2025-2026 Community Engagement
BIG ARTS, formally known as the Barrier Island Group for the Arts, was created by and for the community more than four decades ago. Its founding principle remains to this day: to experience and celebrate the artist in all of us and to remind us of our shared humanity. Each year we offer a vibrant cultural palette of performing and fine arts, films, workshops, classes and community events that enrich our lives
Just Keep Swimming
Marti Koehler
Mezzanine Gallery
Artist Reception: Friday, November 7, 2025, 5:00 PM
“The process of making art starts with an abstract memory or feeling that sparks inspiration, leading to a colorful, gestural exploration…”
Curious
Reynier Llanes
Dunham Family Gallery
Artist Reception: Friday, November 7, 2025, 5:00 PM
Reynier Llanes is a master of color, form, and figure. The narratives are born of fables and Magic Realism where tapestries of fantasy and unlikely narratives intertwine with our reality.
I Am My Home
Mariapia Malerba
West Gallery
Artist Reception: Friday, November 7, 2025, 5:00 PM
Without the corals, the octopus has no sanctuary…
GLASS-FUSED ART
Artist-Instructor: Petra Kaiser
Wednesdays, December 3, 10, 17, 2025, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Petra will provide students with guidance and assistance, demonstrating procedures and basic glass fusing techniques, and will include compatibility and testing, annealing, and slumping.
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family.
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WINE & PAINT MIXER
Artist-Instructor: Deb Zwetsch
Enjoy this fun-filled evening creating silk painted scarves! Deborah will inspire students with examples and designs from her own creations, guiding students with the application of dye on silk using a brush.
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BIG ARTS Community Chorus
& BIG ARTS Concert Band
Holiday Performance
Celebrate the season with festive favorites and joyful harmonies performed by the talented voices and musicians of the BIG ARTS Community Chorus and BIG ARTS Concert Band.
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WE ARE THE WORLD
Exploring creativity and imagination
Artist-Instructor Tim Smith
Monday, December 15 & Tuesdays, December 16, 2025, 10:00AM – 2:00PM
All Level Artists – Group Collaboration
Artistic collaboration involves two or more artists working together to create a unified piece of art.
Eleanor the Great
After a devastating loss, witty and proudly troublesome Eleanor Morgenstein, 94, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own.
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WINE & RAKU MIXER
Artist-Instructor: Tim Smith
Enjoy this fun-filled evening as we begin in the classroom learning about Raku, a traditional Japanese pottery-firing technique.
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Ode to Joy
Sanibel-Captiva Art League
Dunham Family Gallery
Artist Reception: Friday, December 19, 2025, 5:00 PM
Let your spirit be uplifted by original artworks of Southwest Florida artists. This exhibit features a collection of fine art embracing various media, styles, colors, moods, and techniques, inviting you to explore the beauty and spirit of joy.
BIG ARTS
Holiday Open House
BIG ARTS Holiday Open House Presenting Sponsor: Bank of the Islands.
Delight in the magic of the season as BIG ARTS transforms its expansive halls into a holiday wonderland adorned with festive decorations.