Davis Art Center moves on to second phase

COURTESY PENNY MILES/ JENCKS PHOTOGRAPHY Berne Davis at the art center bearing her name. A dilapidated old federal building in downtown Fort Myers has become a magnet for music, theater and visual arts since renovation efforts began in 2003. But the Sydney & Berne Davis Art Center is far from being complete.

There are many small details to address like restoring doors and gates, said Jim Griffith, director of the art center. And most of the upstairs area, including classrooms, an art gallery, office space, dressing rooms for actors or artists, a VIP room and a rooftop sculpture garden, are unusable.

Mr. Griffith is available to give tours of the building for patrons interested in sponsoring the rooms upstairs or people interested in donating any amount.

"From a dollar to a million dollars, anything is great," he said. "We know we can do it. We're determined to do it. This economic downturn is another bump in the road, but we're inspired by our friends."

He'll need about $2 million more to restore the 1933 post office building (and later a courthouse), which had fallen into disrepair and sat vacant since 1998.

GRIFFITH "This is the third incarnation of this building," said Mr. Griffith, a Julliard School graduate who played viola for the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra.

His vision for the center includes diverse programming, such as jazz, classical, opera and rock n' roll music, as well as theater, visual arts exhibits and historical collections. The building has also been used for special events like galas and weddings. Since last September, more than 80,000 people visited the center.

"We're expecting more for the upcoming season," Mr. Griffith said. "The interest has grown tremendously. The demand on this building is gonna be great — it already is great. It's built like a fortress, too. It's built with old steel

and concrete and all the walls are two feet thick."

He envisions the inside of the building looking very close to what original blueprints call for. They provided detailed instructions to help complete work that so far has cost about $3.5 million.

"Fortunately, we found the original blueprints from 1933 in the basement — even the hinges on the bathroom stalls were described," Mr. Griffith said. "Where we can we're going to duplicate, replicate or find the original."

COURTESY PHOTOS From top clockwise: The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center; Project; Delirium Dance Co.; and Jonathan Kane. For instance, in the lobby, workers raised the ceiling, revealing handcarved scenes of local plants and creatures; and layers of flooring and carpet were torn up, exposing the original stone.

A thank you dinner will be held in honor of patron Berne Davis on Nov. 12. The building is named after Ms. Davis and her late husband. She got the renovations started with a gift of $1 million. And Mr. Griffith hopes her generosity will inspire more — in whatever form people can afford.

He described the renovation effort so far as a labor of love, even if it has not exactly been a piece of cake.

"I used to bring people in here when it looked like this," he said, showing a picture of the inside of the space before work on it began, "and they said 'you're nuts, Jim Griffith.'"

But to his eye, the possibilities were clear.

"I walked by this building enough and it just had 'arts' written all over it," he said. "I could see the benefit to the community."

For information, visit www.fl-arts.org or call 337-1933.

SBDAC '09-'10

>>What: The 2009-10 season at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center

Art Shows >>Sept. 4-30: "Mechanical Elements" >>Oct. 2-17: "Dark Art" >>Nov. 6-20: "The Art of Malta & Lebedeff" >>Dec. 4-24: "In the Mind of Burke and Others" >>Jan. 1-14: "Slave to Vanity," artist Michael St. Amand >>Feb. 5-26: "Four Photographers and Friends" >>March 5-26: "Heavenly Bodies," art by Jo- Ann Lizio

>>May 7-27: "Visions" artists Otto von Kotzebue, Germany; Patricia Mulko, France; Gloria Audo, Argentina; Sandi Badash, United States

Theater (directed by More Crinoline Productions) >>"A Clockwork Orange": Sept. 9-26 >>"Eagle Fruit": Dec. 9-19 >>"Women Beware Women": Feb. 3-13 >>"Talk Radio": March 11-20 >>"The House of Bernarda Alba": April 29-May 15

>>"Zoo Story": June 16-26

Performances >>Jan. 23, Jan, 30, Feb. 6, Feb. 13, March 20, April 3: Pamela Templeton's "Lunchbox Theater" (Florida Reperatory) >>Jan. 29 : "Screaming Orphans" >>Feb. 19: Jazz event >>April 2: "Project" ensemble (jazz/classical ensemble from New York)

>>April 10: "An Altered State of Consciousness," Delirium Contemporary Dance Company

>>April 23-24: "American Virtuosi" chamber concerts >>May 21-22: "Salvage," Alyce Bochette Dance

Events >>Oct. 17: "Zombicon" >>Oct. 18: "Pink Tie Ball" breast cancer fundraiser >>Nov. 12: "First Lady Berne Davis" Dinner >>Nov. 13-14: Naples International Film Festival, "Best of the Fest" >>Nov. 27 - Dec. 2: "Festival of Trees" >>Dec. 4: "Festival of Trees Gala" fundraiser for Goodwill Industries >>Dec. 5: "Breakfast With Santa," 8-11 a.m.. >>March 27: SBDAC Gala fundraiser >>March 28: "Twilight Time" Boys & Girls Club fundraiser

>>May 15: Florida Trust for Historic Preservation reception