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Cape Art League to host art festival Jan. 29-30

4 min read

The Cape Coral Art League is hosting its first annual art festival, which will showcase 24 local artists and their artwork on Jan. 29 and 30.
Show Director Doris Poissant said the organization wanted to host the annual festival so artists can sell some of their artwork, along with making the league more visible in order to attract more members because “new people bring in new ideas.”
The festival will showcase watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings, along with photography and jewelry.
Linda Wildman has been a member of the Cape Coral Art League since 2003. After being the president of the league for the past four years she decided to share the responsibilities of president with Sue Nelke due to the growth of the league and job.
After seeing a paint set in the window of a craft store in the late 1960s, she knew she wanted to get into art, so she told her husband that she “really wanted that.” After she received the paint set for Christmas, she self-taught herself how to become a watercolorist, which eventually led her to creating realistic nature paintings.
Poissant said the artists rented their own space within the building for the art festival to showcase their work for purchase, which also provides individuals with the opportunity to meet the local artists.
Wildman hopes she will have room for a dozen paintings, along with some of her prints and cards on display during the art festival.
Nelke said when she first began painting a few years ago, she did realistic paintings before she began experimenting and fell in love with using acrylic paints and mixed media for her abstracts. She explained that she loves using bright colors and texture in her paintings.
“I take my inspiration from my surroundings,” she said, adding that “I see things a little bit differently than some people do.”
She enjoys abstract painting because anything goes, which is much different from realistic painting because you have to represent what you are looking at in a painting.
“It’s a really freeing kind of way to think,” Nelke said.
The artists and league members believe the first festival is going to be a fun event for the public to enjoy.
“I think it’s going to be really nice,” Wildman said, adding that she hopes it turns into a profit-making event in the future. “We are hoping it will be a big success and it will carry forward. I have great faith in it.”
The two-day event will also feature entertainment, free classes for adults and children, food from Gramp’s Italian Kitchen, a bake sale, art demonstrations and door prize giveaways every half hour.
Nelke thinks the first festival is going to be really exciting because of all the activities for adults and children they are offering during the event.
“It’s going to be really interesting to see what goes on there,” she said because individuals can participate in projects. “I think it is going to be a fun event.”
The “Yes, You Can” mini-art classes for adults are free for those who wish to participate on Saturday and Sunday. Poissant said some of the art instructors from the Cape Coral Art League are going to show “you how you can be an artist.”
The children’s class “Make It and Take It” will feature lessons on beading and drawing. The children will have the opportunity to take their projects home with them free of charge once they are done.
Wildman explained that the Cape Coral Art League is a great place for people to come and learn different art techniques.
“It’s really nice for the community,” she said.
The Cape Coral Art League is located at 516 Cultural Park Blvd.