Mar 14, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: District #4 Commission Office, 335-2226 

COMMISSIONER HALL SUPPORTS LOCAL ARTISTS IN CONTINUING SERIES 

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 14, 2007) - Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall is pleased to announce local artist Florene Welebny will display a collection of Lens Art pieces in her Fort Myers office through  April 6th.   

Commissioner Hall comments: "The arts are an important part of the cultural development of our community.  I believe that government can play an important role in providing assistance in public awareness, developing the use of public spaces for display and interaction of art and for the encouragement and commitment of continued financial support both public and private of all the arts."  The public is welcome to view the artwork and learn about Welebny.  Please see her bio below.  The artwork is available for purchase.

This is part of a continuing series to support local artists. Other artists that have been featured include Kit Hoisington, Carl Schwartz, and William North. Other local artists will be featured at six-to-eight-week intervals.  

Commissioner Hall's office is in the first floor of the Old County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street in downtown Fort Myers. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Commissioner Hall was elected to the Board of Lee County Commissioners in 2004 and re-elected in 2006.  Her district includes North Fort Myers, and the central and northern portions of Cape Coral. 

About the Artist:

Florene was a professional decorator, and worked in ´visual display' in New York until permanently relocating to Southwest Florida in 1990.

Her extensive travels both here and abroad were in large measure responsible for the wide and varied perspective that has become the foundation of her work.

Wanting always to express herself in oils, pastels, or water colors, Florene suffered years of frustration, never quite getting the look, the feel and most of all the passion that was in her heart and mind, that never quite made it to her finger tips.

In Florida, she began to explore various expressive techniques, and soon discovered that the lens, and all things that affected it, were to become her natural medium. 

This happened one day, after having borrowed her husband's ancient digital camera. She did everything ´wrong' with it, and produced startlingly pleasing results. Her career as a ´lens artist' was launched. Thus, she now produces nothing more or less than "un-retouched, digital lens art."

First exhibiting in 2004, Florene's art is now in residence at LeSwisse Fine Art in Cape Coral, Pine Bay Gallery in Matlacha' and at Sanibel Art & Frame Gallery. Her work was recently added to the ARTS for ACT gallery in Fort Myers. Her art frequently appears at most of the league and association shows in Lee County, and was also featured at Rookery Bay in Collier County.

She has won numerous awards in both judged and juried shows, officiated by local and nationally prominent artists and curators. Selected and commissioned works are in private collections across the United States. 

Florene's work regularly appears at the Alliance of the Arts in Fort Myers, and she is a Director of the Cape Coral Art League. She frequently exhibits in ´one-woman' shows in the region, and donates her work to raise funds for several of her favorite charities.

Florene was recently nominated by the Alliance for their "Angel of the Arts Award" as best new artist of the year. She was also chosen as one of 19 of over 400 entrants in the juried competition for permanent display at the $600 million Oasis complex now arising in Fort Myers.

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