Artrain to bring unique

BY EILEEN MISAS

Offering the perfect weekend getaway for Miami families, Charlotte Harbor and The Gulf Islands Visitors Bureau has just created an art-filled exploration for the period of Jan. 29-Feb. 1.

Andy Warhol's Moonwalk is one of 78 original works of art aboard Artrain USA which makes its next stop in Punta Gorda, on Florida's West Coast.

Artrain USA's out of this world exhibition will roll into Punta Gorda on Florida's West Coast as one of only four stops in Florida. (Other locations are: Kennedy Space Center, St. Petersburg and Palatka.) The exhibit is free to attend thanks to the Arts and Humanities Council of Charlotte County, with assistance from the Charlotte Harbor and The Gulf Islands Visitors Bureau.

Encompassing 78 original works from more than 50 American artists -- including Andy Warhol, Peter Max, Robert Rauschenberg, Norman Rockwell and James Browning Wyeth -- this exhibit is one that cannot be missed.

Less than a three-hour drive from Miami, Charlotte Harbor on Florida's West Coast offers a quick trip to explore art exhibitions that are out of this world. For less than $100, a family of four can enjoy a one-night's stay and the admission to several unusual and educational multimedia art exhibits.

This unusual railed exhibit can be seen in Punta Gorda Saturday, Jan. 29, through Tuesday, Feb. 1. Artrain USA features five historic rail cars that house a rare exhibit of original works, an interactive area, artist studio, gift shop and administrative offices. Artrain USA is the nation's only rail-traveling art museum.
The artworks featured include a variety of styles and media. Styles range from realistic to abstract and are created in media such as oil, acrylic, pen and ink, watercolor and pencil.

A visit to Artrain consists of a tour through the "Artistry of Space" exhibition -- the current theme for the tour -- and includes the opportunity to create your own work of art in the train's interactive art studio, a stroll through the gift shop, and a showcase of local artists and their works. Food and beverages also will be available for purchase throughout Artrain's stay.

Artistry of Space has been the first exhibition to take place in Artrain's three new cars; a 1949 New York Central sleeper and two 1949 Pennsylvania Railroad diners. Punta Gorda will be the second stop to use Artrain's newest cars -- a 1947 New York Central baggage car will house the gift shop as well as an artist's studio, and a 1948 Kansas City Southern end will be substituted for the caboose. All the trains are fully accessible to the disabled.

Artrain is expected to bring in large crowds, according to Michele Valencourt, Charlotte's Arts and Humanities Council executive director, who organized Artrain's showing in Charlotte County.

"We're greatly anticipating Artrain's stop in Charlotte," Valencourt said. "It's not everyday we have an art exhibit like this coming through town -- especially one on railroad tracks."

Founded in 1971 by The Michigan Council for the Arts as a simple outreach program to take art to communities that did not have access to museums, Artrain has visited 600 communities in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

Because of its success, Artrain was invited to tour outside Michigan in 1973. In 28 years of existence, it has been visited by more than 2.6 million people. The mission remains the same -- to bring good art to communities and galleries by serving as a catalyst for forming regional art councils and enhancing art appreciation and education.
Artrain's Artistry of Space encompasses artworks from the National Air and Space Administration and the National Air and Space Museum collections that reflect the excitement and energy of space exploration.
During its three-year tour, the Artistry of Space exhibit will visit more than 100 cities in 40 states. The tour began onboard Artrain USA in Washington, DC, on July 20, 1999, and continued through December 1999 in the Northeast states. In 2000, Artrain USA will tour the Southeast and Gulf States. It will then proceed to visit the Midwest, the West Coast and the Pacific Northwest states through the year 2002.

Since 1962, NASA has involved more than 250 American artists to interpret space flight through their art. The result, as seen in Artrain, is a rich visual record of space exploration.

Past exhibit themes for Artrain USA have included the "Romance of Transportation: 150 Years of Transportation," "Treasures of Childhood: 150 Years of American Toys" and "Art in Celebration!" a collection of original prints from The Smithsonian Associates.

The train will stop on US Highway 41 North, at Taylor Road, in Punta Gorda. From I-75, take Jones Loop exit; head west on Route 768 to Taylor Road, head north on Taylor Road to US 41 North and turn right. The Artrain exhibit will be on your right.

Other art happenings in Punta Gorda include the National Art Exhibit at the Visual Arts Center, the Peace River exhibition at the Florida Adventure Museum and a local historical exhibition in the Old Train Depot.
Dates and times of Artrain's exhibitions in Punta Gorda are: Saturday, Jan. 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 30, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Monday, Jan. 31, and Tuesday, Feb. 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about Artrain USA and for a complete listing of where and when the train will stop next, click into the calendar section of "Pure Florida"