New SoCo Cultural District and Second Saturday Event Starting October 2016

It all happens south of Colonial now. That is what this group of artists, entrepreneurs and performers are stating, and they will prove it. The new SoCo, which stands for south of Colonial [Boulevard], will be an area defined not only by geographical lines, but also by the consistent presence of venues that represent the arts in Southwest Florida. This new art district block runs from Colonial Boulevard, down McGregor Boulevard to Royal Palm Square Boulevard, over to Summerlin Road, up to Colonial Boulevard and returning to McGregor Boulevard.

The Alliance for the Arts, located on McGregor Boulevard, is one of the headliners in the event. Executive Director Lydia Black and Educations Coordinator Krista Johnson became part of the newly formed SoCo Committee, after getting a call from artist and gallery owner David Acevedo, who recently inaugurated the largest cooperative art gallery in the city of Fort Myers, DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts, located in the Royal Palm Square on Colonial Boulevard. "We have worked with David [Acevedo] before in many projects and we know his passion for bettering the arts in our city," said Black, whose member-supported art center is the designated arts agency by Lee County. Will Prather and Melissa Vogt from Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre were also recruited by Acevedo. Broadway Palm is also proud to be a part of SoCo Cultural District. "Creating a thriving creative district is advantageous to not only the arts, but the entire community so we are thrilled to be involved." said Broadway Palm Marketing Director Melissa Vogt. Together with Yoga Bird owners Anna and Chip Withrow, David Gittleman from Gittleman Studios and artist Jeffrey Scott Lewis from the Union Artist Studios, they plan to continue a collaborative effort and make this district a destination for arts and cultural lovers.

First on the agenda is the creation of a monthly event, with the intention of uniting all of the arts represented by their respective establishments. Visual and performing arts will take center stage as the driving force behind the SoCo Second Saturday event. StartingSaturday, October 8, 2016 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the cultural venues of the SoCo District will open their doors and provide guests the opportunity to attend a variety of scheduled events, such as artist demonstrations and talks, musical and theater performances, art exhibition receptions, wine tastings, and more. The proximity of all the participating venues conveniently allows for a self-guided walking tour or there is plenty of parking available at both the Alliance for the Arts campus and Royal Palm Square. An after party and open mic night, starting at 10:00 p.m., will be held at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.

To date, the October 2016 participating cultural stops are:

· Alliance for the Arts

· Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre

· DAAS CO-OP Art Gallery & Gifts

· The Union Artist Studios at the Art Loft

· Ocasiocasa at the Art Loft

· Luciano Deandrade's Studio Os Urbanos

· David Gittleman Studios

· Yoga Bird

The SoCo Second Saturday event differs from the downtown Fort Myers Art Walk, which Acevedo also co-founded. For SoCo, the participating cultural stops will host a variety of scheduled events, which will be included on a program available on the district's website. A map of the cultural stops will be located at all participating venues and can also be printed online at socoswfl.com. Guests can select which events to attend and design their own tour within the district. Along the way, there will be performers and vendors, making this event a complete cultural experience.

More information about the SoCo Cultural District and the Second Saturday event can be found at socoswfl.com and their Facebook page at facebook.com/socoswfl. Businesses and vendors wishing to be part of this event can email us at info@daascoop.com.

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