MARTIN COUNTY — On Jan. 4, from 6:30–9:30 p.m., the Friends of Jonathan Dickinson State Park will host an opening reception for “Light, Wings, and Other Things,” an exhibition of fine art bird images by the Fort Myers based nature photographer Geoff Coe.
Mr. Coe began exhibiting his images in Florida in 2008. Since then, he has won awards at over a dozen art and nature festivals from Florida to New Jersey.
The exhibit, which features 20 full color canvases created since 2010, will be on display from Jan. 4 through Jan. 31.
The reception will kick off a silent auction of selected works and feature a short presentation, during which the artist will discuss his strategy and approach to capturing images of birds in the wild. Coe’s canvases and a selection of signed and numbered matted prints will be for sale through Jan. 31.
A former whitewater kayaker as well as a trained scientist and commercial photographer, Mr. Coe began focusing his lens on avian subjects shortly after moving to Florida in 2004.
“I didn’t take to flat-water kayaking all that well. It was quite an adjustment to not have rapids to deal with,” Coe said, laughing.
So he began taking along his cameras and telephoto lenses and photographing birds.
“I’ve always used my camera to explore things that I was curious about. So I’d shoot, then ask questions, learn a little bit from the answers, and then head out again. The more knowledge I got, the better the pictures became,” explained Coe.
The reception and special presentation will be held in the Kimbell Education Center in Jonathan Dickinson State Park.
Park entry for the reception is free with a suggested donation of $5 at the door to the Friends of Jonathan Dickinson State Park.
Light refreshments will be served.
RSVP is requested.
For questions or to arrange a press interview with the photographer, please contact Park Services Specialist Libby Reinert at (561) 745-5551, Libby.Reinert@Dep.State.FL.US, or visit the website at www.FloridaStateParks.org/JonathanDickinson.
