Volume I No.9 | February 26, 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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Thank you for your support, Friends of Arts Blast!
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Last week I wrote:
Your ARTS BLAST! is now arriving earlier in the week so you have time to plan your weekend and can make reservations or get tickets before they're sold out. Well, it didn’t take long to figure out if there’s going to be a long holiday weekend, one of those days will be a Monday. And so, here we are with a Tuesday publication day going forward.
I’ve been getting questions about the process for having events included on the ARTS BLAST calendar. If that interests you, scroll to the end to find guidelines. I can tell you that the deadline for emailing information to me is the Friday before publication.
One of this week’s calendar items, the Jonathan Dickinson re-enactment March 2, grew into a within-easy-reach Road Trip! The McLarty Museum is one of those places I suggest when someone asks where to take visitors. It’s been a few years since my last visit but the man I’ve been emailing with, Ed Perry, has a long history with this particular bit of Florida history.
March roars in with First Friday Gallery Stroll in Vero Beach. Don't forget the free trolley ride from the parking lot on SR60 West at the railroad tracks.
Limited advertising is now available in Arts Blast! Email about the end-of-season special.
Recycling works.
Help reach more readers. Please share.
Arts Blast! is dedicated with gratitude to Helen Miller, Angelina Christaldi, and Bill Miller.
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To opt out of receiving this newsletter, "unsubscribe" at the bottom of the page or
send an email to willi@willimiller.com with "unsubscribe" the subject.
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Feb. 26, 6 p.m.
- Angel Wings Cocktail benefit for the
Uplifting Vero Project
is at Grind and Grape, 925 Bougainvillea Lane, Vero Beach. Be a butterfly.
The St. Lucie Cultural Alliance
says, Join us on Tuesday,
February 26th, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
at Oxbow Eco-Center in Port St. Lucie. Harness the power of social media to promote your business or to build your personal brand. M
embers
$10, others $20.
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THIS WEEK
IRSC'S
David Moberg -
Treasure Coast Chorale -
Elliott Museum's
Rob Steele - Piano Master Class -McLarty Museum
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David Moberg's Theatre World
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David Moberg has been teaching at
Indian River State College
for 38 years and says he’s enjoyed every minute of it, living the dream. “My great dream was to have my own theater on the ocean and I was extremely fortunate to have gotten that so early and have had it for so long.”
In fulfilling it, Moberg, IRSC’s Fine Arts Chair and Director of Theatre, has directed more than 250 productions for IRSC, on the main stage, in the black box theatre and on the road in touring shows. He’s earned awards and honors in his 38 years.
In 2009, Moberg was awarded the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region IV National Festival Faculty Fellowship in Playwriting. This fellowship is awarded annually to a single faculty member in the southeastern United States and is intended to recognize outstanding achievement as a teaching artist.
He said, “I truly love the art and continue to love it after all these years and the hundreds of pieces that I’ve been fortunate enough to direct at the college.”
If he has any spare time, he heads for the great outdoors for saltwater and spear fishing, diving, hunting, hiking and horseback riding —anything outside in the Florida sun and fresh air.
That said, one career and a long list of outdoor pastimes aren’t quite enough for Moberg. He found himself writing “a lot of interactive, fully scripted dinner theater plays to perform for our area social and service organizations as a way to bring new audiences to our main stage and black box theaters here at the college.” Enter notechtheatre.com, an outlet for marketing his original work.
Almost 75 productions of his plays have been seen “around our country, in Canada, England, the Philippines, Japan, Germany, Belize, and quite a few … more.”
Moberg’s leadership has inspired his students to pursue their own dreams. He said quite a few have headed to Los Angeles to try the big stage and several have wound up in regional theaters in arts management. He said, “Right now three of my former students are actually teaching theater in this area in the high schools, which is kind of cool.”
Indian River State College’s Fort Pierce campus offers seating for 639 in the McAlpin Fine Arts Theatre and 100 in the Wynne Black Box Theatre.
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Scenes from theatre productions at Indian River State College produced by David Moberg.
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Treasure Coast Chorale - Going Home
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As the
Treasure Coast Chorale
raises its 65 voices in song March 3, it will be in celebration of the idea of home “here in Vero Beach as well as in the U.S. and spiritually,” according to Michael Carter, the choral group’s founder and director. It’s all new music to them, he said, “with a purpose we haven’t had before.”
The concert is one of the many events built around the 100th anniversary of the City of Vero Beach, a youngster compared to the Treasure Coast Chorale’s home base, First Baptist Church of Vero Beach. The church had its own centennial birthday party in 2016.
Patriotic or inspirational, a quartet of classics on the program will set the tone for the afternoon. Irving Berlin’s God Bless America and This is my Country, with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s arrangement, can’t miss. The familiar Simple Gifts comes from a Shaker hymn and Going Home, the name of the concert, is straight out of Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor, From the New World.
Then the music hits even closer to home for those of us along the coast. Wouldn’t It Be Nice if they sang some of the Beach Boys’ hits? That’s the plan. Joining the chorale will be musical regulars The Dolls, Richie Mola on drums, Judy Carter on piano, and there’s a brass quartet, as well. The Treasure Coast Chorale’s final concert is set for June 2. Carter says we should look and listen for music from favorite Broadway shows.
Carter never tires of his job as music director of the chorale. Even after close to 20 years doing it, he still finds it fun and exciting. He said,”I love every show. There is always new music, changes in voices, different angles and challenges. I try to make each one creative and fresh.”
If you go:
Sunday March 3, 4 p.m. Doors open at 3.
First Baptist Church of Vero Beach, 2206 16th Ave., Vero Beach.
There is no admission charge but a suggested $10 donation will be requested during the concert.
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Elliott Museum's Rob Steele
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When the
Historical Society of Martin Count
y selected Rob Steele to head the Elliott Museum and House of Refuge at the end of 2018, they found themselves figuratively holding on for dear life as the dynamic new CEO and president hit the road. With doughnuts in the passenger’s seat and a firm handshake at the ready, he set out to meet the neighbors with a goal of developing community partnerships. He said, “I'm anxious to see how much beautiful music we can make by pairing the inherent capacity and location of the Elliott Museum and the House of Refuge with the limitless potential of exciting partnerships with other area non-profits and organizations.”
With an early background in banking and business, Steele understands the need to keep a non-profit organization on a sound financial track. "The sometimes-painful truth is that all non-profits need to function in an environment that balances dedication to mission fulfillment with solid business practices,” he said. “We intend to juggle, with agility, our history, cars, arts and culture, and dynamic touring exhibits, and be ever prepared to make adjustments to the mix.”
Steele grew up in Michigan and spent a decade in Williamsport, Penna. before beginning his Florida adventure. “I find a tall measure of comfort in the warm and sunny climate, but it is the warmth of the people of this wonderful county that makes the migration worthwhile.”
Before moving up the coast to the Elliott Museum, Steele spent more than four years as president and CEO of Old School Square Center in Delray Beach.
He offers a suggestion to residents and visitors: "I have made it a lifetime habit to wink and whisper a not so closely guarded secret to those who harbor some level of interest in the organizations that I serve. My thinly veiled secret for you is simply this, keep your eyes on the Historical Society of Martin County...we are fast afoot discovering new ways to surprise you with unexpected fun."
This week at the Elliott:
History in the Making
Benefit Lecture Luncheon with Charlie D'Agata, CBS News Foreign Correspondent, Friday, March 1st, 11:30 - 1:00 pm - at
Hutchinson Shores Resort
.
Click to RSVP
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Car Show Committee L to R:
Associate Car Curator, John Giltinan; Special Events Coordinator, Debbie Banta; Board Member & Judge, Joe Vicini; Sponsor, Mike Searle
At the wheel, Car Show Committee Chair, Rachelle "Rocky" Grady
In the back seat, Associate Car Curator, Don Gilbert
On the right: President & CEO, Rob Steele
Photo credit: Elliott Museum
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[
President & CEO, Rob Steele, works the crowd and entertains Guest Curator, Rocky Grady, at the reception for
Octane & Opulence II: Gentlemen Prefer Race Cars.
]
Photo credit: Elliott Museum
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Cindy Kessler -
Vyacheslav "Slava" Gryaznov
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Cindy Kessler is a woman of action. When she saw
Vyacheslav "Slava" Gryaznov
in concert with the Atlantic Classical Orchestra in 2017, she was amazed by his “technique, style and incredible talent,” and knew she wanted more for the Martin County arts community. First, she wrote a grant proposal to Women Supporting the Arts to present a “Piano Master Class and Concert.”
Then Kessler secured two possible dates at the Blake Library in Stuart and asked Gryaznov to pick the better one for his schedule. The grant was approved, the date, March 3, was confirmed with all parties, and it became a done deal.
The deal includes a Master Class for four students at 1 p.m. and then a classical concert at 3:30 p.m. in the John F. and Rita M. Armstrong Wing at the
Blake Library
, 2351 SE Monterey Road in Stuart. The young musicians, ages 13 to 17, are piano students of Kessler, Marie Jureit-Beamish, and Luanne Dwyer. They’ll play music by Khachaturian, Beethoven, Heller, Moszkowski and Saint-Saëns, Kessler said.
The students are Joseph Nehme and Julia Vitale, 12th grade at Jensen Beach High School; Addison McGee, 7th grade homeschooled; and Joshua Zhuang, 11th grade homeschooled.
Women Supporting the Arts
was created in 2004, according to its website, “to build a community of women philanthropists who inspire, educate and encourage women to strengthen the arts and cultural environment in Martin County.” More than $300,000 in grants has gone to artists and arts-related programs since then. Membership in WSA is $1,000 for women over 40 and $500 for new members 40 or under.
A personal note: I remember talking with Nancy Turrell, executive director of the
Arts Council of Martin County
, back when WSA was barely more than a glint in her eye. I admit to wondering then if she would be able to find enough local women to make the idea fly. Question answered, and beautifully.
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TCMTA officers:
Maribel Soriano, VP; Sarah Miller, Treas.; CindyKessler, Pres.; Cynthia Hinkelman, Sec.; Luanne Dwyer, Concert Chair
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Vero Beach Choral Society Names a Winner
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Kmetz, a vocalist, has plans to pursue a double major in Vocal Performance and Applied Math at Stetson University.
As the Choral Society's scholarship winner, Kmetz will perform with the group in its spring concert, Things Celtic, at Community Church of Vero Beach April 7 at 4 p.m. Tickets are available online and at the door.
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If you live on the Treasure Coast, you probably know where the name came from—those ill-fated ships carrying treasure from countries to the south of us to Spain but sent to the ocean floor by terrible storms. You might even have rented a metal detector and spent time along the water’s edge at Sebastian Inlet State Park, hoping to pick up a ping that could signal the location of a piece of Spanish silver.
The treasure fleet led by Capitan-General Don Juan Esteban de Ubilla on his flagship, the Capitana, went down near the Inlet. Those who survived made it to shore, where they set up camp, hoping to salvage as much of the sunken treasure as they could. Inhospitable pirates and difficult living conditions weren’t on their side, however. Many of the artifacts found on the site of the camp, where McLarty Treasure Museum is today, are on display in the museum.
The man in charge of the museum, Ed Perry, has been a park services specialist for 30 years, about half of them with McLarty in his job description. McLarty is part of Sebastian Inlet State Park, he said. “The museum was the first building built in the park back in 1969 when the park was being put together. It opened in Winter of 1970/71.” According to Perry, the land was donated to the state by the McLarty family when property was being bought for the state park. “The McLartys and others had learned of the historical significance of the property and wanted it to be set aside and preserved. The State of Florida honored them by calling it the McLarty State Treasure Museum.”
Most of the visitors to the McLarty are seasonal residents and their guests, Perry said. For the past decade or so, the number averages about 24,000 per year, thanks to word-of-mouth promotion. “It's a great little museum, easily digestible in just an hour or two, inexpensive ($2/person), and it conveys nicely the reason why we are known as the Treasure Coast.”
Visitors are often surprised to learn that history is still alive and happening there. “With good weather and calm water, they often see modern-day salvage boats working in the water just behind the museum. Sometimes they are so close you can hear the divers talking on the boats, still looking to recover the coveted ‘Queen's Jewels’.”
One of the ships that met a similar fate farther to the south, in the Hobe Sound area, was carrying a Jamaican merchant, Jonathan Dickinson, and his family, traveling to Philadelphia. Through all the terrible hardships they suffered between the shipwreck and their eventual arrival at their destination, Dickinson wrote detailed notes about their experience. George Blythe, who has been portraying Dickinson in historical presentations for 21 years, will reenact the story in a first-person account March 2 at the Museum at 5 p.m..
Blythe, who moved to Florida in 1980 from Valley Forge, Penna., said he always wanted to know more about Florida History. He is past president of the Indian River County Historical Society.
If you go:
The McLarty Treasure Museum
13180 North A1A
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Vero Beach, FL 32963
772-589-2147
Photo Credit: McLarty Treasure Museum Top left: Edward Perry,
Park Services Specialist
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On The Calendar
This is not a complete list of things to do - It's a busy place!
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March 1 - It's First Friday Gallery Stroll in Historic Downtown Vero Beach. 5-8 p.m. Catch the trolley at the parking lot at SR 60 west near the railroad tracks.
March 1-2 - It's Mardi Gras Nights outside and Howl at the Moon inside at
Riverside Theatre Friday and Saturday.
March 1, 5-7 p.m. - There's an opening night reception at
Center for Spiritual Care in Vero Beach for artist Susan Lawson Bouma.
March 2, 5 p.m. - The life of Jonathan Dickinson by history reenactor George Blythe at the
McLarty Treasure Museum, 13180 N. A1A, Vero Beach.
March 4, 9:30 a.m. - The
AAUW Vero Beach Book Review breakfast is at the Richardson enter on the IRSC campus, Vero Beach.
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Brevard County
March 2,
4 p.m. - Every Day is Veterans Day, a patriotic concert, is at the Scott Center for the Performing Arts, 5625 Holy Trinity Dr., North Melbourne. Performing will be: the
Space Coast Symphony Winds
and
Indialantic Chamber Singers
;
Space Coast Highlanders
bagpipe and drum band; Posting of the Colors by the Patrick Air Force Base Honor Guard and the Florida Institute of Technology ROTC Color Guard
While there is no charge for the reception or the concert, free tickets must be reserved.
www.SpaceCoastSymphony.org
or by calling toll-free to (855) 252-7276.
March 3
, 3:30 p.m. - Winners of the
Space Coast Symphony Youth Orchestra
concerto competition will play in a special concert, Persephone Concertos, at Satellite High School, 300 Scorpion Ct., Satellite Beach.
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Brevard County (cont.)
March 1-17 weekends - "The Best Little Whorehouse" is at
Surfside Playhouse in Cocoa Beach.
321-783-3127
March 7
, 7 p.m. -
Space Coast Symphony Orchestra
presents a free community outdoor concert, Music of the Night, at Space Coast Daily Park, 6091 Stadium Pkwy., Viera. Parking is $5.
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St. Lucie County
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Feb. 26
. -The
St. Lucie Cultural Alliance
presents a workshop,
Harness the power of social media to promote your business or to build your personal brand, at at Oxbow Eco-Center in Port St. Lucie. $10 for members, $20 for non-members.
March 1
- Benise is back at the
Sunrise Theatre
in Fort Pierce with "Fuego!" 8 p.m.
March 3
- Anka Sings Sinatra is at the
Sunrise Theatre
in Fort Pierce, 7 p.m.
The Jazz Market is
every Saturday
, rain or shine, along the waterfront in downtown Fort Pierce.
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Martin County
March 1
, 11:30 a.m. -
Elliott Museum
's
History in the Making
Benefit Lecture Luncheon with Charlie D'Agata, CBS News Foreign Correspondent, - Hutchinson Shores Resort.
Click to RSVP
March 1
- A Musical Feast at Bach's Children Music School
6:30-9:30 p.m., at Huizenga Center, Palm City Presbyterian Church.
BCMS.inc@gmail.com or 772-266-8636.
March 3
- Treasure Coast Music Teachers Association's Master Class (1 p.m.) and concert (3:30 p.m.) with
Vyacheslav "Slava" Gryaznov
at Blake Library, Stuart. Free.
March 11
- Jazz in the Sanctuary
brings FDO - The Big Swingin' Band to Episcopal Church of the Advent, 4484 SW Citrus Blvd., Palm City.
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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)
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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Copyright
©2019 Willi Miller's ARTS BLAST!, all rights reserved.
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