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CONTENTS | OCTOBER 2017
59
18 FEATURES
IN THIS ISSUE
16 GRAND FACES
12
Editor’s Letter
14
The Colors Page
Meet sisters Kristine and Juliana Meek, who took over the family business and a Naples community icon, the Harmon-Meek Gallery. Explore Cuba with south Fort Myers restaurateur Gloria Jordan. And meet the man behind the music of more than 40 Olympic medalists.
23
27 Model Behavior 39 Shopping
22 DINING
42 Grand Pets
Savor the land and the sea at the elegant Ocean Prime, part high-end steak house, part high-end seafood restaurant, in the heart of Naples. The combination delights the senses.
45 Getaway 48 Wine Case 50 Grand Arts
31 COVER STORY
52 Fashion
Get the latest on the upcoming arts season in Southwest Florida, from a local artist gone international sensation to 20 years of Florida Rep to scores of acclaimed indie films.
55 Grand Ride 65 Make it a Double 68 Grand Times
59 OPEN DOOR
72 Behind the Benefit
Let us walk you through the renovation of a diamond in the rough. Its Cape Coral family opened up the dark house and transformed it into a happy home.
55
14
GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 7
Wishing you a Happy Fall
CELEBRATING THE GOOD LIFE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Part of the USA TODAY Network | Volume 16, Number 1
Publisher
William R. Barker
Editor | General Manager Kathryn Robinson Kinsey kkinsey@gannett.com Art Director Lindi Daywalt-Feazel ldaywalt@gannett.com Contributing writers
Gina Birch, Stephanie Borden, Patricia Carlson, Cathy Chestnut, Sara Coggin, Jennifer Thomas, Andrea Stetson
Contributing photographers
Amanda Inscore, Logan Newell, Andrea Melendez, Ricardo Rolon, Brian Tietz, Andrew West
Vice President Advertising Sales
Nancy M. Solliday
Niche Team Coordinator Editorial Imager Coordinator
Dennis Wright drwright@gannett.com
Advertising Account Executive Nicole Holey nholey@gannett.com
Director Circulation Distribution
Circulation Support and Logistics Manager
Jim Keeble Cheryl Cushman
ON THE COVER “Implosion� by Marcus Jansen. Read more about the local abstract painter on page 32.
1250 Third Street South, Olde Naples, Fl 34102 239-262-4791 8 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
Grandeur is published 8 times a year. Complimentary copies are home delivered to The News-Press and Naples Daily News subscribers in select neighborhoods throughout Lee and Collier counties. Subscriptions to the magazine are $24.95, and single copies are available at The News-Press and Naples Daily News offices, and at various locations throughout Lee and Collier counties. To read the free e-edition visit grandeurmagazine.com. To advertise: 239-335-0457 To subscribe: 239-335-0211 To reach the editor: editor@grandeurmagazine.com
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grand | ADVISORY BOARD Meet the Grandeur Advisory Board, a group designed to help ensure that our coverage of the good life in Southwest Florida reaches the high expectations we always strive to meet.
Susan Bennett
President, Susan Bennett Marketing & Media
Karen Johnson–Crowther Principal, Director of Retail Services, Colliers International
Gail Markham
Markham Norton Mosteller Wright & Company, P.A.
Robbie Roepstorff
President, Edison National Bank
Dwayne Bergmann
Principal/Designer Dwayne Bergmann, LLC
Tracey Galloway
CEO of Community Cooperative
Larry Norris
Founder, Norris Furniture & Interiors
Jennifer Williams
Owner, Jennifer’s Inc.
MORE GRANDEUR Celebrate everything about living the good life in Southwest Florida – high style in fashion and décor, fine food and wine, popular social events, exploring our spectacular natural setting, the entertainment scene and more. Check out photo galleries, videos, society news and other online offerings at grandeurmagazine.com.
Like us on Facebook at grandeurmagazine.com/facebook 10 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
grand | EDITOR’S LETTER
Welcome to a new Grandeur
G
Location provided by: Henredon Interior Design Showroom, Miromar Design Center.
PHOTO BY BRIAN TIETZ
12 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
randeur is back, faces of the chair and co-chairs and if you think of our region’s most wellwe look a little known charity events. These different, you’re hard-working individuals help right. After a hot raise awareness and much summer of fierce storms, we’ve needed funds for those in need. returned with some exciting Our cover story this month changes and a fresh look. We’re has plenty of fantastic offernow sharing more stories about ings from Southwest Florida the faces, places and hot spots arts venues to share. From an throughout Southwest Florida, internationally acclaimed artist and we’ve expanded our reach to celebrating 20 years of the to include more of Lee and Florida Rep, there is something Collier counties. for every audience this season, For those of you who are pages 31-34. We also share the just getting the opportunity to lineup of numerous film festiexperience Grandeur, we are vals in the coming year, page a regional lifestyles magazine 35, and feature the performing that has been part of this comarts fall highlights, pages 36-38. munity for 14 years, reaching Even this month’s Grand an audience that knows how Ride is a work of art. You’ll get to live life to the fullest in our behind the wheel of a classic large, diverse region. 1953 Ford Ranch Wagon lovOur mission has always ingly restored by a father-son been to connect readers with duo with a lifelong passion the very best our area offers. and dedication for automobiles, This season, we continue page 55. this mission by adding three Lastly, don’t forget to check new features that successfully out our Grand Events, page 68 accomplishes this goal. Have for pics from an abundance of you ever dreamed of living in gatherings throughout Southa perfectly decorated home? west Florida. Our Model Behavior, page It’s great to be back and es27, opens the door to stylish pecially exciting to share what model homes that set the home makes our piece of paradise decorating trends in Southwest so amazing with more readers Florida. In Make it a Double, than ever. page 65, we take you to the See you next month! trendy bars, lounges and nightclubs in our area. Those hotspots where being seen is a must. Behind the Benefit, page 72, shares the KATHRYN ROBINSON KINSEY EDITOR & GENERAL MANAGER
grand | COLORS
Gilt gardenia
• Give your outfit some flower power with this gleaming gold gardenia belt. From Oscar de la Renta’s Fall 2017 collection, the belt features the iconic designer’s favorite flower. The slim soft wool-blend belt also cinches with a discreet adjustable stud closure. Find your Black Gardenia-Buckle Slim Waist Belt for $1,290 at MarissaCollections.com.
gold THE
Aurelian sun • Ra is the sun king of ancient Egypt. Curry
& Company’s Tutti chandelier ($1,990) is today’s demi-god. Ribbons of folded wrought iron steel make up its rounded form while a silver leaf finish cascades over the orb shape for a Mid-Century look. We’d love to spot this in your home’s modern bar next to those bar chairs in the image to the right. Available at Robb & Stucky.
STANDARD
Y
ellow gold. Rose gold. White gold. Green gold. Whatever its final hue, this alloy always has a hold on us. Why? It’s glamorous. Sexy.
Strong. Striking. The simplest household item, say a charger plate, gets elevated with a glossy golden finish. And bold classics like the moto jacket get
Tight weave • Disco
lovers of the ‘70s and ‘80s would have clamored for these glamorous kickers from Monique Lhuillier ($875). Lucky for us, the Felicity mesh ankle boot is available now at SaksFifthAvenue. com. Adorned with a 4-inch stiletto heel, peep toe, sensuous mesh, and ankle tie closure, this Italian-made boot simply exudes sex appeal and is desperate for the dance floor.
14 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
redefined for a new generation with a gilt twist. So go on, mix your metals. It’s the new gold standard. — PATRICIA CARLSON
Snake charmer
• The tennis bracelet and bangle go reptilian with this Middle Easterninspired duo. From Roberto Coin’s Primavera Collection, each bracelet is made of 18K yellow gold and features a few smartly placed diamonds weighing in at roughly .20 carats total. Look closely and you’ll see no less than three layers of delicate and different metal weaving to make these bracelets especially charming. Visit Congress Jewelers on Sanibel or at congressjewelers.com for a wide selection of Roberto Coin jewelry.
Sound wave •
From the modern home tech geniuses at Bang & Olufsen comes a wireless speaker that pushes design and sound boundaries. At its surface, the BeoSound 2 in warm brass from the Cool Modern Collection is inspired by art deco and is a sleek, virtually indestructible aluminum sculpture. At its core, the BeoSound 2 is a powerful speaker system with room-filling 360-degree sound performance and fully equipped integrated wireless streaming. The BeoSound 2 is available for $1,995 at Design West’s Mercato Showroom, 9118 Strada Place.
Raising the bar • Equally sleek, strong and striking, the Eclipse Bar chairs from Zuo Mod ($498 each) are the gilt statement piece you’ve been looking for. Always classy, never gaudy, these bar chairs are crafted of polished stainless steel in gold finish. Reminiscent of classic French design but clearly of this century, these seats will quickly become the most coveted in your home. At Zuo, Miromar Design Center.
Golden circle
• Elevate your in-home dining experience with these deliciously opulent 13-inch Somerville charger plates from Ralph Lauren Home. Made in Italy, each charger is crafted from glazed earthenware with a crisp white center and a glossy gold-hued finish. Use the charger as a beautiful serving platter or an eyecatching accent. The Somerville charger plate from Ralph Lauren Home is available for $175 at Design West’s Mercato Showroom, 9118 Strada Place.
Moto fun
• Although the Ophelia metallic gold jacket is designed by Sundays, everyday is the right day to don this comfy stunner. The classic moto gets a soft and sexy remake with shimmery fabric, stylish quilting, and a relaxed collar. Pair it with slim white pixies and some stacked heels and you’re good to go day or night. $206. Available at Jennifer’s (239) 481-8582 or jennifersfortmyers.com.
GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 15
grand | FACES
UPHOLDING A CULTURAL
icon Sisters Kristine and
Juliana Meek have taken over the family business that put Naples on the map for sophistication — and a tradition of community generosity.
STORY BY CATHY CHESTNUT PHOTO BY NICK SHIRGHIO Sisters Kristine and Juliana Meek
16 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
hen Foster Harmon opened a gallery that featured New York artists on Third Street South in Naples in 1964, it was vanguard. Real estate magnate Julius Fleishmann hatched the plan to bring a new level of sophistication to the fledgling city known for golfing, fishing and beachcombing. The Harmon Gallery’s exhibitions featuring the foremost artists — Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, Grandma Moses, Alexander Calder, Will Barnet, Walter Meigs and Milton Avery — drew exciting publicity, seasonal residents and out-oftowners for elegant black-tie receptions. Going into its 55th season, the HarmonMeek Gallery is considered the oldest American art gallery in the Southeast. It has been owned and run by the Meeks since the 1970s, when assistant gallery director J. William “Bill” Meek III signed an agreement to operate and purchase the gallery from Foster Harmon. Today, his daughters are the director-owners of not one but two art galleries. Kristine Meek oversees the Harmon-Meek Gallery, which is now on the third floor of the Capital Bank Center at Sixth Avenue North and U.S. 41. Juliana Meek operates Harmon-Meek | modern, which opened in 2015 and marked the family’s return to the Historic Third Street District. The galleries combined represent the works of 40 artists who have been hand-selected by the Meeks each summer during visits to artists’ studios in New England. A significant criteria is that the artist’s work needs to be in a permanent museum collection, says Juliana. “That really sets
artists apart. There are three million artists,” she guestimates, “and only 600 art museums. It is competitive to become established.” Their father and mother, Barbara Meek, both Naples High School graduates, still keep a close eye on the galleries, but the sisters certainly know the ropes, beginning with their earliest task of affixing stamps to fancy reception invitations — earning a penny per envelope. As they matured, their responsibilities and pay did, too, through high school and their college years. But it wasn’t a given that they would be gallery operators. “Our parents encouraged us to do other things with our lives so we wouldn’t have regrets later,” says Kristine, 39, who earned dual undergraduate degrees in biology and business and a Master of Business Administration in marketing. She worked with the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and in fundraising for two environmental nonprofits, the African Wildlife Foundation and The Conservation Fund. With a master’s degree in engineering management and a law degree, Juliana became a cyber-intelligence analyst for the CIA. After they returned to their hometown in 2012, both explain, their parents “interviewed” them about what they could bring to the gallery. “They had us apprentice for six months and prove we could run the business,” Kristine says. “It was a tough process,” says Juliana, 36. “I had given tough interviews with the Department of Justice and Homeland Security … but I had to prove myself to my parents.” The sisters inked a 10-year agreement with their parents in January 2013, just as the elder Meeks had done with Harmon. And they are carrying on some of the well-known traditions that their parents had started and maintained.
Before the Baker Museum of Art at Artis–Naples and The von Liebig Art Center, there was only the Harmon-Meek Gallery. Since the 1970s, school groups, art associations, special-interest and at-risk youth groups have been invited into the gallery for cultural enrichment. Community leadership is in their genes. Bill and Barbara Meek were the force behind three public art exhibits: at the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, the Baker Museum and at The von Liebig. They have a long tradition of donating works for fundraising auctions. More recently, Kristine and Juliana have been involved on the boards of nonprofits and with various causes. The sisters helped establish the Napleson-the-Gulf Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in 2014. Five years ago, the sisters launched the Visionaries of the Visual Arts Award and Benefit Dinner to honor individuals who support the visual arts and public art with a focus on children. Proceeds go to the Harmon-Meek Gallery Fund at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation to benefit local youth art programs. Recently, a group of 16 middle-school pediatric clients of the nonprofit David Lawrence Center, who were being treated for mental health issues, gathered to create small tree sculptures as part of an art therapy program funded through the Gallery Fund. Kristine was amazed at the children’s transformation from hunched and sullen to smiling while discussing their work — the power of art therapy. “They realized they had layers, just like they were adding layers to their tree sculptures,” Kristine says. “We’re not here just to sell art and represent artists. It’s nice to know you’re having an impact in the community.”
“We’re not here just to sell art and represent artists. It’s nice to know you’re having an impact in the community.” — KRISTINE MEEK
GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 17
grand | FACES
TO THE SOUL OF CUBA Gloria Jordan takes clients to the hard-to-find cultural gems of her homeland.
G
loria Jordan not only loves art, she is an artist — when it comes to food. The Cuban-born owner of La Trattoria Cafe Napoli and the Mermaid Garden Cafe is stretching beyond the creative boundaries of her two south Fort Myers kitchens and taking small groups of Southwest Floridians on cultural, art and educational tours of her native country. As a young girl living just outside of Havana, she was always into art, most notably fashion. She laughs. “Since I’m short and can’t be a model, I used to design everything, and take it to a seamstress to make.” Gloria’s artistic senses weren’t just for fabrics but also flavors. “I would come home and sit at the kitchen table and say, ‘I know what you put in here,’ and my mom says, ‘How do you know, you weren’t here.’ It’s a gift.” “When you talk about art, one thing merges into another,” she says. “People can be a chef, designer, jewelry maker; they can get inspired by anything, and when inspired, anything can happen.” When it came time to go to university, Gloria wanted to study art but remembers,
“My dad was too scared to let me go to art school.” Raising her eyebrows she adds, “At that time, being an artist in Cuba was questionable, now it’s a cool thing.” She studied architectural drafting instead, a career path that gave her an escape route to Europe and eventually Southwest Florida. Her architectural background is evident in the construction and plating of her food. Today, Gloria’s newly sprouted travel and tourism business is igniting her creative spirit in a different way. Every month, groups gather at her restaurant with bags packed, surrendering to her exuberance and expertise in navigating the sometimes murky waters of traveling to Cuba. She pours her heart and countless hours into making sure her travel companions have an authentic experience, learning about the country’s culture and experiencing its galleries, its music, its food, feeling its soul. Her guests are escorted to many hard-tofind, privately operated venues that house some of the country’s most promising talents, along with a few well-established names. “Cuba is unique…there is poverty, no technology, so you concentrate on music, food and art,” she says.
“The artists, restaurants, musicians and fashion world all work together, taking something old or vintage and turning it into something new.” About her side job as a tour operator, Gloria says, “For years people have asked me to take them (to Cuba), but I wasn’t even thinking about it, it just happened.” The excursions are licensed through her cousin’s agency in New York. With many trips under her belt, Gloria now has her finger on the pulse of the art community in and around Havana. She laughs. “My house is becoming a gallery. People always bring back things other than rum and cigars; they bring back music, art, jewelry, beautiful humidors, all expertly crafted.” According to the tour guide, visitors don’t return to Florida with tangible items alone. She says, “I tell people when you come back to your country you need to kiss your land. My husband actually did this the first time he went; I will never forget it.” Perhaps best of all, she says, “The art, the music, the culture, it gets into your soul… You see you really don’t need much to be happy.”
STORY BY GINA BIRCH | PHOTO BY AMANDA INSCORE 18 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
“ T HE ART , T H E M U SIC , T H E C U LT U RE, IT G ET S IN T O Y O U R SO U L… Y O U SEE Y O U REALLY D O N ’ T N EED MUCH TO BE H APPY . ” — G l o r i a J o r d an
GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 19
grand | FACES
Alex Goldstein produces music for Olympic figure skaters and ice dancers. He also makes documentary films. (Below) Alex with his wife Marina Berkovich.
MUSIC
TO WIN BY
Alex Goldstein of North Naples composes performance music for Olympic medalists
STORY BY ANDREA STETSON | PHOTOS BY AMANDA INSCORE 20 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
hen Sarah Hughes won the Olympic gold medal in figure skating in 2002, the first person her coach called was Alex Goldstein of North Naples. Alex arranged the music for the winning performance. But that’s just a piece of what the composer and music and video producer does. Alex began arranging music for Olympic skaters in 1972, and a few years later, he added synchronized swimmers and then gymnasts to his list of clients. Sometimes he spends hours and other times almost a year putting together the perfect mix of a tune to match the athletics of a champion. That perfect match of music to athlete helped create winners. The Olympic gold and silver medalists in ice dancing in Sochi in 2014 performed to Alex’s music. The gold, silver and bronze ice dancers in the Vancouver Olympics of 2010 also used his music. Since 1972 Alex has composed music for more than 40 Olympic medalists and hundreds of European, world and national medalists. He recently finished arranging music for women’s and men’s figure skaters, pairs and ice dancers who are contenders for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. They come from the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Great Britain, France, Poland, Brazil and Hungary. Alex’s journey to successful music composer began in his homeland of Russia, where he graduated from the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music in Moscow. He began working in television and film, over time creating scores for 27 feature films and
hundreds of documentaries, cartoons and TV shows. “It was because I worked in the film production studio and people made films about sportsmen and because of my work, the coaches approached me to help with their music,” Alex says. “After my success in figure skating, synchronized swimming came to me, and then before the Olympic Games in 1980, I spent time with the Soviet gymnast team to help them.” He customizes the music to the individual athlete. “I take a basic song and change the arrangement to fit,” Alex says. “All programs require performing a lot of different elements, and you can’t just make music for the length of the rules and it will be OK. I also need to know what will be performed in what order and make music according to this.” While Alex can watch some of the practices through video, he also travels around the world to watch the athletes for whom he is composing. “I need to go,” he says. “It is absolutely different when you watch it on YouTube or you are in the real place. On video you cannot feel the real speed or the real character. When I go to the practice it gives me new feeling.” Alex also produced two albums for future gold medalists. But sports music is just a portion of his work. Perhaps you heard the symphony he wrote and premiered at Artis–Naples in November 2016; it was performed by the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. A month later, it was performed in Bursa, Turkey. He and his wife, Marina Berkovich, also produce videos for commercial clients and private individuals. For three years they worked on a video called “Naples Oral Histories: If These Walls Could Talk,” which won an AVA Platinum Award in 2010. They have a bookcase full of awards for their various films, including five Telly Awards, two Hermes and two videographer honors. For the Jewish Historical Society of Southwest Florida in Naples, the couple created a series where they conducted
interviews with early Jewish residents of Southwest Florida. For the Holocaust Museum of Southwest Florida, they took on an oral visual history project. Through a series of interviews, they created two films: “We Testify: Testimony to Truth” and “We Testify: Hidden Children.” Alex and Marina also work with individuals to create their own preservation films. “With the same kind of skill, determination, dedication and art form, we try to do the same thing for everybody else,” Marina says. “People bring us their stories. It is historical preservation films but not for an organization and not for anybody famous, but for a family. We have had incredible stories.” Clients come with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of photos. Sometimes they cart in old 8 millimeter films. Marina helps them narrow down what they need to make a good family story and organize the material. “We help people create it so it has longevity, so it won’t become stale,” Marina says. “We help organize so it is interesting for whoever they want to present it to. We keep it short, maybe 30 minutes.” After it’s organized, Alex uses his video and audio expertise to pull it all together, adding music and interviews with family members. He has a library of more than 60,000 song titles to which he has usage rights. “He makes it very interesting, because he knows how to use music to make it interesting on screen,” Marina says. All this work is usually going on simultaneously, sometimes seven days a week. “We live here,” Marina says jokingly about the studio. “We go home to sleep and sometimes to eat.” But the couple loves the work. “A lot of people do their jobs and really hate their job,” Marina says. “Maybe their goal is to earn the millions or their pension, but their jobs don’t bring them the satisfaction. We love doing what we do. We love coming here. We don’t notice how we are here for 12 hours.”
“He makes it very interesting, because he knows how to use music to make it interesting on screen.” — MARINA BERKOVICH
GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 21
Ocean Prime brings a touch of the sea to land with warm and soothing colors in a modern motif.
22 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
grand | DINING
STORY BY GINA BIRCH
LOVING THE LAND AND THE SEA
Photo special to GRANDEUR
AT OCEAN PRIME
hat do you get when a high-end steak house marries a high-end seafood restaurant? Ocean Prime. December marks the one-year anniversary of this stunning restaurant in the heart of Naples’ popular Fifth Avenue South. Phil McCabe, owner of the Inn on Fifth where Ocean Prime is located, had been looking for a brand that would fit his restaurant space. And according to Ocean Prime General Manager Rick Gianassi, the restaurant group, founded in Ohio, had been looking to do business in Southwest Florida; after all, the founders had homes in the area. “We consider it (Ocean Prime) a boutique collection of restaurants, not a chain,” Rick says. With 14 locations, “we might be looked at by some as a big company, but we feel like we’re a mom-and-pop shop in Naples, a kind of ‘Cheers’ bar for many.” Drinks that smoke, garnishes made into works of art — this is my
kind of “Cheers” bar. Executive Chef Jason Mallon calls Berries & Bubbles ($14) the “Instagram drink,” explaining, “It’s our most photographed cocktail.” He was right; I ordered one and immediately posted the video. Citrus vodka, cassis, house-made sour and dry ice are poured from a shaker into a frosty martini glass, then topped with sparkling wine and marinated berries. It smokes and bubbles, creating a festive commotion. The bar chefs make their own simple syrups and other mixers from scratch. The bar itself, also referred to as “the lounge,” is perfectly situated in the center of the restaurant, with ample space for enjoying fancy drinks, highly rated wines and small bites, while perusing the crowd. Try the Prime sliders ($13), small patties of beef with rendered bacon, sundried tomato and blue cheese on top. Jason often changes up lounge selections and has the flexibility to adjust the regular menu for a local flair, while keeping the Ocean Prime favorites that people expect. He has been with Ocean Prime since its inception in 2009.
GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 23
grand | DINING
Photos special to GRANDEUR
“One thing that drew me to the company is the culture,” Jason says. “Here, ‘yes’ is the answer; it doesn’t matter what is the question. At first I said, ‘Yeah, I’ve heard this before,’ but it’s true here.” After drinks at the bar, we were led past the stunning wine wall, through the updated brown and blue décor, to a table facing a courtyard with twinkling lights, theatergoers gathering for an event at the Sugden. Throughout the night, no detail went unnoticed by the associates, the job title given to the Ocean Prime workforce as a whole. Associates go through extensive training, and it is evident. Then there is Rick’s genuine enthusiasm and welcoming nature; it spills over into those he leads. The steak and seafood marriage of Ocean Prime results in a number of fantastic surf and turf combos, such as the Prime Roll ($18). The signature sushi roll has crisp tempura shrimp, soft cream cheese and flavorful scallions. It’s topped with fine slices of carpaccio and drizzled with a sweet eel sauce, a dish you’ll be back for. The numerous selections of hand-cut steaks, including dry aged, are cooked in a 1,200-degree broiler. They come with a variety of accoutrements, including a butterpoached lobster gratin; the Parmesan on top is caramelized to create a light crust. The Chilean sea bass in a Champagne truffle sauce ($44) is a favorite fish dish, but perhaps the most impressive, at least visually, is the smoking seafood tower. Guests can custom design their towers; dry ice adds an ethereal touch.
From top: The Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli is a “wow” dish, with garlic, white wine, basil, sweet tomatoes and truffle oil. • Berries & Bubbles is one of the most photographed cocktails on the menu; it tastes as good as it looks. • Dense and delicious, the ten layer carrot cake is a signature dessert at Ocean Prime. • The ahi tuna appetizer has a savory ponzu marinade, a hint of wasabi and crisp wontons for a superb combo of flavors and textures. 24 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
Side dishes include standards like creamed spinach, along with little tweaks like jalapeno in the au gratin. Other creative combos include smoked Gouda tater tots and black truffle macaroni and cheese. Save room for dessert as it is special here; the carrot cake is 10 layers, separated by cream cheese icing. The butter cake was not always printed on the menu. Referred to as the “secret cake,” regulars who knew about it would consistently order it. The secret is out and the cake is on the list. The cake is soaked in buttermilk, vanilla and sugar. Ever so lightly crusted, the interior is perfectly moist. Topped with mixed berries, raspberry syrup and vanilla bean ice cream, it makes a not too heavy, delicious finale. The restaurant is beautiful. So is the food, with balanced flavors and spot on preparation. Add impeccable service and you have a winning restaurant trifecta at Ocean Prime. — Ocean Prime is located at 699 5th Fifth S., Naples.
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grand | MODEL BEHAVIOR
COAST
TO CONTEMPORARY Three new models at Aqua in Naples give residents a sunrise to sunset view and are available in three styles.
Three new luxury models recently opened in the Aqua at Pelican Isle in Naples. They’re similar in size, price and views, but completely different in appearance. One is contemporary, another is coastal and the third transitional.
“It is to show the versatility of how these residences can live,” says Darline Hillard, director of sales at Aqua. “… People love that they can see all the ways these residences can be finished.” Many people buying at Aqua have been visiting the models for decorating ideas, Darline says.
All three models have a great room and a living room. “It is more like a large single-family house,” Darline says. “People love that. “A lot of our residents come from a single-family home. … They are not giving up anything except having to GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 27
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STORY BY ANDREA STETSON | PHOTOS BY AMANDA INSCORE
tark white walls, white floors and soaring high white ceilings provide a versatile canvas for the brilliant palette of the new Azure villa at the Residences at Mercato in North Naples. In the hallway, a picture of a simple, bright fuchsia feather pops off the white. In the great room, three large niches in the wall are framed with thick black picture frames around wallpaper in splashes of blue hues. The black frames coordinate with the black around the windows in the top half of the family room. In the master bedroom, emerald green accents almost glow from shelving, a lamp and the tops of the curtains. “It is the last of this type available that is new,” says Mike Hoyt, senior vice president of development for the Lutgert Companies, which developed the Residences at Mercato. Upstairs, pop-out squares that look like white checkerboard pieces fill a wall in a guest bedroom. Shades of turquoise bring the room to life. The other guest bedroom hosts splashes of deep red on the bedspread and curtains. An abstract painting that looks a bit like pieces of Minnie Mouse’s white dots on red skirt add color to the stairway. “I am a little more aggressive. It was a bit risky, but it paid off,” says Wilfredo Emanuel, an interior designer with Clive Daniel Home. The pops of color echo the home’s theme. “All the rooms are stones,” Wilfredo says. “They are all inspired by stone.” One bedroom is emerald, another ruby and another turquoise. Wilfredo says he also uses repetition to help the house flow from room to room. So the color emerald is repeated in the powder room with big emerald squares. Turquoise is seen again in the great room. Wilfredo balances the bright colors with tones of black and white. An image of a black and white zebra hangs on the wall of the ruby bedroom. In the kitchen, black cabinets bring depth. Another unusual touch in the kitchen is a faucet that looks like a modern art sculpture, a bit like a spiral curved robot arm. The Azure is one of 46 single-family homes and attached villas in the Residences at Mercato. The gated neighborhood is just steps from the upscale Mercato shopping area with its boutique stores, restaurants, movie theater and Whole Foods. While the Azure is an attached villa, it lives like a single-family house. It’s designed for a younger, cosmopolitan, upscale working type of client.
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Yacht and Country Club YACHT and COUNTRY CLUB
Clockwise from top: The Azure, in Residences at Mercato is walking distance to the upscale Mercato shopping area. The Azure is an attached villa, but there are also single family homes in the community. • Large black picture frames on the wall of the great room surround colorful wallpaper. The frames match the windows in the top portion of the room. • One of the rooms opens right up onto the lanai. This room can be used as a den, extra bedroom or cabana. • The designer added intricate features to the lighting fixtures in each room. • The lighting fixture in the family room. • The kitchen’s black cabinets make a stark contrast to the white surroundings.
“What I think about are people who want something different,” he says. “We are getting into the more younger professionals here in Naples. They are looking for more fresh ideas. They want to be happy, and they want a place that feels rewarding all the time. The home is part of their jewels; what they are wearing. They like to show friends how they live.” The front door leads to a 24-foot high entranceway that then leads to the family room where the ceilings are just as tall. Turquoise and green accents coordinate with the framed recesses while the angles of the frames are offset by amoeba shaped coffee tables with a brown mazelike design.
The kitchen and family room overlook the lanai, while the master bedroom is tucked into the back. The master bathroom features a rain showerhead and a very long soaking tub. “The DVX tub, that is the Lexus to Toyota,” Mike says. Other alluring features include natural gas to heat the pool and stove and a tankless gas water heater. Upstairs, the balcony overlooks the lanai and great room and leads to the two guest suites. The three bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom home also has a cabana that can be used as a den, extra bedroom or pool cabana. The cabana’s sliding glass doors pocket into the wall, making the room seem to be part of the lanai when open. The centerpiece of the lanai is the pool with its waterfall wall. Nearby, there’s a sitting area with a fireplace and television and an outdoor grill area. “It’s a neat little outdoor space,” Mike says. “You hardly know you are right next to all the action in Mercato.” The home spans 2,942 square feet under air and is priced at $1.97 million. The Azure recently won an Aurora Award for Best Single Family Detached Home 2,500 to 2,999 square feet in size. “We all have the dream to live in the best place that we can,” Wilfredo says. “You want them to feel like ‘Oh my god, it is amazing.’ You want that wow moment when they open the door.”
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TNU THY CHES A C Y B Y S TO R
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T H G I L T O P S E H IN T ed ally acclaim ion An internat a Rep, id r lo F e h t ars of artist, 20 ye film arts d n a s e c n a for m son. a sizzling per e s l a r u lt u ec highlight th
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visual arts spotlight: MARCUS JANSEN AT THE BAKER MUSEUM bstract painter Marcus Jansen is taking Germany by storm with two touring exhibits and companion books exploring the evolution of an artist who got his early inspiration from street graffiti. The Fort Myers-based artist is credited with essentially creating urban expressionism — moody, visceral abstractions that often include gritty images and symbols telescoping his worldview on societal issues and the human condition. Today, his sometimes-apocalyptic works can command over six figures and are sought by art collectors and investors.
Pieces by Marcus Jansen (clockwise from left): “Self Portrait” • “Abandoned Mansions” • “Implosion”
When he gets a break from touring nationally and internationally to celebrate an opening reception and give talks, the Gulf War veteran is back at his studio in a turnof-the-century warehouse on the edge of the Dunbar community, making his enamel paintings that are so large-scale that he must sometimes trim his vision into three smaller pieces to form diptychs or triptychs for ease of packaging and transport. Locals who haven’t caught up with Jansen are in for a treat this summer, when his
first solo, mid-career retrospective, “Marcus Jansen: DECADE,” is shown at a United States museum — and it will be here at the Baker Museum at Artis–Naples. “I’m excited. Considering everything going on overseas, it’s just great,” Marcus says. This season, the Baker Museum is featuring the type of thought-provoking, world-class exhibitions it is known for, such as “Languages of Art,” which showcases 100 works from the museum’s permanent collection arranged thematically, and “French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 18501950” from the Brooklyn Museum. It’s atypical for the Baker Museum to mount a show featuring “local artists,” though clearly, Marcus reaches far beyond. Baker Museum Director and Chief Curator Frank Verpoorten says “DECADE” goes back to 2008 and represents “the depth and breadth of his output as an artist. Marcus has been a force in Southwest Florida for several years now. I have carefully followed the development of his career, especially during the past few years. This is the appropriate time for the fine-art museum in his backyard to recognize him through a retrospective of his work and career.” Marcus, 49, opens his UNIT A studio to the public when he gets the chance. He is represented in Naples by H.W. Gallery, specializing in modern art. His work is included in the collections of the U.S. Department of State’s Art in Embassies Program, UNESCO in Paris, France, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. “Marcus Jansen: DECADE” runs May 19 through July 22 at the Baker Museum in Naples. Widowed with two children, Marcus says he’s hoping to pause long enough next year to marry his fiancé, local pianist Sabrina Gruper. GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 33
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performing arts spotlight: FLORIDA REP CELEBRATES TWO DECADES
laywright and screenwriter Sir Tom Stoppard famously noted: “We do on stage things that are supposed to happen off. Which is a kind of integrity, if you look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.” Robert Cacioppo’s exit into a new reality came 20 years ago when the board of directors of the Pirate Playhouse on Sanibel Island forced him and his actress-wife, Carrie Lund, out. At the time, downtown Fort Myers was struggling to redevelop and the historic Arcade Theatre between First and Bay streets, built in 1908, was sitting empty, with only 35 days of usage. While at the Pirate Playhouse, Carrie, Robert and a small pool of talent had rejuvenated an abandoned oneroom historic schoolhouse with widely received musicals that were so popular, a new Pirate Playhouse theatre was built on Periwinkle Way. (The story really begins in 1985 when Carrie arrived to the Sanibel playhouse, and Robert followed after her in 1987.) Carrie and Robert, the artistic director of the new Pirate Playhouse, turned the community theater into a professional one, and proved their grist through a decade of commitment and passion. In the December 1997 “year in review,” The News-Press noted for the year’s milestones Princess Diana’s death, Oprah Winfrey’s controversial tirade against beef — and Robert’s firing. On the way out the door, he vowed to start a new theater company, becoming the founder and producing artistic director of Florida Rep. “I was highly motivated, and the community was incredibly supportive,” he recalls.
Half the board, the audience and the staff followed them into town, he says. “Carrie and I get a lot of credit, but I am the guy who represents the tip of the iceberg of years and years of talent,” says Robert, 60. “It showed a theater is not a building, it’s the people.” Today, as the Florida Repertory Theatre in downtown Fort Myers goes into its 20th season, Robert reflects, “Arts organizations come and go. We have not only gotten to 20 years, we are strong and large. We are putting our best foot forward.” Its repertory is also evolving to include meatier productions mixed with uplifting musicals. Last season saw the staging of “To Kill a Mockingbird” as police shootings were
sparking outrage across the nation, in addition to “Best of Enemies” plumbing issues of racial bigotry and friendship. “I can do shows that discuss these things,” he says. This season will see nine productions with two works directed by Robert, including “Cabaret,” offering up burlesque and Kit Kat Girls as the curtain rises on Nazism. And finally, after decades of on-and-off germination, Southwest Florida will experience the world premiere of a production that he will not only direct but conceived: “Night and Day: Love Lost and Found through the Eyes of Cole Porter.” “This season epitomizes what Florida Rep stands for — a wide variety of productions,” he says.
“It showed a theater is not a building, it’s the people.” — ROBERT CACIOPPO 34 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
film arts REEL DEAL
ilm festivals offer something for everyone: the strange, the political, the poignant, the inspiring. Luckily for cinema buffs in Southwest Florida, there’s a plethora of opportunities for delving deeper into new worlds at many film festivals that seem to continue to grow in breadth and programming. Due to the nature of the submission and selection process, specific details for each one are evolving. However, if you are tired of the same-old CGI action films at the corporate theater houses, consider some of these options for getting an indie perspective on these modern times. See you at the movies!
Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs The Center for Performing Arts Moe Auditorium & Film Center regularly screens films on Monday nights through the end of October. The Films for Film Lovers series launched in the summer, and remaining films include the 2014 Brazilian-British adventure drama “Trash” on October 16 and the 2008 Israeli drama “Lemon Tree” on October 23. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Beverages, snacks and popcorn are available, and the films are followed by a lively discussion.
festival in the spring. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with screenings of short films assessed by a panel of three local guest-celebrity judges. Admission is $10 or free to holders of the VIP year-long pass. The FMFF collaborates with other arts venues in the community and culminates with a red-carpet event in March at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. Find out more about what’s in store for the FMFF’s eighth season: fortmyersfilmfestival.com
Fort Myers Beach Film Festival
January 25-28, the center will be the venue for the Bonita Springs International Film Festival, which presents more than 70 carefully curated narrative, documentary, animation and short films from around the world, complemented by a wide variety of workshops, demonstrations and Q&A sessions with filmmakers, writers, directors and actors. The 200-seat auditorium is at 10150 Bonita Beach Road S.E. in Bonita Springs. More information: artcenterbonita.org
For the 12th year, the five-day Fort Myers Beach Film Festival will attract independent film fans, filmmakers, actors and producers to Estero Island’s Gulf of Mexico shoreline. Movies are screened at the Beach Theater at 6425 Estero Blvd. One of the fan favorites is the outdoor screening during Film on the Beach or Film on the Bay (depending where it’s hosted); it’s free, open to public and features a family film. In addition, a couple of weekday workshops are spearheaded by visiting filmmakers to help teach and inspire budding filmmakers. The festival, supported by the Greater Fort Myers Beach Friends of the Arts and other organizations and businesses, runs April 25-29 with events for all ages. More information: friendsoftheartsfmb.com
BIG Arts
Naples International Film Festival
The Sanibel Island organization’s Monday Night Films series runs November 13 through April, with screenings of titles such as “A United Kingdom,” “Patersen” and “Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story” at Schein Hall. In addition, BIG Arts organizes a documentary series that is screened at Island Cinema, 535 Tarpon Bay Road, in March. Award-winners include “De Palma,” “The Eagle Huntress,” “Kedi” and “Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You.” More information: bigarts.org
Fort Myers Film Festival Who said Mondays need to be boring? Certainly not the folks at the Fort Myers Film Festival. Monday nights, indie shows are screened at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center in downtown Fort Myers during its Thank Goodness It’s Monday series, also known as TGIM, leading up to the main
The Naples International Film Festival has grown so much since its formation nine years ago that it merged with Artis–Naples in late 2016. Festival directors scout events like the Sundance Film Festival to bring in 50 high-caliber narrative, documentary and short films screened at the luxurious, state-of-the-art Silverspot Cinema at the Mercato. NIFF runs October 26-29. More information: naplesfilmfest.com
Naples Jewish Film Festival The annual Naples Jewish Film Festival offers plenty of film for thought. Information on the 2018 festival wasn’t available at press time. This year, it ran February through April with Sunday screenings at 7:30 p.m. at Sugden Theatre on Fifth Avenue South. More information: naplesjewishfilmfestival.org
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PERFORMING
FALL HIGHLIGHTS Venues throughout Southwest Florida will make ‘em laugh, make ‘em cry and make ‘em dance this cultural season. Following are highlights of performing arts in the region this fall, not including holiday productions.
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Explosive blues guitarist Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers
bring it on. October 21. Hinman Auditorium, Center for the Performing Arts, Bonita Springs. Four very funny women take the stage for Diva Comedy Night. October 28. Lee County Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers.
In “Veronica’s Room,” two students are invited to a decrepit mansion to meet its caretakers and the addled, last-surviving member of the family who once lived there. Soon, the line between fantasy and reality starts to blur. October 20-November 4. The Laboratory Theater of Florida, Fort Myers.
Victor Wainwright & The Train bring their boogie-woogie
blues keyboard, dynamic vocals and high-energy performance to Southwest Florida. October 28. Hinman Auditorium, Center for the Performing Arts, Bonita Springs. Tony Award-winning “Pippin” tells the magical story of a young prince’s journey with a production full of acrobats, flashy performances and a circus theme. Through November 18. Broadway Palm, Fort Myers. An ambitious foreign-exchange student and her hot-tempered science teacher meet their match in “Paradise.” Through October 29. Gulfshore Playhouse, The Norris Center, Naples. Get your bluegrass fix on the lawn at the Lee County Alliance for the Arts on select Sundays for concerts presented in partnership with the
Acoustic Music Society of Southwest Florida. October 29, November 19 and December 17. Lee County Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers.
“Night Mother” is a tense drama
about a woman who calmly tells her mother that she plans to kill herself, and her desperation builds. October 20-November 5. The Studio Players, Golden Gate Community Center, Naples.
The Late Ones is a Hawaiian band built on roots reggae with R&B, hip-hop and jazz influences. October 27. Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers. What if the only way for one man to survive against a trio of angry lovers, a notorious killer, two greedy old men, a lusty barmaid and a host of bungling street performers is to be in two places at once? “The Servant of Two Masters,” the celebrated comedy by 18th century genius of the Commedia style Carlo Goldoni. October 27-November 5, TheatreLab in the Arts Complex, Florida Gulf Coast University, Estero. Live in concert, the rock band
Chicago is the first to take the
stage at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena at Florida SouthWestern College, 7 p.m. October 29.
In A.R. Gurney’s romantic comedy, “Sylvia,” a man’s growing love for a dog he finds in a park create problems in his marriage. October 24-November 15. Florida Repertory Theatre, Fort Myers. A 21st century couple joins a community of 1950s re-enactors, but they take it a bit too far in “Maple and Vine.” October 25-November 19. The Naples Players, Sugden Theatre, Naples. A trio of Gulfshore Opera’s young tenors sing operatic works, classical songs and ballads with musical accompaniment. October 27. Naples Botanical Gardens, Naples.
Gulf Coast Symphony presents the family-friendly “A Hogwarts Halloween.” October 29. Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers. August Wilson’s comedy/mystery about fictional blues musician Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton, who dies a week after being released from prison, is set in 1948. “Seven Guitars” follows Barton’s mourning friends as they recall the events that led to his death. November 3-18. Theatre Conspiracy, Lee County Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers. Ken Ludwig’s “Leading Ladies” is a laugh-out-loud comedy about two struggling actors trying to inherit an immense fortune that’s clearly not theirs. November 11-December 10. Gulfshore Playhouse, The Norris Center, Naples.
“So You Think You Can Dance” features the top
10 finalists from the popular television show going into its 14th season. October 30. Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers.
Miami City Ballet performs the 50-year-old Balanchine masterpiece “Jewels” in the first of three performances by the ballet company this season. November 1. Naples Philharmonic, Artis–Naples, Naples.
Can you imagine The Beatles playing in concert with the Southwest Florida Symphony? “Classical Mystery Tour.” October 21. Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers.
Local playwright Barry Cavin reimagines early 20th century spiritualist Pearl Curran in his “Writing Shadows.” November 3-24. Ghostbird Theatre Company, Langford-Kingston Home, Fort Myers.
The classic Puccini opera
“Madama Butterfly” tells the
story of a Japanese girl who risks and loses everything by marrying a callow American naval officer. November 3. Opera Naples, Naples. Southwest Florida Symphony Maestro Nir Kaberetti conducts works from Copland, Dvorak and more in “Masterworks I:
Fanfare for the New World.”
November 4. Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers.
Barrage 8 incorporates its trademark style, energy and musicality into a masterful reimagining of the string octet. November 5. U. Tobe Recital Hall in the Music Building, FGCU, Estero. Country music singer-songwriter Cole Swindell plays the annual Eaglepalooza. November 9. Germain Arena, Estero. Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prizewinning drama, “Disgraced,” explores religion, Islamophobia, self-identity and betrayal. November 7-December 10. ArtStage Studio Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, Fort Myers. Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit, “The Mousetrap,” is the world’s longest-running play. November 10-19. Cultural Park Theatre, Cape Coral. Conductor Jack Everly’s new Pops creation, “Cirque Broadway,” combines music with circus acrobats and Broadway singers. November 7-11. Naples Philharmonic, Artis–Naples, Naples. Violin virtuoso Midori Gotó’ returns to Naples for the first time since 2009 and performs Sibelius’ “Violin Concerto.” November 16 and 18. Naples Philharmonic, Artis–Naples, Naples. The celebrated Diaz Trio (Roberto Díaz, Andrés Díaz, and Andrés Cárdenes) is one of the world’s greatest touring string trios. November 17. Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers. The Symphonic Chorale of Southwest Florida presents
“Harvest Grain: A Banquet of Song,” a collection of
vocal pieces representing the cycle of life and the themes of love, family and Thanksgiving. November 17 at Sanibel Community Church, Sanibel Island, and November 19 at Faith Presbyterian Church, Cape Coral. GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 37
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God retells Bible stories, answering some of mankind’s deepest questions and introducing His all-new Ten Commandments, in “An Act of God.” November 17-December 9. The Laboratory Theater of Florida, Fort Myers. Pianist Logan Skelton highlights music of Hungarian composers, including the Liszt “Sonata in B minor” and the Bartok “Concerto for Orchestra.” 7:30 p.m. November 30. U. Tobe Recital Hall in the Music Building, FGCU, Estero. The longest-running and most acclaimed Queen tribute band, God Save the Queen, will rock you. December 2. Germain Arena, Estero.
The ultimate love story continues in “Love Never Dies,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to “The Phantom of the Opera.” Set in 1907, the drama unfolds 10 years after the Phantom’s disappearance from the Paris Opera House, having escaped to a new life in New York. December 5-10. Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers. Naples Philharmonic Conductor Andrey Boreyko conducts Brahms. December 8 and 9. Naples Philharmonic, Artis– Naples, Naples.
Professor Cunningham & His Old School bring
their groovy repertoire deeply steeped in the New Orleans jazz tradition to town. Dec. 15. Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers
off the beaten path Community Day is a popular family event that invites residents to explore Artis–Naples free of charge. It includes a Halloween concert, activities for all ages and access to all museum exhibitions and galleries. Come dressed in costume and enjoy Halloween-themed activities. October 28. Artis–Naples, Naples. Cooking for the Arts: An Evening in Athens is a “The Book of Mormon”
returns to Naples by popular demand. The irreverent, Tony Award-winning musical satire follows two Mormon missionaries sent to a remote village in Uganda. December 1924. Artis–Naples, Naples. Comedian and best-selling author Jim Gaffigan brings his new Noble Ape Tour to Southwest Florida. December 28. Germain Arena, Estero.
four-course, gourmet meal paired with special wines, an interactive dinner experience directed by Chefs Mike and Karen Gavala of G3 Catering. November 4. Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Fort Myers.
Writers Read is part poetry slam, part narrative, an
experience for the ears, the mind and the soul. Five groups of Island Writers — more than 50 writers from the community — compete with one another to share their work with the audience. 7:30 p.m. November 29. Strauss Theater, BIG Arts, Sanibel Island.
“Michael Carbonaro Live!” from TruTV’s “The Carbonaro Effect” awes audiences with his inexplicable magic tricks. December 14. Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers.
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grand | SHOPPING
art THE
OF
SHOPPING Sometimes you go looking for that specific piece of art, or sometimes it peers at you from a window you were just passing by and suddenly know it was meant for you. Art is a form that ignites our senses and imagination, and speaks uniquely to the individual. The textures, complexities, simplicity of lines, the arrangement of colors and scenes whisk us away even for a moment. These are treasures waiting to be found. STORY BY SARA COGGIN
“The Visionary”
By David Acevedo | Mixed Media on Canvas | 30” x 40” | Intuitive Praxis collection presented at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, 2015 Bold colors and textures and variation of mediums allows for flexibility and a deep layering effect. Artist David Acevedo explains that it is “based upon the aspects of creativity and how a mind can travel far to find inspiration”. Born in Puerto Rico, the artist now lives in Florida and his paintings have been exhibited in PR, Florida, Spain and Hong Kong. Acevedo was given the Visual Artist of the Year Award and the FACE Award for Diversity and Cultural Influence in 2016. He is also co-founder of the Fort Myers Art Walk and creator/founder of SoCo Second Saturday event. For more information, visit his website: acevedostudio.virb.com. GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 39
“Grace”
By Amy Donaldson | Oil on Canvas | 72” x 48” Beautifully colored and textured with purpose. Amy’s highly textured medium creates raised, graveled or sandy textures by using an unlikely source — discarded ground scallop shells from crustacean farms in Japan. Because of the transparent, iridescent quality of these shells, her paintings take on incredible luminosity. She currently lives and works in Northern California but is a native of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Amy has participated in Art Basel Miami, Atlanta’s National Juried Exhibitions, Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, 6 x 6 Project New York, and her works are in numerous private and public collections. Available at Gallery Vibe, Naples.
“Climbers” By Andizar Marin | Car paint on fiberglass | Represented by Aldo Castillo
“Red, Orange, Black”
By Richard Segalman | Pastel | 20” x 28”
Reminiscent of a still moment in the breeze, this pastel artwork brings light and life to tranquil shades of blues with clean whites and pop of bold color. Richard seeks to emote expression through body movement and clothing in his art, instead of relying on facial expression. He was born on Coney Island, New York, in 1934 and has had his artwork exhibited since his first showing in 1960. His artwork is represented in approximately 30 museum permanent collections including the Corcoran, Arkansas, Hirshhorn, Boston MFA, Minn. Inst., St. Louis, Butler Inst., Smith College, Montclair, and others. Available at Harmon-Meeks Gallery, Naples. 40 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
Gravity-defying climbers are threaded, looped and lassoed into suspension with screws or wires — climbers composed of fiberglass and resin, brightly painted and finished with the high gloss of car paint. It can be arranged and rearranged at will and encourages the imagination to simply resonate, uncomplicatedly to the climbers’ rappelling, leaning or holding on, like a group of “rock climbers, window washers, fish, birds and circus performers.” That simple joy in imagination is left to the viewer to visualize and enjoy. Andizar was born in Colombia and first received training at the Bellas Artes Institutes’ in Manizales, Colombia. He now resides in South Florida, where his work has been featured in design magazines, gallery shows and prestigious art fairs. Available at the Aldo Castillo Gallery, Miromar Design Center, Estero.
grand | SHOPPING
“Twisting & Twirling Waves” By Margaret Juul | Acryllic on canvas | 30” x 48” Gorgeous aqua blues crash into each other in this evoking acrylic painting. Margaret artwork is inspired by an energy source that flows around us. It showcases how to her water is representative to a kinetic energy that never ceases. It is a source that is beautiful, moving yet powerful. She shares that the natural world is her inspiration and says “Art represents a journey through the infinite, a realm of abstract possibilities found in the elegance of nature, time and space.” Margaret began her training in fine art studies in 1988 at Chicago’s Columbia College. Her work has been featured in numerous publications and exhibitions and is included in collections around the country. Available at Gallery Vibe, Naples.
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“Flamingo” By Slava Fokk | Oil and gold leaf on canvas | 30” x 25” Refined rich tones and beautiful vibrant contrast brings an aesthetic sense of time and place. Slava is a local artist to Naples but belongs to a younger generation of southern Russian painters termed “Krasnodar painters.” He uses his professional training and experience to reinterpret great tradition and harmoniously evokes the creative techniques of the Old Dutch painters while also developing his own recognizable painting techniques. His new series focuses on women in a neoclassical manner. Available at East West Fine Art, Naples.
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Lillian August makes herself at home in the MP Interiors showrooms.
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OF THE
DESIGN CENTER At just 6 months old and 5 pounds, Lillian August practically owns MP Interiors.
illian August gets a daily workout running down a flight of stairs to the MP Interiors design showroom at Miromar Design Center to her doting admirers — firm principal Mark Fanta and his nine employees. The miniature Seaspray Australian labradoodle with a silky, apricot coat has devotees galore throughout the Estero design center, where she appears to be the first four-legged companion to become a full-time presence. Though Lillie is only about 6 months old — weighing in at 5 pounds — she’s befriended everyone in the building, from security and janitorial to management and clientele. Mark says Lillie is perky and well-behaved, and knows her way around his 30,000-square-foot showroom and interior design offices, just like it’s her own living room. Or “as though she owns it. She is the brightest little dog. She’s amazing. She’s so smart,” croons Mark, who picked up Lillie in June with his partner, Naples prosthodontist Dr. Robert Hedgepath. Lillie has a fairly regular schedule upon arriving at work. “She proceeds to go to the elevator, the door closes, and she spins around and looks at herself in the mirror, and rides up on her own,” Mark explains. “She gets off the third floor and runs down to her office, which is my office.” She is quite content sitting at the receptionist’s desk, greeting clients. A “design-
er” dog — carrying the genes of the Labrador, poodle and American or English cocker spaniel — she’s in the right milieu. Mark and Robert already had two senior Cavalier spaniels, ages 12 and 15, at home when they invited Lillie into the pack, and she’s proved to spark new energy into their lives. They haven’t had the privilege to go to the design center, but Mark brought Lillie immediately after they got her because she was quite small and he didn’t want to leave her alone in the first days. “I thought I would bring her for a month or so to see how it goes, but everyone knows her and asks for her,” he says To his chagrin, Robert could not take her to Bayview Dental Arts, because it’s a medical office. They got Lillie, because Robert used to have the same breed — said to be allergy- and asthma-friendly, and energetic and joyful yet quick to calm. Lillie received plenty of canine and human nurturing, socialization, leash/collar training and potty-training the first two months of her life. And now she gets lots of pampering: treats from building staff and regular walks outside by the MP Interior crew — who take turns hosting Lillie for a sleepover one night each week. “They love her so much, they want to show her off to their families,” Mark says. “Her socialization skills are amazing. She could probably stay home, but they would all ask, ‘Where is Lillie?’ She’s become our mascot at MP Interiors.”
STORY BY CATHY CHESTNUT | PHOTO BY BRIAN TIETZ
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Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami
A RICH ARTS DESTINATION The city’s art and cultural scene boasts top names from around the world.
Photos provided by VIZCAYA MUSEUM AND GARDENS
STORY BY JENNIFER THOMAS
GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 45
grand | GETAWAY
Photos provided by VIZCAYA MUSEUM AND GARDENS
or many people, thinking of Miami conjures images of the vibrant nightlife on South Beach, lounging poolside in a swanky art deco hotel or its enormous white sand beaches; however, Miami does nothing but exceed expectations when it comes to its lively art and museum scene.
Miami’s art and cultural scene has been developing for decades with the onset of organizations such as the National YoungArts Foundation, Miami City Ballet, the New World Symphony, New World School of the Arts, Pérez Art Museum Miami, the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami and the Coconut Grove Art Festival. “Thanks to the international attention from Art Basel Miami Beach, the most renowned architects of our era — including César Pelli, Robert A.M. Stern, Arquitectonica, Zaha Hadid, Sou Fujimoto, Frank Gehry, Herzog & de Meuron, Grimshaw Architects and Arata Isozaki — have changed the city’s face, molding Miami into a 21st century arts mecca,” says Jennifer Haz, director of media relations for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. “As more and more important artists are attracted to live and work in Miami, the 46 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
quality of exhibits and performances rise. From groundbreaking museums dedicated to modern art to fascinating historic institutions, Miami has a wealth of museums to visit.” One of the most unexpected arts attractions in the Miami area is the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, renowned for its Italian Renaissance architecture, priceless artwork and furnishings. This attraction was originally built as the winter home of agricultural industrialist James Deering in 1916. “For 100 years, Vizcaya has been a place for people to gather, learn, engage in social activity and find inspiration,” says Vizcaya Marketing and Public Affairs Director Charlotte Donn. “In its 100-year history, this National Historic Landmark has become an accredited museum, a home for contemporary artists, and an architectural icon for Miami. Its continued evolution will cement its role as Miami’s cultural hub.”
A view of the breakfast room (top) and the gardens (bottom) at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami.
Photo provided by ART BASEL
The Mary-Anne Martin Fine Art gallery at Art Basel 2016.
This dreamy destination holds a special spot in the heart of Naples resident Melissa Phillips. “Vizcaya is where we went on a very romantic date several years ago. My husband, Jon, planned a nice afternoon picnic. It was at that time that I knew I would marry him,” she says. “Years later we had a daughter, and since Vizcaya held such a wonderful, love-filled memory for us, we decided to name her Vizcaya. Fast forward to May 2015, we were married at Vizcaya.” Its beautiful waterfront setting alone is breathtaking. Additionally, the museum features an elegant main house, which can be toured and contains a valuable art and antiques collection, as well as expansive formal Italian gardens and the Vizcaya Village, which originally housed staff and a farm to support the estate. “Vizcaya is an historic home unlike any other,” Charlotte says. “A prime example of a Gilded Age estate, it brings together awe-inspiring European design with American innovation, all set in a lush subtropical enclave of Miami. Vizcaya is Miami’s original hot spot. It’s where the city’s interest in art, international culture and innovation began 100 years ago.” The Miami cultural and art scene continues to evolve. The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science opened in Downtown Miami’s Museum Park in May
2017. It features an indoor-outdoor Living Core Aquarium with both terrestrial and aquatic environments that include a 500,000-gallon Gulf Stream Aquarium experience. The facility also features the full-dome Frost Planetarium, the Knight Learning Center and Innovation Center. On Sunday, October 8, The Bass Museum of Art is scheduled to reopen after being closed for two years for a $12 million renovation. “To celebrate the re-opening,” Jennifer says, “the museum will have three exhibitions from artists Ugo Rondinone, Pascale Marthine Tayou and Mika Rottenberg and offer free entry for the day. Renovations include four new galleries, a museum store, a café and a newly formed education facility.” Another arts milestone includes the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, also known as ICA Miami, an organization dedicated to promoting the work of contemporary artists and to the exchange of art and ideas throughout Miami and internationally, opening a permanent location in the Miami Design District in December. One cannot venture to Miami without experiencing the art deco scene. “The Art Deco Historic District is the nation’s largest 20th Century National Register Historic
District,” Jennifer says. “The area features more than 800 historic buildings erected during the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s and contains a variety of architectural styles. Most of the buildings are styled after second-wave art deco known as Streamline Moderne, which began with the stock market crash and ended in most cases with the outbreak of World War II.” And of course, there’s Art Basel Miami Beach, a much talked about art event that’s the sister fair to Art Basel Switzerland, as it inspires many additional events including Art of Black Miami — a new platform that spotlights aspiring and renowned local and global artists. “Launching during Art Basel, but continuing yearround, this initiative celebrates the abundant artistic diversity found within Miami’s mosaic neighborhoods,” Jennifer says. “Guests can experience and interact with new artworks and projects, visit pop-up art galleries, meet artists close up and attend special events. Miami’s museums are diverse and renowned, and each May they provide special offers for Miami Museum Month.” For Melissa, her other favorite Miami place to visit next to Vizcaya is the Versace Mansion, also known as Casa Casuarina, on South Beach. “You can have dinner and stay there. It is so significant to art, fashion and history,” she says. “A true gem.” GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 47
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Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay ($75) » This is one of my new favorites, simply beautiful. Some labels may be pretty or unique, but I can’t choose them for those reasons. However, it’s a bonus to present a bottle to a table of patrons when it is appealing to the eye like this one. The labels in Leeuwin’s Art Series wines are commissioned from some of Australia’s top artists. This chardonnay, from the famous Margaret River area, consistently ranks tops in the world, and it’s one you can enjoy now or hang on to for aging.
Chronic Cellars Robyn Cradles ($40) » The “chronic” means chronically good grapes, the only ones used by the winemakers in this Paso Robles blend — they are as crazy and as fun as the labels. The images on the labels are hand carved on blocks before transitioning into print. This blend is mostly petite sirah, with a little Syrah and zinfandel. The combination is a velvety one, with lots of dark, ripe fruit and dark chocolate. This is a food wine for sure and gives you lots to talk about over dinner.
Arnot-Roberts Trout Gulch Chardonnay ($44) » It’s a sleeper on our list but is truly one of my favorite whites that we carry. The artwork used as its label is as beautifully done as the wine inside: timeless and elegant. Co-founder Nathan Roberts’ grandmother actually designed the artwork; she is wine pioneer Robert Mondavi’s widow. The grapes used for this are grown close to the Pacific Ocean in Santa Cruz County and you can taste some salinity in this wine.
GINA BIRCH Gina Birch is the wine columnist for The NewsPress in Fort Myers. Follow her social media here: Twitter: @ginabirch Facebook: GinaBirch
The Hess Collection Mount Veeder 19 Block Mountain Cuvée 2012 ($38) » I love this wine not just because of the story and my admiration for their method of farming — that alone doesn’t guarantee a great wine — but rather because this is simply a great food wine. It is complex and has all the great bones of a classic Napa cab but is completely approachable. This is a red that can drink from start to finish: goat cheese pillows to duck salad, steak au poivre straight through to death by chocolate dessert. Very few wines can do that. This wine is a great bang for the buck.
Limerick Lane Russian River Estate Zinfandel, 2014 ($42) » The labels of Limerick Lane are striking with a vintage yet modern feel, featuring a variety of cool-looking corkscrews — a different one for each wine. From Sonoma, the Russian River zin is the winery’s benchmark; some of the grapes in this are from vines planted in the 1900s. It’s a luscious wine with layers of dark fruit, pepper and herbs; it’s a wonderful mouthful. Eve Chardonnay ($12.99) » From Washington, the name and artwork are said to be a hat tip to the state’s heritage of apple growing, where trees and grape vines are sometimes grown nearly side-by-side. Then there is the biblical nod, as in the Garden of Eden. I was expecting this to be feminine, with a side of rebellion, and it delivered, especially for the price. Not surprisingly, you can even taste some apple, as well as peach in this one.
Circus Bear 2014 ($24) » With an animal on the label, it’s an animal of a blend: 60 percent grenache, 30 percent Syrah and 10 percent Carignane from 60-year-old vines outside of Maury, France. The label pays homage to the great fighting bears of the Pyrenees; men would actually fight them for sport. On this label, Pete, a champion bear back in the day, is shown defeating his owner in Brooklyn, New York. I’m not sure which contestant this wine channels for me, but it’s a winner with lots of fruit, tannins and nice balance.
Dirty and Rowdy, Familiar Blanc 2016 ($33) » This is a small production natural wine from California. Winemakers who choose this natural method put a lot of artistic trust in Mother Nature; there is no manipulation with chemicals in the field or yeast during fermentation. This is a blend of primarily melon de bourgogne, chardonnay and chenin blanc; then there’s a touch of Riesling, viognier and muscat. The result is a tangy, tropical, fruity wine with just a touch of residual sugar.
La Grange Aux Belles Coup de Boule ($24) » This one caught my eye from the minute I walked into Natural Wines Naples: its bright label, its beautiful color and its crown cap rather than cork. Made 100 percent from gamay grapes, this is a pet-nat. Over simplified, it’s an old school method of wine making where fermentation finishes in the bottle. From the Loire Valley in France, it’s fizzy and pink, so I like it almost immediately. It’s got nice acidity, a little chalky full of strawberry, and a hint of almond on the finish. Its fun factor ranks high.
Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc 2016 ($23) » I love this for an affordable wine. Coming from New Zealand, it’s like Southwest Florida in a bottle. It smells fragrant and floral. It tastes like summer fruits and citrus but not a ton of grapefruit like you might expect, more lime instead. The acidity in this wine is in check, not over the top like some sauv blancs can be. Nicely balanced.
*Prices listed can vary. Some of these wines can be found in local wine shops, others are limited production and may require shipment from the producers themselves.
Post House Penny Black ($28) » All of the Post House wines from South Africa are named after a stamp, ink or the likes. I’ve learned more about stamps drinking this brand than I ever I thought I would. This particular one is in homage to the first stamp ever printed in 1840, featuring the head of Queen Victoria. Printed in black ink and valued at one penny, (hence its name) the wine is worth much more. A blend of Shiraz, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and chenin blanc, it’s inky, deep, dark and delicious.
Adelsheim Deglace of Pinot Noir ($37) » Adelsheim wines have been on our list for many years now. The label (and wines) have an Old World quality to them that I am drawn to vintage after vintage. My heart nearly broke when they stopped offering their Deglace of Pinot Noir. It’s rare that a dessert wine is made from pinot. I bought all of the 2012 vintage that I could get my hands on. I have just a few bottles left, and I am so sad they will not be making it any longer. If you find it, get it. GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 49
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Community art festivals and gallery strolls introduce art patrons to the artists.
H
ow do we love our art festivals? Seems Southwest Florida loves them — a lot. There are some 50 hosted in Collier and Lee counties each season, stretching from Marco Island to Fort Myers. There’s good reason for their popularity. These are places where we can meet and converse with an artist about the process, inspiration and ideas. Where we can browse works in every imaginable medium: blown and fused glass, jewelry, digital, fiber, photography, sculpture, painting, pen and ink, woodcarving. Where interior designers head to hand-select particular pieces for their clients’ bare wall or corner niche. Where we can do the same for our own home, while supporting self-employed artists and artisans and exposing our children
to the varied genres and mediums that art encompasses. According to the Americans for the Arts’ Arts & Economic Prosperity survey results released this year, the art industry produces $140.1 million in annual economic activity in Lee County alone each year, including 3,875 full-time equivalent jobs. These numbers include a wide range of factors, but art festivals and regular cultural events are part of the equation. Art festivals and regular open studio walks are events that bring together community and inspire creative thinking and problem-solving, says ArtFest Fort Myers Executive Director Sharon McAlister. No doubt there is a community art gathering coming to your neighborhood soon. Here is a select list of dates of some of the major ones in Southwest Florida, so mark your calendar.
STORY BY CATHY CHESTNUT
50 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
Regular events ArtWalk is held the first Friday of
each month in the historic River District in downtown Fort Myers, 6 to 10 p.m., when First Street is closed to traffic to free pedestrians to stroll the open shops, gallery openings and eateries. ArtWalk is celebrating its 10th year.
First Wednesday ART ALIVE! is an excellent way to step into the working studios, galleries and teaching workshops of 45 professional and emerging artists in the Naples Art District of J&C Boulevard, Shirley Street and Trade Center Way. The Naples Art District has developed over the last 11 years into the largest concentration of professional working artist studios and galleries in Southwest Florida, intertwined with businesses that cater to the trades, light industry and design services. ART ALIVE! dates: October 4, November 1, December 6, January 3, February 7, March 7 and April 4. For the Summer Series and Third Saturday happenings, go to naplesartdistrict. com.
SoCo Second Saturday is a relatively new monthly art walk in the burgeoning SoCo Cultural Art District south of Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers (thus SoCo). The region is bounded by McGregor
Boulevard, Colonial Boulevard, Summerlin Road and Royal Palm Boulevard. Cultural venues in the district open 6 to 10 p.m. the second Saturday of each month.
The Naples Artcrafters Fine Art & Craft Show has been a
popular fine art and crafts event for 50 years. This nonprofit’s show season runs October through April. Monthly strolls are free and are held on Saturdays in Cambier Park, 580 Eighth St. S. in downtown Naples, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free parking. The park is one block away from Fifth Avenue South, so make a day of it. Event dates: October 21, November 11, December 9, January 13, February 10, March 10 and April 14. Since 1957, the Naples Art Association has organized Art in the Park to connect the association’s member artists with shoppers. This one-day fair showcases a range of mediums and emphasizes art education through hands-on demonstrations so that attendees can learn about techniques and process. Believed to be the first outdoor art show held in Naples, Art in the Park is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the first Saturday of each month November through April.
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Art festivals The 42nd annual Bonita Springs National Art Festival returns to Riverside Park in Bonita Springs for three weekends. Ranked among the top nationally, the event runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. January 13 and 14, February 10 and 11 and March 3 and 4. With more than 200 artists from across the United States, Europe and Canada, this is a major fundraiser for arts education programming for the Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs. Riverside Park is at 10450 Reynolds St. For 20 years, the Naples Invitational Art Fest, also known as Art Fest Naples, has consistently ranked in the top 100 art shows in the nation by Sunshine Artist magazine. Going into its 21st year, this Neapolitan favorite runs
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. January 20 and 21 at Fleischmann Park, south of the Coastland Center mall on Fleischmann Boulevard at GoodletteFrank Road. Last year, the juried festival showcased 140 artists in a variety of mediums. Proceeds benefit children with special needs.
ArtFest Fort Myers is a juried
show that accepts one out of five artists who apply to participate, and it bills itself as Southwest Florida’s premier art festival. The two-day event takes place February 3 and 4 along the historic riverfront at Edwards Drive and Hendry Street, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a private opening reception February 2. It’s an event for the whole family and features 200 artists’ booths, handson children’s activities, a chalk art competition and more.
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GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 51
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Bring the wild with you • This Copper evening bag by Loren Bel will dress up and add soft texture to any special event wear. It comes with optional gold chain and studded gold clasp. Priced at $195. Available at Wildflower Boutique, Village on Venetian Bay, Naples
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Go for the S’s • Slimming, sophisticated and sexy. This Michael Kors Leopard Dress features a modest round neckline, elbow sleeves and calf length cut, while exposed back zipper and straight lines offer fitted confidence. Priced at $1,150. Available at Marissa Collections, Naples. marissacollections.com.
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52 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
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SLOW BUT STEADY
1953 FORD RANCH WAGON RESTORATION WINS THE RACE FOR FATHER-SON DUO STORY BY STEPHANIE BORDEN | PHOTOS BY LOGAN NEWELL
GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 55
grand | RIDE
ith its carbon fiber body and Gorilla Glass windshield, Ford Motor Company’s stunning GT-250 supercar is seducing elite drivers who don’t mind dropping $400,000 to make their world spin even faster, torching the tar at 216 miles per hour. But for Americans who yearn for a slower time, Scott Smith’s 1953 Ford Ranch Wagon rewinds history to the year President Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated, the first color TVs went on the market and a dollar bought five gallons of gas. Interstate highways had not yet been built, so Smith’s two-door wagon’s top speed of 85 miles per hour was plenty fast for the moms and dads behind the wheel. And nobody seemed to mind that it took 18.3 seconds to amble from 0 to 60 miles per hour. During their golden age, station wagons were a practical solution for the 1950s growing suburban family, providing room for two kids and a dog in the middle seat and everything from groceries to camping gear in the rear cargo compartment. The first American station wagons date back more than 100 years. Originally known as cargo wagons or depot hacks, they were used to transport passengers, luggage and cargo between railway stations and homes, hotels and businesses. Until Henry Ford introduced his 1929 Model A, the first factory-built station wagon, early versions were creaky, drafty after-market wooden boxes mounted on light truck or automobile chassis. With our roads now populated by SUVs and crossovers, station wagons from the ’50s have become cool again. Several years ago, PBS aired a documentary called “Wagonmasters,” viewable on YouTube. Fans nationwide congregate at shows and online at the website for the American Station Wagon Owners Association at aswoa.org. For 42-year-old Scott Smith, a Michigan native now working in the collision business in Naples, the 1953 Ford Ranch Wagon offered a way to stay close to his father, Bill Smith, 83, a retired engineer who spent his entire career working for Ford and still lives in Michigan. “He has always been a hot rod guy,” Scott says. “We had great fatherson time together growing up, talking about cars, working on cars. We went to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn and to a lot of car shows together, including the big Detroit Autorama.” “When my son was smaller, I had a Corvette and as a family we would go to Autocross together,” Bill recalls. “When Scott became a teenager, he restored a 1954 Ford coupe and made a beautiful street 56 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
Scott Smith’s 1953 Ford Ranch Wagon
LOOKING
I S A LWAY S I N S T Y L E
machine out of it. Once Scott got married and had a family, I told him he needed something to haul my grandkids in.” So when Bill heard about a fairly rare 1953 Ford Ranch Wagon 2-door, a $2,500 barn find, he thought it sounded like an ideal restoration project for his son. “It was a real rust-bucket,” Scott says with a laugh. “The owners grew corn on their Nebraska farm, and they would oil the roads to prevent dust from sticking to the corn. All that dirt and oil had gunked up the undercarriage of the car. It needed a new motor and drive train, the interior was a disaster, and mice started jumping out of it and running away as soon as it was unloaded in our driveway. But I knew I could put my own spin on it.” During the eight-year frame-off restoration, Scott and his father strategized by phone and in person when Bill visited Naples. Scott kept the original dash and gauges and the clamshell tailgate and installed a small Chevy fuel-injected block engine, air conditioning and new leather seats. He painted the wagon gray and cream and lined the rear cargo area with wood, a touchstone to the years Henry Ford supplied timber for his famous “Woodies,” from thousands of acres of hardwood forest he owned in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “All my life, cars have brought people together,” Scott reflects. “They have kept my dad and I close, my wife Shannon and I are both active in the West Coast Muscle Car Club, and my teenage daughter and son have been around me working on cars since they were toddlers. Everyone in my life has a piece of this car.” In February, Scott transported his custom hot-rod in an enclosed trailer from Naples to Detroit to join his dad at the legendary Autorama car show they had attended together for many years. Bill had entered his own projects there over the years, but had never won any awards. So father and son were all smiles as Scott captured the Master Builder prize in the home-built class. His 1953 Ford Ranch Wagon is featured in the September 2017 issue of Street Rodder magazine. Reviewing the national hot-rod scene, Scott says the hobby is changing. “Big money is taking over,” he says. “Now, many of the top cars competing at the major shows are built for wealthy private owners at independent shops by teams of 11 or 12 professionals working full-time on the cars.” That distinction deepens Bill’s pride in his son. “Scott is just a normal guy with a job and a family, putting aside a little extra money to keep his project going. He stuck with it for eight years and built an award-winning car during his free time in his own garage. The passion, the dedication — that’s a rare thing these days.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The West Coast Muscle Car Club of Naples welcomes new members and lists its specs online at westcoastmusclecarclub.com. The club’s annual car show is set for March 11, 2018. NP-0000942539
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The McKinnons put in all the kitchen cabinets, flooring and many other improvements by themselves. They took this home that has not been updated in almost 30 years and turned it into their dream home.
FINDING THAT Cape Coral family turns dark, uninviting house into bright, happy home. STORY BY ANDREA STETSON | PHOTOS BY RICARDO ROLON GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 59
athy and Don McKinnon weren’t planning to buy a home. They were happily living in their house with their two sons in Cape Coral. Then Kathy found a dark, dreary house with outlandish pink cabinets and walls that formed small closed-in rooms and fell in love with the vision of what the home could become. In April the couple purchased the Cape Coral house at the end of a cul-de-sac and began turning the eyesore into the McKinnons’ dream home. “To me it was a diamond that hadn’t been polished,” Kathy says. It all began when she was visiting a friend who lived on the same street as the home. She saw a for-sale-byowner sign in front and, as a Realtor, was interested in the home as one to 60 | OCTOBER 2017 | grandeurmagazine.com
sell. She realized it was listed far below its value, and she told the owner not to sell it for such a low price. “I told him if he was going to sell it for such a low price, I would buy it,” she says. “But I wasn’t really serious at that time.” A few days later, the owner called her asking her if she wanted the house. “I said I am not looking to buy a house, but I love it,” she says. “There was something about the house even though it was completely un-updated. There was pink bathroom tile and pink cabinets. This whole kitchen was closed in. Carpet was everywhere. But I fell in love with this fireplace. I looked at it and thought there was something special about it.” She offered $10,000 more than a previous bid, but still insisted she could get him more money if she listed it.
PHOTO BY ANDREW WEST
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“I said don’t sell it for that. You will be cheating yourself,” she explains. “I told him he could get a better deal, but he wanted to sell it to me.” The McKinnons purchased the home for $230,000 and put about $45,000 into its renovations. Don was not as sure about the purchase. “Oh my gosh, I was like ‘no way,’” he says. “I was completely against it. There was so much work to do. It was all 1980s design. Now it’s amazing. It is not the same house. It is so open and bright. What a difference.” It took a lot of work to make that difference. The McKinnons purchased the home in April and have been working on it ever since. They moved in this September. Although they had little experience in remodeling, the couple did a lot of the work themselves. “I put in the floors,” Kathy says. “You don’t know what you can until you do it.” “From demo, I touched everything in here,” says Don who is a nurse and clinical supervisor in the critical care unit at Gulf Coast Hospital. “I did some of the rocks and did some of the floor,” adds their son Bryce, 9. “I used a wheelbarrow and shoveled rocks.” They found friends who were experts in remodeling to help. “All these people came out of the woodwork to help us do this,” Kathy says. “This house has so many memories already before we are living in it.” They hired people for the really intricate work, such as electrical, plumbing and countertop installation. But a bulk of the work they did do themselves. Besides tiling, they also put in cabinets and removed window coverings that made the home dark and dreary. Most of the windows had a sticky film that blocked views of the outside. There were plastic pieces covering the lanai screening that blocked the greenery just beyond. A metal grating covered the alcove that led to the front door.
Clockwise from top left: The master bedroom used to have the windows covered, making the room very dark. With the covering off, the room has lots of natural light. • Bryce McKinnon decorated his room with lots of humorous prints, including a silly cat and an interesting llama. Kathy McKinnon added lots of fun touches in the prints she put on the walls. There are animal prints along with paintings depicting Key West-type scenes. • A built in nook with window seating was added to the home. • The bathroom used to have mauve cabinets and a built-in tub that was popular about a decade ago. The McKinnons got rid of all the pink and added a more modern stand-alone tub in the master bathroom. • Kathy McKinnon wanted her home to have a touch of fun. So in the entryway she filled a wall with a giant print of a fair featuring a Ferris wheel. Bryce, 9, Don and Kathy and Shane, 13, are excited to now be in their new home.
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“There was a cage in the front, so it was very dark,” Kathy says. “It was a very uninviting, gloomy house. It was almost designed to keep people from coming around.” None of this deterred Kathy. “I had a feeling about this house,” she says. “I had a connection.” “For as long as we have been married, she always had that knack of looking at something and knowing what it will become,” Don says. “For me, it is what you see is what you get. It is hard to see the rainbow. I have learned to just go with it. This was a lot of go with it.” The three-bedroom, plus-den home, built in 1989, spans 2,200 square feet under air. Most of that space needed a lot of renovation work before the family could move in. “The inspiration is an urban beach,” she says about the look she aspired to achieve in her new house. The home originally had walls surrounding the kitchen. The McKinnons had those taken down so
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the kitchen is now part of the great room. A little nook off the kitchen now has a wooden window bench instead of a big clunky table. “It was a very cluttery, closedoff room,” Kathy says. “Now it is a nook.” The home originally had lights only in the fans, so the McKinnons added recessed lighting to brighten it up. They ripped out the mauve cabinets and replaced them with more neutral colors. They uncovered two windows in the master bedroom that were totally blocked. Two of Kathy’s favorite things about the home are the wood-burning fireplace and the courtyard that is tucked between the family room and a bedroom. She kept the stone around the fireplace, but replaced the stone in the courtyard with grass and plants. “I want to make it into a Zen area,” she says. “It will be very serene and Zen-like. When I first saw it, I thought there was this space that felt like it needed someone to
Clockwise from top: The McKinnons took a home that had not been updated since the 1980s and turned it into a modern home with the quirky touches that they love. • Kathy McKinnon wants to make the side garden a zen garden and have it as a place to relax and meditate. • Shane McKinnon, 13, wanted the bedroom by the courtyard so he could go out and use his telescope. • Candles add a touch of peacefulness to the courtyard. • The home used to be very dark with coverings on all the windows. Now it is open and full of light. The great room and has views through the window of the courtyard out front.
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sit in it. I was already picturing myself in it.” Their son Shane, 13, is already picturing himself in the bedroom that leads to the courtyard. He loves science and plans to use his telescope there. Bryce is decorating his room with funny prints of a llama and a cat. He is excited to be walking distance to the home of one of his best friends. Now that the renovations are complete, the McKinnons are adding their decorating style. Bright paintings of quirky images by Kathy’s friend Sonde Johnson hang on walls throughout the home. A giant black-and-white print of a carnival Ferris wheel covers the wall in the home’s entrance. “This is a permanent happy feeling,” Kathy says about the carnival picture, which she says mimics the happiness she feels about her new home. “It is finding those diamonds-in-the-rough properties and making your dream home for a lot less than you thought was possible.”
R.S. Walsh Landscaping Premier Landscape Architecture & Design Firm • Design • Installation • Custom Maintenance • www.rswalsh.com (239) 768.5655 GRANDEUR | OCTOBER 2017 | 63
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Simple yet Photo special to GRANDEUR
inventive The Social House and The Bevy attract the sophisticated and the fashionable with creative cocktails and beguiling atmosphere.
A signature cocktail at The Bevy in Naples.
STORY BY GINA BIRCH
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At The Bevy (this page, clockwise from top left): Asian poke tuna at The Bevy features yellowfin tuna, hoisin glaze, wonton and avocado. • The Bevy gastrobar is located at 360 12th Ave. S. in downtown Naples. • Deviled oysters at The Bevy include yellow cornmeal oysters, deviled eggs and candied bacon. • The Cedar Fire Old Fashioned is made with Bastille 1789 whiskey, orange bitters and maple syrup in a smoked glass.
ot hangouts with simple names are the rage this fall: The Social House, also known as SOHO, in downtown Fort Myers and The Bevy on Third Street South in Naples are two of the newest ones. The Bevy is beguiling, and at times deceiving. At first glance, it appears you are completely indoors, thanks to a retractable roof and a living plant wall. However, the areas flanking the bar become open air when the weather is nice, and so does the entrance. The bar, with its inventive cocktails and unusual wine offerings, is The Bevy’s centerpiece. The signature Cedar Fire Old Fashioned is a crowd pleaser, not just for taste but presentation. Bartenders add fire to a cedar plank, just long enough to create smoke, which is then trapped in a bar glass. When the glass is full of smoke, it’s turned upright and filled with a shaker of whiskey, orange bitters and maple syrup. A block of fruit incased in water (fancy ice) is artfully displayed before being delicately dropped into the glass, and it’s finally topped with a piece of thick candied bacon. The Italian 75 has small batch rosemary and lavender vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup with a festive splash of prosecco. Then there is the Fig Daiquiri with rum, Figenza, lime juice, black walnut bitters and aquafaba.
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The open-air feature makes The Bevy popular with not only the well-heeled, but also the well-pawed — dogs. A three coursedining menu is offered to furry friends. General Manager Christophe Moser has been a part of the Naples restaurant and bar scene for more than 20 years and says, “I’ve never seen this kind of crowd, this many sophisticated 30- to 40-year-olds, dressed beautifully and well presented.” The Social House in downtown Fort Myers is “classy while still being unpretentious and fun” according to managing partner Nils Richter. He calls the drinks “fancy but functional,” meaning you can get an Instagram worthy cocktail without waiting 20 minutes, and without blowing your budget. Bartenders have been coming up with a few new specialties for the fall, including one that is sure to convert the diehard Cosmo fan. This one also starts with vodka, but features muddled raspberries, peach bitters, simple syrup and thyme. The Watermelon Fiesta is a year-round crowd pleaser with tequila, muddled watermelon, lemon juice and simple syrup. The drink is lightly dusted with cayenne pepper for a gentle kick, and served with a skewer of sweet, juicy watermelon. There are clever combos of margaritas and pisco
sours along with caipirinhas made with pineapple. Adding to the cool factor is SOHO’s wine on tap. By the glass selections come from kegs that keep wines fresher and chills them to the optimal temperature. Even though the weekend crowd skews younger, SOHO is billed as a bar for grown-ups, drawing professionals during the week and the more fashion conscious on the weekends. Like The Bevy, SOHO seeks to bring the outdoors in with green panels. This gem is almost hidden on a side street downtown, but as you approach, you’ll see dim lights and hear laughter and music well before locating the iron entrance gate.
At The Social House (this page, clockwise from top): The Social House is located at 1406 Hendry St., Fort Myers. • The Daily Ice Cream Sandwich. • One item on “Sociables” list at The Social House is the steamed buns with pork belly and pickled cucumbers. • One of The Social House’s specialty drinks.
The inside bar has a cozy, sophisticated vibe with brick walls, blue LED lights and a wall of old stereo speakers; they surround a screen featuring videos of some of your favorite old and new artists. The same music is pumped outside. The garden is strung with twinkling lights, covered by cooling misters and spacious seating areas that encourage making new friends. A paved walkway through the center is almost like a runway, just waiting for fashionable partygoers to strut their stuff — all the way to the bar.
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RUM PARTY The Summer of Rum Party at The Heights Center supports The Heights Foundation. Guests enjoyed rum cocktails, food from Bahama Breeze Island Grille and music by Rob Robinson. The Heights Foundation works to build strong, self-sufficient families in the Harlem Heights neighborhood of Fort Myers.
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BIG IMPRESSIONS BY LITTLE ARTISTS The fifth annual ‘Big Impressions by Little Artists’ was held May 5 at the Hilton Naples. The event raises funds for the arts program and partial tuition assistance for children from low-income families.
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1. Devon Blazier and Melissa Blazier 2. Sheryl Soukup, Charlie McDonald and Angela Bruckner 3. Tim Gordon, Nicole Mihelich, Marsha McDonald and Jerry Johnson
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1. Tom Hornby, Tracie Bagans, Suzanne Croce and Doug MacGregor 2. Michelle Kosteno and Kenny Brewer 3. Rob Robinson, Gina Birch and Karen Lesza 4. Front: Cassandra Chan, Curtis Chan and Justin Abel. Back row: Teresa Diedrich, Lauren Diedrich, Walter Weglarz, Lori Sanger and Blake Spicer 5. Joe Madden, Suzie Galloway and Katy Hannon 6. Kevin Shimp, Caitlin Hustrulid, Kenny Brewer, Juliana Hustrulid, Cindie Barker and Jan-Erik Hustrulid
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CELEBRITY CHEF NIGHT The culinary event at Rumrunners in Cape Coral featured cocktails and culinary creations from Chef Todd Johnson and Chef Ralph Centalonza of Rumrunners, Chef Brian Roland of Crave Culinaire, Chef Harold Balink of Harold’s, Chef Andy Hunter of The Bay House, and Chefs Norman and Ryan Love of Norman Love Confections. Funds raised benefit the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
Photos special to GRANDEUR
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grand | TIMES Youth Haven’s third annual pARTy with a Purpose was held at The von Leibig Art Center in Naples on August 14. Youth Haven aims to protect and empower children and families in Southwest Florida.
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PARTY WITH A PURPOSE
1. Chris and Angela Raphael 2. Amy and Chad Jensen 3. Gina Monteiro, Eric Cijoffi, Denise Wind-Koubsky and Emily Chiodo
BOOTS & BLING The second annual Boots & Bling was held May 6 at Florida SouthWestern State College. The event raised more than $21,000 to benefit Healthy Start of Southwest Florida. Healthy Start’s goals are to prevent infant deaths and low birth weight babies, and promote health and developmental outcomes for young children.
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1. Stephen and Pam Eller 2. Amanda Hall and Lindsay Sablan 3. Debbie McCarthy and Jillian White 4. Cathy Timuta, Daniel Cortez and Kayla Cortez 5. Linda Mayberry, Laarni P. West and Marie Jean Michel 6. Judith Yevick 7. Selena and Jim Lucas
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The Champions 4 Children charity weekend was held at Sanibel Harbor Resort & Spa from May 4 to 6. This event featured the opportunity for attendees to interact with athletes from a variety of sports organizations including the NFL, NBA, MLB and PGA as well as Olympic and collegiate players. The largest beneficiary of the Champions 4 Children 2017 weekend was Blessings in a Backpack of Southwest Florida, which feeds more than 3,200 children at schools and programs across Lee and Collier counties.
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Hannah Yrastorza, PA-C
Jana Thomas, PA-C
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CHAMPIONS 4 CHILDREN
Caryn Smith, left, and Kerri Goldsmith are co-chairs of this year’s Uncommon Evening Gala: Starry, starry Night.
STARRY, STARRY NIGHT A benefit to shine light on exceptional people in our community
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n November 2, the Uncommon Friends Foundation hosts its much anticipated Uncommon Evening gala “Starry, Starry Night” at the historic Burroughs Home & Gardens in Fort Myers. The annual fundraiser recognizes and supports people who work tirelessly to maintain strong and ethical character in their
profession and for benefit of the community. The foundation plans to present a Business Ethics Award, Character Education Champion Teacher Award and some 20 scholarships to deserving men and women who have a financial need and potential and who demonstrate the positive traits of Uncommon Friends. Event chair Kerri A. Goldsmith and cochair Caryn Smith discuss this grand annual charity event:
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What exciting changes will we see this year? Kerri: This year, we are moving away from the Roaring Twenties theme, which was very fun the last couple years, yet still keeping the event very elegant with décor inspired by Van Gogh’s “Starry, Starry Night.” Guests will enjoy a social hour with drinks, a plated dinner and awards ceremonies amongst shades of deep blue and gold with white accents, and lots of lighting effects on the grounds of the Burroughs Home, overlooking the Caloosahatchee. In addition, we have earmarked a portion of our major event sponsorships to go specifically to the scholarships which are given out each year. People who are unable to attend are encouraged to support the event through being a Scholarship Angel sponsor. That is, they can underwrite seats for a scholarship recipient and their guest at the gala. Caryn: We always strive to bring together those who care about our community’s education, government and historical heritages. As we present many diverse awards during the evening, this year we have revised our program to be more meaningful and streamlined in order to build to the pinnacle moment where we announce the 2017 Business Ethics Award Winner. Just as important, attendees will hear all about our scholarship winners and hear directly from our 2017 Champion Teacher as well, but we have paced the evening out to give each their own time to present, instead of all at once.
Do you have a personal connection to this event? And if so what would that be? Kerri: I had the honor of meeting Jim Newton, author of the book, “Uncommon Friends,” many years
ago while he and his wife Ellie were still living. The stories he shared about the Uncommon Friends — Edison, Ford, Firestone, Carrel and Lindbergh — are the inspiration for our foundation and the work we do to preserve history, promote business ethics, provide character education and help non-traditional students with their educational goals. When asked to join the board of directors and become involved with this event, I jumped at the chance. Caryn: The Uncommon Evening is always one of my favorite events, because it really feels to me as if I am connecting with a part of the history of Fort Myers and Southwest Florida. We are steeped in tradition. There is something about gathering at the oldest standing home and museum in our town, where the giants of American business and technology once gathered to discuss their discoveries and industries. I believe in our threefold mission of business ethics, character education and historic preservation, and hope others understand the importance of our foundation in the community.
mission, but also celebrates some very special individuals in our community for outstanding business ethics, character education, and overcoming obstacles to achieve their goals through the awards and scholarships which are presented. I also relish the opportunity to work with a top notch committee we’ve established to put on this gala. Caryn: Being a part of the executive committee and also the treasurer, I have a vested interest in the success of the foundation. This is our primary fundraiser of the year. Our important sponsorships and ticket sales truly help us to operate throughout the year, to advance our character education and scholarship programs, as well as administrate and operate the Burroughs Home & Gardens as a registered historical site, and as a prime wedding location for many. Many memories are made on our property and we want to continue that tradition. I also love planning a good party, which I feel confident we are delivering on.
How long have you been a patron of this event?
Kerri: The goals are to raise funds for the foundation’s programs and scholarships, create more awareness of our mission and celebrate our supporters and the members of our community who will be receiving awards. I’m looking forward to hosting a very elegant evening at the Burroughs Home & Gardens. Caryn: My primary goal is to tell as many people about this event in order to generate monetary sponsorships or bring new people to the event. I also want to make sure guests have a beautiful evening and our program tells our story effectively. Many in Southwest Florida already have November 2, 6-9 p.m., on their calendars, but my personal mission is to share the Uncommon Friends Foundation’s unique mission with as many people who will listen, and join in.
Kerri: This is my third year of involvement with the event and the second year chairing it. Caryn: I have been a board member for about three years and have attended for the last three years. New to the organization, I discovered it through a friend. It really is the best kept secret in our area as far as our work, and we are planning a media and marketing effort in the coming year as we head into our 25th year to share more about what we do.
What made you want to volunteer to serve as a co-chair for this event?
Kerri: This event not only provides critical funding for the foundation’s
What are your goals?
The Uncommon Evening is always one of my favorite events, because it really feels to me as if I am connecting with a part of the history of Fort Myers and Southwest Florida.
— CARYN SM I TH
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Next
month Whether you are a serious foodie or just an occasional diner, who doesn’t want to experience fining dining from our area’s hottest chefs? Coming in November, Grandeur shares a handful of the best culinary masters in town.
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