Volume 2 No. 28 |July 10, 2020
ARTS NEWS
& PROFILES
FROM
FLORIDA'S
TREASURE COAST & BEYOND
Sharing our wealth of arts and culture. We're having an ARTS BLAST!

Promoting The Arts & Arts Councils Everywhere
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In This Issue
___________
Nature in a Kit + BlueBeard at ELC
Q&A with Alyona Ushe
Aaron Collins on SCSO vs. COVID
Ready to Cuddle a Cuttle? at Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum
Back on the Radio with some changes
Your Favorite Ennio Morricone Music
__________

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Help someone in the arts while supporting Arts Blast.

Arts Blast is a free, arts-dedicated publication that, not surprisingly, has made the COVID-19 hit list. A reader asked how to help a nd, in true Arts Blast spirit, a plan was hatched.

Each $50 donor gets to suggest an artist, musician, writer, or gallery for a feature story in Arts Blast! Donors may be named or anonymous, your choice. Pay options are check and Paypal. Email for details.
Listen to Cultural Connection on the Air at a new time and place, Sundays at 8 p.m. on WQOL, 103.7 fm. This Sunday I'm talking with Lisa Lindner about the deadline (August 1) for the Cultural Council of Indian River County's print Cultural Guide. Judy Burgarella pops in for the second segment to talk about Vero Beach Art Club's events, including online lessons every Thursday.

If you miss the show Sunday, you can listen to it for one week at willimiller.com.
Composer Ennio Morricone, one of the most prolific creators of unforgettable film scores, passed away this week. Even if his name isn't familiar to you, you more than likely know his music. Do an internet search for a refresher course on his films and then let me know your favorite and what it means to you. I'll go first: Cinema Paradiso - because it became a completely unexpected connection with my sister. Your turn. I'd really like to hear from you.
A Q&A with Alyona Ushe, St. Lucie Cultural Alliance's new executive director
Alyona Aleksandra Ushe has found her perfect job and is now " in the active process of looking for my new home in St. Lucie County. I strongly believe that in order to understand the real needs of the community I need to be an integral part and fully engaged in it."

Even her little rescue dog, Azazella, or Azzie for short, appreciates the arts, mostly in the form of treats, Ushe said.

When we first touched base at the beginning of her life as executive director of the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance, my first question had to do with pulling all the arts groups and individuals together. And then what?

A Q&A with a very busy lady follows.

Have you been able to meet with SLC arts organizations and artists/musicians?
Yes, many but we still have a long way to go. I am calling this my discovery phase, where I am meeting with members of our creative community and leadership to assess the needs that are facing the county and to learn what has worked in the past. This will enable us to build on the good work and base, established thus far. I am continually looking for and seeking out artists and creative establishments who are not part of the Alliance yet, and perhaps can share ways it may be of support. I would like to encourage your readers to please reach out to me. I sincerely want to hear and share stories, aspirations and goals so we can best work together to determine the role that the Cultural Alliance can play as we move forward in partnership and service. 
How has your first month on the job gone for you?
Getting to know our remarkable community of exceptionally talented artists, passionate advocates, diverse nonprofit and cultural organizations and creative businesses, continues to be an exceptionally rewarding experience. St. Lucie County is a budding cultural mecca. I am thrilled to be a part of it now at such a critical junction of its development, and to play a role in expanding its footprint on the Treasure Coast creative map. 

How are you dealing with the ebb and flow of regulations and public reaction to them?
I have been inviting opportunities to meet with the members of our creative economy and accepting invitations every chance I get from many cultural establishments. I find the arts and cultural community here welcoming, supportive and engaging. Our team is listening and brainstorming with individual artists and speaking with various business owners. In a sense, it’s clear we are all in the same ‘business.’ The Arts helps to overcome challenges, inspire and motivate. The Cultural Alliance is working to bring our community together, so when the time is right, we can all rejoice and celebrate together.  
 
What can you do to move the Cultural Alliance forward when there isn’t any clear end to this pandemic in sight.
Arts is the only universal language, and now more than ever, we need to come together as a community. In addition, we are taking this time to dig deep and identify the needs of artists, cultural organizations and other members of the creative economy, to shape and forward the vision of the organization and the county.

"I would like to offer this message to artists and those that appreciate the benefit of arts and cultural at this challenging time and always. Keep creating and sharing your talents with us. Healing through the arts is a constant throughout history. The arts is an unstoppable universal means to joy, celebration and expression! Let’s meet!" 
Space Coast Symphony Orchestra's Aaron Collins on SCSO vs. COVID
Excerpts from a Q&A with Maestro Collins:

What are you most excited about for the return of the SCSO?

We are just happy to make music together again. It has been a little over four months since our last performance. It has been difficult not sharing our love of music with our community.  Music is meant to spark reactions and feelings, affect you, and lead you to reflect on memories. It gives attendees an escape from all that is going on around them -- a time to disconnect, relax and enjoy. 

What challenges has the SCSO faced since the beginning of COVID?

It's been difficult. We find ourselves stressed about the unknown, watching the news and worrying about what the future brings both short and long term. From a planning standpoint, it is challenging to schedule anything. A lot of the venues where we regularly perform will be shut down for quite some time and it could extend into 2021. So we will be experimenting and doing our best to create safe and exciting performances. From a financial standpoint, we are surviving and making the best of the situation. As we face the impact and the effects, both long and short-term, the phrase “We’re in this Together” has never meant so much.

Have you had to make any changes to your orchestra?

No. For these outdoor programs, we will be using a smaller ensemble. The musicians will be on risers and spaced adequately to provide healthful air flow and room for social distancing. We will also be using plexiglass barriers within the orchestra to ensure our musicians are as safe as possible. It is all about safety for us.  

What inspired the name "Space Coast/Treasure Coast Strong Summer Series"?

We love our community very much.  It has been rough for everyone and our hope is to boost civic morale and remind everyone of what makes our community so great. I have lived in this community for more than thirty years and it’s such a caring and supportive place to call home. ... I see over and over again where there is a need, there is help. We are grateful to be a small sliver of this wonderful place we call home.

What do you hope people enjoy most from attending the summer series?

To be entertained and take people's minds off all of the craziness in the world around them.  As the news of the coronavirus crisis rolls in at a fervent pace, we find ourselves grasping for ways to curb our anxiety, stress and break away from the gloomy world forecast. Music is the perfect escape. 
All Treasure Coast drive-up concerts are on  Fridays at 7:00 p.m. at Pathway Church, 1105 58th Avenue in Vero Beach . All Space Coast drive-up concerts are on  Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. at The Avenue Viera (east side parking area), 2261 Town Center Avenue in Melbourne . 

Tickets for the drive-up concerts are $10 per person or $25 per carload of adults. Admission is free for ages 18 and under or with a student ID. Advance online ticket sales are encouraged, to help limit social interaction with parking attendants. Snacks and water will be available. Concerts will last 70 minutes with no intermission.
Friday Night @ Frost is back with a rebroadcast of a relief concert that benefited the victims of Hurricane Dorian..
July 10, 7:30 p.m.
Bahamas Relief Concert

Coming up:
July 17, 7:30 p.m .
Cendrillon

In collaboration with the Frost Symphony Orchestra, this Frost Opera production offers a rare opportunity to enjoy a performance of Jules Massenet’s imaginative operatic setting of the Cinderella story, based on the 1697 French version of the fairy tale by Charles Perrault. Performed in French with English supertitles.

July 24, 7:30 p.m.
Christmas in July! 
Stephen Guerra's Big Band Holiday Concert

The annual holiday concert features selections representing Christmas traditions from around the world.

Frost School of Music at University of Miami has musicians for hire.
Flight of the Swallow-Tailed Kites - soon the 5000 mile journey begins back to Brazil.
Valrico - Florida - 7-7-2020 Ronald Kotinsky
Nature in a Kit at Environmental Learning Center
and More
A friend and environmental educator at ELC, Heather Kramer, told me about a great project she and the education team are working on that's met with great success. As with everyone at ELC, her enthusiasm is contagious.

Kramer said, "When everything shut down because of COVID, we were thinking about all of the students in Indian River County who were going to miss out on their field trip to ELC." Virtual workshops were how it began but the educators felt something could be added, so "when a grant opportunity opened up with ASTC VOYA asking how educational centers were going to come to the aid of those who don't have equal access to the internet, we applied, and got it, enabling us to create stand-alone kits with virtual components for all levels of access."
Nature Near You is a take-home STEM kit for ages 6-11. Kits have been selling out, with the latest pair, Birds of a Feather and Light and Color, on sale now. Only 100 kits are made for each session.

The kits have everything kids need for the hands-on activities and virtual meetups with " ELC educators and fellow nature explorers and links to exciting instructional videos."
Other news from ELC:

If you love (or even if you don't) ELC Executive Director Barbara Schlitt Ford's shimmering blue tresses, you'll be tickled to hear that the idea spread to a longtime ELC supporter in “Dr. Dave’s Blue Beard Challenge.” David Cox wants to raise even more money for programs at the ELC.
Watch this space for details from the ELC!
Summer at Riverside Theatre!
Summer camp 2020 will be a new and interesting challenge at Riverside Children's Theatre in this very challenging year. It's a musical, The Big One-oh!, based on Dean Pitchford's book, but the rehearsals will be virtual, on Zoom.

Kevin Quillinan, director of theatre education at Riverside and director of this show, explained the requirements. " Every member of the cast will need a computer with secure and reliable internet access, and a device, such as a smart phone, computer, or tablet that allows students the ability to record themselves singing and dancing. For the rehearsals, cast members will need to be in a space that is relatively noise-free, where they can sing at full voice and perform any choreography full out." (I'm going to bet noise free will be the hard part.)
The summer camp will start July 13 and run five times a week for the next two weeks ending July 24. “Camp Classes” will be from 2-4 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There will be a maximum of 20 students in the camp. No auditions will be required to enter the program and roles will be cast during rehearsals. Cost for the online class is $300. A final video performance of the show will be provided to families! Students must register online.
Planning for ArtsFest!

Nancy Turrell, executive director of the Arts Council of Martin County , steered me to these Calls for Artists on their website, martinarts.org. Many other artist opportunities are listed there along with news of events and links to resources for artists. Turrell plans to have a virtual meeting next week "with leaders from most of our large events, primarily outdoor events, to have a conversation about collaboration and a possible survey to gauge people's willingness to participate and what they will expect when they do attend."

Deadline to apply:  October 1, 2020
The Arts Foundation for Martin County invites artists to apply to be an exhibitor at our 34th annual ArtsFest on February 20 & 21, 2021 in beautiful Memorial Park in Downtown Stuart. A hometown celebration of local arts and culture, the 2-day event provides the area with exceptional fine art and craft exhibitors, culinary arts, hands-on activities for the family, and a variety of live musical and theatrical performances. From its genesis in 1988, ArtsFest has become one of the Treasure Coast’s most beloved and best-attended community events attracting arts patrons, collectors, residents, and visitors to the City of Stuart during Florida's busy winter season. ArtsFest Stuart has been chosen annually as a Southeast Tourism Society "Top 20 Event" since 2016!
Deadline to apply:  August 19, 2020
The Arts Council of Martin County, Florida invites artists residing in Florida to participate in its 30th Annual All Florida Juried Arts Show. Selected works will be exhibited at the Court House Cultural Center from Tuesday, October 13 through Saturday, December 12, 2020.
From Sunrise Theatre, Fort Pierce:

You can be "Bad To The Bone" With A signed Epiphone guitar by George Thorogood with a letter of authenticity.

Tickets are 1 for $25 or 5 for $100 and are available online.
Deadline is Monday, July 27th at 12pm.

Funds go to support YOUR community Sunrise Theatre during this time so we can keep the light on for you this upcoming season.
Ever Cuddled a Cuttle? Is this guy cute, or what?



The Museum is home to five newborn Stumpy Cuttles! The infant Sepia bandensis (below) were born the first week of June 2020, hatching from eggs laid by one of our resident cuttles. They currently measure around 7 mm (about 0.3 inch); the species, which may reach 70 mm (2.8 inches), and is native to the Philippines, Indonesia, and neighboring areas.

 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel, FL
They're a series of classes, not one-off workshops. Register online for Hatha Yoga Online; Photography, What's the Big Idea?; and Modern Calligraphy.
Like it or not, it's not unusual for event schedules to change, often at almost the last minute. Verify, double check, and then do it again before you head out the door. And when you do go out, take a mask. Without one, you risk being turned away.
Volunteers Needed at VB Theatre Guil d

From front of house to set production, there's an opportunity for everyone.
Entry information for the All Florida Juried Show is online now. 

The Arts Council of Martin County has made some exciting additions to its website in these months of downtime. There's a long list of Calls to Artists, a Members' Showcase, a page for Coronavirus/COVID-19 Resources for Arts organizations & Artists, and an Artist Registry for council member artists.

Read the spring/summer issue of MartinArts Magazine online, but be aware that it was published before all this happened.
For updates on gallery openings and classes in Melbourne and surrounding Brevard County, check the Brevard Cultural Alliance website and individual gallery social media.
With the extended deadline for event entries in the Cultural Council of Indian River County's 2020-2021 Cultural Guide, the Art of Networking that is the kickoff for the publication's distribution has been moved back to October. Stay tuned for location and date.

Final deadline for everything is August 1st. From Lisa Lindner, who's putting it all together: "Of course it helps us to receive it earlier. I'd like to start letting folks know to have their events listed in the Guide they need to enter them on the calendar   culturalcalendar.org  and then also email info@cultural– council.org  with a list of events so we have a double check. 

Thanks to Brevard Cultural Alliance for the Facebook post about Cheddar Paws Dog Art in Pennsylvania.

Their mission is to donate paintings of dogs in shelters that are being overlooked. A painting then goes along with the dog when they it's adopted. 
Helping People Succeed’s 2021 Art for Living Calendar will accept 13 artists for the next issue. Details for entering are online.

The deadline for entries is July 13. PLEASE NOTE: Artists must be more than 18 years old to submit an entry for the 2021 Art for Living Calendar. 
The Casselberry Art House , located at 127 Quail Pond Circle, Casselberry, is closed due to COVID-19 precautions, but the show must go on…online!
The 2020 Recycled Art Virtual Exhibit features over forty artists of all ages and skill levels who contributed over 70 pieces of artwork made from at least 50% recycled materials, whether discarded or found objects, manmade or organic materials.
Due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19, the annual juried photography exhibition Through the Eye of the Camera will not be held this season as planned.

The Museum is encouraging photographers instead to post their images on social media with the hashtag #EyeAmCreative, to share their artistry for people to enjoy during isolation and beyond the Museum’s walls during these uncertain times.

This favorite yearly competition will return!
Ongoing - Spring 2020
From BirdWatching Magazine:

The winners of the contest have been announced. California photographer Sha Lu took the blue ribbon for her photo of White-Tailed Kites handing off a meal in flight. See all the winners on the website, as well as announcements of new contests.
From the Boston Symphony Orchestra:

Boston Symphony launches first-ever Summerlong Tanglewood Online Festival this week at  WWW.TANGLEWOOD.ORG

VIEW COMPLETE TANGLEWOOD 2020 ONLINE FESTIVAL  SCHEDULE, July 1-August 23, 2020.
The Vero Beach Art Club is bringing back classes slowly. with virtual art classes every Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m. Register and get the Zoom platform link on the club's website .

Beginning this month, VBAC president Camy De Mario will teach kids' art classes for budding illustrators age 6-8. Classes are limited to six students and will be at the annex.

Sue Dinenno has ongoing classes at Artists Guild Gallery.

Five free events to stream this week - from Carousel to Dance Theatre of Harlem.
From Palm Beach Cultural Council:
Virtual Summer Programs at the PBC Cultural Council

Although the Cultural Council's building remains closed to the public, the Council is now offering  Virtual Summer Programs  to highlight works by local visual & performing artists while giving community members the chance to enjoy an arts-filled summer from the comfort of home.

These free programs run through September and include the first-ever  Virtual Summer Performing Arts Series  and  four virtual exhibitions.



Miguel Bonachea is an experienced guitarist and instructor. He served as a professor at prestigious Universities in Cuba and Colombia for 20 years. Several of his students are recognized figures in the international classical guitar arena today. Philosopher and music critic Dr. Marc-Jean Bernard has written about him: "His musical technique and culture of the instrument is based on a deep understanding of aesthetical dimensions of Music. He is simultaneously a great guitarist and a great educator."

Photo: Niurka Barroso


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.
Classical Guitar
Live via Skype or archived on YouTube
For more information and to register: veroclassicalguitar@gmail.com
Trumpet Lessons
Call or text: (772) 532-2083 or email annora.daige@gmail.com
Piano Instruction
For more information and to register: E mail  drmdflores@comcast.net
Piano Instruction

https://www.facebook.com/soliviapiano/
LIBRARIES - IF YOU GO (ONLINE)
Scroll down for guidelines for submitting calendar items and feature suggestions to ARTS BLAST.

Send comments to  willi@willimiller.com .
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Please share this to help Arts Blast reach more readers and spread the word.

As always, For Helen Miller 
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)
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:

IMPORTANT: In order to promote your events as a member of the Cultural Council, you must enter your event on the CCIRC calendar via this link:  https://www.calendarwiz.com/culturalcouncil and click on "Submit your event"
The deadline is MONDAY - 10 days prior to the Wednesday publication.
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