Another season of music at Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center

SBDAC unlocks its 16th season, Art Is Key, with the 2022 – 2023 array of events and programming. This year promises award-winning artists and performers from around the world, fresh arts programming, and special events.
The public is invited to engage in world-class arts and entertainment during the 16th season at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. Take part in art show openings, concerts, festivals, fundraisers, and special events that sustain the Southwest Florida arts community. Much of the programming hinges on welcoming and incorporating local, regional, and national artists and has been the key to growing an award-winning downtown.
The fast-selling Jazzy Nights Series will feature Lew Del Gatto Quintet featuring Leroy Jones on Feb. 10
bringing together a tremendous group of musicians for an evening of hard swinging acoustic jazz music. Gunhild Carling, a Swedish jazz star who plays multiple instruments, sings, and tap dances, appears and delights on Feb. 24. New York-based and Australian-born Adrian Cunningham is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, vocalist, and world traveler appearing March 11.
The beautifully intimate Chamber Music Series brings the masters of classical music to The River District, featuring world-class international artists such as Trio Zimbalist
on Jan. 13, in demand across Europe and the U.S. as soloists, chamber musicians, and recitalists. SPA Trio arrives on Feb. 2 featuring Metropolitan Opera star Susanna Phillips, former New York Phil principal violist Paul Neubauer, and the remarkable pianist, Anne-Marie McDermott. SPA is best known for its unique repertoire with a blend of art and parlor songs from all over 19th- and 20th-century Europe. The memorable American Virtuosi fundraiser dinner at Luminary returns again Feb. 23. Annually, the American Virtuosi, led by Jim Griffith, highlights some of the most celebrated musicians in the genre coming to Fort Myers from all over the country, and reappears Feb. 25 with a different program in the SBDAC Grand Atrium for a command performance. Two New York based young violin prodigies, Fiona & Hina Khuong-Huu along with internationally known pianist Rohan De Silva, are taking the world by storm and now come to Fort Myers on March 23. The Ehnes String Quartet dazzles on April 27. The quartet’s highly refined, sensitive, and expressive performances have delighted audiences and critics across North America, Europe, and Asia, and have made them one of the most sought-after chamber groups performing today.
The crowd-pleasing Bluegrass Series returns for another incredible lineup including the unforgettable David Mayfield Parade on Jan. 20, whose boundless energy and enthusiasm for performing music are evident at each appearance! John McEuen & The Circle Band – “Will The Circle Be Unbroken”, a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founding member, McEuen brings his guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin to the stage, promising a wonderful evening of songs and stories on Feb. 4, followed by Mile Twelve, an award-winning modern string band from Boston, on March 25. The Kruger Brothers closes out the Bluegrass Series on April 21 with remarkable discipline, creativity, and ability to infuse classical music into folk music, resulting in a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music today.
The always-popular Vinyl Vibes Series elevates the live experience by featuring tribute bands of many of music’s biggest-selling artists. George Michael Reborn is the ultimate concert escape featuring a no lip-syncing, spot-on dancing, ripped jeans-wearing Robert Bartko on Jan. 27. The Liverpool-based Mersey Beatles invades the stage Feb. 16, highlighting the Beatles’ early years at the world-famous Cavern Club, where they got their start. Or catch The Mersey Beatles again the next night, Feb. 17 when they will recreate the famous Apple Music Rooftop Concert and pay tribute to the Beatles’ later works, on Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden! Rumours are, Forever Fleetwood hits the stage March 10, followed by The Vernon Kelton Band in an impeccable live performance of Roy Orbison’s music interlaced with celebrity narration and a stunning HD presentation including historic images and film clips presented on March 24.
For the first time this season, SBDAC offers a chance to unlock a seat at the table for the Dream Dinner at the Davis Series. Maverick Chef Zach Geerson will be breaking in new ground in haute cuisine in this new culinary arts series of dinners at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. Chef Zach is a rising culinary star acclaimed for his exceptional attention to detail and magical culinary paradise of new innovative ideas. Limited seating available for each stellar menu on Nov. 18, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 10 and April 28.
Special events presented during the 22-23 SBDAC Art Is Key Season include The Fort Myers Film Festival, SWFL’s most notable indie movie showcase and contest which meets each first Monday September through March, culminating in the Fort Myers Film Festival May 17-21, 2023. Come enjoy Wicked Walk (Oct. 20) and the Ghoulish Gala (Oct. 21), an immersive arts experience and live auction fundraiser benefiting the arts in Lee County Public Schools that celebrates the arts in Lee County and the achievements of student artists with a spooky twist. Nov. 30 – Dec. 4, enjoy the annual Festival of Trees, one of the most sensational holiday traditions in Southwest Florida, including Santa’s Block Party Dec. 3! Enjoy the Famous Author Lecture & Lunch Series beginning in January, featuring a great stack of national bestselling authors including Lisa Unger, Bob Morris, B.A. Shapiro, and Robert Macomber. The 11th Annual Art Walks the Runway will bring local and international couture designers to Fort Myers on March 31 and April 1, 2023. Plus, the monthly Art & Poetry Networking Event offers local talent a platform to share their creations. Join a drop-in Yoga class, enroll in an art or salsa dance workshop, or sign students up for Junior Cotillion or for Davis School of Music, offering lessons in piano, violin, voice, and Song Star student rock band at Six-Fingers Studios.
For more info, visit www.sbdac.com or call 239-333-1933.
The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First St. in the historic downtown Fort Myers River District.