Arts & Entertainment Preview

The World of Wyeth

In 1986, the revelation that acclaimed realist artist Andrew Wyeth had been secretly painting neighbor Helga Testorf for 15 years (without telling even his wife) caused a nationwide stir. This season, those paintings will be causing a stir at the Naples Museum of Art, when they and other Wyeth works go on view Jan. 21 to May 14.

Actually, two exhibitions will take place during those dates. One will focus on about 80 works by Andrew Wyeth, including his images of Helga, the German-born nurse who became his most famous subject. The other exhibition will look at the work of Andrew's father, painter-illustrator N.C. Wyeth, and Andrew's son, Jamie. Different as the three generations of artists are, director of curatorial affairs David Setford says we'll notice a "landscape thread" in all their work.

Born in 1917, Andrew Wyeth is one of the few American painters to become a household name. His 1948 painting, Christina's World, purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, has been reproduced on thousands of posters. But until the late 1980s, the Helga paintings were unknown to everyone but the painter and his muse.

Wyeth revealed the paintings to his wife in 1985. In 1986, Leonard E.B. Andrews purchased the Helga works, and in 1987, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., organized a tour. The series now belongs to a private Japanese interest, which lends them for special exhibitions.

Wyeth actually painted more than 240 works with Helga as the subject, including tempera and dry-brush paintings as well as watercolors and pencil studies. He depicted Helga in the studio, in the landscape, in shadow, in sunlight and at every hour of the day in every season, and viewed her from every angle and position, clothed and unclothed. But he chose not to reveal her emotions. She appears withdrawn, introspective and self-absorbed. In every sense of the word, Helga was the model for Wyeth's experiments in composition, light and color.

The opportunity to view works by N.C. and Jamie Wyeth will give visitors a rare perspective on this family of painters and their unique contributions. Andrew was the youngest of five children fathered by N.C., who was known for his powerful illustrations for the classic books Kidnapped, Robin Hood, Robinson Crusoe and Last of the Mohicans. His works were very different from the watercolor and tempera landscapes and portraits chosen by his son Andrew. Setford promises a glimpse of N.C.'s noncommissioned, personal and private work.

Andrew's son, Jamie, paints subjects that interest him as well as commissioned portraits. One of his best-known portraits is that of President Kennedy, painted after Kennedy's death but still a remarkable psychological portrait. He's also a sensitive observer of his surroundings, frequently painting livestock and other animals.

For more details on the Naples Museum of Arts' season, call (239) 597-1900.

-Mark Ormond

Leading the von Liebig

New director Taylor Wells has great plans for the von Liebig Art Center. First up: an innovative exhibition from the Seminole tribe, which will include workshops, demonstrations and

storytelling. Meanwhile, he'll lead an effort to win accreditation from the American Association of Museums, an important step for the center.

Wells, who possesses a cultured Virginia charm, has a background in arts management and consulting, and his degrees in sociology and community health may come in handy while working with the vast array of personalities-and passions-that distinguish the arts community he will serve. His broad interests and wit should also help him to, as he puts it, "get everyone on the same page."

The von Liebig, he says, "is moving away from plans of being a modern art museum, but will continue to feature both emerging and established artists."

Wells grew to appreciate Naples as an arts town during visits over the past 10 years. Prior to moving here, he won high praise as director of the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Va., and he staged more than 300 exhibitions in his 10 years at the Peninsula Fine Art Center in Newport News.

In his free time, Wells visits his two grown children. His daughter's recent marriage in France gave him the chance to host a dinner "for a hundred of his new French friends." We'll be looking forward to our dinner invitations soon.

-Mark Ormond

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There's more compelling art to appreciate at the naples museum of art this season. One particularly intriguing exhibition, Diane Arbus-Family Albums, presents more than 50 haunting black-and-white photos by the late Arbus, who has been highlighted recently in retrospectives at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The Naples show focuses on a collection of previously unknown works produced by the artist in 1969; it's on view Jan. 7 to April 15. Also at the museum: Frank Lloyd Wright and the House Beautiful, which examines the legendary architect's skill in creating harmony between architectural structure and interior design. Viewers will see approximately 100 original objects from the collection of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and other public and private collections, Feb. 14 to June 25.

At Lee County Alliance of the Arts, January offers an International Printmakers Show Jan. 6-28 . Art League of Marco Island's season includes the Vine Art exhibit Feb. 6-28, complete with a wine presentation and tasting . The fledgling Florida Arts Cultural Center in Fort Myers is planning an exhibit in February tied to the 50th anniversary of the book Gift from the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and is also planning its first annual Florida Arts Festival in March . Other arts festivals to look forward to: the Naples National Art Festival, Feb. 25 and 26 in Cambier Park . the Bonita Springs National Art Festivals, Jan. 14-15 and March 11-12 at the Promenade at Bonita Bay. and ArtFest Fort Myers, Feb. 4 and 5 along Edwards Drive in downtown Fort Myers.

A Month of Magic

With a reputation for being the "little festival that could," the Sanibel Music Festival marks its remarkable longevity with a series of performances by world-renowned classical musicians who usually headline at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and even the White House.

"In the chamber music world, this festival is recognized as one of the top five in the country," says festival board member Janice Stone. "It's a little arts jewel."

Throughout March, the little festival with the big reputation will offer seven concerts in the 325-seat Sanibel Congregational Church, an appropriately intimate setting for chamber music. Since 2006 marks the 250th birthday of Mozart, many of the programs will feature works by the late, great composer. Six of the concerts will be recorded by National Public Radio and air locally in May.

The timeless appeal of chamber music and the world-renowned performers combine to draw sell-out crowds on a regular basis. "To consistently get this caliber of artists is extraordinary," Stone notes. "We work hard to find both well-known and up-and-coming stars, and we have a reputation for being a special place to perform. Of course, who wouldn't want to be here in March?"

The 20th annual festival begins March 4 with the Ying String Quartet, a gifted group of siblings from Harvard University. The talented family annually commissions new composers to write for string, and Stone hopes one of these pieces will be featured in their concert. "Like the Yings, we believe in encouraging new talent," she says. "Although most of the festival will concentrate on traditional chamber music, we always want to include at least one or two pieces by 20th- or 21st-century composers."

The festival continues on March 7 with pianist Olga Kern, a Cliburn Gold Medal winner, followed by the American Chamber Players on March 11. The 2005 Cliburn silver medalist, pianist Joyce Yang, who at 19 became the youngest entrant in the prestigious competition, will perform on March 14. Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, hailed as the power couple of chamber music, will present a program on March 21. The festival closes on March 25 with the Pacifica String Quartet and guest star Wu Han.

For the all-volunteer board of the Sanibel Music Festival, producing a big-league festival on a small nonprofit budget is a year-round (and sometimes daunting) task. But the reward is a magical month of music.

"We work hard to get major under-writers to help support the festival so we can offer music affordable to everyone," she says. "In New York, you'd pay $100 to $150 to hear these musicians. Here, the top price is $30. The $6 bridge toll will be worth it for this."

For ticket information, visit the Web site at

www.sanibelmusicfestival.org.

-Lynn Howard Frazer

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The Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts always boasts a strong lineup of classical artists. This season's highlights include a return visit by opera star Renée Fleming, Jan. 15; violin virtuoso Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg joining the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra on Bruch's First Violin Concerto and more, Dec. 1-3; and rising young piano sensation Lang Lang, in his Southwest Florida debut, April 4. Beyond the classical, though, the Phil also debuts a new Cabaret at the Phil series, which will bring great cabaret artists to the intimate Daniels Pavilion. This year offers Algonquin Hotel regular Barbara Carroll, Jan. 20-21; Tony Award-winner Debbie Gravitte, March 10-11; and the original Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Susan Egan, April 7-8. Other sensational shows: the NPO's pop series, presenting the original version of Rhapsody in Blue, Feb. 21-26; and A Salute to Jerry Herman, welcoming the great Broadway showmeister himself, March 4-5.