From Sarasota to Marco Island and Venice and Sanibel to Arcadia and LaBelle, Southwest Florida is home to more than a dozen art centers. Most host visual art exhibitions showcasing member, regional and nationally renowned artists that change every month. In June, there are 26 shows at these venues. Each will stimulate viewers’ imaginations and underscore the importance of the arts in our part of the country.
“Annual Juried Regional Show: Vice and Virtue” [Art Center Sarasota]: The Annual Juried Regional Show is Art Center Sarasota’s largest and most prestigious juried exhibition. This year, artists delve into the dualities of the human condition — vice and virtue. Through this theme, artists were challenged to explore the shifting boundaries of morality, shaped by cultural norms, religious beliefs, and political landscapes. What defines good and evil in contemporary society? And perhaps more intriguingly, does a gray area exist between them? The exhibit was juried by curator, writer and artist Jessica Todd, who is passionate about building the creative infrastructures that support artists as well as studying and addressing issues of equity. Go here to view award winners. Show runs through August 2, 2025.
Courtesy of Venice Art Center
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Venice Art Center
“Evoke & Provoke” [Venice Art Center]: Closes Thursday, June 19.
Courtesy of Venice Art Center
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Venice Art Center
“Point of View” [Venice Art Center]: Opens June 27 with 5-7 p.m. reception. Closes July 17, 2025.
Courtesy of Venice Art Center
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Venice Art Center
JoAnn Golenia Solo Show [Venice Art Center at Inn at the Beach]: An avid painter, JoAnn Golenia has exhibited in international venues, including the International Festival in Houston, the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana, and the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, New York, as well as locally in the Sarasota Orchestra Harmony Gallery, Art Center Sarasota, Lighthouse Center for the Arts, Tequesta, Florida, and the Venice Art Center. She earned her BS and MS, teaching for 16 years before devoting herself full time to art. The Inn at the Beach is located at 725 W. Venice Ave in Venice. The exhibition is located in the building on the left with the portico; take elevator to second floor.
2025 Annual Art Show [DeSoto Arts Center]: The DeSoto Arts Center promotes and celebrates the arts in DeSoto County. The center’s annual art show includes work by DeSoto Art Center members in the categories of painting and photography.
Courtesy of Visual Arts Center
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Visual Arts Center
“Paws & Claws” [Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda]: This juried exhibit includes both 2D and 3D artworks. Closes June 3, 2025.
Courtesy of Visual Arts Center
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Visual Arts Center
“Over the Bridge” [Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda]: The “Over the Bridge” exhibit unites the perspectives of B.A. Wikoff and Lily Obsitnik, who explore life along the Peace River and the surrounding landscapes of Southwest Florida. Through themes of transition, community, and connection, the artists offer a dialogue shaped by their experiences in this ever-changing region. Opens Wednesday, June 4 in Rebecca Hall. Free artist reception June 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. Closes Wednesday, July 9.
Courtesy of Visual Arts Center
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Visual Arts Center
“Coastal Vibes” [Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda]: There’s a vibe about being near the coast; it’s a beauty and serenity that awakens all our senses. It also reminds us of the vastness, depth, mystery and the unpredictable nature of life. The show has both 2D and 3D art creations that elicit these feelings, take viewers to the sea and give them those extraordinary coastal vibes. Opens Tuesday, June 10. Free artist reception June 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. Closes Tuesday, July 1.
Courtesy of Visual Arts Center
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Visual Arts Center
“Reimagine” [Visual Arts Center, Punta Gorda]: To reimagine is to have a new idea about something familiar. If you’ve always thought one way about what something means, or what it’s used for, or how it could be made—but now you see it differently—you’ve begun to reimagine it. This exhibit has 2D and 3D artwork that has been reconceptualized. It will surprise viewers, make them ponder, make them laugh, show viewers something they haven’t seen before. Opens Tuesday, June 10. Free artist reception June 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. Closes Tuesday, July 1.
LaBelle Gallery and Cultural Center: Gallery is open 1-5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. No formal exhibitions are scheduled during June.
“Surreal Abstraction” [Cape Coral Art Center]: In this open call juried exhibit, artists explore the creative potential of surrealism with the thought-provoking essence of abstraction. This unique showcase allows a diverse array of mediums with which to either explore the unconscious mind and use of irrational juxtaposition or express their art via shapes, forms, colors, and textures. Either concept is accepted in this innovative event. Closes June 26, 2025.
“Ripples” [Tribby Arts Center]: “Ripples” displays nearly 90 paintings by members of the Fort Myers Beach Art Association, along with more than 20 sculptures by popular artist Tania Begg of Punta Gorda. The exhibition runs through July 19. Gallery is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Courtesy of Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center
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Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center
“Icons & Idols: Art in Pop Culture” [Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center Grand Atrium]: In this open call exhibition, artists showcase their unique perspective on the vibrant and ever-evolving world of pop culture. Whether captivated by the golden age of Hollywood, fascinated by the latest viral trends, or inspired by the icons of music, television, and social media, participating artists share the ways in which pop culture influences their art. Exhibited in Grand Atrium Gallery. Opens Friday, June 6 with reception from 6 p.m to 10 p.m. that is in conjunction with Art Walk. Closes June 26.
Courtesy of Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center
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Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center
“Creative Horizons: Art Teachers’ Visions” [Capital Gallery, Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center]: “Creative Horizons: Art Teachers’ Visions” brings together the diverse and imaginative works of the visual art teachers from the School District of Lee County and Lee County Charter Schools. This show provides a unique platform for these educators to step outside their classrooms and express their artistic autonomy. Through this exhibition, the teachers reveal their personal creative journeys, showcasing a variety of mediums, styles, and themes. Each piece reflects the passion and expertise that these educators bring to their teaching, offering viewers a glimpse into the artistic visions that inspire the next generation of artists. Exhibited in Capital Gallery on the second floor. Opens Friday, June 6 with reception from 6 p.m to 10 p.m. that in conjunction with Art Walk. Closes June 26.
Courtesy of Alliance for the Arts
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Alliance for the Arts
“Invitational50” [Main Gallery, Alliance for the Arts]: “Invitational50″ is an invitational exhibition of artists that have continually contributed to the Alliance as an organization. Features Paul Adamick, Joanne Bedient, Juli Bobman, Mila Bridger, Andy Browne, Annette Brown, Stacey Brown, Steve Conley, Nina Connors, Honey Costa, Julie Dean-Griffin, Julia De Rocha, Jesse Dilich, Sally Dutko, Carolyn Gora, Marilyn Hedlund, Brianna Jackson, Rose Jung, Jane Lane, Doug MacGregor, Nick Masiello, Dana Nicloy, Jeff & Dale Ocasio, Tracy Owen-Cullimore, Caren Pearson, Diana Ripoll, John Rizza, Sherry Rohl, Roland Ruocco, Ava Roeder, Sonia Rosa, Ilene Saffron, Erik Schlake, Alicia Schmidt, Tim Smith, Terry Lynn Spry, Toni Sutton, Dale Weber, Wendy White, Ilene Whites, Barbara Yeomans, and Rosalyn Young. Go here to read each artist’s profile. Opens Friday, June 6 with a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Closes June 28.
Courtesy of Alliance for the Arts
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Alliance for the Arts
“Portals of Perception by Muffy Clark Gill” [Alliance for the Arts Theatre Lobby Gallery]: This exhibition is a celebration of artistic exploration born from a deep love of travel and an enduring curiosity about culture. Spanning continents and oceans, the artist’s journeys have led to immersive experiences in places as varied as Myanmar, Indonesia, Cuba, Alaska, Singapore, Korea, the Caribbean, and Japan. Each destination became a vibrant source of inspiration, texture, and storytelling. A 17-day stay in Japan enabled Gill to study the traditional techniques of indigo dyeing, shibori resist, and katazome stenciling. Her hands-on experiences with ancient textile methods now infuse her work with a sense of place and process, linking modern creation with time-honored craft. Each piece invites the viewer to travel through portals of color, pattern, and form, capturing the essence of Morocco as a living conversation between memory and material. Opens Friday, June 6 with a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Closes June 28.
Courtesy of BIG ARTS
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BIG ARTS
“Annual Artists Collective” [BIG ARTS Mezzanine Gallery]: The Annual Artists Collective is a collaboration between BIG ARTS’ Arts Education & Fine Arts departments. It features BIG ARTS instructors, showcasing an eclectic body of work that includes a wide range of mediums. Closes June 6.
Courtesy of BIG ARTS
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BIG ARTS
“Art as Therapy; Hope and Healing Through Art” [Dunham Family Gallery at BIG ARTS]: The partnership between Hope Healthcare’s Art Therapy Program and Lee Health’s Art in Healthcare Program conveys the vision of healing through art. Expressive arts, in all forms, strive to provide hope and healing through the creative process. The exhibit shares the journey of each artist during bereavement, grief, illness, depression, physical and emotional challenges, rehabilitation and recovery with the hope that this personal and powerful exhibit elevates the community’s awareness of artists’ special abilities that emerge during difficult times. Closes June 6.
Courtesy of BIG ARTS
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BIG ARTS
“Cypress Lake High School Student Mural: A Shell of a Time” [BIG ARTS West Gallery]: The National Honors Society Art Class of Cypress Lake High School has created a mural for the West Gallery under the title “A Shell in Time.” The class incorporated this project into its fall 2024 curriculum. Closes June 30.
Courtesy of BIG ARTS
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BIG ARTS
“Signals and Forms” [BIG ARTS Dunham Family Gallery]: “Signals and Forms” is an exhibition of student work from Florida SouthWestern State College’s Digital Arts and Multimedia Production program. This show offers a survey of the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of digital arts and creative technologies. The works on view investigate the expressive and material possibilities of digital media from sound and simulation to digital fabrication, virtual reality, and video installation. The exhibition reflects this multitude of possibilities across form, code, and concept. It celebrates how digital tools can be used not just to replicate the world, but to question, transform, and reimagine it. In our current age, technologies are often the sources of our anxieties or distractions, thus it may be difficult to imagine expression and critical thought emerging from technological origins. Yet the student artists in this exhibition approach these tools not as fixed or predetermined good or bad, but rather as open, malleable, and capable of holding complexity, compassion, and meaning. Opens Friday, June 13. Artist reception Saturday, June 14 at 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Exhibition runs through July 25.
Courtesy of BIG ARTS
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BIG ARTS
“Art Vibe” [BIG ARTS]: In conjunction with the opening reception for “Signals and Forms,” this one-night event features an awards ceremony for BIG ARTS Performing and Creative Arts Scholarship winners; demonstrations by BIG ARTS artist-instructors and BIG ARTS gift shop artists; live music from local Cuban trio, D’Paso; food from Vesuvius Wood Fired Pizza and Pinocchio’s Ice Cream; and beers from No. 3 Craft Beer Bar of Cape Coral. The event is free and open to the public on Saturday, June 14 at 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Courtesy of Arts Bonita
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Arts Bonita
“Culture Shock” [Hinman Gallery-in-the-Round at Performing Arts Center]: There is no denying the tremendous influence that pop culture and media have on everyday life. Together, they have informed the way we look, think and interact with one another. It provides entertainment, amusement, and distraction from reality, as it has for generations – especially since the advent of cable television. It’s become so ingrained in our society that the slightest reference can trigger even the strongest emotional response, be it nostalgic or otherwise. Symbols and themes from pop culture are likewise prevalent in the arts, particularly in recent decades when art reflects the very things that permeate the daily lives of ordinary people. For this juried exhibition, artists explore the aspects of pop culture and media that have influenced them through the ages, from an age-old cartoon that still brings us joy, to a thought-provoking film that you just can’t get out of your head, to the characters, actors, and musicians that stay with us throughout a lifetime. Closes June 5.
Courtesy of Arts Bonita Center for Visual Arts
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Arts Bonita Center for Visual Arts
“Under the Surface: The Art of Abstraction” [Arts Bonita Center for Visual Arts]: Working within the limitations of purely abstract art requires a new level of creativity. The process of using textures, tones, colors, and layers of a given medium to translate a concept or feeling without any objective subject is a challenge in itself. Artists of all skill levels and mediums explore this unique art form and submit the resulting works for this juried exhibition. Runs through July 10, 2025.
“Time and Light: The Artwork of Michael Tranovich” [Arts Bonita Visual Art Center, Tranovich Gallery]: “Time and Light: The Art of Michael Tranovich” invites the viewer to reflect on the intangible nature of time. As the son of a horologist, or watchmaker, Michael Tranovich confronts the viewer with both organic and surreal imagery, invoking the familiar yet elusive sensation of passing time. “My paintings attempt to capture this passage of time on canvas,” states Tranovich. “Symbolism is incorporated into all of my paintings as I attempt to bring together art and science. Scientific symbols and symbols related to man are both obvious and buried within the bright colors of my artwork. Symbols of time such as calendars, hour glasses, clocks, and gears are obvious. Humans step into time in the form of male and female symbols, intersecting rings, and the circle of life. Science is always there with DNA, RNA, infinity and more. Time remains one of the most interesting parts of the universe. It continues to pass, with no attention to external forces.” Runs through July 10.
“Skyview” at the Naples Airport [United Arts Collier]: This exhibition is the result and organization of a UAC call to member artists which requested two-dimensional artwork examining that which is upwards. UAC sought ethereal sky-themed works for the latest iteration in a series of exhibitions at the general terminal of Naples Airport and UAC member artist Dario Campanile answered that call.
Courtesy of Marco Island Center for the Arts
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Marco Island Center for the Arts
“Miami to Marco: Collaborative Exhibition of Latinx Artists from MoCA-Americas” [Marco Island Center for the Arts]: Marco Island Center for the Arts and the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCAA) announce a dynamic cultural exchange program highlighting the power of contemporary art to connect communities and celebrate multiculturalism. This collaboration will feature dual exhibitions between May and July 2025, uniting artists from across the Americas and offering audiences on both coasts of Florida a powerful glimpse into the evolving visual languages of our region. From May 5 to July 1, 2025, Marco Island Center for the Arts will host a premier exhibition of 15 contemporary artists from MoCAA’s renowned collection. Curated under MoCAA’s acclaimed art tour, this exhibition highlights influential and emerging voices from across Latin America and the Caribbean. [Since its inception, Marco Island Center for the Arts (Art Center) participated in the planning process of ¡ARTE VIVA! – A vibrant Collier County wide festival of Hispanic heritage and artistic diversity. Throughout the year, a wide variety of events and exhibitions pay homage to the rich cultural heritage and artistic expressions of the Hispanic community. Over the past two years, the Art Center has curated art exhibitions and presented music that featured Hispanic artists and themes. With programs honoring age-old traditions, exciting live performances and exhibits exploring Hispanic artists and Hispanic lands, the Art Center has been proud to be a place where the local community can explore and discover this culture. Reception June 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
