Creative Collectives

These groups lead the way on forward-thinking, thought-provoking art.

by

Located in downtown Fort Myers, the Art League of Fort Myers brings together area artists to interact with the public through exhibitions, classes and community outreach. There is always art on display that’s worth a look. Also located in downtown Fort Myers, nonprofit Arts for Act Gallery features more than 75 artists and three exhibition spaces, which change monthly. Nearby, the Alliance for the Arts is home to exhibitions, as well as classes and theater. The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center is another terrific venue designed to foster and exhibit artists, and features a rooftop sculpture garden for special events. Most exhibits open to coincide with the Fort Myers Art Walk, a multi-venue art event that takes place the first Friday of the month in the River District of Downtown Fort Myers. To walk away with locally made gifts, make sure to stop at DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts, founded by artist David Acevedo and run by the artists whose work is featured within.

In Collier County, Naples Art regularly has exhibits in a variety of media from local, national and international artists. It also organizes several of the region’s biggest art events, including the annual Naples New Year’s Art Show (first weekend of January) and the Naples Downtown Art Show (third weekend of March)—each of which takes place on Fifth Avenue South, in downtown Naples, and draws tens of thousands of art lovers and more than 250 artists. Both events rank in the top 25 for fine art and design shows across the country.

The Naples Art District, which includes galleries on Shirley Street and adjacent J and C Boulevard and Trade Center Way, is also home to the largest concentration of artist studios and galleries in Southwest Florida. Though the group has been active for a while, in 2020 it was formally recognized as an art district, where you can always catch an artist at work or even take a class from a painter, ceramicist or sculptor.