There's something special about connecting a beautiful piece of art with the visionary artist who created it. The magic of understanding what motivates an artist to create his or her masterpieces brings art alive in a whole new way.

The folks at the von Liebig Art Center in Naples know this and so they're giving us all the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the Sunshine State's most celebrated artists. On Saturday, Dec. 5, the center will present Art in the Park, a series of festivals featuring the members of the Naples Art Association. This is a longstanding tradition in the well established arts community of Naples. For more than half a century aficionados and collectors have made their way to Park Street to meet the artists of the Naples Art Association. It's time for us to join in this wonderful celebration of local arts and culture.

December's festival features Raku pottery artist Corleen Whitman of Englewood. Raku is a cool technique that creates individual art pieces that cannot be duplicated. Much like our fingerprints or the pattern of a butterfly's wings, each piece of Raku pottery has a unique signature that has no exact match. The beautifully specific designs are adored by collectors throughout the world.

Every first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. through April enjoy conversation and insight from different featured artists who work in various forms and media. All events are held outside at the center: 585 Park Street.