Volume 2 No. 2 |January 7, 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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As you're reading this issue of Arts Blast
, the temperatures are cool but the season is sizzling hot. You might not realize it if your head is already spinning from trying to keep track of the crammed-full Arts Blast On the Calendar, but for some arts organizations, things don't really start moving at full speed until January. You might need to add extra pages to your daily planner.
It isn't every day we get to celebrate a
250th birthday. It's such a momentous event that the world will be honoring Beethoven and his work all this year, so watch for news of concerts and lectures.
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Updated On the Calendar emails have been going out frequently as I try to catch up after surgery, but going forward, I'll aim for two weekly updates. Beyond that, events will be added on the Willi Miller's Arts Blast Facebook page. Scroll down for some of the things going on in the next couple of days.
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History Comes Alive in Fort Pierce
Vero Beach Opera's Barber
New Digs for VB Art Club
Atlantic Classical Orchestra Opens Its Season
Artisans of Martin County
Artists, ELC Wants You for a New Artist Series
H
2O Trickle Down at Lighthouse
Notes from the Internet
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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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Vero Beach Opera Season Opens with Barber
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In the words of Joan Ortega-Cowan, president of Vero Beach Opera, "We've come a long way, Baby!" The original Vero Beach Opera Guild was created more than thirty years ago and reorganized in 2003 with a mission "to produce, promote, support and present grand opera through operatic concerts and operas."
The season we see on stage at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center each year begins eighteen months before the first curtain goes up. Joan, her husband, Artistic Director Román, and a dedicated board of directors put the program together, including the vocal competitions that began in 2015. The first one was produced by the Marcello Giordani Foundation and in 2016, Metropolitan Opera star Deborah Voigt held her first international competition with VBO.
The opera world unexpectedly lost Giordani last year. Roman said, "
A giant has fallen, and forever we will remember him as a performer, but most importantly, as a dear personal friend who supported VBO with great passion. May his soul rest in peace."
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This season begins with a fully staged opera, Rossini's The Barber of Seville. The complete operas have been so well received, Roman said, that "w
e are seriously considering two full operas as a regular Season program, starting with the 2021 Season.
One of the VBO competition stars, David Pershall, will play Figaro in The Barber of Seville.
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Fort Pierce Comes Alive with History
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For the fourth year, downtown Fort Pierce and environs will take visitors back in time as far as the 1800s with the Treasure Coast History Festival, produced by
Indian River Magazine Inc. in association with Main Street Fort Pierce, Sunrise Ford/Volkswagen, the St. Lucie County Historical Society
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the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery and the Sunrise Theatre.
The festival is an all-day event "
featuring historical re-enactors, ghost tours, historical trolley rides, sessions on historical topics, and an old-Florida fish fry," said Gregory Enns, Indian River magazine's publisher. “This is our way of celebrating the rich past of the Treasure Coast. We hope newcomers will attend to learn more about the history of the region while old-timers can reconnect with their friends.''
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Enns has a fairly unique claim to historic authenticity. His family arrived in Florida in 1878 and settled in Fort Pierce on the Treasure Coast in 1901.
“I have a special interest in Treasure Coast history because of my roots,’’ Enns said. “One of the magazine’s most popular sections is our Living History department, so we began presenting the History Festival as an extension of that.’'
The festival will offer events to interest just about anybody. It all begins at 9 a.m., with historical re-enactors ranging from Seminole War soldiers from the 1800s to early settlers in the 1900s depicting early life on the Treasure Coast.
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Larry Lawson will give free historical ghost tours, authors with books on the history of the Treasure Coast will be in Authors Alley, and the first family of fishing, the Summerlins, will provide a fish fry to purchase. Sessions on historical topics will be in the Sunrise Theatre's Black Box: BillyJohnson's Fort Pierce, The Ais Natives of the Treasure Coast, and We Remember Backus.
Reservations are required for some events, some in advance. Check the
website or
Facebook page for details. Photos provided by Indian River magazine.
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On the Calendar January 7, 2020
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Indian River County
Jan. 7-26 - Thoroughly Modern Millie at Riverside Theatre.
Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m. - Atlantic Classical Orchestra Masterworks I - Variations. Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Dvorak at Community Church of Vero Beach. Gabriela Martinez plays Rachmaninoff.
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St. Lucie County
Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28, 7 p.m. - Fort Pierce Jazz & Blues Society Jazz at Sunrise Black Box.
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Brevard County
Jan. 7- Feb. 2 - Sense of Humor at Strawbridge Art League and Gallery, Melbourne.
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Martin County
Jan. 5-7, 7 p.m. - Auditions for Noises Off at The Barn Theatre, Stuart. Registration begins at 6:30.
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Palm Beach County
Jan. 7 - Any Old Time: A Night of Tribute to Jimmie Rodgers at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FAU, Jupiter.
Jan. 7, 7 p.m. - Artist Talk with Larry Miller at Artists Guild Gallery, 2910 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton.
Jan. 7-12 - A Bronx Tale at Kravis Center, WPB
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The Carpenters Remembered at the Emerson Center, Vero Beach, Jan. 11, 7 p.m.
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It’s a “Jazz to Classics Concert” featuring both the Fort Pierce
Jazz & Blues Society and mezzo soprano Maire Therese Carmack Saturday, January 11 at 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Vero Beach. The concert is presented by Music Angels Education Fund, Inc. and all proceeds will benefit this nonprofit to help provide Indian River County children with music scholarships. A r
eception will immediately follow concert. Tickets are $35 pp in advance or $40 at the door. For more info contact Linda Sposato at 484-885-7492 or
info@musicangelsusa.o
rg.
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Jan. 11-12 - Lake Okeechobee News presents and Outdoor Expo on the grounds of Okeechobee County Agri-Civic Center, 4601 Florida 710. $5 general admission; 16 and under free.
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Martin Artisans
Open Their Studios
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Get a low-key start on the
Martin Artisans Guild Open Studio Tour at the VIP Opening Reception and Preview Jan. 10 at the Elliott Museum. Tour Taste 2020 will be at the Elliott through Jan. 12 with the studio tour of studios all around Martin County Jan. 18-19.
This is the event's fourth year and it's going to be a challenge for those taking the tour. There will be forty-seven artists in thirty different locations, so prepare your sneakers and pack a water bottle and maybe a protein snack for sustenance.
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All studios will be open for visitors 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. both days. Fiber artist Suzanne Connors said, "
The tours are self-guided with the help of printed booklets and maps or a downloadable app. Visitors may choose to see whichever studios appeal to them. Sample images of all the artists’ work are included in the booklets. There is no charge to take the tour."
All artists will be in attendance at the preview reception.
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New Digs for Vero Beach Art Club
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The die is cast, the lease is signed, and the Vero Beach Art Club is spreading its wings. VBAC has joined the vibrant arts scene in downtown Vero Beach with the opening of its Annex at 1791 Old Dixie Highway.
The VBAC/Vero Beach Museum of Art connections remain intact, with the annex the hub for club activities and events.
Rosemary Polsky-Newman, club president, said. "T
he club is fully maintaining our ties with the Vero Beach Museum of Art, including our office space, the Members’ Invitational, Art by the Sea and Open Studios." Watch for the grand opening during First Friday Gallery Stroll in February.
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The next big Vero Beach Art Club event is the 32nd annual Art by the Sea, Jan. 18-19 at Vero Beach Museum of Art. A reception, awards presentations, and sale preview will be Jan. 17. Get details on the
website. Art in the Park - Humiston Park - continues Jan. 26.
Photo:
Rosemary Polsky-Newman, Christina Barber, Camy DeMario
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Atlantic Classical Orchestra
Celebrates 30 Years
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Not long after Andrew McMullan, his wife, Jean, and a handful of top-notch musicians started building the Atlantic Classical Orchestra from the ground up, I had my first conversation with Andy for Arts Spotlight on WQCS. We talked often over the years as the ACO grew into the dynamic organization it was to become.
When Andy retired, he passed the baton to Maestro Stewart Robertson, who added even more layers to the ACO offering. Then Maestro David Amado stepped onto the conductor's podium several years ago and the tradition of excellence continued.
Reminiscing in an email this week, Jean McMullan said, "
Imagine - we are still fulfilling a need for a top notch professional orchestra music in the Treasure Coast region." And with no end in sight, Jean.
The Atlantic Classical Orchestra's Masterworks Series begins this week in Vero Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and Stuart, and the Chamber Music Series opens Jan. 25/26 in Stuart and Vero Beach.
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A Trickle of H
2
O at the Lighthouse ArtCenter
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Those who recall the headline-grabbing campaign for Florida's waters from several years ago will remember the dynamo behind it, Janeen Mason. Now curator at Lighthouse ArtCenter, Mason is bringing back her passion with the newest exhibition there, H
2
O Trickle Down. She said, "
I'm still hungry to make a lasting change in the state of our water quality. So... Last winter I made a list of the best environmental filmmakers and photographers Florida has to offer. Imagine my satisfaction when each one of them agreed to show with me."
Mason's list includes:
Tom Fitz
, six-time Emmy award-winner, has filmed all over the world for the BBC, PBS, National Geographic, and the Smithsonian.
Clyde Butcher
, a legendary photographer and national treasure.
Carlton Ward, Jr.
, a conservation photographer and National Geographic Explorer, with a passion for nature.
Edie Widder, PhD
, received the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship for her work with Ocean Research and Conservation Association.
Mac Stone
, a native of Gainesville, grew up on the swamp, wandered the hammocks, and explored the springs where his love blossomed for all creatures that swoop and swirl, slither and slide.
Ruth Petzold,
who followed her passion for nature and photography to exotic and remote locations of the world, both above and below the ocean’s surface.
The original artwork of
Charles Walker
, one of Florida’s surviving Highwaymen painters, is on display in the pop-up gallery.
The exhibition dates are Jan. 16 - Feb. 13.
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From Artnet News:
There are a bevy of significant museum shows
opening across the country in the first half of 2020, ranging from a provocative examination of AI art in San Francisco to a historic survey of El Greco in Chicago. Here’s everything you need to know about the exhibitions we are looking forward to most.
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The move marks the first time in the museum’s 53-year history that it has closed due to smoke (or ever closed for two or more consecutive days). “Closing our doors allows us to mitigate any risk to the public, staff, and works of art on display. We are sorry for any inconvenience,” wrote the museum on
Twitter
on Sunday.
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NEA's 2020 Arts Grants Deadlines
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Grants for Arts Projects applications will be accepted at two deadlines; project types vary for each deadline
. Apply at the deadline with the project type that most closely corresponds to the primary activities within your proposed project (see below for more details). All organizations must apply directly on their own behalf;
applications through a fiscal sponsor/agent are not allowed
.
An organization may submit only one application in the Grants for Arts Projects category,
with the following exception:
Any organization may submit more than one application in the Grants for Arts Projects category through the Media Arts discipline for the July deadline only. See
Applicant Eligibility
for more details.
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Richard Baker,
president of Pelican Island Audubon, would like to see a deep cross section of our community around the Indian River Lagoon gather at the Emerson Center, Vero Beach, Jan. 25 to learn how to landscape "
in a way that is sustainable, cost-effective, and helps enhance quality of life for all. Let’s all be part of the solution!"
Registration begins at 8 a.m. Jan. 25. Tickets are $25 until Jan. 18, then $35. Included is a box lunch from Wood'n Spoon.
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Thank You
Arts Blast Sponsors
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Thank You, Arts Blast Friends and Supporters
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Supporting Arts Councils Everywhere
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LIBRARIES
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IF YOU GO (ONLINE)
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Ft. Pierce Jazz & Blues Society
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Center for Spiritual Care
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Galleries of Historic Downtown Vero Beach Arts District
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Vero Beach Choral Society
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Treasure Coast Community Singers
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Treasure Coast Jazz Society
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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 Willi Miller's ARTS BLAST!, all rights reserved.
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