It’s the heart of gala season, and that means lots of eating, drinking and schmoozing.
And the Naples Art Association wants more “doing” in its Feb. 13 “For the Love of Art” affair. The organization, which operates out of The von Liebig Art Center, is creating an interactive arts opportunity for attendees—the first time to morph fundraising with experiential activities.
But community involvement starts well before the fundraiser. The association is inviting the public to vote for the Gulfshore Life Emerging Arts Leader out of three nominees. They are: painter Juan Diaz; sculptor Jay Lana; and sisters Juliana and Kristine Meek, who purchased their parents’ Harmon-Meek Gallery and pledged to continue the family tradition of bringing fine and contemporary art to Naples. Click here to vote. The winner will be announced during the gala, along with Bette Young, winner of the Hirshhorn Award for arts leadership, and Terry and Bob Edwards, winners of the Impact Award, recognizing businesses and business professionals for their contributions to the arts.
The For the Love of Art event itself will be built around the theme of the elements—earth, fire, metal, water. Area chefs will team up with local artists to create food, drink and artwork reminiscent of each. Guests will enjoy interactive experiences ranging from canvases for more traditional painting to a fiberoptic wall for electronic art.
“Sometimes people have a hard time understanding what we do,” says Executive Director Aimee Schlehr. “We thought by giving them an experience in the art center, they would get to know us.”
The event includes the requisite auction, though it, too, strives to go beyond the expected. One package allows a winning couple to spend a day each with four different artists to learn about their creative processes. Proceeds will support educational and programming costs.
Tickets are $250 per individual and $450 per couple. For more information, visit naplesart.org and click the “For the Love of Art” link.
