Charlotte Arts
— April 23, 2021 —
Charlotte Arts and member events through May 7, 2021.
Please visit our website for further updates about Charlotte Arts news, member news, including changes to members' seasons, and opportunities for artists.
If you wish to have arts and humanities information
included in the next issue, please provide it by following the "Submit" button below.
The next email will be released Friday, April 23. By Noon on Wednesday, April 21, please follow "Submit Events, News and Opportunities" link below to provide information for both this e-newsletter (member events only) and the online cultural calendar (all arts and humanities events), member news, and opportunities for artists.
Local Diversions
All events are free unless otherwise noted. COVID-19 precautions remain in effect.
Charlotte County Centennial Events
Charlotte County was created on April 23, 1921, when Gov. Cary A. Hardee signed a bill passed two days earlier by the Florida Legislature that divided DeSoto County into Charlotte, Hardee, Highlands, Glades and DeSoto counties. Learn more about the county's history and events to celebrate the anniversary at https://www.charlottecounty100.com/

Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center (75 Taylor St., Punta Gorda)
Friday, April 23, 6 to 11 p.m.
Charlotte County will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the county’s creation with a Centennial Gala. Enjoy a cocktail hour, dinner, cash bar, dancing and live entertainment. Cost: $65.
Gilchrist Park (400 West Retta Esplanade)
Friday to Sunday, April 30 to May 2
Enjoy the music on Friday (6 to 10 p.m.), Saturday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) Learn more about pageant, plant sale, vintage car show, and food vendors at thehibiscusfestival.com. Free.
Langdon Playhouse
(1182 Market Circle,
Port Charlotte)
Temperatures are taken upon arrival. Masks are required. Social distancing will take place in the theatre.

Cast standing from left: Carl Bowman, Jan Weston, Jimmie Choate, Kyle Marie, Paul Reed, Trish Campbell, Kevin Higgs and seated from left, Jenni Elliott and Callie Stahl.

Hotbed Hotel
Wednesday to Sunday, April 15 to 25, 7:30 p.m. except 2 p.m. on Sundays
Terri and Brian Cody are hoping to sell their one-star hotel in the Florida Keys, to the only man who has expressed an interest in buying it, Mr. Sam Lewis from New Year. They are not expecting him for a couple of weeks, and are rather caught off-guard when they receive a phone call informing them that he will be arriving that afternoon. Unfortunately, they have so few guests they are afraid that Mr. Lewis will see at once, that the hotel is a bad investment. So, in order to bolster Mr. Lewis's interest, Terri and Brian devise a plan to make the hotel appear busier and more prosperous than it actually is. Cost: $22, $11 students.

You Should be So Lucky: May 14 to 23
A contemporary Cinderella story set in Greenwich Village, reminiscent of the classic screwball comedies of the 1930s.
1200 West Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda
Events at Fishermen's Village are weather permitting.

Enjoy Chris G on Saturday, April 24 or on May 1.

Paul Roush: Friday, April 23, 5 to 9 p.m.
Enjoy country, rock and standards from the last 30 years with Paul's own songs that tell stories in his own way and time.

Bruce and Tiki D: Saturday, April 24, Noon to 4 p.m.
Enjoy tropical variety music with the relaxing sounds of this duo.

Chris G: Saturday, April 24, 5 to 9 p.m.
Enjoy uplifting, lively tunes.

Mark Gorka: Sunday, April 25, Noon to 4 p.m.
Acoustic singer and musician well-known songs of many genres from the 60s to Pop, Rock and Country of today.

Mark Gorka: Monday, April 26, 5 to 8 p.m.

Silas Thorn: Tuesday, April 27, 4 to 6 p.m.
Enjoy the debut trumpet performance of this member of the Charlotte High School Varsity Symphonic Band.

 Paul Roush: Thursday, April 29, Noon to 3 p.m.

 Dan Meadows: Friday, April 30, Noon to 4 p.m.
Enjoy variety music.

Bruce and Tiki D: Saturday, May 1, Noon to 4 p.m.

Chris G: Saturday, May 1, 5 to 9 p.m.

Kraig Kenning: Sunday, May 2, Noon to 4 p.m.
National Slide Guitar Champion mesmerizes with his Contemporary folk, acoustic blues, roots rock, and American fingerstyle performance.

Paul Roush: Thursday, May 6, Noon to 3 p.m.

Rita Beach: Friday, May 7, 5 to 9 p.m.
Music that crosses the entire spectrum.

Beth Travers: Saturday, May 8, Noon to 4 p.m.
Enjoy Englewood/Nashville-based singer songwriter whose unique vocal quality is enhanced by her skillful wordplay and creative melodies.

Rick Rourke: Saturday, May 8, 5 to 9 p.m.
A little bit of sassy, a little bit of blues, a lot of talent!
Thursday through Saturday,
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Sunday, Noon to 6 p.m.
Port Charlotte Town Center Mall | 1441 Tamiami Trail
(The gallery is located between J.C. Penney and Dillards.)

Due to COVID-19, there will be no reception.

Naiad Jessica by Mark Davern.

Artists whose work will be on display at the Charlotte Arts Gallery from April 8 to May 9, 2021, include Mark Davern, Donna Dinneen, Larry Palmer, Laura Pucci, Betty Teramo and Tina Weida. Visit the website to see samples of their art.

The gallery now has a gift shop. All art in the gift shop costs $55 or less!
Free art exhibits by visual artists at locations throughout the county. Please visit the website to see the locations now open and artists whose work will be on display. Due to COVID-19, there will be no receptions.

Chess and Pineapples on Charlotte Harbor by Karen Wood.
Artists whose work will be on display from January through April, 2021:
  • Karen Bell at Cayo Costa Dental (316 Helen Avenue, Punta Gorda)
  • Donna Dinneen at Charlotte County Administration (18500 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte)
  • Marilyn Dorsey and Larry Palmer at Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center (75 Taylor Street, Punta Gorda)
  • Donna Dinneen at Charlotte Memorial Funeral Home (9400 Indian Springs Cemetery Road, Punta Gorda)
  • Henry Garcia at Kays-Ponger Uselton Funeral Home (635 East Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda)
  • Rosana S Halprine at Punta Gorda Library (401 Shreve Street, Punta Gorda)
  • Jill Lindsay (January-February) and Laura Pickell (March-April) at Mid-County Library (2050 Forrest Nelson, Port Charlotte) 
  • Larry Palmer, Tina Weida and Mary Lundeberg at Punta Gorda Airport (28000 Airport Road, Punta Gorda)

Artists whose work will be on display from May through August, 2021:
  • Toni McNulty at Cayo Costa Dental (316 Helen Avenue, Punta Gorda)
  • Becky Van Pelt at Charlotte County Administration (18500 Murdock Circle, Port Charlotte)
  • Gloria Urban at Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center (75 Taylor Street, Punta Gorda)
  • Tina Weida at Charlotte Memorial Funeral Home (9400 Indian Springs Cemetery Road, Punta Gorda)
  • Tina Weida at Kays-Ponger Uselton Funeral Home (635 East Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda)
  • Karen Wood at Mid-County Library (2050 Forrest Nelson, Port Charlotte) 
  • Larry Palmer, Tina Weida and Mary Lundeberg at Punta Gorda Airport (28000 Airport Road, Punta Gorda)

Charlotte Arts is pleased to provide an online directory of artists, cultural non-profits and cultural businesses. With up to four images from each one, you can attend a virtual museum of Charlotte County-area art!
113 W. Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
They are following CDC guidance and ask that everyone wear a mask.

Zen Moment by Chris Vernier Pesce.
Artists of the Month (April 1 to May 6)
Cheryl McClure, photographer, and Renee Farr, glass artist

Guest Artists (April)
Chris Vernier-Pesce, painter; Dee Cooper, fiber artist; and Brenda Berdnik, mixed media artist
210 Maud Street, Punta Gorda

Exhibits
Charlotte County Elementary Schools: April 24 to May 1 in Main Gallery

Wild Child: April 24 to May 31 in Goff Gallery

Water, Water Everywhere: May 5 to 31 in Main Gallery

Blind Ambition by Garry Scott Wheeler.

Off-Site Exhibits
The Wyvern Hotel | 101 East Retta Esplanade, Punta Gorda
Nix & Associates Real Estate | 2421 Shreve St, Unit 111, Punta Gorda
2001 Shreve Street, Punta Gorda

PGICA offers a variety of classes and programs: art classes, crafting, and exercise classes, lectures on health topics, members’ world travels, financial seminars, and town hall meetings. All are open to the general public. Visit their website to learn more. Registration is required. Register at PGICA.org.
Every Monday, 8:30 a.m. to Noon
-- Visit website for more details on locations.--
Anyone with a desire to paint outside may join us any Monday. There are no fees and no instruction. For those who wish, at 11:15 a.m. paintings are shared and discussed. This group meets at a different location each week. Depending on the weather, this program will not be hold during the summer, possibly June through September.

Alex Haak is opening his home exhibit of more than 25 oil paintings every Saturday afternoon. Email him by Friday to confirm hours and directions to his Port Charlotte residence.
Updates
After seven successful outdoor and socially-distanced concerts this year, Punta Gorda Symphony closed the season on April 11. 

The Punta Gorda Symphony is partnering with ARTS AXIS Florida, a program born from the circumstances of the pandemic. Visit the website for recordings and other performances from local arts organizations.

Charlotte County Concert Band is working diligently to bring the sound of music back for the 2021-2022 season. No events will be scheduled during the 2020-2021 season.

Lemon Bay Playhouse has also cancelled its 2021-2022 season.

Charlotte County Jazz Society will hold its 30th anniversary celebration in 2021.
The concert season remains on hold until the William H. Wakefield Theater at the Cultural Center reopens. Jazz jams at the Golf Club and/or special afternoon events at The Grill at 1951, both limited to 50% capacity now, will likely be our first scheduled activity when some kind of normalcy returns.

". . . the arts are a powerful and important part of what unites us as Americans. The arts celebrate our differences through a collective, shared experience."
-- National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter
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Charlotte Arts and member events were cancelled because of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) on March 23, 2020. Some member organizations cancelled their events and hours of operation for the season and others are open and following CDC guidance. If you wish to confirm the status of any event or organization, please contact the event host.

Support Charlotte Arts

  • Give a gift of membership to Charlotte Arts. The membership helps ensure the success and vibrancy of the entire cultural community. Memberships for artists, individuals and families are $50, nonprofit, government and university-based organizations are $75 and businesses are $100. If you already are a member, thank you. Please encourage others to support Charlotte Arts by becoming a member.
  • Are you shopping on Amazon? Amazon will donate 0.5% to Charlotte Arts of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.
  • Purchase the "State of the Arts" license plate tags. A portion comes back to Charlotte County to support quality arts and humanities programs, including Arts in Education classroom grants. Charlotte Arts is pleased to offer grants in support of teachers within Charlotte County Public Schools who incorporate arts and humanities into their curriculum. Charlotte Arts has awarded a total of $143,195 in grants, providing arts and cultural programs to more than 52,600 students. Charlotte Arts is anticipating offering additional grants in January for the 2020-2021 school year with support received from the Florida license plate.