WOW To Do List: On the water emergency safety seminar

MAY

On the water emergency safety seminar

On Saturday, May 20, in conjunction with and in support of the 2017 National Safe Boating Week (NSBW) campaign, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGAux) Flotilla 95, Marco Island, will present an “On the Water Emergency Safety Seminar” at the Marco Island Historical Society’s Rose Auditorium, 180 S. Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. Three sessions will be held:  11 a.m.; 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. It is open to the public, boaters and non-boaters alike.  Know what to do and how to use your safety equipment before the unexpected happens. Information: 239-394-5911 or USCGAuxMarco.org.

Open house and sailing regatta

Marco Island Community Sailing Center open house and sailing regatta is 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., Saturday, May 20. There will be free food and drinks. Register your child early for summer sailing programs; meet the MICSC board members and summer sailing Instructors ; free rides available on Opti Pram boats. The regatta is from 2 until 5 p.m. The event takes place at the Jolley Bridge beach, 1400 N. Collier Blvd. (at yacht club entrance). Tax-exempt donations to the sailing center appreciated. Information: 239-642-0575.

Catherine Chantilly workshop and lecture

Marco Island Center for the Arts invites students, artists, the art loving public and all Francophiles to two separate opportunities to experience artist and lecturer Catherine Chantilly. The artist lives and works between France and Brazil creating paintings that have been described as an opportunity to “open one’s soul to the immediate purity of a laugh, without trying to assess the reasons for it.”

• From 9 a.m. until noon, Wednesday, May 24, she will offer a workshop for students entitled “Create and Explore Your Own Painting Style.” The charge for this workshop is $75. In this workshop you will develop your original style of painting based on psychological aspects, practical advice and theoretical considerations. Enrollment is limited.
• From 1 until 3 p.m., Wednesday, May 24, Chantilly will give a lecture for students, artists and all art lovers; speaking on “The Square of Painting Representation.” This lecture explores the theme of art and representation using the square of opposition originated by Aristotle. 

The charge for this lecture is $25. The workshop and lecture is $95. Marco Island Center for the Arts is located at 1010 Winterberry Drive just off of Collier Boulevard. Information: 239-394-4221 or marcoislandart.org.

SoapFest Charity Weekend

Tickets are now on sale for the 18th Annual Southwest Florida SoapFest Charity Weekend, May 26-29, hosted by the Marco Island Yacht Club. Current list celebrities scheduled to appear include “General Hospital’s” Brytni Sarpy, Donnell Turner, Robert Palmer Watkins, Ryan Carnes and Hayle Erin; From “The Young and The Restless,” Kate Linder, Jeff Branson, Christian LeBlanc, Sean Carrigan and Robert Adamson; “Guiding Light’s” Tom Pelphrey; and Melissa Archer from “Days Of Our Lives” and “One Life To Live.”

• SoapFest Charity Weekend kicks off with A Night of Stars, 7 p.m., Saturday, May 27; held at the Marco Island Yacht Club, located at the foot of the Jolley Bridge, at 1400 N. Collier Blvd. This VIP event, catered by Chef Bob, will offer several opportunities for up close and personal time with the actors. Celebrity guests from today’s most popular daytime shows will join “old favorites,” and be available for autograph signings, photos, Q&A, and live auctions. An added feature to A Night of Stars is “SoapFest Game Night.” You can win with a spot on one of the actors’ teams as they compete against each other. A Night of Stars tickets (including dinner) cost $125 per person. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $200 and guarantees VIP seating with your favorite celebrity guest.  
• The fun continues on Sunday, May 28, aboard the Marco Island Princess yacht for the afternoon Cruisin’ Boozin’ & Schmoozin with the Stars, noon to 3 p.m., departing from Marco River Marina. The 3-hour boat ride is an opportunity to mix and mingle with your favorite soap celebrity, while sightseeing Marco Island’s coastal beauty as dolphins frolic in the water. Guests meet with actors for additional photographs and autographs. Auctions and raffles will be held for one-of-a-kind daytime drama memorabilia (signed scripts, iconic clothing, and jewelry, among others). Tickets limited to 130 and cost $130 per person including a luncheon buffet. 
• The annual Celebrity Karaoke Bar Bash takes place at 9 o’clock until closing Sunday evening at Mango’s Dockside Bistro located at 760 N. Collier Blvd. This event features daytime actors singing favorite tunes while pouring drinks to raise money. Featuring DJ Jared. Tickets cost $75 per person.
• SoapFest concludes on Monday, May 29 with a VIP Farewell Brunch. 

A very limited number of tickets available as seating is very limited. Tickets for all events at theatreonmarco.com/soapfest or call 239-394-0080.

ONGOING

Reclaimed art featured in May

Marco Island Center for the Arts invites the public to view three different artist interpretations using found objects to create new artwork. Swiss born, Marco Island artist Claire Keery has won numerous awards with her collages, assemblages and encaustics paintings. Artifacts found during her extensive travels to Asia and Africa can be found encased in her work. Twin brothers, Sean and Nathan O’Donnell, are commercial painting entrepreneurs and Marco’s “Mahogany Masters” self-taught sculptors. They specialize in converting local rescued wood into a collector’s item that can be shared for generations. The brothers believe that each piece of wood has a story to be told. Karen Swanker, a native Pennsylvanian, is a former graphic designer from the advertising industry. She is pursuing advanced study in fine art and abstract design.

La Petite Galerie: Barbara Parisi’s exhibit “Variations on a Theme” presents design patterns that are essentially ethnic or tribal in nature. She has repeated some of the basic designs, varying the color and material, to provide a different visual effect. She also incorporates vintage decorative elements. Her newest wearables are micro-sized Origami cranes that have been made into earrings. Whenever Barbara finds an item of interest, she will comment, “Wonder if I could include that into a piece of jewelry.”

The exhibit is open through May 29. The Center for the arts is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Marco Island Center for the Arts is located at 1010 Winterberry Drive just off of Collier Boulevard.

Information: 239-394-4221 or marcoislandart.org.

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center: Summer hours

Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center summer hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. It offers a two-story visitor center, art gallery, gift shop and nature trail with viewing platform. Themed naturalist programs offered daily on topics such as manatees, sharks, sea turtles, marine life touch tank and more. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for kids 6- 12, and free for kids under 6 and Friends of Rookery Bay members. Located at 300 Tower Road, one mile south of the intersection of U.S. 41 and Collier Boulevard.

Register for events at rookerybay.org/calendar.

Art at the Marco Library

The Marco Island Public Library and the Marco Island Center for the Arts work cooperatively to provide monthly art shows at the Marco Library branch on Heathwood Drive, Marco Island. All artwork is for sale with a percentage going to the Marco Island Center for the Arts. The month of May will feature the works of photographer Ed Cohen. Ed Cohen was born in Philadelphia, where his education led to medical school and specialty training in dermatology. He practiced for over 45 years, the last 24 years on Marco Island. He developed an interest in photography at a very early age.

JUNE

Breakfast with the birds

“Breakfast with the Birds: Migration” will be 9 until 10:30 a.m., June 1. Learn about birds at this new summer lecture series. Adam DiNuovo has been working with shorebirds and seabirds across the US and beyond for more than 15 years.  He is currently the Shorebird Stewardship Program Manager for Audubon Florida. Event begins with a light breakfast and mingling. The lecture will be followed by a question and answer session. Register for events at rookerybay.org/calendar.

Annual Artist of the Year and Scholarship Luncheon

Marco Island Foundation for the Arts invites the public to their annual luncheon to honor 2017 Artist of the Year, Austin Bell, curator and artistic director at the Marco Island Historical Museum and our five scholarship winners, 11:30 a.m., Saturday, June 3. The luncheon is held at the Wesley United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 350 S. Barfield Dr., Marco Island.  To make reservations, send your check to MIFA, Annual Luncheon, P.O. Box 1091, Marco Island, FL 34146 including names of guests, email address and phone no. Cost is $20 per person. Information: Clara at 239-404-0657.

YMCA summer camp

Counting down to the start of its summer camp sessions, Marco’s YMCA promises a healthy blend of educational, social and physical activities for kids. And, while the Y, of course, caters for the local student community, it also embraces nearby East Naples by running camps for youngsters from lesser-privileged families. The camps kick off June 5 and run through Aug. 15 at the Y; and until July 25 at Manatee and Parkside elementary schools, Everglades City School and the Marco Island Charter Middle School. Cost: $80 per student per week ($90 non-Y members). Siblings $70. Discounts for early payment. Subsidies available by application. Prospective camp councilors, email Garcia at schoolage@marcoy.org. Information: greatermarcoymca.com

Summer Institute for marine science

The summer Institute for marine science  will be 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., June 5. Budding scientists are invited to discover our unique coastal environment with Rookery Bay staff and local researchers!  This week-long camp brings students into the field to experience concept in ecology, marine biology, sustainability, and citizen science. Program is designed for students who have completed 7th or 8th grade with an interest in marine science. Space is limited, contact Jeannine Windsor at 239-530-5989.

Weeki Wachee

The Marco Island Historical Society presents Lu Vickers “Weeki Wachee: City of Mermaids” at 7 p.m., June 6, at Rose History Auditorium. The program is free to members of the Society and $10 for non-members. The presentation will cover the history of Weeki Wachee from its very beginnings and will show how Newt Perry developed his dream of underwater performances at Silver Springs and Wakulla before heading to the east coast of Florida to found his own attraction.

Essentials of digital photography workshop

Essentials of digital photography workshop, 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., June 12. If you want to get the best pictures possible, and truly understanding your camera’s features, the Essentials of Digital Photography: How to get the most from your digital camera workshop is for you. This class covers the essentials of your digital camera. You will learn how to use your camera's shutter, aperture, ISO control and the drive modes to create images with impact and creativity. No previous camera or photography experience is necessary, just a desire to learn. Sonny Saunders has over 35 years of experience in photography and instruction and is renowned for his ability to communicate to a wide variety of students. Register for events at rookerybay.org/calendar.

Teachers on the Estuary

Teachers on the Estuary (TOTE) workshop, 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., June 13. This workshop is open to all teachers around the country: any school, any subject, grades 6-8. The content of the workshop will be based on NOAA's Estuaries 101 Middle School curriculum and will likely focus on topics such as: sharks, birds, plankton, invasive species, and water quality. We will spend each morning in the field, getting our feet wet exploring the Reserve.  Afternoons will be inside, meeting staff and learning about activities you can adapt for your classroom. Register for events at rookerybay.org/calendar.

JULY

Everglades City Independence Day celebration

Historic Everglades City is always first -- the first Collier County seat and the first in the area to celebrate Independence Day. The annual family-fun festival to commemorate America’s founding will be on Saturday, July 1. The opening ceremony is at 10 a.m. on the steps of City Hall (the former county courthouse). That is followed at 10:30 a.m. by the patriotic parade. There are prizes for the best floats which may be anything from golf carts to swamp buggies. The fun continues in McLeod Park when booths open at 11 a.m. featuring hotdogs and sodas, bake sale, face painting, arts and crafts vendors, raffles, kiddies’ best dressed contest, and playground games. In the evening the grand  finale is the dramatic musical fireworks display at 9 p.m.

Information: Dottie at 239-695-3781 or evergladeshistorical.org.

Calendar items must be submitted to mail@marcoeagle.com.