Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte are small towns but big on cultural activities. The heritage of this area is culturally rich and in modern times the tradition follows. Basically, any of the cultural activities you expect with a big town are found here. Plays, theaters, concerts, museums, art centers, fine arts, cultural centers, art festivals, movie theaters, comedy clubs, art galleries, symphony’s and the like are here. Charlotte County has their own symphony orchestra and they are extraordinary. There is a cultural center that is the nucleus for many of the events around town as well. There are local venue’s for plays and theater and a local theater group as well. A new events center was just built on the shores of the Peace River which even further expands the range of shows and events. The great thing about our small town is that we can always get to bigger cultural centers within a short drive. Sarasota to the north and Fort Myers to the south have the big city concert halls, playhouses and drama theaters if you want even more than this town has to offer.
One of the wonderful things about living in the Charlotte Harbor & Gulf Island areas is that it inspires artists to add their own styles of beauty to the landscape. From galleries and arts centers filled with artistic creations to arts and crafts festivals, flower festivals and specialty festivals all showcasing masterful works. The art community here is large and diverse and many famous artists from around the country call this home. Many have retired here and some have created their fame by painting and sculpting deriving their inspiration from this beautiful area.
Art galleries are sprinkled throughout the area and Punta Gorda holds a gallery walk the third Thursday of every month. Charming trolleys escort riders along the streets for a feast of wine, music and, of course, art. The highlights of the walk are its two galleries: Sea Grape Gallery and Presseller Delicatessen & Gallery. Every Thursday on waters edge in Gilchrest Park there are musicians that gather for a jam session. All types of acoustic music is found here and hundreds of people enjoy this music treat weekly- it is free! There are many festivals held throughout the year including the Peace River National Arts Festival, the annual fine arts festival, Punta Gorda Block Party, just to name a few.
Sea Grape Gallery, a cooperative of 25 part- and full-time resident artists, boasts a varied assortment of mediums and subject matter. Paintings of Asian scenes mingle with brilliant fused glass bowls, and vivid watercolors of Florida landscapes hang above porcelain hand-carved birds.
The Presseller Delicatessen & Gallery serves as a restaurant on one side and a fine art display room on the other. You will find wooden walking sticks, tribal-like masks, simply delineated fish portraits, vibrant Parisian scenes and digitally manipulated photographic images.
The Visual Arts Center has the largest non-profit exhibition space for local artwork in the area. In addition to its galleries, the center runs a gift shop exclusively stocked with original works from jewelry and textiles to glass and paintings.
Englewood’s Dearborn Street also beckons art lovers. Among its offerings are the Lemon Tree Gallery and the Adamson Artworks Family Gallery.
The Lemon Tree Gallery resides in an appropriately lemon-colored building. The works inside, however, are anything but sour. Whimsical painted furniture, ceramic tile murals depicting mermaids, watercolors of local birds and copper sculptures decorate the small shop.
The Adamson Artworks Family Gallery is a sparse yet lively space dedicated to the creations of the Adamson family. The older daughter designs and forms the earth-toned pottery while her younger sister paints large-scale, organic modern art.
The Margaret Albritton Gallery in Placida sits adjacent to the Fishery Restaurant and Grande Tours, a kayak rental company. Its fanciful paintings and prints of tropical fish, birds and animals are worth the stop.
Below is a small compilation of some of the artist groups, galleries and various cultural related establishments in the area. This is not an all inclusive list but gives you an idea of the diversity that exists.
-
Peace River Center for Writers
26300 Airport Rd., Edison State College Campus
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
941-637-3514 -
Margaret Albritton Gallery
13020 Fishery Rd.
Placida, FL 33946
941-698-0603 -
Charlotte County Historical Center
22959 Bayshore Rd.
Punta Gorda, FL 33980
941-629-7278 -
El Jobean Historical Properties Inc.
4370 Garden Rd.
El Jobean, FL 33953
941-627-3344 -
El Jobean Post Office & General Store
4370 Garden Rd.
El Jobean, FL 33953
941-627-3344 -
Lemon Bay Chord Company
5873 Harrison Rd.
Venice, FL 34293
941-493-6417 -
Lemon Bay Playhouse
96 W. Dearborn St.
Englewood, FL 34223
941-475-6756 -
Arts & Humanities Council of Charlotte County
2811 Tamiami Trl., Ste. M
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
941-764-8100 -
Charlotte Players, Inc.
Charlotte Trades Center, 1225 Tamiami Trl., Ste. B11
Port Charlotte, FL 33953
941-255-1022 -
Charlotte Symphony Orchestra
P.O. Box 495831
Port Charlotte, FL 33949
941-625-5996 -
Blanchard House Museum of African-American History & Culture
406 Martin Luther King Blvd.
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
941-639-2914 -
Cultural Center of Charlotte County, Inc.
2280 Aaron St.
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
941-625-4175 -
A.C. Freeman House
311 W. Retta Esplanade
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
941-639-2222 -
The Center for Performing Arts & Education
701 Carmalita St.
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
941-637-0459 -
Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center
75 Taylor St.
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
941-639-5833
800-329-9988
Here are a few other things of interest:
- Allyn Museum of Entomology
- Jazz Club of Sarasota
- Sarasota Film Festival
- Friends of Florida Folk
- Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre Fort Myers FL
- Visual Arts Center Punta Gorda
- Florida Museums Directory
- Theatre FSU Sarasota
- Florida West Coast Symphony Sarasota
- Sarasota Ballet
- Sarasota Film Society
- Ringling Museum of Art
