The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center announces two art exhibitions opening at Art Walk on Friday, Aug. 5.
Imagine, featuring Artsemble Underground, will be on display in the downstairs Grand Atrium of the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. Upstairs in the Capital Gallery, an exhibit titled Moon-Womb-Bloom by Juli Bobman will be featured.
Artsemble Underground was created by Cesar Aguilera and Brian Weaver in an effort to bring art to everyone: art for the people. Brian and Cesar have collaborated with different artists and organizations since 2014. Together, they wanted to forge an all-immersive multimedia assembly and experience of art and life, where concepts could be replicated anywhere, and not necessarily inside four walls, which sometimes hinder the creative process and final output. Additionally, Artsemble Underground gives up-and-coming artists a platform to take their art to the next level in their creative paths, with the idea that artists united can reach higher levels, enabling them to use art as an instrument of social change instead of a commodity. Artsemble’s motto is “If you can imagine it, we can create it,” and for the last few years, Artsemble has been working non-stop using that motto to transform not only Southwest Florida, but wherever art and color are needed, bringing people’s imaginations to life, no matter how crazy the idea!
For this exhibition, Artsemble Underground presents some of their projects in the community, working with organizations like Cape Coral Art Center, Goodwill, I Will Mentorship Foundation, Sunpeaks Center for Art and Sustainability, Johnson & Johnson, and Sidecar Treats. Some functional art like chairs and tables, traditional art, and other private projects will also be on display. Guest artists that have collaborated with Artsemble Underground through the years will be included as well.
Cesar Aguilera, originally from Quito, Ecuador, has been a well known staple in the SWFL art scene. In 2015, he received the Gulfshore Life Emerging Arts Leader award. He is the art curator of the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center’s Grand Atrium and Capital Gallery. In 2011 Cesar created Paionia, a wearable art brand focused on using discarded materials, mostly computer parts and discarded technology, in an effort to create a sustainable consciousness in what we wear. He serves as a board member for Love Your Rebellion.
Brian Weaver attended the School of Communication Arts in North Carolina, graduating with a degree in graphic design and computer animation. He moved to Cape Coral in 2013 and produced the monthly art festival All Walks of Art at Dolphin Key Resort in the same year. In 2014, the Fort Myers’ River District Alliance commissioned him to develop Mystery Walk for 6 months. Brian also spearheaded “The Epicenter,” an empty warehouse transformed into an artist hub, where artists would get together to work and get inspired.
Juli Bobman
Upstairs in the Capital Gallery, Juli Bobman offers up an exhibition entitled Moon-Womb-Bloom. Her unique body of work includes watercolor, charcoal, acrylics and oils, all mediums treated differently. Moon-Womb-Bloom expresses phases in a woman’s life in comparison to the phases of the Moon, inspired by the Divine Feminine aspect of God, and fascinated by shapes in nature that repeat themselves across species. As the owner of a life drawing studio, random conversations with models/muses gave birth to the inspiration of this show. What started out as fascination with anatomy bloomed into bigger ideas about nature, spirituality and mysticism.
Juli Bobman grew up in Fort Myers and graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design. Juli worked as a jewelry designer and fabricator for many years before settling down to marry and grow a family.
Adding to the enjoyment at Art Walk on Aug. 5, the music of DJ Selecta AJ will be featured on the rooftop at Sidney’s Rooftop Sculpture Garden.
Both galleries are open for viewing Aug. 5 – 26. Opening night for both exhibitions will be Aug. 5 from 6 to 10 p.m. The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is located at 2301 First St. in the historic downtown Fort Myers River District. For more info, call 239-333-1933 or visit www.sbdac.com
