finding art in unexpected places

by Patrice Schelkun

What excites you most about visiting or moving to a completely new place? For me, a lot of that excitement comes from exploration. Exploring new restaurants, places to shop, beautiful parks and nature spots. But most thrilling to me is discovering the out-of-the-way neighborhoods and places not on the standard tourist map.

Transitioning to Southwest Florida from my northern life, I sought out those places where I might find like-minded creatives who are making beautiful things. Beauty is a connector. For some, it’s a way of self-expression. There’s a natural inclination to search for ways to make a statement in how we adorn our homes or ourselves, sharing what we find attractive to offer others a sense of who we are, what we value and what makes us unique. Stage, screen and television actor Harvey Fierstein described it succinctly. “Art has the power to transform, to illuminate, to educate, inspire and motivate,” he said.

It took several years before I discovered camaraderie in the Naples Art District, a burgeoning, off-the-beaten-path community of artists and artisans who are transforming a dusty commercial area of the city into a happening venue in much the same way that artists created a destination out of the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami.

It took vision to see what the possibilities might be. When ceramist and sculptor Richard Rosen founded the Naples Art District in 2006, he and a small group of 15

Naples artists had the idea to share their art and artistic practice with people in their community. Starting as just a few studio spaces in a largely industrial neighborhood where rents were affordable, the mission of this unique non-profit has been to cultivate art awareness and education in Naples. Not only did these artists establish a personal place for art-making, but their efforts have helped transform the area—and our community—into a culturally rich and vibrant place to visit and call home.

Just north of Pine Ridge Road, you’ll find loads of businesses that provide design services and building materials to homeowners and the construction industry. But on Shirley St., Trade Center Way, J&C Blvd., and adjacent streets, you’ll also now find over 100 painters, photographers, ceramists, sculptors, woodworkers, glass artists and jewelry makers, as well as those working in fiber art, printmaking, mosaic, pastels and collage. Some share space in a group, while others have opted for their own digs. Almost all have a front gallery space for display of their work and direct sales to the public.

For many of the neighborhood artists and makers, this is a working environment, not just your typical gallery row. What’s unique about the Naples Art District is the opportunity it affords to engage one-on-one with working artists in their own studios. Several times a month, from November to May, the District hosts Art Alive! open studio events as a fun, casual way for patrons to visit artists in their workspaces, enjoy refreshments and view or purchase artworks. Typically, these are held on the first Wednesday early evenings, first Thursday afternoons, and third Saturday afternoons of the month. In addition, many studios open for visitors every Thursday. A visit during an open studio event not only gives a glimpse into the artist’s working life, but there may also be opportunities to develop an ongoing relationship with an artist whose work you admire, as many of them are involved in teaching classes and offer special workshops.

On my recent drive through the district heading west on J&C Blvd., from Airport Rd. at the north end, I discovered more than 15 artists’ studios on this mile-long stretch alone. Though intermixed with interior design, tile, flooring, upholstery, lighting suppliers and other companies, it’s easy to spot their location because of the streetside Naples Art District signs lining the way. Some of their storefronts also sport colorful outdoor displays suggestive of the creative juices flowing within.

Near the far end of this road is a building that is currently undergoing transformation with what is hoped to be the first of many outdoor murals designed to bring a greater artistic identity to the district. The project is the brainchild of Nora Sharpe Beyrant, owner of the Art Lab studio at that location. She recruited several district artists to cooperatively come up with a unique design reflecting the Naples Art District as a growing cultural enterprise. The concept—that from a small seed great things can grow—will feature a large banyan tree and other colorful, eye-catching surprise elements to excite passersby. Artists are painting the front wall of Beyrant’s studio and the entire side of the building in the next several months, so be sure to see the delightful finished product as you drive through.

Turning left on Shirley St. brings you into the heart of the Naples Art District, beginning with Fairways Trade Village. Nearly 20 working artists, sculptors and photographers call this their working home. Among them is Joel Shapses, whose elegant work includes stone, fused glass, bronze and aluminum sculptures. Joel has had a studio in the area for quite some time and welcomes visitors to his shop.

Further south on Shirley St. are several enclaves of artist studios, including The Alley, Artisans Plaza and the new Shirley

Street Art Galleria, as well as Cori Craciun’s Sticks & Stones Collection, a workshop where this Transylvanian immigrant handcrafts her organic home furnishings and sculptures in wood and stone. Craciun also sells natural mineral accessories for the home, along with original paintings by fellow artist Christy Noonan.

Across the road from her in The Alley, are five studio spaces that house painters working in both contemporary abstract and traditional realist oils, portraiture, black & white nature photography, watercolor, textiles, jewelry designers and even a singer/songwriter turned artist.

On my exploratory drive I ran into Maggie DeMarco, a painter of colorful florals and abstracts who has been in the Naples Art District since the early days. She has moved locations several times and now occupies her own studio space in Artisans Plaza, where 26 individuals now make up the largest single concentration of artists in the district. The recent addition of Sir Roland Richardson, a famous native of the Caribbean island of St. Martin, brings the color and flavor of island life to the district.

Several additional studios can be found on Shirley St., as well as on adjacent roads within the commercial district here. A complete interactive map of artist locations can be found on the Naples Art District website: naplesartdistrict.com.

Paula Brody, who has served as president of the Naples Art District for the last number of years, has brought her tremendous expertise and strong connector skills to the table to help the organization not only grow its membership, but reach the next level in terms of education and service to the community. Paula works amid several artist colleagues at Inspirations Art & Design Gallery on Shirley St., a large, light-filled space where she and several other women artists paint large, vibrantly-colored works with an eye toward the trending contemporary design style of home interiors.

“This year, in particular, we are working in collaboration with a Collier County initiative to celebrate Hispanic arts and culture in our community,” Brody said. From January 21-February 5, the Naples Art District will host a Frida Fest, highlighting and honoring the work of Mexico’s most well-known female artist of the 20th century, Frida Kahlo. Large colorful murals and other works will be on display, inspired by her primitive and often fantasy-style portraits, including many self-portraits expressive of her own experience as a woman in postcolonial Mexican society.

Other special programs planned during this season include a repeat of the highly successful Artful Arrangements event in February. “This three-day event will again pair artists with floral designers to create displays of beautiful floral designs inspired by an artists’ work,” explained Brody. “Visitors go from studio to studio admiring the floral arrangements and have a chance to vote for their favorites.” Last year’s program featured practitioners of the ancient Japanese art form of floral design called Ikebana. This year’s Artful Arrangements event will feature an even greater number of participants from the Naples chapter of Ikebana International, one of the largest chapters in the organization.

As a non-profit, the leaders of the Naples Art District have also looked for ways to expand art awareness and education in the local community. Last year, a small number of district artists provided local art-minded high school students the opportunity to complete needed service hours by working as assistants in their studios. Some even helped students prepare their art portfolios as part of the application process for colleges and art schools. This year they hope to expand the number of artists participating to serve more students in need of direction and guidance as they prepare for a career in the arts.

Creativity Camp for Adults will happen over a 10-day span beginning in late April. Participants can choose from a wide array of multi-day workshops and classes, watch master artist presentations and evening demonstrations.

As an artist, one of the most valuable discoveries for me has been that our Southwest Florida community is rich with creative people using their talents and skill to make their community and their world a more beautiful place.

Meet for yourself the many faces of the people working in the Naples Art District. Venture out to the galleries and studios, take a class, explore beauty in your community.

For information about individual Naples Art District artists and special events, call 249-1977 or visit naplesartdistrict.com. •

Patrice Schelkun is a contemporary realist painter working in oil and on glass. Her work can be seen at Gallery 206, located at 5880 Shirley St, studio 206, in the Naples Art District, and online at patriceschelkun.com.