu Rendez-Vous French Bistro is a neighbor and located in the same plaza Attendees could make an evening out of it by visiting the gallery and enjoying a great meal

“Once season starts back up, we'll have themed shows this winter again,” Ravenna said

Residents and visitors are encouraged to swing by and take part

“It's a good way to change up what you're doing and come out to enjoy some camaraderie with the artists and see some beautiful art,” she said “We would love to see old friends in the community ”

For more information, contact 239-579-0659 or visit www towergallery net

The gallery's summer hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a m to 5 p m

The Tower Gallery is at 751 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel

WoW hosting summer camps

The “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge reported that after reaching 300 students at Immokalee’s Eden Park Elementary during its first week of summer camp, the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge's Wildlife on Wheels team moved on to Harlem Heights Community Charter School in Fort Myers Micro-Mania is the summer’s theme for learning about microscopic creatures and damaging microplastics

Last week, the WoW visited Harns Marsh Elementary summer camp in Lehigh Acres

The WoW's summer schedule is as follows:

∫ Now through July 7: Sunshine Elementary in Lehigh Acres

∫ July 24-28: PACE Center for Girls, Lee in Fort Myers

To donate to support the upkeep and programming for the WoW efforts, visit https://interland3 donorperfect net/weblink/WebLink aspx?name=E54182&id=12

REFUGE/DDWS

Harns Marsh Elementary summer campers learn about the effects microplastics have on fish cells

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