Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs: Expressing Creativity, Film Festivals, Art Exhibits & Fun
Aug 28, 2017 02:24PM ● By Kevin
Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs has something for most everyone―workshops, kids' classes/camps, gifts, live theater/plays contests, dance, photography, a film festival, comedy, music, painting, pottery, exhibits, chef competitions, the ArtPoems event and much more. Photo courtesy of Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs.
Photo courtesy of Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs.
What began as a small gathering of a few local artists has grown into two centers with one mission: Arts for All.
Dating to the 1950s, Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs is a venue for visual and performing artists to learn, to view other work and to show their own, to enjoy performances and cultural events such as the Bonita Springs International Film Festival, a huge event in January that includes workshops and dialogue with filmmakers and writers.
The Florida Watercolor Society’s exhibition runs this year from Nov. 21-Dec. 28. It features the state’s finest watercolorists. Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs also has a program to bring art to your workplace, youth and at-school sessions, camps and mentoring for at-risk kids, among many programs.
And for aspiring artists, “our teachers are sensitive to our students, whatever level, and enjoy bringing people into the world of art,” says Donna Delseni, the art education director.
Artist samplers are popular at the Center for Visual Arts―a five-week class that takes beginners through pencil, pastel, acrylic, oil and watercolor introductions. Over at the Center for Performing Arts, performance classes such as Intro to Acting for Adults and 10 Minute Plays are trendy. For those wishing to sample classes, one-nighters allow you to “dip your toe in the water,” Delseni says.
There are also shortened workshops; three hours to three days. The venue “offers a stellar roster of long-time teachers that continue to fulfill the needs for all level artists and who are focused on developing their skills,” says Delseni, adding that classes in thermal drawing, paper sculpting and wall sculptures in wood are in the fall line-up.
Photo courtesy of Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs.
Judy Belmont over three years has taken fused-glass programs at the Centers for the Arts, also coordinating activities for friends and family, including a 40th anniversary party. “I wanted to give my friends a chance to make a fused-glass creation,” says Belmont, of Naples.
Belmont has further plans for fall enrollments. “Three years ago,” she says, “I was a complete beginner. [Instructor] Sheri Rouleau gives me the advice and assistance to create my own fused-glass inspirations.
“Her upbeat disposition has made the class even more fun!”
Written by freelance writer Ann Marie O’Phelan. a regular contributor to TOTI Media.
Centers for the Arts Bonita Springs
Center for Visual Arts/Gallery and gift store
26100 Old 41 Road
Center for Performing Arts/Moe Auditorium & Film Center/Hinman Auditorium
10150 Bonita Beach Road
239-495-8989, artcenterbonita.org
