Gulf Coast Life: Arts Edition

A solo exhibition of works by Southwest Florida-based painter, illustrator, writer, and designer Kathleen Kinkopf opens May 1 at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center.Ahead of the opening, we’ll talk with Kinkopf about her striking works, often described as “magical realism” with highly detailed realistic imagery infused with dreamlike symbolism and fantasy elements.

The Naples-based nonprofit House of Gaia hosts the “Bee Gaia Bloom Art Show” April 25, 2026, featuring works created by artists within the neurodivergent community. House of Gaia Founder and Director Lulu Carter joins us to explore the sensory, multimedia exhibit and the organization’s broader focus on arts education, social inclusion, community building and kindness.

The Bridging the Gap Center for the Arts will host a murder mystery dinner theater event, April 25th featuring the first public performance of the comedic play “Devil Ain’t Got No Tail in Grandma’s House,” written by Veronica Barber, who is the mother of Bridging the Gap founder and Executive Director Sonya McCarter.

Players Circle Theater is putting on a production of the one-woman play “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti,” based on the bestselling book of the same title by Giulia Melucci. In the show, Giulia regales audiences with tales of her dating life all while actually cooking a three-course meal on stage. We’ll explore the play in conversation with actor Amanda Ladd and director Bob Cacioppo.

Laboratory Theater of Florida is performing a provocative reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Julius Ceasar,” set not in ancient Rome, but in the dark parking lot of a derelict apartment building. The show maintains the original Elizabethan language but condenses the play to about 90 minutes. It maintains the iconic monologues and soliloquies in a way that places heavy emphasis on the timeless themes of power, ambition, and betrayal. We’ll take a deeper dive into the production in a conversation with co-directors Alex Dragg and Nykkie Rizley.

The featured artists chosen to create four new large-scale public murals in downtown Fort Myers through the fourth annual Southwest Florida Mural Festival were announced this week. We’ll talk with artists, festival organizers, and co-founders of Artsemble Underground Cesar Aguilera and Brian Weaver to learn more about the festival and their broader mission of making art more accessible and transforming Fort Myers into a vibrant arts district.

Players Circle Theater is mounting a production of playwright Amy Herzog’s Pulitzer-nominated family drama “4,000 Miles,” about a grieving young man and the bond he develops with his 91-year-old grandmother during an extended stay in her West Village apartment. We’ll delve into the show in a conversation with Players Circle Theater Artistic Director Bob Cacioppo and the stars of the show, actors Carrie Lund Cacioppo and Jameson Stobbe.

Actor, playwright, director and educator Frank Blocker is performing a run of his one-man show “STABILIZED NOT CONTROLLED” this month in the Norris Center Auditorium in Naples. We talk with Blocker about this tour-de-force performance in which he plays all 17 characters.

Florida Repertory Theatre in downtown Fort Myers recently announced the line up of shows for their 2026-2027 performance season, including both adult and family-friendly comedies, a psychological thriller, a documentary, and plenty of music. We’ll get a preview of the upcoming 20th season and explore their production of “Little Shop of Horrors” that opens later this month in a conversation with the company’s producing artistic director Greg Longenhagen.

The Cape Arts Network (CAN) officially launched on Feb. 13, 2026, as an independent community-based organization with a mission to uplift, support, and foster long-term growth of the arts and culture sector in Cape Coral. We hear from founding President Amy Ginsburg and founding Treasurer David Acevedo.

Players Circle Theater is adding additional performances of “Over the Taven” due to overwhelming demand. At the same time, the theater company is preparing for the next production of its seventh season: Amy Herzog’s contemporary family drama “4,000 Miles.” We’ll explore both shows, plus more on the horizon from Players Circle Theater.

In collaboration with Theatre Conspiracy, the Laboratory Theater of Florida’s 17th season continues with performances beginning next week of August Wilson’s realist drama “Two Trains Running.” We’ll explore the production and the play’s broader themes of racial and economic injustice, memory, history and reckoning in a conversation with director Sonya McCarter and assistant director Shontae White.

The Wasmer Art Gallery at FGCU is hosting an exhibition of works by multidisciplinary artist Onajide Shabaka titled “Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream.” Shabaka’s work is deeply rooted in historical, cultural, and ecological narratives often exploring themes related to the African diaspora, collective memory, history, anthropology, and ethnobotany. We will talk with Shabaka about the exhibit and his broader artistic practice.

Multi-award-winning Blues musician, songwriter, painter, and craftsman James “Super Chikan” Johnson visited Florida Gulf Coast University this past spring to speak to students and make a couple of performances at Artis-Naples. During his visit he stopped by the WGCU studios for conversation about his life’s journey through music, his handcrafted instruments made from recycled parts, and how he got his stage name.

The Wasmer Art Gallery at FGCU is hosting an exhibition of works by multidisciplinary artist Onajide Shabaka titled “Becoming Tomorrow’s Dream.” Shabaka’s work is deeply rooted in historical, cultural, and ecological narratives often exploring themes related to the African diaspora, collective memory, history, anthropology, and ethnobotany. We will talk with Shabaka about the exhibit and his broader artistic practice ahead of his artist talk, Jan. 22, at the exhibit’s opening reception.

We talk with painter, veterinarian, and life-long outdoor enthusiast Dr. Jackson Trescott about his exhibition at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center titled “Neon Coast: Southwest Florida Under UV.” Works in the show depict Southwest Florida landscapes, seascapes and wildlife offering a unique dual experience, as they appear completely different under blacklight.

Players Circle Theater is mounting a production of “Little Women: The Musical,” which is a stage adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel about the lives of the March sisters as they navigate love, loss, and self-discovery during the Civil War Era.We take a deeper dive into the show in a conversation with the director Ted Wioncek III, and actors Kimberly Suskind and Paulette Oliva who play the roles of Jo March and Marmee.

In collaboration with the National New Play Network’s Rolling World Premiere program, Florida Repertory Theatre is mounting a production of playwright Brent Askari’s new comedy “ADVICE.” We’ll learn more about the play and the NNPN’s efforts to showcase contemporary playwrights and new plays in a conversation with Askari, the director of the Florida Rep’s production Brendon Fox, and NNPN Executive Director Nan Barnett.

The Foulds Theatre Gallery at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers is showcasing an exhibition of works by Southwest Florida-based artist and painting instructor Terry Lynn Spry. We talk with the artist about works in the exhibition, her creative process, and approach to arts education.

In collaboration with the National New Play Network’s Rolling World Premiere program, Florida Repertory Theatre is mounting a production of playwright Brent Askari’s new comedy “ADVICE.” We’ll learn more about the play and the NNPN’s efforts to showcase contemporary playwrights and new plays in a conversation with Askari, the director of the Florida Rep’s production Brendon Fox, and NNPN Executive Director Nan Barnett.

A Southwest Florida tradition has returned with Players Circle Theater’s currently running production of the company’s original musical revue titled “Ho! Ho! Ho! The Christmas Show.” We take a deeper dive into the show with co-writers Robert Cacioppo and Ted Wioncek.