The Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda will host an open house Sept. 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.
Visitors can meet the instructors, sign up for classes & workshops, renew membership, tour the galleries, shop the gift gallery and art supply store. Complimentary mimosas and light snacks will be provided for guests.
The 5 X 5 VIP first choice buyers reception will be held Sept. 13 starting at 5:55 p.m. This extravaganza will feature a catered menu, champagne, and lots of fun! It is a “sneak peek” that will allow a select few to have their choice of the offered works of art. Only 55 tickets are available at $100 each. Purchase tickets online.
The 5 X 5 mural fundraiser will run Sept. 14 – Oct. 31. This inaugural presentation of 5 X 5 will benefit the mission to inspire, create, explore, and promote the visual arts. The VAC invited artists to participate by creating original works of art, in a variety of mediums, on 5″ x 5″ canvases. Collected canvases will be hung together to create beautiful murals.
Some of the artists participating include Susan Fraley, Lance Henderson, Christine Keyworth, Lionel Lewis, Kitt Moran, Paulette Morrissey, Judi Roth, Nancy Searle, Joanne Stramara, Birgit Tode and many more. A public reception will be held Sept. 21 at 5 p.m. After the reception, buyers will be able to take their art home (for $55).
Two exhibits will open Sept. 12. They include the student show in the Goff Gallery and the “Hurricane Ian – The Healing” exhibit in Rebecca Hall.
“The Silence After” by Birgit Tode is part of the Hurricane Ian exhibit which opens Sept. 12.
The Visual Arts Center will showcase the National Art Exhibition (NAE), a highly anticipated art exhibition that displays every two years, in early 2024.
One of the nation’s most prestigious juried exhibitions of two-dimensional media, this show is hosted by the Visual Arts Center, located in the heart of Punta Gorda along beautiful Charlotte Harbor. Total prize money will be more than $10,000.
The exhibition will be juried by Jean Pederson, who has been recognized for her many honors and awards for consistently exceptional painting, and for her international writing to promote art education.
A call to artists began July 24, and the deadline to register is Dec. 4. Artists will be notified by Dec. 29. The exhibit will be on display Feb. 16 – April 12.
The Visual Arts Center is located at 210 Maud St. in Punta Gorda. For more details, call 941-639-8810 or visit online at www.visualartcenter.org
