Wednesday, January 15, 2014

February 2014 Scott Guelcher, Karen Shulman and Art by Kids with Cancer

Join Arts for ACT Gallery, located at 2265 First Street in downtown Fort Myers on Friday, February 7, from 6 to 10 pm for the opening reception and art walk for our February featured artist, Scott Guelcher’s, “10 Years”. In addition, showing off the main gallery are photography of Karen Shulman and Art by Kids with Cancer.  This exhibit continues through March 3, 2014.  
"Snowbird Soup" Scott Guelcher

Scott Guelcher’s unique style of art has become well known in Southwest Florida. This blend of Pop Art Images and abstract backgrounds has attracted galleries to frequently display his artwork. Throughout his rising career as an artist he has received local and international recognition for his artwork. He has received awards and grants for his art including the 2008 Angels of the Arts Award for Best “New” Artist, 2010 Soaring Eagles Award from the FGCU Alumni Association, being selected as one of ten artists from the State of Florida to attend the Mac: Model for Artists Career Development Workshop in St. Petersburg, Florida, an invitation to a Marketing and Promoting your work workshop in Tequesta, Florida funded by a National Endowment of the arts grant through the Florida Department of Cultural Affairs and run by the Creative Capitol Foundation of New York City (a subsidy of the Andy Warhol Foundation that supports individual artists), and Arts and Culture Grants from the City of Fort Myers in 2008 and 2009. In addition to being an artist, Scott was the event chair for Art Royale 2008, the signature fundraiser for the Lee County Alliance of the Arts in Fort Myers and currently teaches art at Island Coast High School. Scott is always looking for new opportunities to educate and inspire the community through the arts. He is always trying to give back to the community through philanthropy by donating works of art to charity fundraisers for different causes. He promoted some global subjects during his span as an artist, specifically a solo exhibition titled “Bikinis and Bombs”. This show was about the testing of the hydrogen bomb by the United States government conducted in the Marshall Islands on Bikini Atoll. The show gained local and international recognition. His exhibitions, publications, and collections enrich the talent and education he has achieved. Scott will continue to draw on issues in the local community and global community as the inspiration for his artwork.

"Up in the Air" Karen Shulman
Karen Shulman began photographing in 2007 while living on the ocean in Hull, MA.  There,the changing lightscapes and dramatic skies prompted her to chase perfect light and capture the spectrum of vivid hues she witnessed. While her interests have expanded to include cityscapes and street photography, she continues to seek the most expressive light in her compositions.  Three of Karen’s photographs are in the permanent collection of the South Shore Hospital, Weymouth MA. This is her first solo show, “Window Dressing,” in Fort Myers. Her work has appeared in group shows in the Boston area, most recently three shows at the Griffin Museum of Photography: Winter Solstice Member Show, Harvey Stein’s Street Photography. Among the awards she has won are Best in Show from South Shore Art Association, Cohasset MA and honorable mention in the national show "The Art of Photography" in Plymouth MA.  Karen has studied photography with Harvey Stein, Lance Keimig, Scott Martin and Karen Davis and in workshops around the world including Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Prague, Taos, New Mexico and New York City. 

Art by Kids with Cancer is a project of The Young Artists Awards. This non-profit organization donates and delivers art supplies for use by pediatric oncology patients throughout the year in conjunction with the Child Life Specialists at the Pediatric Oncology/Hematology program at the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida, while also showcasing the artwork of children with cancer.  The organization provides monetary assistance to local families in crisis facing the financial challenges of childhood, assisting those families with expenses such as groceries, transportation, and prescription costs.  The program's collaboration with trained specialists at the hospital utilizes art in a therapeutic setting to assist children with cancer. The art supplies purchased and donated are delivered for specialized instruction and are available for both art projects and the children's personal use. The program's multiple 'Art by Kids with Cancer' exhibits throughout the community raise awareness in the general community as to the importance of the arts in healing and the challenges faced by local families of children diagnosed with cancer.  The Young Artists Awards, a not for profit organization serving area children, mats and frames and then showcases, sells, and auctions selected pieces of the children’s artwork at numerous venues throughout Southwest Florida.  Trained volunteers will be available to talk about the artwork and program during the opening. More information can be found at www.youngartistsawards.org.  
"Little Loves" Art by Kids with Cancer