‘Do-it-yourself approach’

Wayne White to be featured at Bob Rauschenberg Gallery

Published in Sept. 2, 2015 Sanibel-Captiva Islander issue

Over the past two years Bob Rauschenberg Gallery Director Jade Dellinger has focused on continuing Rauschenberg’s legacy through conversations, as well as through curating a show.

“Wayne White is an artist I have long been interested in,” Dellinger said. “He brings some interesting things to the table in terms of his context.”

The upcoming exhibit at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery will feature “Wayne White: Here Comes Mr. Know-It-All” from Sept. 11, through Nov. 7, with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11.

Dellinger said when Rauschenberg first arrived in Florida he did a series called “The Cardboards.” While Rauschenberg worked in New York he would always talk about finding inspiration in his environment. Inspiration came from walking around the block no more than two times while picking up items on the street to incorporate in his pieces.

When Rauschenberg arrived on Captiva he found sand and sun instead of items on the street, which led him to using the boxes that contained his life possessions from the move.

“Wayne’s work is often taking found things,” he said of the connection between the two artists.

White’s work is often times comprised of finding paintings at thrift stores and reworking them into his own masterpiece. His puppets, now referred to as sculptures, are made out of cardboard.

“I’ve always had the do-it-yourself approach,” White said in a prepared statement. “I grew up in this blue collar family and didn’t have a lot of toys, so you had to make your own fun. Building forts out of sticks and scrap lumber – that’s where I learned the joy of making something from nothing.”

Some of the art he is known for are the characters Randy, Cool Cat, Chicky Baby and Dirty Dog for the “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”

A week leading up to the exhibit opening, White will be an artist-in-residence at FSW working with students to create a gigantic puppet of Rauschenberg. Dellinger said he will be using repurposed cardboard to make a large scale portrait.

“We are commissioning him to do this functional sculpture that he is going to be using in a performance during open night,” he said, adding that he thinks Rauschenberg would have appreciated a big portrait made out of cardboard. “It’s going to be a cool project for us. I’m excited to kick off the season with this.”

Dellinger said he is excited about having a show with a newly built sculpture element at the gallery.

“At least two or three students will work very directly with him,” he said during his residency. “We may engage additional students in the performance.”

In addition, the exhibit will also feature White’s collection of watercolor paintings completed in 2013 during his residency at the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Residency program on Captiva. Dellinger said the foundation has offered a wide variety of artists, seven or eight a year, to stay at the Captiva compound for a month at a time while working in Rauschenberg’s studio.

“Wayne was one of the early participants there. He lived and worked in Captiva for a month,” Dellinger said, adding that White did a lot of work that was inspired by being out there. “He did a watercolor painting titled ‘Ding Darling.’ His works that he made have not been shown here locally. That was part of the inspiration too . . . to take an artist that lived and worked on the Bob Rauschenberg compound and show the work that he did there.”

Other work that will be on display includes White’s “Word Paintings,” which Dellinger said include one line jokes.

He said he thinks the work is poking fun at the idea of fine art and making work that is really humorous. He said White’s work will incorporate words and phrases on paintings of landscapes and mountains.

The gallery will be transformed during the exhibit.

“He often likes to create the backdrop on which his paintings are hung,” Dellinger said of White painting the gallery wall.

The gallery is located on the Florida SouthWestern State College campus, 8099 College Pkwy., in Fort Myers. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

For more information, call (239) 489-9313 or visit www.RauschenbergGallery.com.

For more information about the artist, White, visit www.WayneWhiteArt.com.

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‘Big, better and beyond’

‘Ding’ Darling Days set for this October

Published in Sanibel-Captiva Islander Aug. 12, 2015 issue

Final touches are taking place for a jam packed week of fun for all ages this October at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

“Oct. 21 is (Jay N.) Ding’s birthday, so it makes it extra special,” Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland said of the 26th annual “Ding” Darling Days scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 18, through Saturday, Oct. 24.

She said “Ding” Darling Days started with just one day as a way to connect with the community during National Wildlife Refuge week. The initial one day event turned into a week long celebration featuring an array of repeat activities, as well as a few new events sprinkled in throughout the week.

Westland referred to the annual “Ding” Darling Days as “big, better and beyond,” due to the daily themed activities, many of which are free of charge.

“Ding” Darling Days will kick off with a free Family Fun Day, a day valued at $75, on Sunday, Oct. 18.

“The day is amazing,” Westland said of the value. “It’s a free, fun thing to do with the kids.”

One of the day’s highlights features Jim Henson’s daughter, Heather Henson, and her Orlando based IBEX Puppetry troupe. The troupe will make its first appearance at noon Sunday, Oct. 18, under the tent. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the troupe and their puppets, as well as play the performers musical instruments, following the performance and throughout the day until 4 p.m. in the Endangered Species Garden.

Heather’s program features an interactive element with life-sized puppets of endangered species made from recycled material.

Over the last four years, IBEX has created a crocodile and pollination puppet for the Family Fun Day.

“We’re always adding new elements to our presentations,” IBEX Manager Frank Ramirez said in a prepared statement. “We especially look forward to presenting at “Ding” Darling because we love it so much there. We usually add at least one new refuge creature each year to debut at “Ding” Days.”

Westland said Heather’s group will visit fourth grade classrooms with the life-sized puppets to get kids excited about the Family Fun Day.

“It is Heather’s mission to tour this around Florida’s parks, refuges and wildlife conservation areas because of her avid interest in wetlands and whooping crane migrations and protection,” Ramirez said. “We do it because we love educating and love people’s reaction to the puppets.”

Monday, Oct. 19, dubbed “Pollinator Day,” features such free activities as a pollinator walk with Ranger Becky, refuge birds and wildlife tour caravan, “Vanishing of the Bees” film, a Bunche Beach birding tram and deck talk.

Tuesday’s theme “Beach and Water Day,” will include a beach walk at Perry Tract, stand-up paddleboard clinics, refuge and wildlife tour caravan, the courtship of great blue herons presentation, deck talk and refuge reddish egrets tracking study with Dr. Kenneth Meyer, all free of charge.

“Eco-Innovation Day” is Wednesday, Oct. 21 theme. The day of free activities entail refuge birds and wildlife tour caravan, Let’s Go Geo-caching with Ken and Ginny Kopperl, deck talk and discover Ding game app tour of Wildlife Drive.

The fun filled “Calusa Day” will be held Thursday, Oct. 22 with such free activities as refuge birds and wildlife tour caravan, the Calusa Culture by Parke Lewis, deck talk, Calusa: Flourishing through Flora by Cindy Bear and a free walk with the Calusa by Jack and Patty Wettstein.

Friday, Oct. 23 will celebrate “Trails Day” with a slew of free activities including a scat and tracks program, refuge bike tour, animal Olympics games at Bailey Tract and deck talk.

The week long activities will conclude with a Conservation Art Day Saturday, Oct. 24.

The day of festivities includes meeting the champions of the Junior Duck Stamp, Federal Duck Stamp and State Junior Duck Stamp winners.

The first 200 kids to attend the Conservation Art Day will receive a bag with art supplies.

The day will also include creating a picture of a sand dollar on a canvas with Painting With a Twist. Westland said the sand dollar portrait is available to the first 20 kids who reserves a spot.

For a complete schedule of activities and times, visit www.dingdarlingdays.com.

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