Volume 2 No. 15 |March 31, 2020
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ARTS NEWS
& PROFILES
FROM
FLORIDA'S
TREASURE COAST & BEYOND
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Sharing our wealth of arts and culture.
We're having an ARTS BLAST!
Supporting arts and cultural councils everywhere.
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In This Issue
Ballet Vero Beach Video Finale
New and Exciting from Vero Beach Museum of Art
On the Bright Side (Send in Your Favorites)
Lawrence Wolfe on Bass
An Update from Mike Block
Coming Soon to Arts Garage
Lake Wales History Museum Streaming
NEW! Classified Ads
Scroll Down for Lots of Tidbits
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There are many small arts-related businesses and individuals without the tech savvy to create web content but still want or need to reach their audience. If you have the skills to help them get online with video classes and performances, get your own skills out there through Arts Blast advertising.
Email for rates.
They're small-business friendly, from this small business to yours.
Beginning this week, Arts Blast will include paid listings for arts-related classes, workshops, lessons, and gallery updates. A basic listing is $5 per issue, paid through PayPal. A half banner-size ad with a photo or graphic will be $25 per issue. Email for details: willi@willimiller.com.
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Classical Guitar Instruction
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Location:
Online from Vero Beach, Florida
Connection:
Live via Skype or archived as Unlisted on a YouTube channel.
Student requirements:
Classical guitar (nylon strings), music stand, foot stool or substitute gear, basic knowledge of music reading and theory, access to high speed internet, good lighting in his/her studio room, access to a printer.
Forms of payment:
Apple pay, Skype pay, Zelle app, account transfer, and others.
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Are you streaming arts-related lessons, classes, or workshops? List your offerings here - $5 per week for a limited time. Email for details.
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Connection:
Lessons Via Skype during virus crisis.
Student requirements:
Not beginners. Must have some background in piano lessons. Classical Music preferred, but other genres could be considered.
Forms of payment
: Check
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Stephanie Hermesmeyer - Solivia Piano Studio
Location: Live from Yardley, PA
Student requirements: Acoustic or digital piano - full size with weighted keys.
Form of payment: PayPal
For more information and to register:
https://www.facebook.com/soliviapiano/
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Sunrise March 30 - St. Lucie Village - Julie Lounibos
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My neighbor snapped mama and babies heading for my yard. This calls for a big Aaaaawww!
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Dr. Marcos Daniel Flores is a piano performance graduate from The Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico B.M., The Eastman School of Music M. M., and Arizona State University where he received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree. Flores is an active performer as well as an experienced and inspirational piano teacher.
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Did you know Florida Humanities has over 30 community walking tours from Pensacola to the Florida Keys that you can access for free?
Follow in the footsteps of Cuban poet José Martí on the
Ybor City: José Martí Trail
tour where Martí once rallied support for Tampa's Cigar workers. Join the demonstrators that marched for Civil Rights from St. Paul's AME Church in May 1964 on the
St. Augustine: Lincolnville
tour. Did you know Florida once had two Capitols, Pensacola and St. Augustine? It wasn't until 1822 that Governor William Pope ordered the selection of a more central location after a legislator became lost at sea while traveling to Pensacola. All this and more on the
Florida Stories: Walk Tallahassee
tour. Experience the rich history of Florida’s unique cities by downloading "Florida Stories" on iOS and Android devices.
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The arts are so important to our overall well-being – we are committed now more than ever to ensuring access for all, and our staff is devising creative plans to bring the Museum and our exhibitions to you. On Monday, March 30
th
, we unveiled “Museum Extras” on our website. This will provide you with weekly curated online content, including art talks from special exhibitions like
From Homer to Hopper
and the permanent collection, to program resources and fun art activities for all ages to enjoy. I encourage you to check the website regularly and for more insights, follow us on Facebook or Instagram. ...
We hope to reopen the Museum on June 1
st
, but in the meantime, please follow us on social media and participate in our many virtual experiences. We all need more joy, levity and comfort in our lives, so we hope you will continue to take advantage of all the Museum offers.
Brady Roberts
Executive Director/CEO
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Anke’s Art Minute every Monday
VBMA Tuesdays Flick Pick
To educate and entertain,
Film Studies coordinator Diane Thelen recommends a new film each Tuesday on an artist or time period related to the VBMA’s permanent collections.
Museum Stories
To keep active young minds engaged, we present a creative lesson plan with suggestions of books, music, and art-making for babies and toddlers.
Art Tutorials
A short weekly art-making tutorial with Museum Art School faculty.
Museum Fun
A fun collection of Museum-related photos, moments, social media, etc.
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An Email Update from
Cellist Mike Block
Mike Block and his wife, Hanneke Cassel, were scheduled to play a fundraising concert in Vero Beach this month for the 2020 Mike Block String Camp, at his point still scheduled for July. It fell victim to COVID-19, of course, but you can't hold this guy down. From Mike:
Hello friends! It’s a crazy time right now, but I hope you’re all finding some silver linings in these extreme circumstances. ...
In December I recorded perhaps my all-time favorite Classical composition for cello, the
Third movement of Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata.
I got to play it with the great pianist Hugh Sung, and, as is my habit, we made a
video
from the session. Although this was recorded pre-Covid, we were actually "social distancing" pretty well in this one. Please take a moment to appreciate this beautiful piece in the
new music video.
I’m going on a “digital” tour this week, with TWO short Facebook LIVE performances hosted by different organizations on consecutive days:
NOTE: I’m playing completely different repertoire for each of those shows, so feel free to tune in and heckle both times :)
On Friday, April 3rd, at 4pm EST, we’re going to be filming a Zoom Dance Party for my new music video, and YOU’RE INVITED! It’s for my original song, “
My Heart Goes
”, and we’re going to dance to it all together via a
Zoom conference meeting
! :) Just click on
THIS LINK
to join us.
Lastly, It is with great sadness that so many concerts and workshops are getting cancelled, for all musicians. My upcoming May 9-19 solo tour of Frank Lloyd Wright Houses is currently still supposed to happen but we’ll have to wait a few weeks to see if it will actually be safe, yet …
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Like almost everyone else in the entire world, Lawrence Wolfe saw his way of life come to a screeching halt last month. Larry is assistant principal bass with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal bass with the Boston Pops Orchestra.
I haven’t actually laid eyes on Larry Wolfe in almost as many years as I’ve known him. He happens to be married to a cousin of an old friend who very kindly invited me to a family Thanksgiving dinner or two in New Jersey several decades ago.
His wife, Pamela, is a long-time vocal instructor at Brandeis University and has the kind of voice you don’t want to be standing next to for an after-turkey singalong. It’s that gorgeous. Our host would take his place at the piano, Larry’d pick up a bass that just happened to be handy, and everybody else would find a comfortable spot to sit and snooze or join in the singing. Just like in the movies.
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From time to time, Larry Likes one of my Facebook posts, so I invited him to talk about his work and his Plan B for Arts Blast.
“I play in the Boston Symphony Orchestra: we are one hundred-or-so musicians who play in concert (which means
together
) for a Symphony Hall-full of upwards of two thousand audience members for every concert. My life is absolutely, joyously full of people every working hour and almost every waking hour. The activity and creativity is non-stop. Until now. Now it’s time to invent a private self who makes his own creative schedule.”
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It will be a challenge, he said, but you can be sure he’ll make it an ambitious and interesting one. “I have never been sure whether I’m a composer or someone who composes. I am sure however that I have notebooks full of ideas and plenty of blank manuscript paper: prepare yourself for the Great American Symphony!” It’s no surprise to hear there’s a stack of books waiting to be read. “I have a cache of books that I would look at and say ‘someday.’ I say ‘now!’ I’m re-reading
Catcher in the Rye
. When I’m done with that it will probably be a biography of J.P. Morgan.”
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Ever the professional musician, he plans to dig into the Why of it. “Much of Dmitri Shostakovich’s music was influenced by Stalinist Russia. I want to understand the philosophical connection from Kant to Hegel to Marx to Lenin to Stalin. Heady stuff, but it has relevance in today’s world, with hot-button words like
communist
and
socialist
being bandied about.”
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BSO work doesn’t end with a social distancing mandate. “The Boston Symphony has asked its musicians to participate in various online projects, so I hope eventually you’ll see me talking about my job, my bass - breaking down that Fourth Wall so our audience gets a feel for the people behind the instruments. This was in the works anyway and now has become very important.”
With family living in Germany, Larry plans to learn the language. “I know ‘music’ German:
langsam, schnell,
etc. That will get me through a Mahler symphony but does not make for intelligent conversation.”
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Still not satisfied, his Plan B has its own Plan B. “I want to take art classes where I can wear tasteless plaids that don’t match, shorts that show off my knobby knees and wear socks
and
sandals. Of
course
I will be painting watercolor seascapes.” And he added, “Did I mention the Great American Novel?”
Some parting words: “I wish all of my fellow citizens good health and re-invention. We are living through an extraordinary time and with it comes an extraordinary challenge.”
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Just in from the Boston Symphony Orchestra:
BSO to present a Concert for our City, available worldwide on YouTube at
www.bso.org/athome
, beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 5.
It will include music by Tschaikovsky, Ginastera, and Brahms; Chinese composer Huang Ruo's Folksongs for Orchestra; George Walker's Lyric for String Orchestra; and cellist Sterling Elliott, a recent winner of the Sphinx Competition, in the finale of Dvorák's Cello Concerto.
Photos: Left: Thanksgiving singalong; with John Williams; with the Stanley Cup. Right: on CBS' Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood; at Musicfest Berlin.
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From Adam Schnell at
Ballet Vero Beach:
The plus side of Season 7 -
- This Season:Our much-lauded Ticket Donation Program has provided over 250 free tickets to constituents of 16 local social service nonprofits.
- Our free Student Matinee Series expanded to three grade levels, providing a professional level arts experience to over 1000 1st, 3rd, and 4th graders in Indian River County. New required classroom based workshops allowed us additional access to all students who attended.
- We made our first foray into accessible programming with Nutcracker for All, an abbreviated version of our spectacular production specifically geared towards those in our community of differing abilities.
- We expanded our main stage season to five productions to bring more professional dance to all.
We became the only arts organization in our area to offer a generous Student Rush policy.
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2020-2021 Season Announcement
Despite these trying times, we are busy planning for our most spectacular season yet. Stay tuned for news regarding our eighth season coming soon. We know you will be duly impressed!
Season Finale: Live Performance Alternative
If you have not yet heard, we will be producing a film in lieu of live performances of our season finale. All current/future guidelines and orders for health/safety will be followed. The film will be released
April 18 at 7:30
and will remain online through April 25. To view, simply purchase tickets as normal (this is a pay what you wish scenario).
Collaboration with ACO Postponed
I am working hard with ACO and The Vero Beach Museum of Art to find a time to bring this exciting event to life in the future. The museum has issued a statement on this performance. If you wish the cost of your ticket to be donated to VBMA, ACO, or BVB specifically, please pursue a full refund from the museum and then donate to the organization(s) of your choice. Otherwise ticket funds donated will be disbursed according to the contracts governing the performance.
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Presented by The National WWII Museum - New Orleans
Through iconic photographs, the exhibit illustrates the attack on Pearl Harbor and examines the moments that led the United States into World War II. It was a day of tragedy, sacrifice and heroism that united a nation;
it was a day that lives in Infamy.
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"U Boats So Close to Home" with Michael Tougias
Join us for a virtual talk from the comfort and safety of your own home. This virtual talk is about the American family who survived WWII and the U-Boat that attacked them in the Gulf of Mexico in May of 1942. All you need is a computer! Register on the Museum website and you will receive an email about how to join this virtual presentation on April 9 at 6 PM.
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From the Cultural Council of Indian River County:
Become a member!
Re: Artist and Author Registry
We have a new logo and redesigned website! Your membership includes listing on our
Cultural-Council.org
Registry - artists may submit up to 4 images of their work, and authors up to 4 images of book covers OR a photo of themselves.
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Koncert for the Koi
This Thursday Supports
Bok Tower Gardens
Lake Wales, FL- In these challenging times, music is a universal force for connecting and uniting communities. Viewers from around the world are encouraged to join Bok Tower Gardens' Carillonneur Geert D'hollander for a virtual Koncert for the Koi on Thursday, April 2, at 3 P.M.
The concert will be live-streamed on Facebook Live and supports theEvery Quarter Counts campaign to support Bok Tower Gardens during this period of closure. To give online during the Koncert visit:
https://boktowergardens.org/every-quarter-counts/
The Singing Tower and the magnificent Koi fish have been delighting visitors for over 90 years. Thousands of children each year purchase fish food for just a quarter to feed the Koi.
What is 25 cents worth? The money collected from the fish feeders directly supports the Gardens and makes the world a bit better and more beautiful— fulfilling Edward Bok's mission.
Viewers on Thursday, April 2, at 3 P.M. will rediscover the childhood magic that comes from a simple handful of fish food. Every $25 donated online is a virtual quarter. Like the Koi, we will keep swimming and
,
Bok Tower Gardens will continue caring for the Koi and the Gardens.
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You may have seen listings in On the Calendar for Arts Garage in Delray Beach. Something new is coming:
Arts Garage
is launching
From Our HeARTS to Your Homes over the next month. It
will include live musical performances, arts education classes, poetry and comedy, featuring some amazing young performers, such as
Matt Brown, Brandii Edwards, Indigo Dreams,
and
Valerie White
. Viewers will also have access to exclusive interviews, blogs, and more.
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Community Church of Vero Beach update from Rachel Carter:
At CCOVB we have had to cancel in-person gatherings which sadly has caused us to cancel our Rossini Stabat Mater on Good Friday.
From the Music and Fine Arts ministry, our response has been sadness in having to cancel Choral Society concerts, IRSA concerts, and other organizations who use our facility as a venue, as well as our own concert series events. We are making decisions to benefit and protect our vulnerable population and trying to stay connected in other ways.
Thursday, April 2 @11:00 a.m. - "Spring and All: Classic Poetry of the Lenten Season"
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A Message from Vero Beach Art Club:
The Art Club office/administration has gone remote and is no longer physically located in the Museum on a temporary basis during this time so that we ensure we always have the ability to operate our administration and limit everyone’s exposure.
We are trying our best to keep up with our changing environment and our many issues at hand regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. If you need something from the Art Club and have reached out and have not received a response yet and it is a matter that needs to be addressed immediately, please resubmit your request. We are receiving hundreds of emails during this trying time and we don't want anything to slip through the cracks. If you do not need immediate assistance, please reach out again at a later date to better help us respond to the greatest needs first.
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Around the Internet:
April 5, 1918. The first mention of a new influenza outbreak in Kansas appears in a public health report. That strain, later called the Spanish Flu, would go on to kill at least 50 million people worldwide. In a time before widespread global travel, how did this disease spread so far, so fast? And what does it teach us about fighting pandemics today?
Special thanks to Dr. Jeremy Brown, author of Influenza: The 100-Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History.
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From Artnet.com
The
Anonymous Was a Woman
awards have supported women artists over 40 since 1996, distributing more than $6 million in grants to a population that has historically and systematically been overlooked when it comes to major accolades and support. Now, for the first time ever, the organization is doubling its annual offering with an additional $250,000 of emergency relief grants in response to the ongoing health crisis that has shuttered museums, galleries, and other businesses around the world.
(Read more online)
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From OperaWire.com:
Satisfy your craving for opera with these options.
- PBS is showcasing the Met's "
Turandot
" on its Great Performances series this week.
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From Martin County Library System
:
If you're a library card holder in Martin County,
Try Ancestry.com
(Library Edition) from the comfort of your home — completely free!
- Select Ancestry Library Edition from list of search results.
You will be prompted to enter your library card number & PIN. Contact library staff at
772-288-5702
for assistance!
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The
St. Lucie Cultural Alliance has a new project for artists. Read about the plans for a fully digital indoor-only art campaign on the website.
Check out the
Cultural Council of Indian River County's new website. Yes, the calendar's as full as ever, but most entries begin with POSTPONED or CANCELED. Get information on how to upload your events when this crisis has finally passed.
In Palm Beach County,
follow the social media channels of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County.
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Heathcote Botanical Gardens
is closed for now but c
onsider taking a virtual tour to enjoy a moment of calm and respite. Thank you for your dedication and continued support as we journey these uncertain times!
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Scroll down for guidelines for submitting calendar items and feature suggestions to ARTS BLAST.
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To opt out of receiving Arts Blast, "unsubscribe" at the end of the page.
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Like Willi Miller's Arts Blast Facebook page for updates and Willi Miller's Arts Blast Just For Fun for interesting, inspiring, and fun shared posts, then go to willimiller.com to catch up on every issue of
Arts Blast, and see the latest ON THE CALENDAR listings.
Please share this to help Arts Blast reach more readers and spread the word.
As always,
For Helen Miller
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LIBRARIES
-
IF YOU GO (ONLINE)
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Information is to
be received in an email at least one week before publication.
Use this format:
Who (organization)
What (Event)
When (dates, time)
Where (Name of venue, address)
Why (a brief description of the purpose)
Web address
Contact for public (for tickets, questions, etc.)
Then add a short, descriptive release if available.
Send only one photo, with caption, until more are requested.
Media contact with email for my followup (not for publication)
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Here's a suggestion for uploading information to calendars that allow you to input your own events.
In the
body
of the listing, sometimes called
Description
, make sure to include all dates in each upload. For example: Performances are on March 12-31; or the exhibit is open March 12, 14, 15, and 17. That information should be in all dates you post individually.
If you are a member of the
Cultural Council of Indian River County
, you need this information:
The deadline is MONDAY - 10 days prior to the Wednesday publication.
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Copyright
©2019-2020 Willi Miller's ARTS BLAST!, all rights reserved.
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