Arts & Culture

January 18th marks the opening reception of an exhibition at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery titled “David BRADSHAW & William S. Burroughs: Propagation.” The exhibition will feature never-before-seen works reflecting the artistic collaboration between the late, legendary Burroughs and internationally acclaimed painter, sculptor, and sharpshooter Bradshaw. We delve into the exhibit in a conversation with David Bradshaw and Bob Rauschenberg Gallery Director Jade Dellinger.

The late Luciano Pavarotti ran an international voice competition in Philadelphia in the 1980s and '90s to foster emerging opera talent. Opera Naples and the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation are bringing it back! The competition will be held at FGCU's Bower School of Music & the Arts Thursday through Saturday.

Southwest Florida will be the site of three outdoor art festivals January 11 & 12: the Naples Artcrafters Fine Art & Craft Show; Bonita Springs National Art Festival; and the 40th Annual Cape Coral Art Festival and Market Place.

Five shows open around Southwest Florida this week, another offers a sneak peek preview, two continue their run and one show closes. Read on for play dates, times and a synopsis of each show.

TheatreZone Artistic Director Mark Danni says “Once the Musical” is a unique theatrical experience that will move you to laughter, to tears, and to a deep understanding of the particular joy of joining together in song.

In April, four astronauts will venture around the moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA's path to establishing a long-term presence at the moon for science and exploration. Urbanite Theatre has set its sights beyond the moon. They’ll be taking audiences to the red planet.

Each year, Southwest Florida residents and visitors enjoy more than sixty outdoor art fairs and festivals. Among them is the Naples New Year’s Art Fair. It’s consistently ranked among the nation’s top fine art fairs by Sunshine Artist Magazine. It takes place in Cambier Park on Saturday and Sunday, January 4th and 5th.

Theatergoers can celebrate New Year’s week with five theater entertainment choices, including the opening of "Spaceman" at Urbanite Theatre in Sarasota and "The Buddy Holly Story" at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.

“The Dutch House” art exhibition closes January 5th. Philadelphia-based artist Becky Suss’ inspiration for the works in this show was American author Ann Patchett’s 2019 novel of the same name.

Bob Hilliard was stationed in Europe at the end of World War II. After celebrating New Year’s Eve in Paris, he and a buddy spent the first ten days of 1946 on leave in London. Three years later, Hilliard wrote a musical based on that period in his life … and in the life of our nation. The script has resided in desk drawer for the past 75 years, but it comes to the stage of The Laboratory Theater of Florida on Saturday for limited run of five performances.