Volume I No.19 |May 7, 2019
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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!
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In This Issue
Stuart Heritage Museum & Martin County Historic Preservation Month - IRCHS Thespians - Students Making Art - Surfin' Chris Santella & Chad Leonard - Dancing With Vero's Stars - Road Trip to Henry B. Plant Museum
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Calendar Listings
Sponsor Links and More to Explore
Guidelines for submitting to ARTS BLAST and
the Cultural Council of Indian River County's CulturalCalendar.org.
Because I do tend to go on, Arts Blast could be clipped toward the end. If you run into "see entire message", click on it to see it all.
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Send in your comments and recommendations for Road Trips as well as information for Arts Blast. Guidelines are at the end of each issue.
A revised sponsorship and advertising schedule will be ready to mail this week. When you're setting up your next-season budget to reach an arts-only audience, please consider placement in Arts Blast.
Recycling works. Help reach more readers and spread the word. Please share.
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To opt out of receiving this newsletter, "unsubscribe" at the end of the page.
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Coming soon — as soon as I figure it out — Arts Blast will be on Instagram. Thank you to everyone who's liked, visited, and engaged Willi Miller's Arts Blast Facebook page. Loving the numbers!
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The Brevard Cultural Alliance
is holding an all-day
cultural summit
May 23 at the Melbourne Hilton Rialto Place, Melbourne, Fla. Throughout the day there will be a variety of compelling workshops on marketing planning, sales strategies for artists, social media and analytics, finding grants, and a panel discussion on finding success in the music industry. For information, contact Kathy Engerran,
info@artsbrevard.org
, 321-690-6817.
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Mother's Day
is Sunday. Don't forget to check with gardens, parks, and other places on your to-do list to see if moms get in free on Mother's Day.
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Just in:
McKee Botanical Garden
will host Croquet in the Garden on Friday, May 17, with flights on the hour from 1 to 5 p.m. The croquet entry fee is $35.00 per person. Snacks/drinks are included in this fee. Croquet equipment will be provided.
A cocktail party & exhibition match with trick shots from 6 to 8 p.m. is $40 per person or $75 per couple. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. This event will benefit the new Children’s Garden at McKee. To register or for more information, call 772-794-0601 or email
info@mckeegarden.org
.
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The Cultural Council of Indian River County's 2019-2020 print Cultural Guide
is in the works. Deadline for everything — advertising agreement and payment, camera ready art — is July 1.
Also due July 1: EVENTS to be included must be entered at culturalcalendar.org and your list emailed to
calendar@cultural-council.org. This is a change from the original form.
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From Pineapple Playhouse Fort Pierce:
We're still in need of two directors for next season. The shows available are the second show, Knickers - Nov. 14-Dec. 1, and the last show, Harvey - May 14-31, 2020. info@pineappleplayhouse.com or 772- 465-0366
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From the
Treasure Coast Flute Choir:
Mother's Day Concert
May 12, 1 p.m.
Ground Floor Farm, 100 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Stuart
Contact Lindsay Hager 772-288-5277
No admission charge and no tickets necessary. Donations are gladly accepted.
The Treasure Coast Flute Choir was established by Lindsay Hager in 1984 and is conducted by her husband, Al Hager. The 16 piece ensemble includes Piccolo, C Flutes, Alto Flutes, Bass Flutes, a Bass Flute in F and a Contrabass Flute. Music selections will encompass styles from classical to jazz.
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From the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse:
Calling All Artists -11th ONA Anniversary
May 8, 10 am –4 pm
We are opening the site to artists to capture the beauty of the
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area
on this special day. Artists may share their work with us on social media during and after the event using the hashtag #11YearsJILONA. Artists must bring their materials and agree to be photographed during the day. Adults are regular admission, Children are free on May 8th.
From the Bureau of Land Management's website:
In northern Palm Beach County on Florida’s urbanized Treasure Coast lies the 120-acre
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area
(ONA). The ONA was designated by congress in 2008 for the preservation, protection and enhancement of seven key resources and values found on the site; these include the remarkable biodiversity and rich history of the site. The site is the only unit of the National Conservation Lands east of the Mississippi River, and the only unit managed by the BLM’s Eastern States.
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From the Center for Spiritual Care:
Carol Ludwig, who directs the Center for Spiritual Care at 1550 24
th
St., Vero Beach, found herself with several dozen works donated by downsizing collectors and turned them into a sale exhibition that will run through the month of May.
“We opened for the First Friday Gallery Stroll and were frankly surprised at the turnout and the positive reaction,” said Ludwig, who is this year’s winner of the Alma Lee Loy Laurel Award for Volunteer Leadership. “But there’s still plenty of fine, well-framed art left at bargain prices.”
The exhibition will be open through May 31 or until it sells out at the Center, which is two blocks north of the main public library. Call 772-567-1233 or email
centerspiritualcare@gmail.com
for viewing times or to make an appointment to see the art.
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Arts Blast! is dedicated with gratitude to Helen Miller.
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Cultural Council of Indian River County's Laurel Awards
Last Call for Tickets
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The Cultural Council of Indian River County's 23rd Laurel Award Celebration will be held at Riverside Theatre on May 8 at 6:00 pm.
Master of Ceremonies for the event is John E. Moore, III. Mark Wygonik is producer and program director. Members of the Laurel Award Committee include Barbara Hoffman, Alicia Quinn, Oscar Sales, Mark Wygonik and Lisa Lindner.
Tickets are $75 for the reception and post-performance dessert and toast or $25 for performance-only tickets. They can be purchased online at riversidetheatre.com or at the Riverside Theatre box office. For more information: cultural-council.org.
This year's honorees:
· Richard A. Stark Award for Cultural Leadership – Susan Schuyler Smith and Suzan Phillips, nominated by McKee Botanical Garden
· Alma Lee Loy Award for Volunteer Leadership – Carol Ludwig, nominated by the Center for Spiritual Care;
· Willie C. Reagan Award for Educational Leadership – Jacob Craig, nominated by Vero Beach Pipes & Drums;
· John J. Schumann, Jr. for Business Leadership - Ocean Drive Plastic Surgery, Roxanne & Alan Durkin, Owners, nominated by Under the Oaks Fine Art & Craft Show, a premier Vero Beach Art Club event.
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The Treasure Coast is filled with Florida history whichever way you look. Vero Beach is celebrating its centennial year in 2019. St. Lucie County’s history includes many name changes and land snatching to create other counties. Read about it at https://www.stluciehistoricalsociety.net. In Martin County, every May is Historic Preservation Month.
Photo:
Front of the Stuart Heritage Museum, originally the 1901 Geroge W. Parks General Merchandise Store.
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Preserving history is a daunting task that requires dedication, devotion, and a lot of labor. And money. In 1988, the City of Stuart bought the
Stuart Feed Store Building
on Flagler Avenue, and Stuart Heritage, Inc. was formed with a goal of preserving “the heritage, artifacts, and history of Stuart and its surrounding communities.” To raise money to convert the feed store into a museum, the storefront was rented to a local business, Mrs. Peters’ Smoked Fish House, for a few years. The artifacts collection grew from the seed of Capt. Francis Adams’ “mini-museum in a small building behind the Stuart police station on 7th Street.”
Photo:
The George Parks Store in 1902 as George is expanding by adding a new section on the right side. Additional new section would be added as he expanded over the next ten years. Photo taken in 1902.
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The first board, led by Don Armstrong, a local architect, set the bar high: Protect Stuart’s historical identity. They didn’t limit their efforts to searching out and obtaining artifacts. They saved early buildings that otherwise might have fallen victim to a wrecking ball.
Stuart Heritage Museum Day, May 11, would be a good day to make Stuart a day trip if you aren’t there already. The Museum will offer tours of the upstairs living quarters, the exhibits on the main floor, and the larger exhibits in the basement. A special tour with limited space will be made available that day only. Historians Sandy Thurlow and Alice L. Luckhardt will lead three tram tours through the back streets of Stuart. Reservations are a must. Sign up at the Museum or call 772-220-4600. Tours are at 10 and 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Photo: Photo: S
cale model of the downtown business district in 1905
, showing the railroad tracks, depots, and the stores and buildings along the river and the tracks.
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The Museum will be selling raffle tickets that day for a collection of gift shop items that includes a mint-condition 1928 copy of Hix C. Stuart’s book about the Ashley Gang. You haven’t heard of the Ashley Gang? You have some interesting reading ahead!
One of the events in Historic Preservation Month is the honoring of a person in the community who has personified conservationism. In 2019 it’s Steven Vitale. Luckhardt, named the 2013-2014 Historical Preservationist, said Vitale has “saved many vintage residences in downtown Stuart, bringing them up to code, refurnishing them but keeping the historical period intact. If it meant even moving a home to a new location to save it, Steven has done that.”
Photo: S
cale model of the downtown business district in 1905
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The Stuart Heritage Museum’s collections cover just about every aspect of living in the area from pioneer days through high school year books and a large postcard collection. See memorabilia from celebrities who called this area home, Frances Langford, Ralph Evinrude, Jon Hall, and Zack Mosley among them. There’s also “one of the finest collections of authentic clothing, dolls, tools, and artifacts” from Florida’s Seminole Indians.
Local authors Luckhardt, Thurlow, and Carol M. Rey will be at the Museum May 11 signing their books:
Luckhardt - the Stuart book; Thurlow - Florida Life-Saving Stations; and Rey - Indiantown. The books are available in the Museum’s gift shop. The website,
http://stuartheritagemuseum.com
, is a must see before you go. There are videos of 1950 and 1964 Stuart, a virtual tour, and other historic films.
Photo:
Authors Alice Luckhardt, Carol M. Rey, Sandy Thurlow
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The Stuart Heritage Museum is open 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. daily, closed holidays. Admission is free but consider a donation or an individual membership for only $10. Check the website for scheduled speakers and look for tidbits by Alice and Greg Luckhardt there and on
TCPalm.com
and in the Stuart News every Wednesday.
Photo:
A major exhibit – the desk, typewriter, hat that belonged and used by Stuart News Editor – Ernie Lyons. A photo also of the Stuart News staff in the later 1930s.
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161 SW Flagler Avenue
Stuart, FL 34994
open daily, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed holidays
Free admission
772-220-4600
stuartheritage1@yahoo.com
http://www.stuartheritagemuseum.com
Photo: The inside of the 1920s safe used at the Peacock Arcade Hotel until the early 1940s, when it was given to attorney T. T. Oughterson, who had his office in the arcade since it opened in the mid-1920s.
Photos courtesy of the Stuart Heritage Museum
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Thespians at Indian River Charter HS
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Indian River County is in District 15 in the world of Florida State Thespians. Every year, high school students who have made the district cut aim for the stars of the state festival, held in Tampa. In March, almost 10 thousand aspiring performers, playwrights, musicians, and any other category that fits under the theatre umbrella headed for the west coast. To read all the details about the state festival, check the website,
https://floridathespians.com
. Stay here for more about the district festival.
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Michael Naffziger, theatre director at Indian River Charter High School’s Schumann School for the Arts, described what it was like with just under 20 schools in attendance, covering half the campus at Vero Beach High School for the district competition. There are quite a few categories, each one meeting in a separate room for events. A few of them, for example, are duet acting, solo and duet musical, and small group musical. “After all of the events have ended, they pick the best event in that particular room. This is known as Best In Show,” Naffziger said. At the district festival’s closing ceremony, all Best in Shows can perform for everyone else. From those performances, a Critics Choice award is given. “This year, IRCHS Theatre received the Critics Choice award, performing America from
West Side Story
.”
There’s also a One Act competition at district festival. Naffziger said, “Each participating school must assemble a set on the stage, perform the play, and then strike (remove) the set within forty minutes. Each one act is adjudicated and the top two one acts are invited to perform the one act at the state festival.” IRCHS Theatre's one act Horse Girls was selected to perform at the state level, as well as receiving Best Tech Crew and Best Supporting Actor.
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Schools have another option with Florida State Thespians, the Mainstage Festival for full-length plays. Schools can apply to be adjudicated as a Mainstage, Naffziger said. Representatives from the state organization visit the schools, then decide which are the best in the state, and those selected travel to Tampa as the evening event at the state festival. The IRCHS production of Jekyll and Hyde was picked for the honor this year. “IRCHS has submitted six Mainstage plays over the past seven years, and were honored with the title of Mainstage five of the six submissions:
Blood Relations, Our Country's Good, The Great Gatsby, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest
, and
Jekyll and Hyde.
“For one week, the IRCHS Theatre troupe found itself in theatre heaven, as these students immersed themselves in the festival, performing in professional venues, learning more about their craft, and most importantly, supporting each in the art of theatre,” Naffziger said.
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Naffziger has been at IRCHS almost 10 years and in his spare time is resident set designer for the Vero Beach Theatre Guild and owner of The Actors Academy. He also owns a lighting and production company, producing events, fundraisers, and galas. His biggest outside interest, he said, is his family. “I am married to the most beautiful woman in Vero Beach, Lindsay Naffziger.” They have two children: Alyzsa is a cheerleader and plays lacrosse, and Jagger plays tennis and fights in Brazilian Jujitsu. The couple recently returned from a work/play vacation in Brazil.
Over the summer, Arts Blast will feature Treasure Coast students who have excelled in the arts. If you know someone who should be included, please let me know at willi@willimiller.com.
Photos, from top: Jekyll and Hyde; Our Country's Good - Carlos Flores; Blood Relations; the Naffzigers in Brazil.
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On the Calendar - Indian River County
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May 8, - The Cultural Council of Indian River County's LAUREL AWARDS at Riverside Theatre. Tickets at Riverside Theatre box office or online at riversidetheatre.com.
May 9, 7 p.m. - Spring Dance Concert at Riverside Theatre.
Riverside Theatre's Dance Education program presents the season's students on the Stark Stage.
May 7-19, Times vary - The Savannah Sipping Society at Vero Beach Theatre Guild. Art Pingree directs.
May 13 - The Tempest from the Stratford Festival is at Majestic 11 in Vero Beach.
May 14-19 - McKee Botanical Garden will offer one free admission to the Garden with any paid admission (with a coupon*) in celebration of ‘National Public Gardens Week’ ***** NOTE:
https://www.publicgardens.org/about-public-gardens/gardens/mckee-botanical-garden
and click on 'Get this Offer.' You must print out the coupon from this site and bring it in. Coupons are not available at McKee Botanical Garden and we cannot print them out.
May 19, 3 p.m. Gifford Youth Orchestra Spring Piano Recital
Through June 11 - Vero Beach Art Club members’ work displayed at the Main Indian River County Library.
Last Saturday of each month is free admission day at Vero Beach Museum of Art.
Until June 11 - McKee Botanical Garden will accept entries in the 15th annual Waterlily Photo Contest. Participants may submit one photo in each of three style categories: Color, Black and White, and Manipulated. A Youth category is available for ages 17 and under.
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May 19 -Bolshoi Ballet: Carmen Suite/Petrushka at Majestic 11 in Vero Beach.
June 27 - The National Theater LIVE: "Small Island” at Majestic 11 in Vero Beach.
July 1 - Deadline for all ads and event schedules for the 2019-2020 Cultural Council of Indian River County's printed Cultural Guide. Contact Lisa Radner at CCIRC.
Through June 1 - Scenic Spring is the exhibit at The Galleries at First Pres at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, 520 Royal Palm Blvd. The artists for this quarter are Jean Archibald, Pamela Schwartz, and Paul Williams.
Helping People Succeed shares a Call to Artists for the 2020 Art For Living Calendar. The Call is open to artists in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties. Deadline: June 31, 2019
AAUW Vero Beach
collects books K-5th for the Little Free Library. https://verobeach-fl.aauw.net
Registration is open for Camp McKee at
McKee Botanical Garden
. Sessions begin early June. To register call, 772-794-0601.
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Dancing With Vero's Stars
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Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach will be a bustling place several evenings this week. Wednesday evening it's the location of the Cultural Council of Indian River County's Laurel Awards. Thursday it's the annual Spring Dance Concert.
Saturday evening the stage will be the setting for the 11th Annual Dancing with Vero's Stars. The event begins at 6 p.m., with a Hollywood-style red-carpet welcome for the dancers with Red Carpet Master of Ceremony John Moore.
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Each dancer is charged with getting pledges of at least $3,500 to benefit Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition. Every dollar equals a vote for the dancer, and the final score that determines the winner is a fifty-fifty split between money raised and judges' votes.
Photo: Star Dancers - From left to right - front row - Kelly Donovan, Hollie Billero Buldo, Christine Walker, Martha Redner, Pamela Dechellis, back row - Curtis Carpenter, Bela Nagy, Robby Rivas, Dr. Deni Malave-Huertas, Mark Sartain
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Show Emcee - Tiffany Corr
2019 Star Dancers and Instructors
1.
Star Dancer Christine Walker with Joe Wynes
Dancing the
Cha Cha & Rumba
to
“Black Magic Woman” by Santana
2.
Star Dancer Hollie Billero Buldo with Brian Spector
Dancing
Jazz
to
“Let’s Be Bad” by Smash
3.
Star Dancer Curtis Carpenter with Karren Walter
Dancing the
Viennese Waltz
to
“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran
4.
Star Dancer Pamela DeChellis with Nicholas Dimitrov
Dancing the
Argentinian Tango & Salsa
to
“Santa Maria (del Buen Arya) / Fireball” by Pitbull
5.
Star Dancer Bela Nagy with Yvonne Miller
Dancing
Musical Theater
to
“All That Jazz / Hot Honey Rag” from Chicago
6.
Star Dancer Dr. Deni Malave-Huertas with Amy Trammell
Dancing
Latin Fusion
to
“Despacito” by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee
7.
Star Dancer Mark Sartain with Mary Margaret Hatch
Dancing
Musical Theater
to
“Get Me To The Church On Time” from My Fair Lady
8.
Star Dancer Martha Redner with P. Glenn Tremml, M.D.
Dancing
the Foxtrot to “Beauty and the Beast” by Celine Dion
9.
Star Dancer Robert Rivas with Marianella Tobar
Dancing
the Salsa / Cha Cha
to
“Billie Jean / Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson
10.Star Dancer Kelly Donovan with Robert Scott
Dancing
Nightclub Two-Step to “Bring It On” by The Cheetah Girls
Judges: Chris Foster, Dee Rose Imbro, Brad Stein
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Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition is the administrative office which oversees the funding and services for five programs; Healthy Start Services, MomCare, Babies & Beyond, Healthy Families, and Parents as Teachers. The Coalition is a not-for-profit agency whose core funding comes from the Florida Department of Health.
www.dancingwithverostars.com
This is an event that usually sells out. For ticket availability, call 772-563-9118
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From the Lyric Theatre and The Environmental Studies Council:
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The Environmental Studies Center and Council proudly presents Youth Driven Cinema, a K-12 Environmental Film Festival. The film festival is the first event of its kind in Martin County and will be held at The Lyric Theatre
May 10th at 6:30pm
(doors open at 6:00pm).
The mission of Youth Driven Cinema is to engage the youth of Martin County by fostering community involvement and environmental awareness through the arts and sciences. Students not only enter their films, but help plan the film festival, and MC the event. The general public is encouraged to attend. Entry is free and donations will be accepted to support summer camp scholarships at the Environmental Studies Center.
Students' were welcome to enter a variety of film styles ranging from animation to short documentaries. This year’s theme is “Saving Florida’s Ecosystems.” The top five short films in four categories will be presented at the film festival. Prizes will be awarded to the top three films in each category.
This is a FREE event.
Tickets are limited to 4 per person and subject to availability.
Tickets are ONLY available at the Box Office
For more information on The Environmental Studies Council, visit
escmc.org
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Students Making Art at
Lighthouse ArtCenter - Vero Beach Museum of Art
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From Vero Beach Museum of art:
The annual
Indian River County JURIED Student Exhibition
continues at the Vero Beach Museum of Art through May 19 in the Museum’s Patten Community Gallery. This extraordinary display of talented young artists features art created by Indian River County public, private or charter middle and high schools, as well as home school settings under the capable leadership of the county’s talented art educators. Forty-four entries were submitted from nine participating Indian River County schools. Admission to this exhibition is free.
Each Indian River County art teacher was asked to select their students’ most highly accomplished works to enter into this juried exhibition. All participating students were eligible to earn awards for their works of art. First through Third Place honors were awarded in each of these four categories: painting, drawing/mixed media, photography/digital arts, and three-dimensional works; as well as two Best of Show awards, one for Middle and one for High School participants.
Best in Show/Middle School Division
was awarded to Sebastian Bois, 7
th
Grade, Imagine South Vero for artwork
Smushy Face Portrait
. Art Teacher: Laura Bois.
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The 2019 exhibition was judged by artist and educator Vickie Marsango. Her most current works in progress have been inspired by her son, Bryan Stork, a 2009 graduate of Vero Beach High School who was a Florida State National Champion and NFL Super Bowl Champion for the New England Patriots. Vickie’s philosophy of art is "Each painting is a new journey with a new meaning."
Best of Show/High School Division
was awarded to Alexis Kolesnik, 12
th
Grade, Indian River Charter High School for painting
Beach Still Life
, Art Teacher: Lucie Burke.
For more information about VBMA programs, art exhibitions, events, and studio classes, please call (772) 231-0707 or visit
www.vbmuseum.org
Student exhibition hours are Monday through Sunday from 10 am until 4:30 pm.
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Lighthouse ArtCenter’
s 49h Annual Kindergarten through 12th Grade Community Student Exhibition features 500 pieces of art by students in 27 schools from Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie County.
Art teachers submitted the most dynamic student artwork of the school year for display in the exhibition. The show represents art in a variety of media, including drawing, painting, ceramics, mixed-media, sculpture and photography. The annual show is one of the museum’s most popular, drawing over a thousand visitors so far.
The Jupiter-Tequesta Junior Woman’s Club and the GWFC Women’s Club of Jupiter are giving 36 awards, in addition to the annual awards given by friends and patrons of the Lighthouse ArtCenter. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Bernstein of Palm Beach Gardens are sponsors of the exhibition.
The exhibition will run through May 22, 2019. No charge for attendance, donations gratefully accepted.
M-F 10-4
Sat. 10-2
Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery and School of Art
373 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta FL 33469
Photo rt.: Mariano Arriyo - 12 th grade Jensen Beach HS
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Anna Thomas - 10th grade, NA
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Amylia Urban - Kindergarten,
Timber Trace Elementary School
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Aliyah French -11th grade, The Pine School
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8th grade group project detail, St. Mark's Episcopal School
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Avianna Rossi - 2nd grade, Good Shepherd Episcopal School
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Catherine McFayden - 1st grade, Lighthouse Elementary School
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The first time I chatted with Chris Santella was almost 15 years ago, when he was in Vero Beach for a book signing and a family visit. The book was Fifty Places to Fly Fish Before You Die, a novel idea with lots of beautiful photographs to keep even non-fishing people interested. Note: He’s also written Why I Fly Fish: Passionate Anglers on the Pastime's Appeal and How It Has Shaped Their Lives.
Through the years, the Fifty Places series has taken readers along on such fun activities as hiking, biking, diving, sailing, camping, paddling, birding, and even beer drinking. Back in 2005, Santella told me, “It's hard work but someone has to do it!”
Photo Right: Cover of Chris Santella's new book
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A year and a half ago, when he was in Vero Beach for the beer drinking guide, he told me the series came about because his freelance writing career wasn’t making him a good enough living. An avid fisherman, he made a list of places he’d like to fish and sent it to a publisher. The book that resulted from that enquiry led to another on golf, and that started a bigger ball rolling.
Just out in April, Fifty Places to Surf Before You Die connected a couple of dots for the writer. His visits to Vero Beach Book Center had led him into conversations with Chad Leonard, owner/manager of the store, and it turns out that Chad is a surfer. Chris said, “We’d joked that I should do Fifty Places To Surf. So when Abrams, my publisher, suggested that I do a surfing book, I immediately thought that I’d want to interview Chad.”
Photo: Steelhead-Nehalem – Author Chris Santella (left), about to release a steelhead near his home in Oregon. Photo credit Barrett Ames.
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Costa Rica is a place Florida surfers often turn to when they’re ready to tackle more of a challenge, Leonard said. His first exposure to the country was after college, when he got a job on a shrimp farm. He had a board with him and found every opportunity he could to catch a wave. Trips now will usually include Mal Pais, at the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. “It’s usually not very crowded, but even if there is a crowd, the long beach break there lets people spread out, and the waves are consistent.”
Another favorite spot is Dominical. Leonard said, “It’s a heavy, powerful, barreling wave on the beach here, famous for breaking boards. In fact, there’s a restaurant, San Clemente, that’s decorated with broken boards; if you bust a board and bring it in, they’ll give you a beer.” The surf there can also carry people out to sea. One last stop on Leonard’s surfing safari is Pavones, near the Panama border. He said a wave can go on for a solid kilometer or longer. “I’m used to being happy with a 10-second wave in Florida. At Pavones, you’re riding for so long, it’s difficult to imagine.”
Photo: Surfer Chad Leonard
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And now you know the not-really story behind Chris’ series. Even if he did nothing but surf, fish, golf, camp, hike, bike, and every other fun thing he’s written about, he’d never be able to do it in one lifetime.
The text comes first, he said. Then, "I try to search for photogs who have expertise in the given area (eg, surfing) and ask them to submit shots for locales in the book. Art director has final say."
After his fly-fishing book he said, “I realize that to date I've been fortunate enough to fish nearly one-third of the venues. … I have decent odds to live at least another 35 years. That would mean that I need to knock off about one fishery a year to complete the list.”
Santella also has a musical interest with a fishy name: Catch & Release, with Keith Carlson, Doug Mateer, Sloan Morris, and Santella on guitar and vocals. Listen to
The Last Steelhead: An Eco-Rock Opera
. “The Last Steelhead was born after I researched an article on the declining steelhead and salmon runs in the Columbia River basin … . I realized it had elements of a dramatic story – and certainly a complex one -- that could perhaps be told in song.”
Photo above:
Catch & Release in the wild
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Santella says he’s mainly on his own in the great outdoors. He has a wife and two daughters, 15 and 19, but says, “While my wife will walk the golf course with me and read by the river if I’m fishing, she doesn’t really have much interest in doing these activities. And my girls have no interest at all!”
Coming next, Fifty Places To Rock Climb Before You Die, and then a break. “When I’m done, I plan to work on some children’s book ideas and more music projects.”
Photo right: Nazare, Portugal boasts the world’s largest wave. Photo credit: Rafael G. Riancho
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On the Calendar - Martin County
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Through May 12 - My Art My Way - Art Down the Hall at the Elliott Museum. Artwork by students with and without disabilities from Citrus Grove Elementary. Work is for sale with 100% going back to the school to continue the program. Cash or check only.
ELLIOTT MUSEUM’s Autogeek’s Cars & Coffee is on hiatus. Call for updates.
May 4-19, times vary - The Nerd at
A.C.T. Studio Theatre
, Stuart. 2399 SE Ocean Blvd. (Cedar Pointe Plaza)
May 9-26, times vary - Just a Little Crazy at
The Barn Theatre
, 2400 SE Ocean Blvd, Stuart
May 10,9 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. - Youth Environmental Film Festival at The Lyric Theatre. Environmental Studies Council.
May 13, 11:30 a.m - 1 p.m. - Lunch on the Fly with Dr. Richard Forster, Audubon of Martin Co. ticketed . RSVP to 772-225-1961 or email RSVP@elliottmuseum.org
Through May 23 - The 33rd Annual Marvin S Cone High School Juried Art Show and Awards featuring art work from students of Martin, Jensen Beach, and South Fork high schools, The Pine School, and Clark Advanced Learning Center. at the Court House Cultural Center Gallery Stuart.
May 14: Sunset Concerts at the Gallery - Young Artists of the Treasure Coast Youth Symphony - Court House Cultural Center, 80 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart
May 14, 7 p.m. - The Swamp: Nature Never Surrenders - film at The Lyric Theatre, Stuart, presented by Stuart Heritage Museum.
May 18, 1-4 p.m. - Auditions for Steel Magnolias at A.C.T. Studio Theatre, Stuart.
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THURSDAYS 7 - 9 p.m. - Acoustic Music Jam - Ground Floor Farm, 100 SE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Stuart
Artists and vendors - applications being accepted for the Avant-Garden Party in Stuart May 18.
May 18 4 p.m. - Florida Arts & Dance Company’s spring performance: Dance Around the World at the Lyric Theatre, Stuart.
May 18-19, 3 p.m. - Treasured Encores by the Treasure Coast Community Singers t North Stuart Baptist Church, 1950 NW Federal Hwy., Stuart.
May 25, 1-4 p.m. - Auditions for Cabaret at A.C.T. Studio Theatre, Stuart.
May 31-June 2, times vary - Nicky Wood One Night in Vegas at The Barn Theatre, Stuart.
May 18, 3-9 p.m. - Avant-Garden Party Celebrating the Stuart Arts + Entertainment District. 130 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Stuart $10 ticket benefits the Arts Council of Martin County.
Every Wednesday in May, 10 a.m. - The Mansion at Tuckahoe in Indian RiverSide Park tours in Indian Riverside Park, 1707 NE Indian River Dr., Jensen Beach.
Through June 30 - Elliot Museum's “Art From the Vault” in the Changing Exhibitions Gallery. 50+ paintings & sculptures from the Elliott’s permanent collection.
June 11: Sunset Concerts at the Gallery - Stuart School of Music - Court House Cultural Center, 80 SE Ocean Blvd., Stuart
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On the Calendar - No. Palm Beach County
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April 29-May 25 - Late Spring and Summer Adult Classes at Lighthouse ArtCenter, Tequesta. Ceramics, drawing, jewelry, open studios, painting, sculpture.
May 1-15, 7:15-8:30 p.m. - Lighthouse Sunset Tours at
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum,
Jupiter. Weather permitting, height requirement, other conditions. Purchase tickets online only. Note: off-season hours begin in May.
May 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. - Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum open to artists for the 11th Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area paint out. Artists must bring their materials and agree to be photographed during the day.
Adults are regular admission, Children are Free on May 8th.
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May 8, 8 p.m. - Dance Theatre of Harlem at Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, WPB.
May 10, 7 p.m. - Spotlight on Young Musicians at Kravis Center, WPB
May 16, 8 p.m. - Kinky Boots at Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, WPB.
Through June 30, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - Twisted: Patrick Dougherty Entwined - Mounts Botanical Garden, 531 NorthMilitary Trail, WPB.
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On the Calendar - St. Lucie County
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April 27 - May 12, times vary - On Golden Pond at Treasure Coast Theatre, 10175 S. Federal Hwy., Port St. Lucie, in Beall’s Shopping Plaza. treasurecoasttheatre.com
May 7, 14, 21, 28- 7 p.m. - Jazz Jam at Sunrise Theatre with Fort Pierce Jazz & Blues Society.
May 9-26 - Norman, Is That You? at
Pineapple Playhouse
community theatre, 700 W. Weatherbee Rd., Fort Pierce.
May 10-June 21 - Through the Eye of the Camera competition/exhibition at Backus Museum 7 Gallery, Fort Pierce.
May 11, 8:30 p.m. - Comedy Corner Live @ The Black Box at Sunrise Theatre, Fort Pierce.
May 11, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. - Spring Into Gardening Festival at St. Lucie County Extension Service, 8400 Picos Rd., Fort Pierce
April 30-May 1, 7, 8 - TIMES VARY - Registration for free performing arts camp at The Lindsay School of the Arts, Fort Pierce. Ages 8-12, space is limited. 3822 Edwards Rd., Fort Pierce.
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May 1 through summer - Indian River State College’s McAlpin Theatre will be closed for renovations. Oct. 1 is the anticipated reopening date.
May 16, 6 p.m. -
The Indian River State College (IRSC) Performing and Visual Arts Department offers a free cabaret,
Salute to Contemporary Broadway: The Music of Stephen Schwartz, on the lawn outside the McAlpin Fine Arts Center on the Fort Pierce Campus, 3200 Virginia Ave. Bring a chair or a blanket.
June 1, 7 p.m. - The Little Mermaid at Sunrise Theatre, Fort Pierce
June 7, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Backus Bingo at Pelican Yacht Club. Reservations required, space is limited. 772-465-0630.
The City of Port St. Lucie
is seeking a landmark, free standing, outdoor sculpture that will be visually appealing from all sides, serve as a focal point for motorists entering and leaving the city, and complement the residential character of the surrounding neighborhoods. Deadline: May 30, 2019
Helping People Succeed shares a Call to Artists for the 2020 Art For Living Calendar. The Call is open to artists in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties. Deadline: June 31, 2019
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On the Calendar - Brevard County
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April - May 25 - VISION 2019, the annual juried exhibition of Melbourne’s Strawbridge Art League at
Foosanar Art Museum.
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ROAD TRIP! Henry B. Plant Museum - Tampa
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Maybe it didn't register because I grew up in the Northeast and didn't know anything about Florida as a kid. Although a lot of what I was taught in history classes didn't stick, I do remember the 1803 Louisiana Purchase that opened the west to settlers. I don’t recall, though, hearing about the Disston Purchase of 1881, which appears to have been the beginning of what is now an overcrowded and overburdened peninsula.
Thirty years earlier, according to the
floridahistory.org
website, “The State of Florida purchased from the Federal Government's Swamp and Submerged Lands program millions of acres of land for public sale and railroad construction. The
Florida Internal Improvement Fund
held title to this land, but during the Civil War era its trustees found few customers except land speculators. Most payments were made in worthless Confederate script, rendering the entire system about a million dollars in debt and tied up in legal battles.
Photo: The entrance to theHenry B. Plant Museum
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"The largest creditor of the state debt was Francis Vose who tied up the land in court until the state found the money to pay off its debts. The Bourbon Democrats, mostly planters and businessmen, did not want to spend tax moneys on this debt, but Florida needed to clear the debt to expand. Investment in the least populated state east of the Mississippi was stymied, but Governor Bloxham found a white knight to rescue the state in Philadelphia saw manufacturer Hamilton Disston.”
Disston bought four million acres of swampland at 25 cents an acre, brought in his dredging machines, and changed the face of the state.
In the east, there was Henry F. Flagler; in the Panhandle, William D. Chipley; and on the west coast, Henry B. Plant. They laid railroad tracks that opened up Florida to visitors from the north, but they needed more than transportation. Hotels, towns, and roads followed right behind the railroads.
Photo: Henry B. Plant, the fisherman
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Plant got a charter to run a railroad from Sanford to Tampa Bay. “Plant's railroad turned Tampa into a deep water center for freighters and steamers from Cuba and South America. The rail line opened up the region to citrus and vegetable growers for it no longer took twenty days to reach Northern markets by boat.”
Manufacturers came, including the cigar industry from Key West. Plant built his luxurious Tampa Bay Hotel in 1891 to attract wealthy northerners, charging $180 per night. Since1933, it has housed the Henry B. Plant Museum and The University of Tampa.
Now named Plant Hall, it’s a National Historic Landmark.
Photo: Possibly the first passenger elevator in Florida. Original 1891 Otis elevator at the Tampa Bay Hotel.
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The museum is a treasure chest of history of the opulence in some parts of Florida as a new century arrived. It’s filled with the very furnishings that guests of the hotel found when they visited. The Gilded Age is present at every turn. Five years after Plant’s death, the city bought the hotel and operated it until 1932, when one wing became the Tampa Municipal Museum and the University of Tampa took over the remainder. It didn’t become the Henry B. Plant Museum until 1974.
Visit the website for dates and times of the many interesting programs at the Museum. If you’re there May 12, you’ll meet Edith Roosevelt in her role in Upstairs/Downstairs at the Tampa Bay Hotel. Every Sunday September through May at 2 p.m., there’s a single-character performance that bring the era at the hotel to life.
Photo: Lobby of the Tampa Bay Hotel, 1898.
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The Plant Museum is a Blue Star Museum, with free admission for active duty United States Military and five family members, Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Fourth Friday, every month except December, is a festive evening in downtown Tampa, with businesses and cultural venues joining in with a program of discounts and more.
Almost every Thursday or Friday has something special going on. Third Thursdays have morning classical music included with museum admission. First Friday evenings are free and include music and treats. It’s all on the website.
Photo: The Writing and Reading room at the Tampa Bay Hotel. Above, 2016. Below, 1890s.
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The Victorian Christmas Stroll lasts from Dec. 1 to 23, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Christmas trees, some as tall as 14 ft., 40,000 lights, garlands galore, and vintage everything are part of the authentic holiday festivities.
Dirty Laundry: True Tales of Women Workers at the Tampa Bay Hotel
is on exhibit through July 20. Through Dec. 23, see
Henry Plant: He’s More Important Than You Thought
, in honor of his 200th birthday. Ongoing exhibits cover unexpected aspects of the lives of people who lived in turn-of-the-century Florida.
Photo: 1906 Lippincott's Monthly magazine ad for A Golden Christmas at Tampa Bay Hotel. It's still celebrated at the Museum every year.
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Article from The Tampa Daily Journal about the grand opening ball for the Tampa Bay Hotel.
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Tourist postcard showing the Tampa Bay Hotel.
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Golfing at the Tampa Bay Hotel. The golf course was designed by John Gillespie, designer and builder of first golf course in Florida.
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All photos are from the Henry B. Plant Museum Instagram site.
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If You Go:
Henry B. Plant Museum
401 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606
813-254-1891
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday: Noon - 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays, Christmas Day, and Thanksgiving.
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Ft. Pierce Jazz & Blues Society
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Atlantic Classical Orchestra
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The Galleries at First Pres
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Center for Spiritual Care
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The Stuart School of Music
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Vero Beach Choral Society
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Treasure Coast Jazz Society
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Treasure Coast Community Singers
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Vero Beach Choral Society
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Information is to
be received in an email no later than the Friday before publication.
Use this format:
Who (organization)
What (Event)
When (dates, time)
Where (Name of venue, address)
Why (a brief description of the purpose)
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Then add a short, descriptive release if available.
Send only one photo, with caption, until more are requested.
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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 Willi Miller's ARTS BLAST!, all rights reserved.
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