Gulfshore Insider

5
Car collectors will find fetching Fords at the Antique Car Show on Feb. 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. From Mustangs to T-Birds, this display of automotive artistry showcases Ford’s classic cars from 1975 and earlier. Admission is $5; free for Estates members. For details, call 334-7419

8
Finger snapping, singing and a whole lot of dancing characterize the musical masterpiece West Side Story. See the Jets and Sharks rumble with Kyle Harris and Ali Ewoldt starring in a tale of forbidden love. Part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway Series, the show is on stage Feb. 8–13 at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. For details, call 481-4849.

See It!

Wolf Kahn has been recording the landscape for many years. In his 2009 oil painting Bright Center, on display this month at Marianne Friedland Gallery, Kahn uses a series of barn-like structures to create a bold composition. The viewer’s eye moves from left to right, perceiving shapes in yellow, gray, white, brown, pink and green. By establishing the far distance on the left, Kahn helps to define the middle ground that the structures occupy, as well as the foreground that the viewer occupies. Kahn’s is not so much an arrangement of solids and voids as it is a painted realization of the light particles that allow shapes and forms to be seen. He understands nature so well that his brushes create the light that permits the canvas to defy its rigidity, allowing the painting to breathe. The resulting marks of his paint-laden bristles provide a complexly textured weave, where perception is transfixed to contemplation and stillness. Only someone who has spent so much time painting oil sketches outdoors on location could share such a profound experience of nature.—Mark Ormond

10
Jerry lee lewis, the first performer inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, brings down the house with the New Orleans Dynamo, Frankie Ford. Known for their stage presence, these two pioneers of piano rock perform at the Philharmonic Center for the Arts on Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. For more information or tickets, call 597-1900.

Don’t Miss It!

Known for its successful and innovative fairs on both land and sea, International Fine Art Expositions (IFAE) will host its inaugural Naples International Art & Antique Fair from Feb. 24 to March 1. The fair will feature world-renowned vendors and pieces on display at the Naples International Pavilion, a former Albertson’s grocery store that has been remodeled into an elegant art gallery at 4835 Immokalee Road. Single day passes are $10; multi-day passes are $15. For the serious collector, a catered cocktail preview will be Feb. 24 from 6 to 10 p.m. For details, call 949-5411. All proceeds from the preview will benefit the Philharmonic Center for the Arts. David Lester, owner of IFAE, chats about the new fair and why he and his wife, Lee Ann, are bringing it to Naples.

Why did you choose to hold an international fair in Naples?

A very sophisticated group of people lives in Naples. They’re culturally sophisticated, they’re affluent and they’re knowledgeable. We know from experience that location is key to the success of our fairs. The logic of that location is tremendous. You have proximity to all the things you want there: country clubs, the freeway, The Ritz-Carltons and the better neighborhoods.

Which vendors will be at the fair?

We will have dealers from Germany, France, England and the United States. We’ll have great global jewelers like Graff [Diamonds], which is the largest jeweler in the world. We have Buccellati, which is one of the great goldsmiths of the world. We have good ceramic dealers from London like Sylvia Powell. Then we have local dealers like Harmon-Meek [Gallery]. It’s a nice blend of international and local dealers.

Why will Southwest Floridians enjoy this show?

We understand that 95 percent of the people who come to this are not coming to be buyers. This is sophisticated cultural entertainment. People are going to come and see a jeweler like [Laurence] Graff [of Graff Diamonds]; he’s going to bring in $400 million to $500 million worth of jewelry. —Kristie Aronow

 

5
Dig up some dinos with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Dr. Gary Schmelz on Feb. 5 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Fossil Dig costs $60 for members and $95 for nonmembers; the nonmember price includes a one-year Conservancy membership. For more information, call 262-0304.

10
Award winners from Florida West Arts National Juried Exhibition 2010 are on display at Florida West Arts Gallery. The exhibition includes cardboard/foamboard three-dimensional works by Kevin Haran, digital photography by Jim Shirey, watercolors by Tony Armendariz (as above) and oil paintings by Alicia Saenz. The opening reception is Feb. 10 from 5:30–7:30 p.m., and the exhibition remains on display through March 10. For more information, call 948-4427.