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I am thinking about what to write about this week because there is so much planned for the off season here, and what is really on my mind is... vacation! Yes, I said it! I am writing this in the midst of all the challenges of putting together the new schedule of next season, the finishing touches on this summer season and thinking about my so-called vacation! I realized that my vacation is really planned around the arts.

It focuses on the art of planning a wedding, or I should say, completing the planning for a wedding? I say this as I think it demonstrates just one more aspect of how our lives have a constant interaction with the arts.

My stepdaughter Katy will be getting married in just two short weeks. Now, maybe some of you think, “how can a wedding be related to the arts?” — she’s really pushing the envelope now. Well, let me tell you, a wedding is nothing but the arts!

You can probably guess the most obvious connection: color scheme. Everyone always asks, “what are her colors?” Then there is the selection of the wedding dress. Its design of course is most important to the bride to be. You also have the wedding party and the parents, what colors everyone should wear. This brings us into the photography, as those colors should not clash and the venue should be perfect.

Oh! The creative thinking for the perfect venue... How the landscape and design aspects for the ceremony and as our young bride refers to the reception, “cocktails and merriment to follow” will be memorialized in photos or video.

How about that, a wedding also touches on the literary arts. Why, you can’t have an invitation without words and we all know everyone wants their words to be more memorable than the others. Okay, talking about the invitation, in Katy’s case, she wanted a poster designed from a favorite photograph of hers that was to be printed on canvas, rolled and mailed in a tube.

You can probably easily relate that aspect to the visual arts. I can’t event begin to think about stopping there. How about the culinary arts? Remember the cocktail and merriment to follow? This includes some very creative thinking in the foods and drink, and of course, the cake! What designs, colors, and variety Katy and her soon to be husband, have developed for the chef and baker! Merriment, does this perhaps involve the performing arts? Let there be music and dancing! Shall I continue to go on and brag about what a beautiful day this will be or have you gotten the picture? I am sure if you took a moment right now to think about what you are doing or planning somehow the arts are connected. But if you think you need some more education in the arts, the Art League, Marco Island’s Center for the Arts, has some great opportunities lined up for the summer. Season is only a dream away for us!

Besides the great art exhibitions that will be taking place with our Summer Wine and Art Series beginning in May, youth programs and Art After Hours will begin in June.

For all the parents and guardians who are now searching for summer activities for the young at art, the Center hosts an entire program this year. Artist Visiting Kids, Kids Art Kamp, Art Adventures, Kids Arty Party and my personal favorite, Masking a Memory will all be starting June 2.

Art After Hours is a special program developed for the evenings. These programs are for the adults in our community. They begin as early as May with a Pastel Pet Portraiture class by Joan Scherer, then we are off and running in June as we offer classes in acrylic painting and oil painting with Connie Rawlins, and clay wheel throwing with Barney Halaschak. For those of you who prefer the daytime hours to develop your creativity, in July we will also be offering a morning acrylic painting class with Jo-Ann Sanborn and oil painting class in the afternoons with Inez Hudson.

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Christine Neal is the executive director of Marco Island’s Center of the Arts. She holds an Associate of Arts Degree in the Liberal Arts with emphasis in the Fine Arts and various certifications and designations in business and the arts. An award winning artist, with 20-plus years in management and sales. Marco Island’s Center for the Arts is located at 1010 Winterberry Drive 239-394-4221 mail@marcoislandart.com.