The changing Naples art scene - Fifth Avenue South (Photos) - Ft. Myers Galleries

A new winter exhibition season opens this month in Naples, and collectors will find an altered landscape along Fifth Avenue South and in the Third Street South gallery district.

On Fifth Avenue, New River Fine Art, gallery O, Random Acts of Art, and The Lady from Haiti are gone. New River's space has been occupied by Dennison-Moran Gallery.

View slideshow: The big four.

For 14 years, Dennison-Moran Gallery was happy being located in the epicenter of Naples’ Fifth Avenue South art and shopping district, but when the building the gallery called home was demolished in August of 2011, Kathleen and Robert Dennison and Mary Moran were forced to relocate to the Third Street South gallery district. However, their absence was destined to be short-lived. When the New River gallery space suddenly became available, Kathleen, Robert and Mary didn’t hesitate, and both casual shoppers and more serious art lovers can find Dennison-Moran happily ensconced in its new location in Suite 102 at 600 Fifth Avenue South.

Location: Fifth Avenue South, Naples, FL

26.14197 ; -81.79338

New River still maintains its gallery at 914 East Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, but owner Lisa Burgess could not be reached for comment for an explanation as to why New River closed its Naples location or whether the gallery plans to offer ongoing service to its established clientele. For more information, please call 954-524-2100.

Gallery O moved and re-opened November 17 in Flamingo Island at 11902 Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs. For more information, please telephone 239-287-0609.

The Lady from Haiti is also now in Flamingo Island, with a second location at Kings Lake Publix Plaza on Davis Bouleard. For more information, please call 239-649-8607.

Random Acts of Art has relocated to 761 12th Avenue South. You may reach them by telephone at 239-435-0668.

Fortunately, the art scene along Fifth Avenue remains strong, with stalwarts (alphabetically) Call of Africa's Native Visions Gallery, Shaw Gallery and Sheldon Fine Art offering a wide range of fine art to both new and long-time collectors.

Call of Africa's Native Visions can be found under the red awnings at 737 Fifth Avenue South. It is an intriguing art gallery that devotes itself primarily to African and environmentally-themed art. The gallery features original paintings in oil, acrylics and pastels, a number of limited edition giclees, and bronze, verdite and leadwood sculpture, cast glass, and Raku pottery. Most works are contemporary realism, although there are some impressionist works included within the gallery’s collection. Motifs include African wildlife, dramatic Everglades’s landscapes, seascapes, historic safari scenes, florals, and still-lifes.

Shaw Gallery of Fine Art has distinguished itself as one of the premier art galleries of Southwest Florida. Now entering its 25th year of service to area art collectors, the gallery features artists of national and international distinction that are true masters in their respective disciplines. The gallery characterizes itself as specializing in representational paintings, sculpture and glass art by the nation’s leading artists. The gallery clearly emphasizes pure, romantic and figurative impressionism, but each of its artists who work in this genre brings a unique slant to impressionism, either focusing on the kinetics of movement or the interplay of light and shadow with the changing time of day or night.

The gallery does represent works of realism, poetic realism, fractured imagery, Scottish Colorism, and abstract expressionism. Most wall art is rendered in the mediums of oil, acrylic and pastels, although it does have in its inventory a limited number of watercolors, drawings and limited edition giclees. Motifs span the spectrum from portraiture and figurative works to landscapes, cityscapes, cottage scenes, seascapes, maritime art, equestrian art, florals and still lifes.

Southwest Florida is known worldwide for gentle waves lapping white sandy beaches shaded by slender, willowy palms as banks of cumulus clouds build on the distant horizon. But surprisingly few galleries in southwest Florida offer high-quality seascapes, beach scenes and maritime art in the genres of modern American realism and impressionism. Sheldon Fine Art on Fifth Avenue is the artistic exception. The gallery features an expansive selection of original oils, watercolors, photography and sculpture by more than 50 contemporary local, national and internationally-acclaimed artists, as well as a limited number of giclees and first edition prints. The gallery specializes seascapes, beach scenes, maritime themes and still lifes in the genres of modern American realism, impressionism and abstract art.

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