Let’s Go
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation and Sanibel-Captiva Art League will host a watercolor workshop with Marion Hall on Jan. 29 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Bailey Homestead Preserve.
It will feature an art-meets-science approach to plants, specifically the prickly pear.
SCCF Native Landscapes & Garden Center Manager Jenny Evans will discuss observation skills that will help while studying plants for artistic purposes. Using her tips, Hall will lead attendees in creating a watercolor painting of a prickly pear plant.
Bring watercolor paints, brushes and paper; watercolor notecards will be available.
Cost is $30 for SCCF and SCAL members and $40 for non-members.
For tickets, visit Eventbrite at www.eventbrite.com.
For more information, call the SCCF at 239-472-1932 or Hall at 239-395-0432.
The Bailey Homestead Preserve is at 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.
Let’s Go
BIG ARTS is celebrating the new Dunham Gallery with the opening of renowned international artist Mally Khorasantchi’s exhibit “Time for Joy,” with the island show serving as the exhibit’s debut.
The exhibit will open on Jan. 25 with an artist talk by Khorasantchi at 5:30 p.m., followed by an artist reception where guests can enjoy the show and meet Khorasantchi.
The reception is free to attend and will feature complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres.
A German immigrant who settled in Southwest Florida in 1992, Khorasantchi has had a passion for art since she was a young child. She studied at the Malschule Hubbelrath in Duesseldorf, Germany, under noted German artists Barbara Boehringer and Wolfgang Eckart who helped nurture her artistic development. Her work is featured in permanent collections at The Baker Museum in Naples, The Frauenmuseum Bonn in Bonn, Germany, Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and at Florida Gulf Coast University in Estero.
The exhibit will be on display until March 1.
For more information, visit BIGARTS.org or call 239-395-0900.
The BIG ARTS Dunham Gallery is at 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.
Let’s Go
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation will host “Evenings at the Homestead: Foraging for Cocktail Mixers” on Jan. 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the pavilion at the Bailey Homestead Preserve.
Author Ellen Zachos, an international expert on foraging and herbal mixology, will give a presentation and hands-on workshop on how to create cocktail flavors using various native fruits and flavors, including syrups made from sea grapes and cocoplums. A former Broadway actor, she has a lively and fun approach to sharing her passion for foraged mixers.
Zachos will cover how to combine foraged, local, seasonal flavors with one’s favorite mixers. She will show how to incorporate ingredients found in Southwest Florida backyards to make hand-crafted, locally-sourced mixers and mocktails using native fruits and flavors.
Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased by visiting www.sccf.org.
For more information, contact the SCCF at 239-472-2329.
The Bailey Homestead Preserve is at 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.
Let’s Go
The Sanibel-Captiva Art League will hold its monthly Art on the Veranda on Jan. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Bailey’s General Store, at 2477 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.
Award-winning SCAL artists will have original works of art for viewing and sale.
Enjoy watercolors, acrylics, oils, pastels, collage and more. The styles and subjects are diverse and there are plenty of local-interest art pieces. In addition, there is always something new to see.
For more information, visit www.sancapart.com.
Let’s Go
Take a free guided birding bike ride, watch a free film and take advantage of free bird crafts and Refuge Nature Store specials at the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel on Jan. 2 in honor of National Bird Day.
The two-hour, four-mile birding bike tour will depart from the flagpole in front of the Visitor & Education Center at 9 a.m. to take in Wildlife Drive and Indigo Trail. Bring your own bike. The first 20 to show up will receive a 10 percent discount coupon for the Refuge Nature Store.
From noon to 1 p.m., the education team will lead take-home crafts in the center. A showing of the film “Dancing with the Birds” will follow at 1:15 p.m.
The full free schedule will include:
n 9 to 11 a.m.: Guided birding bike tour
n Noon to 1 p.m.: Bird crafts in the Visitor & Education Center classroom
n 1:15 to 2:15 p.m.” Showing of “Dancing with the Birds” in the Visitor & Education Center auditorium
For more information, call 239-472-1100 ext. 236 or visit dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/events.
The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is at 1 Wildlife Drive.