Gulf Coast Life

The Wasmer Art Gallery at FGCU is hosting an exhibition of works by multidisciplinary artist Onajide Shabaka titled “Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream.” Shabaka’s work is deeply rooted in historical, cultural, and ecological narratives often exploring themes related to the African diaspora, collective memory, history, anthropology, and ethnobotany. We will talk with Shabaka about the exhibit and his broader artistic practice ahead of his artist talk, Jan. 22, at the exhibit’s opening reception.

Daniyal Mueenuddin’s new book This is Where the Serpent Lives draws from feudal society in Pakistan, in the country and the city.

Ahead of the Feb. 3, 2026, Naples City Council election, the League of Women Voters of Collier Council organized a candidate forum for all eight candidates seeking three open seats on the council. We’ll hear a condensed broadcast of the forum moderated by Naples Daily News Executive Editor Wendy Fullerton Powell and WGCU’s John Davis.

We talk with painter, veterinarian, and life-long outdoor enthusiast Dr. Jackson Trescott about his exhibition at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center titled “Neon Coast: Southwest Florida Under UV.” Works in the show depict Southwest Florida landscapes, seascapes and wildlife offering a unique dual experience, as they appear completely different under blacklight.

New David Lawrence Centers program, Pathways to Healing, helps people undergoing behavioral health treatments with transition after hospitalization.

As Jan. 13th marks the start of Florida’s 2026 legislative session, we’re exploring bills and issues likely to take center stage over the course of the 60-day session in a conversation with Florida Gulf Coast University Political Science professors Roger Green, Ph.D., Sandra Pavelka, Ph.D, and University of Central Florida Political Science professor Aubrey Jewett, Ph.D.

Despite record high stock markets, the Harry Chapin Food Bank of SWFL and its partners are busier than ever because of factors like high food, housing, and health insurance costs — along with cuts to federal programs that help people in need including $186 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill. The Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed 38.7 million pounds of food last year. And to keep up with the growing need, they have begun construction of a new 110-thousand-square-foot distribution center and warehouse being built in Fort Myers that will be their new Hunger Action Center. We sit down with the food bank's president and CEO to get a sense of what they’re experiencing right now, and what the new facility will mean for their operations. We also meet the director of one of their partner agencies.

Players Circle Theater is mounting a production of “Little Women: The Musical,” which is a stage adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel about the lives of the March sisters as they navigate love, loss, and self-discovery during the Civil War Era.We take a deeper dive into the show in a conversation with the director Ted Wioncek III, and actors Kimberly Suskind and Paulette Oliva who play the roles of Jo March and Marmee.

Emma Pattee is an accomplished climate journalist who’s written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, and more. Now we hear from her about her debut novel, Tilt.

It’s well-known by now that invasive Burmese pythons have become established in the Florida Everglades. And you may have heard of the state’s annual Python Challenge, when hunters compete to remove as many Burmese pythons from the Everglades as possible with prizes going to whoever is most successful. But you may not be aware of the South Florida Water Management District’s Python Elimination Program, which has been around since 2017. This Friday, the head of the district’s Python Program will kick of the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife's 2026 speaker series with a talk all about the program and the impact these large snakes have. We get a preview.