Art

Davis/Keil Fine Art. On view through Jan. 17: Icons of Art (featuring works by Robert Rauschenberg, John Chamberlain, Agnes Martin, David Hockney, Gerhard Richter, Ed Ruscha and others) and recent paintings and monoprints by Tammra Sigler. Opening Jan. 20 to run through Feb. 14: a folk-art exhibition. Information: 775-3200.

Philharmonic Galleries. Continuing on view through Jan. 25: Karsh Portraits: Legends, presenting works by the late photographer Yousuf Karsh. Also on view: The Grand Tour in Miniature, showcasing the miniature collection of Cary and Barry Kaye. Information: 597-1900.

Naples Museum of Art. Hans Hofmann: A Retrospective offers more than 70 works from the modernist giant, through March 21. Continuing through Feb. 1: Bill Brandt: A Retrospec-tive, highlighting works of the British photographer, and Crafting Utopia: The Art of Shaker Women, featuring artifacts from spinning, weaving, basket making, cooking and other activities. Opening Jan. 30 to run through April 18: Ruth Harriet Louise and Glam-our Photography, photos of such Hollywood stars as Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. Information: 597-1900.

Museum of the Everglades. Paintings by Diane Eiler fill the Everglades City museum this month. Information: 774-8476.

Cape Coral Arts Studio. Lalita Cofer's paintings of her travels to the Caribbean and Europe offer Journeys of the Heart, Jan. 2-30 (reception 5-7 p.m. Jan. 9). Information: 574-0802.

Guess-Fisher Gallery. Gallery artist Thom Milsap demonstrates his spontaneous use of color in acrylics during the Fifth Avenue South Gallery Walk, Jan. 4, 6 to 9 p.m. Information: 659-2787.

Art League of Marco Island. Take a Walk on the Wild Side with acrylics, oils, watercolors and sculptures centered on wildlife, by artists Janet Heaton, Robert Sloan, Robert Binks, Terry Smith, Diane Reed Eiler, Ricky Martin and Giles Peltier, Jan. 4-29. Information: 394-4221.

Aboriginals Art of the First Person. Masks of Magic, featuring one of the most enduring traditions of tribal culture, is on view Jan. 4-30 at this Sanibel gallery. Information: 395-2200.

Gallery Victoria. The Winter Multimedia Exhibition presents contemporary sculptures and metal paintings by Dan Brister, oils by Margarita Deleuze, acrylics and mixed media by Lee Dowling, mixed media by Joan Dunkle, and more new works by gallery artists, Jan. 9-26 (reception 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 9). Information: 649-4300.

Lee County Alliance of the Arts. When Florida Meets Normandy, a one-person exhibition featuring paintings by Gale Bennett, occupies the Frizzell Gallery Jan. 9-30. On view for those dates in the Member Gallery: works by Roger Sherman. Also this month: the Angels of the Arts event honoring arts supporters Jan. 15, and a Jazz Alliance Concert, Jan. 31. Information: 939-2787.

Art League of Bonita Springs Center for the Arts. The Members' Show takes over the gallery, Jan. 9 (reception 5:30-7:30 p.m.) through Jan. 29. Information: 495-8989.

Art Night on Pine Island. Nine art galleries participate in this event, which will help raise funds to build the first Habitat for Humanity house on the island. From 4-9 p.m. Jan. 9. Information: 283-4414.

Atelier Lizio Naples. Dot Lingren and Jeanne Ozment present their abstract paintings, on display Jan. 16 to Jan. 24, with an opening reception 5 to 8 p.m. on the 16th. Information: 513-2796.

Shaw Gallery. Latest works from Leonard Mizerek, opening with a reception from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16. Information: 261-7828.

Marianne Friedland Gallery. Opening Jan. 18 to run through Feb. 5: Milton Avery: The Gloucester Summers, focusing on works painted and drawn by Avery in Massachusetts during the 1920s, '30s and '40s. Information: 262-3484.

Eckert Fine Art. Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein are paired for the first time in an exhibition called Lichtenstein: Chinese Landscape + Rauschenberg: 7 Chinese Characters. On view Jan. 19-Feb. 7. Information: 261-1100.

New River Fine Art. A retrospective of sculptures by Frederick Hart called Changing Tides is on view at this Fifth Avenue space Jan. 23-Feb. 5. Information: 435-4515.

Naples Invitational Art Fest. Check out the art available at this annual event for Eden Florida, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 24 and 25 at Fleischmann Park. Information: 263-1667.

Weatherburn Gallery. Pageantry and Performance presents photographs by Brit Henry Dallal, who officially photographed Queen Elizabeth II at her golden jubilee. On view Jan. 25 through Feb. 8. Information: 263-8008.

Von Liebig Art Center. Outside/In American Self-Taught Art, highlights works by such artists as Purvis Young, Howard Finster and Earl Cunningham, Jan. 31-March 31. On view for the same dates: Exquisite small paintings of the landscape, both sublime and absurd, focused on nature threatened by pollution, by New York artist Adam Straus. Information: 262-6517.

Benefits

Old Marco Days Dinner. An all-day event Jan. 11 at the Olde Marco Inn and Shops, to benefit the Marco Island Historical Society. Tickets $50; call 389-1572.

Chops City Ball. A night out starting at 6 p.m. Jan. 14 at Chops City Grill in Bonita Springs for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Tickets $250. Call 430-9474.

Wines around the World. Sip vintages, enjoy hors d'oeuvres and entertainment, and benefit the Naples Players Theatre Guild at the same time, Jan. 21 at a private home in Old Naples. Tickets $100. Information: 263-2673.

G.E.M.S. Jewelry Auction. Bid on the sparklers and give education your support starting at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at Gulfcoast Coin & Jewelry in Fort Myers, to aid the Foundation for Lee County Public Schools. Call 337-0433.

Cattle Baron's Ball. Kick up your heels with country-Western flair at this event to benefit the American Cancer Society of Lee County, starting at 6 p.m. Jan. 24 at Sam Ga-lloway Ford in Fort Myers. Tickets $150 per person, $250 per couple. Information: 936-1113, ext. 115.

Royal Pet Lover's Ball. At 6:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at Port Royal Club in Naples, for the Humane Society of Collier County. Tickets $200. Information: 643-1880.

Fiesta Latina. A party with that Latin flavor, at 6 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Hideaway Beach Club on Marco Island, for the American Cancer Society. Tickets are $135 each, $250 per couple. Call 642-8800.

NCH Auxiliary Luncheon. Damaris Peters Pike takes you to Never Never Land with a musical tribute to Mary Martin Jan. 31 at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. Social hour begins at 11 a.m; luncheon at noon. Tickets $40. Information: 643-3805.

Cattle Baron's Ball. Yes, another one, this time around to benefit the Collier County unit of the American Cancer Society. Set for Jan. 31 at the Registry; tickets $250 each. Information: 261-0337.

Beaux Arts Masque Ball. A dinner-auction commences at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, in support of the Art League of Bonita Springs. Tickets $200. Information: 495-8989.

Venetian Ball. An evening to benefit Catholic Charities, at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at the Sanibel Harbour Resort. Live music, silent auction and more. Tickets $125. Information: 334-4007.

Comedy

The Capitol Steps. Political commentary through comedy, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 481-4849.

Dance

River North Chicago Dance Company. An eclectic repertoire of jazz dance distinguishes this company, which performs at 8 p.m. Jan. 6 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Miami City Ballet. Two company premieres in this Balanchine Centennial: Verdi's Ballo della Regina, and Stravinsky's Violin Concerto. At 8 p.m. Jan. 13 and 14 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Tapage. Dancers Olivia Rosenkrantz and Mari Fiyibayashi tap their hearts out in an evening of music ranging from jazz to classical to world, Jan. 31 at Schein Hall. Information: 395-0900.

Miscellaneous

The Collier County Museum presents July 1942: United We Stand, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution, providing a glimpse of home-front patriotism through magazine covers of the period. Jan. 3-March 14. Call 774-8476.

Liz Coursen of American- PostcardArt.com presents two postcard history seminars at Robb & Stucky, one from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and one from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.on Jan. 6. Bring your own postcard collections to share with her. Free. Reservations/information: 261-3969, ext. 450.

Evening on Fifth. Entertain-ment, gallery hopping and shopping are all on tap from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Jan. 8 along Fifth Avenue South. Information: 435-3742.

Music

Ring in the New.with a performance of Club Swing by Five by Design, recalling that golden big-band era, at 8 p.m. Jan. 2 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Salute to Vienna. Waltz your way into the New Year with this Viennese evening, starting at 8 p.m. Jan. 2 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 481-4849.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons/Little Anthony and the Imperials. From "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" to "Going Out of My Head," these two groups sum up the whole '60s love ballad thing, at 8 p.m. Jan. 3 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Louise Mandrell and Riders in the Sky. Country star Mandrell and America's favorite cowboys are onstage at 8 p.m. Jan. 4 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Paul Anka. The prolific Mr. Anka visits the Barbara B. Mann, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 4. Information: 481-4849.

Naples Philharmonic Chamber Series. Exotic Combinations pairs some unusual musical instruments in performances including Mozart's Quartet for Flute and String Trio K 285, at 3 p.m. Jan. 4 in the Phil's Daniels Pavilion. Information: 597-1900.

Jesus Christ Superstar. The rock opera that started it all is onstage Jan. 6-11 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 481-4849.

Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra thrills to the Power of Beethoven, at 8 p.m. Jan. 8-10 at the Phil. Guest conductor Michael Stern and cellist Jian Wang join the Naples musicians in a program that includes Ludwig van's Symphony Number 5 in C minor. Information: 597-1900.

Gabrielli Trio. Violinist James Buswell, pianist Seth Carlin and cellist Michael Haber team for an evening of chamber music, Jan. 10 in a BIGArts offering at Sani-bel's Schein Hall. Information: 395-0900.

Bach Ensemble. Listen to strains of Johann Sebastian, at 3 p.m. Jan. 11 at the First United Methodist Church in Naples. Information: 732-1055.

Glenn Miller Orchestra. Get in the mood for "Tuxedo Junction," "Moonlight Serenade" and other great Miller hits, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 481-4849.

Canadian Brass. Get brassy with the celebrated quintet, at 8 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Pete Fountain. The Dixieland clarinetist par excellence appears at 8 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Southwest Florida Symphony. Guest violinist Philippe Quint will join the orchestra in concerts featuring Fresh Perspectives, at 8 p.m. Jan. 16 and 17 at Barbara B. Mann Hall. On the program: Bernstein's Serenade for Solo Violin and works by Beethoven, Debussy and Stravinsky. Information: 418-1500.

Elmar Oliveira. Celebrated violinist Oliveira tunes up at Schein Hall for BIGArts, Jan. 17. Information: 395-0900.

Naples Concert Band. Perform-ing at 2 p.m. Jan. 18 at Cambier Park (in case of rain at Naples High). Information: 263-9521.

Classic Chamber Concerts. This month the Philadelphia Piano Quartet teams with guest horn player Dale Clevenger for The Brilliance of Brass, featuring works by Schubert, Haydn and Brahms. At 2 p.m. Jan. 18 at Edison Community College and 8 p.m. Jan. 19 and 20 at the Sugden. Information: 434-8505.

Harvey Robbin's Doo Wop Show. The Belmonts, the Del Vikings, the Diamonds and Tune Weaver return you to the sounds of the '50s and '60s, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 481-4849.

Concerts with Commentary. Pianist Ruth Laredo touches on Chopin-the Soul of the Piano, at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 in the Phil's Daniels Pavilion. Information: 597-1900.

Naples Philharmonic Pops Series. A Gershwin Celebration offers conductor Jeff Tyzik, pianist Duke Thompson, soprano Roberta Laws, baritone Daniel Washington, and commentary by Alan Gershwin at 8 p.m. Jan. 20-24 and 2 p.m. Jan. 24 and 25 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Noel Freidline Quintet. Freidline on piano and voice is accompanied by singer Renee Ebalaroza, bassist/vocalist Elisa Pruiett, drummer Ken Tackett and vibesman Christian Tamburr, in music covering a wide range of styles, Jan. 24 at Schein Hall. Information: 395-0900.

Gulf Coast Symphony. Swing, Swing, Swing with Gary Guthman, at 8 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 481-4849.

Mogilevsky and Somolina. Husband-and-wife pianists Maxim and Svetlana perform, Jan. 25 at Schein Hall. Information: 395-0900.

Classic Chamber Concerts Rising star, 15-year-old violin virtuoso Suliman Tekalli performs, at 2 p.m. Jan. 25 at a location TBA. Information: 434-8505.

Ann-Margret. The Swedish-born singer, dancer and actress entertains at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 481-4849.

Count Basie Orchestra. Grover Mitchell directs, at 8 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Community Concert. Featuring the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 939-3236.

Naples Philharmonic Reaching Out Series. Clotilde Otranto leads the NPO's Core Orchestra in evenings of Epic Beethoven, at 8 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Wesley United Methodist Church and Jan. 31 at the First Christian Church. The Master's Symphony Number 7 in A major is on the program. Information: 597-1900.

Sports

Florida Everblades. The 'Blades suit up for games against the South Carolina Stingrays, Jan. 2, 30 and 31; the Pensacola Ice Pilots, Jan. 13 and 27; Roanoke Express, Jan.16 and 17, all at 7:30 p.m. at TECO Arena. Information: 948-PUCK (7825).

Talks

The Movie Club. Elaine Newton leads a discussion of a recent film, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5 in the Phil's Daniels Pavilion. Information: 597-1900.

Critic's Choice Book Review Series. Newton examines Life of Pi by Yann Martel, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Jan. 8 and 10 a.m. Jan. 10 in the Phil's Daniels Pavilion. Information: 597-1900.

Naples/Fort Myers Town Hall Series. Filmmaker Ken Burns is this month's speaker, at 6 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Registry. Information: 261-6524.

Friends of the Collier County Library Noon Lecture Series. Louis Raymond, one-time opera singer and designer for the New England Spring Flower Show, talks about gardening on Jan. 20 at the Naples Bath & Tennis Club. Information: 262-8135.

Loretta Laroche. Advice is laced with humor when Laroche discourses on Life Is Short-Wear Your Party Pants! at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 481-4849.

Quest Educational Foundation. CNN commentator Tucker Carlson discusses The Political Landscape, Jan. 23 at the Ritz-Carlton. Information: 643-3573.

Shakespeare: Private Lives. Shakespearean scholar Dr. Paul Rathburn returns with a look at Hamlet, at 10 a.m. Jan. 24 in the Phil's Daniels Pavilion. Information: 597-1900.

Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club. The club offers Dr. Ellen Strong on Little Snails, Big Diversity: The Ptenoglossans of Sebastian Inlet, at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Bailey-Mathews Shell Museum on Sanibel. Public welcome; no admission charge. Information: 395-2233.

Theater

A Dickens' Christmas Carol. Billed as "a traveling travesty in two tumultuous acts," this isn't your usual Scrooge show. Through Jan. 4 at the Cultural Park Theatre Company in Cape Coral. Information: 772-5862.

Mame. The irrepressible Mame Dennis toots her horn once more in this Jerry Herman musical, onstage through Jan. 25 at the Naples Dinner Theatre. Information: 514-7827.

The Pajama Game. Return to Hernando's Hideaway with a production of this 1950s musical hit (you may recall Doris Day in the film version). Onstage through Feb. 14 at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. Information: 278-4422.

The Big Bang. The Old Schoolhouse Theater on Sanibel brings back last summer's hit, which gets laughs out of the concept of a backer's audition for a 12-hour mega-musical about the history of the world. I think I saw that show.Onstage Jan. 4-Feb. 7. Information: 472-6862.

The Kathy and Mo Show. Lauren Drexler and Kathy Grey star in this often hilarious look at the plight of women and the pandemonium that ensues when they're brought together with the opposite sex. Onstage Jan. 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23 and 24 at the Foulds Theatre, in a Theatre Conspiracy production. Information: 936-3239.

All about the Girls. The girls of those musical groups of the '40s, '50s and '60s, that is, in this combination musical revue/comedy/ game show. Onstage Jan. 8-25 in a Marco Players production at Marco Town Center Mall. Information: 642-7270.

All My Sons. Arthur Miller's drama about the effects of war and deception on one family is onstage Jan. 9-Feb. 1 at Florida Rep. Information: 332-4488.

Art. Three friends come together and break apart over the purchase of an all-white painting in Yasmine Reza's hit, onstage at the Naples Players' Blackburn Hall, Sugden Community Theatre, Jan. 14-Feb. 7. Information: 263-7990.

Nunsense. It's back to Hoboken with these singing, dancing nuns once more, Jan. 15-Feb. 28 at the Off-Broadway Palm Theatre. Information: 278-4422.

Ol' Blue Eyes. Speaking of Hoboken . a cabaret tribute to native son Francis Albert Sinatra is set for Saturday afternoons and Monday evenings Jan. 15-April 5 at the Naples Dinner Theatre. Information: 514-7827.

Amadeus. The Tony Award winner centering on composers Mozart and Salieri and the way history remembers both, onstage at 8 p.m. Jan. 16, 2 and 8 p.m. Jan. 17 and 18, at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

Marvin's Room. Considering that it centers on a family facing illness and death, this play by Scott McPherson is surprisingly funny. It's onstage Jan. 16-Feb. 1 at the Cultural Park Theatre Company, Cape Coral. Information: 772-5862.

Thoroughly Modern Millie. Take a trip back to the Roaring '20s with this tale of a flapper in training, onstage Jan. 27-30, Feb. 1 and 2 at the Phil. Information: 597-1900.

A Night with Dame Edna. Time for all "possums" to revel in the wonderfulness of Dame Edna Everage (aka Barry Humphries) once more, Jan. 27-Feb. 1 at the Barbara B. Mann. Information: 481-4849.

Pirates of Penzance. The Gilbert and Sullivan classic about Frederick and Mabel, the very model of a Major-General, and all those handsome young pirates, onstage Jan. 29-March 7 at the Naples Dinner Theatre. Information: 514-7827.

Lecture

When David Doubilet was a boy living on the Jersey Shore, he wrapped a Brownie Hawkeye camera in a US Divers mask and an anesthesiologist's bag given him by his father, a professor at New York University Hospital. Then the 12-year-old diver waded into the ocean and shot his first underwater photos. Forty-five years and 60 National Geographic features later, Doubilet has earned a place in many minds as the best underwater photographer in the world. The creator of beautiful books, including Water Light Time and Fish Face (both published by Phaidon Press in New York), will come to Naples in February to benefit the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, to talk about threatened coral reefs around the world and to show some of his practically perfect pictures.

Doubilet's shots range from the humorous-candid close-ups of funny fishes-to the heavenly, in which water and air and their inhabitants merge into one liquid universe. Shooting for the Geographic over four decades, he's traveled the world, spending long hours underwater for days and weeks on end till he gets the right shot. "I try to figure out a different way of looking at things," he says of the remarkable results. "You stay and wait and shoot. It's just a question of patience, time and the extraordinary luck of the sea."

Doubilet has never published underwater work from Southwest Florida, although he did visit the region several years ago to photograph manatees. (The weather didn't cooperate and he couldn't round up any sea cows, but he hopes to try again someday.) Nearby, however, he's had better luck on the coral reefs of the Florida Keys and Cuba. The island nation, in fact, boasts some of the best-preserved coral reefs anywhere, Doubilet says. But overall, he adds, the world's highly complex and poorly understood coral-reef systems have taken "an awful hammering," due mainly to overfishing and pollution. "We've been acting as conquistadors rather than as naturalists," he says. "I plan to talk about the richness of the coral-reef systems throughout the world and how desperately they're under human and climatic pressure."

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida Signature Event, at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club: reception, auction and dinner, 5 p.m., Feb. 18, $350 per person; presentation, 7 p.m., Feb. 19, $35 per person ($25 for Conservancy members). Information: 591-1348.

On Exhibit

When you think of the early days of glamorous movie stars photographed for publicity-conscious MGM, you tend to think of the women before the camera, not behind it. Yet one of the leading studio portrait photographers of that day, or any other, was a woman: Ruth Harriet Louise. Her distinctive black-and-white images of celebrities-Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer and more-go on view Jan. 30-April 18 at the Naples Museum of Art.

The story of Louise's brief but brilliant career at MGM-she worked there only from 1925 to 1930 and died in 1940, at the age of 37-is told in a captivating book, Ruth Harriet Louise and Hollywood Glamour Photography, by Robert Dance and Bruce Robertson. The book was published in association with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, where photography curator Karen Sinsheimer originated the traveling exhibition.

"When you look beyond celebrity, she set the tone for so much in fashion and marketing," says Sinsheimer. "She was very good at getting her subjects to do what she wanted, and she had such a sense of texture, design and composition. She also really understood clothes and was glamorous herself; on the MGM lot she was sometimes mistaken for Joan Crawford."

Because of her early death, Louise's career wasn't resurrected in the 1970s and 1980s, when some of her male contemporaries who were still living-George Hurrell, Clarence Sinclair Bull-earned renewed attention for the work they did in the 1920s and '30s. But Sinsheimer thinks the exhibition and book will bring Louise out of undeserved obscurity, removing her remarkable glamour photography from "the cult of celebrity and popularity and demonstrating that it's a serious genre." For more information on the exhibition, call 597-1900.

-Kay Kipling

Discover Historic Sanibel

Since Sanibel's median home values now hover at the half-million-dollar mark, the island's modest beginnings are hard to spot.

Most of the small, unassuming structures that dotted the island before a causeway connected it to the mainland in the 1960s have been knocked down to make way for the upscale modern residences, resorts and shops that now dominate the landscape.

But the city has taken pains to preserve bits and pieces of its heritage in the form of the Sanibel Historic Village and Museum, a low-profile attraction on an island best known for its beaches and shells.

The village consists of eight wooden buildings, which date back to the early 1900s. All were moved from their original locations to make way for development. Now they stand together near Sanibel City Hall and BIG Arts, making it easy for visitors to glimpse island life of a century ago.

The effect is that of an old-time village, with shell paths that crunch beneath your feet and native palms that provide shade.

Among the structures standing are the home of island pioneer Clarence Rutland; the 1926 post office; Miss Charlotta's Tea Room, which dates from the 1930s; the 1898 Burnap Cottage; and the Sanibel Packing Company, which was also known as Bailey's General Store. The Rutland home was the first to relocate in 1984. The last of the buildings, the 1924 Morning Glory Cottage (which came straight out of the Sears Roebuck catalog) was moved to the village a couple of years ago.

Visitors can wander around and peer into the buildings, visit the garden (which boasts eggplants, tomatoes and other produce similar to that grown by early settlers) and admire a Ford Model-T that was used by Bailey's long ago for deliveries. Periodically, the village hosts historical exhibits.

If not for these weathered buildings, the island's history would have been swept away long ago.

The Sanibel Historic Village and Museum, at 950 Dunlop Road, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday from November through May. Admission is $3 for adults; children are admitted free. Call 472-4648 for details.

What's Blooming Now

No flowering plant seems more associated with midwinter and the holiday season than poinsettia. The vibrant reds and greens (and now other colors) that poinsettias add to our holidays result from biological and diplomatic coincidences. This tropical plant requires the short days and long nights of midwinter to produce its tiny yellow flowers and bright-red, leaf-like bracts.

Its introduction to the United States came courtesy of our diplomatic corps. Joel Poinsett, a South Carolina physician with an interest in horticulture, became U.S. ambassador to Mexico in 1825. He found poinsettias planted near homes in Mexico and fell in love with them. In 1826 Poinsett sent cuttings of poinsettia (Poinsettia pulcherrima) to his greenhouses in South Carolina.

Poinsettia does well in Southwest Florida gardens, but is sensitive to frost. An evergreen, it can reach 12 feet. Our name for the plant honors Poinsett; the scientific name pulcherrima means "most beautiful."

In addition to the showy, cultivated poinsettia, we also have smaller, native poinsettias, which also produce tiny yellow-green flowers that lack petals. One, known as painted-leaf (Poinsettia cyathophora), has leaf-like bracts that are often red at the base, providing a show that is similar to its cultivated relative from Mexico. Its leaves, however, can vary in shape from broad and angular to narrow and almost needle-like. Painted-leaf grows in disturbed areas and, in comparison to cultivated poinsettias, might seem amateurish. I prefer to be generous, and call it a delicate miniature. Painted-leaf blooms year-round throughout Florida and can grow to 4 1/2 feet, but is usually smaller.

-Jerome A. Jackson

Best Bite

Jayne's victorian garden in fort myers uses flower power-jewel-toned jellies infused with essence of violets, nasturtiums and roses ($5 for 3.6 ounces); and edible dried-flower confetti ($5 for two ounces)-to add a

splash of color and flavor to salads and soups. These and other gourmet goodies-herbed vinegars and oils, jarred relishes-are completely organic and handmade by owners Brian and Jayne Baker, who also operate a cozy, whimsical restaurant on the premises at 12901 McGregor Blvd. Call 482-2466.

Tours

Art in public places here dates back at least to 1928, when Fort Myers developer James Newton commissioned a statue to grace the entrance to his then-new Edison Park. Rachel at the Well, down the street from the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, depicts a Grecian maid pouring water from an urn into a fountain at her feet. (Her demure drapery was added after shocked residents complained to Mina Edison about the statue's nudity.)

Another of Fort Myers' early artworks, Tootie's Fountain, now stands in front of the Fort Myers Country Club. Built for Tootie McGregor Terry (responsible for the paving of McGregor Boulevard) by her second husband, the fountain originally stood closer to the heart of downtown. Like Rachel, the centerpiece sculpture of a palm with snakes coiled at its base went through changes. In the 1930s, city officials had the snakes removed, fearing they presented a bad image for the area. The snakes were restored by local sculptor D.J. Wilkins in 1988, some 30 years after the fountain had been moved to its current home. Wilkins is also responsible for other sculptures in Fort Myers, including Uncommon Friends in Centennial Park-a tribute to winter residents and friends Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone-and the nearby Civil War's 2nd Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops, to commemorate the black Union soldiers who defended a federal post in Fort Myers. One of the city's newest and most striking sculptures is Jim Sanborn's Caloosahatchee Manuscripts outside the historic former post office and federal courthouse on First Street. After dark, lights shine through letters carved into two bronze cylinders, projecting lighted type onto the solid building.

Little Charlotte County boasts a remarkable project that's been in development since 1994, when Dr. Robert Andrews and the Punta Gorda Business and Community Alliance conceived of the Punta Gorda Historic Mural project. Hotel Charlotte Harbor, created by Tom Graham on the south end of the Punta Gorda Mall in 1995, is the first of 19 murals. Fran Hines and Charles Peck are now painting the last mural, Black History, on the brick building just west of the Marion Avenue post office.

In Naples, the Gators Galore 2002 project added to a plentiful supply of public art. At least four of the whimsical sculptures are still on view, on Fifth Avenue South, at Tin City, at the Eighth Street fire station and in front of the von Liebig Art Center. Fifth Avenue South is also home to sculptures, including Kathy Spalding's bronze Anhingas and William Turner's Wood Storks at Corkscrew.

In front of City Hall stands Wayne Hook's Homage to the Sun, one of the most distinctive and recognizable of Naples' public works. The Villages on Venetian Bay are peppered with stone sculptures by developer/artist Raymond Lutgert. Lutgert's work shows up again outside the Northern Trust on U.S. 41. A few blocks south at Atlantic States Bank, statues of Ponce de Leon and Osceola stand guard. The works are by London sculptor Michael Rizzello. -Janina Birtolo