Julie Gerhard’s most satisfying memory of the grand reopening of the main building of the Cape Coral Arts Studio on March 3 was the attendance of Mayor Joe Coviello, Council Member John Gunter and other officials.
“Their presence meant a lot to me,” said the director of the facility since last November, who brings diverse perspectives to her work thanks partly to plenty of experiences and influences from throughout our area.
What served as one of three working studios, plus housed its art supply store, gift shop and administrative offices, was damaged by Hurricane Irma. It reopened after six months of restoration, including electrical work, with the flourish of the 33rd annual Art Focus Festival. Changes include a new exhibition area and repositioning of some of the offerings of the store and shop.
This milestone posed special significance to Gerhard.
“They had called me a week before Irma to set up my first interview. After (my husband Ehren and I) returned from evacuating, we drove by and saw a tree on top of one of the buildings.” After she joined, “We had to accommodate painting classes in building one before we reopened,” she said, adding that working in cramped quarters yielded some positive side effects.
Needing to combine different mediums in the same space made for “more cross-pollination of ideas. For example, painting and ceramics teachers interacted more than they would have otherwise.”
The studio’s Ring of Fire exhibit of jewelry, ceramics, mixed media and glass continues through April 26. It’ll host four weekly instructional sessions in silver-smithing, 3-D lampwork/bead-making, watercolor, acrylic painting, wheel throwing, crystalline glaze, creative mosaics and stone sculpture and more beginning the first week of May and will be repeated for seven weeks this summer. Fine art for kids summer camps will ensue on June 4 with a different theme for each session for eight weeks.
Julie and Ehren, who is national art festivals and exhibitions director of the Centers for the Arts of Bonita Springs, met while both were pursuing bachelor of arts degrees at FGCU. They naturally exchange ideas but keep it all in perspective.
“What’s good for one community may not be right for the other,” assessed Ehren. “There’s some overlap in our work. We keep it in balance.”
“It’s all about how we can create more cultural enrichment,” added Julie, who was executive director of the Happehatchee Center in Estero from mid-2014 through mid-2017.
Her vision for the future of the studio, part of Cape Coral Parks and Recreation, includes expanding opportunities for local artists.
“We want to create more one-day events that showcase art to beginners — provide an easy entryway into art — and forge more partnerships with local businesses. Art is therapeutic and it permeates into other aspects of life.”
Overall, “I’m extremely impressed with the quality of work and instruction. This place is a gem!”
If you go
What: Cape Coral Arts Studio
Where: 4533 Coronado Parkway, Rubicond Park
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Events: Ring of Fire exhibit runs through April 26; Spring mini-classes begin the week of April 30; Mays Bouquet's exhibit opens May 4 with a reception at 5 p.m. on May 11
Information: 239-574-0802, capeparks.com.