Arts Bonita

Canterbury senior Shennan Nelson, Bishop Verot senior Halle Heckman and North Fort Myers senior Georgia Rainero dig deep to turn in heartfelt performances as Carrie, Chris and Sue in the Arts Bonita musical.

From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In October, there are 32 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

“Innovative Expressions” by Bonnie Sprung is on view Sept. 25 through Nov. 6 in the Hinman Auditorium Gallery-in-the-Round at Arts Bonita Performing Arts Center.For his show, Sprung is mixing and matching artwork from two series.

Artistic Director Kody Jones doesn’t want audiences to focus on telekinesis and spectacle when they come to Arts Bonita to see “Carrie the Musical." The theme is really a story of bullying and intolerance and hate.

"Re-Made" and "Creating a Colorful World" open on Sept. 4 at the Arts Bonita Center for Visual Art.

From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In September, there are 32 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In August, there are 29 shows at these venues, underscoring the importance of the arts in our part of the country.

Athena Rose Belis is going into her junior year at Florida Gulf Coast University. She’s angling for a degree and career in theater, but when asked about her long-range goals, she gives a full-throated laugh. That’s because Belis is already living the dream.

This week, four shows open, one show closes, six continue their runs and there are five limited engagements at Southwest Florida equity and community theaters.

Several members of the cast of “Hair” may be making their last stage appearances in Southwest Florida. That’s because they’re heading to college in a few weeks to pursue degrees in musical theater.