Volume 3 No. 32 |October 29, 2021 |
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Sharing our wealth of arts and culture. We're having an ARTS BLAST!
Promoting The Arts & Arts Councils Everywhere
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ARTS NEWS
& PROFILES
FROM
FLORIDA'S
TREASURE COAST & BEYOND
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Thank You for Your Support of Arts Blast & Arts Blast on the Air! |
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Arts Blast on the Air
Now a Downloadable Podcast
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Arts Blast on the Air is not an audible version of Willi Miller's Arts Blast, as you'll discover when you click on a show link. The weekly radio show offers interviews with people active in the arts locally, regionally, and nationally. The addition of a downloadable podcast is an exciting step for Willi Miller's Arts Blast!
THIS WEEK: NANCY TURRELL AND ALYONA USHE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS OF, RESPECTIVELY, MARTIN ARTS AND THE ST. LUCIE CULTURAL ALLIANCE.
It would not be possible without our great sponsors, Riverside Theatre and Ballet Vero Beach, collaborator Donna Roberts Mitchell, and our tech guy, Jesse Krispke. Thanks for listening!
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It's Downtown Vero Beach Oct. 29
Next Week - First Fridays
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Bookmark On the Calendar at WilliMiller.com for frequent updates. Calls for Artists, Auditions, & Volunteers are now online.
Catch up with events at Willi Miller's Arts Blast on Facebook and pick up some laughs and interesting info on the Willi Miller's Arts Blast Extras page.
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Plan your season with Arts Blast's calendar
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In This Issue - October 29, 2021
A Few Creepy Halloween Things
Lucky 14 for Gallery 14!
PICS Art Show Winners
Rock and Gem Show
Jamari Johnson Williams and the
Gifford Youth Orchestra Concert
Auditions at Melbourne Civic Theatre(MCT)
Swingtime Vocal Trio
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Art in the Park is Back October 31
The Stebbins Collection at Morse Museum
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A Few Creepy Halloween Things |
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Oct. 29, 7 p.m. - βThe Man Who Laughsβ silent film and organ concert by Andrew R. Galuska (Suggested Donation of $10) at Community Church of Vero Beach
Oct. 30, 10 a.m. - City of Vero Beach Recreation Department's Halloween Car Parade Beachland Blvd. to Sexton Plaza
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Oct. 29&30 - Rocky Horror at the Barn Theatre
Oct. 30, 7-11 p.m. - Authentic Paranormal Investigation at Elliott Museum
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Oct. 29-31, dusk - Haunted House at The Lindsay School of the Arts - Ticketed
Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 7 p.m. - Mercy Asylum Haunted House
Oct. 31, 4-7 p.m. - BOOtanical Halloween at Port St.Lucie Botanical Gardens
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Through Oct. 31: The Rocky Horror Show, Live, Titusville Playhouse
Through Nov. 17: Evil Dead, The Musical, Titusville Playhouse
Oct 29: Monster Mash Sock Hop, Melbourne Municipal Band, Melbourne Auditorium
Oct 29-31: Halloween Plays, Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse
Oct 30 & 31: Boo at the Zoo, Brevard Zoo, Melbourne
Oct 29-31: The House on Foggy Bluff Ghost Walk Tours, Green Gables, Melbourne
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Oct. 29, 30 - Eerie Evening at the Tampa Bay Hotel - Henry B. Plant Museum
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Gallery 14 on 14th Avenue (Vero Beach) Celebrates 14 Years! |
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Congratulations to the artist owners of Gallery 14 as they celebrate 14 years on 14th Avenue in Vero Beach! Dorothy Knapp Schindel, one of the founding partners, shares the gallery's history with Arts Blast here. |
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Fourteen years ago in the year 2007, fourteen like minded artists, many strangers to one another, came together with a dream. This unique opportunity lead to the formulation of a cultural mission and Gallery 14 recognized the role it could play in bringing a new identity to the historic downtown area of Vero Beach. Success brings growth and soon the momentum accelerated transforming 14th Avenue and vicinity into a new destination for tourist, artists and residents alike. Gallery 14 introduced the Stroll concept in the district thus firmly solidifying the art community. The galleries open their doors and welcome visitors for a stimulating evening of art exposure and community camaraderie the First Friday of each month. The Arts District has now become a destination for art enthusiasts, where art banners fly, the shuttle rolls, the wine flows and people can enjoy seeing one another in an inspirational, art filled atmosphere.
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Through the years Gallery 14 has hosted exhibits of guest artists, ranging from local, national, international, emerging and collectible. Always with the goal of introducing new and stimulating art to their patrons....emphasizing education through exposure. As a group the ideas kept flowing.....from multi event Art Meets Fashion with chic couture fashion show, to charity events such as Our Beautiful Waters, and artists competitives with judging and award recognition. Supporting the arts through community outreach and involvement solidified Gallery 14's presence in the visual arts area. The Gallery has proudly created fund raising events for numerous charities, including breast cancer initiatives, animal rights institutions and climate and environmental organizations. |
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In our 14th year, Gallery 14 now consists of eight dedicated artist-owners, the first six of whom are founding partners: Lila Blakeslee, Barbara du Pont, Mary Ann Hall, Barbara Landry, Deborah Morrell Polackwich, Dorothy Napp Schindel, Edgardo Abello and George PillorgΓ©. The artists form a diverse group of professionals representing work in multiple mediums with each responsible for an area of the Gallery's operation. This has been a formula for success! There are monthly revolving exhibits featuring new work and old favorites from the partners and the talented eight popular artist they represent, punctuated by one or more featured guest artists.
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The Gallery takes pride in the ability to evolve with the times. In addition to social media sites, it has a prominent on-line presence with an informational, virtual, and e-commerce website. Artist-owner, represented artists and guest collections are readily available to view and purchase, with shipping options for those that are not able to visit the Gallery in person for that must have piece of art. This evolution through the years of flexibility, exploration, and an optimistic attitude has proved a valuable asset in the Gallery's longevity as it enters this 14th milestone year of operation. The best is yet to come!
Photo above supplied by Gallery 14: By Jon Pine for Vero Beach Magazine 2008
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Guest artists for November at Gallery 14 are glass mosaic artist Anita Prentice and mixed media collage artist Christine Peloquin.
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There will be a reception as part of the First Friday Gallery Stroll on November 5th from 5-8pm. All are invited. |
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St. Lucie County Rock and Gem Show This Weekend |
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From time to time I have an interview that directs a part of my life for years. One of those was for Arts Spotlight with Hannah Pollack, talking about the St. Lucie County Rock and Gem Club's show and sale. At the end of the recording, she said I should come down to the club for a tour. It took months for that to happen, but once it did, I was hooked.
I started with wire wrapping, moved on to silversmithing and enameling, stained glass, fused glass, and beads made from molten glass, then finishing with cabbing (shaping and polishing stones to jewelry quality). I loved them all and lament the current lack of time to spend in my studio.
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Every year, barring pandemics, the club has a show and sale that's open to the public. The setting has changed over the years but the MidFlorida Event Center in Port St. Lucie became its permanent home in 2019. This year, the show falls on Halloween weekend, October 30, 9 - 5, and October 31, 10 - 4. Tickets are $5, children free, and a $1-off coupon is available online.
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Artists and vendors (100 this year) will offer handcrafted jewelry created from beads, rocks, silver, copper, and more. There will be rock slabs, cabochons (flat-backed) and faceted gemstones.
Sign up for a show class for $5 and make a piece of jewelry to wear home. Club members will also demonstrate a variety of techniques, including bead weaving, faceting (turning a bit of rock into a sparkling gem), creating cabochons, wire wrapping and weaving, and chain maille. Join the St. Lucie County Rock and Gem Club at the show, and for $40 get 14 months for the price of 12.
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A bit of history from the club:
The St. Lucie County Rock and Gem Club was founded in 1975 when area rockhounds decided to organize and share their knowledge and skills. The Club now has more than 100 active members from throughout the region. Classes are offered in the clubβs fully-equipped workshop throughout the year. Each class is taught by a skilled volunteer who is a club member. Classes are held in 8-week increments, with additional βpop-upβ classes available as demand and opportunity occur.
Fees for the classes range from $35 to $65. Open workshop times are also available for a fee to members who have demonstrated experience with the tools and equipment. The monthly general membership meeting is held on the fourth Sunday of the month. Because of COVID, meetings are currently held via Zoom (remote presence via computer). When possible, the club will return to its former gathering place at the White City Methodist Church on Midway Road (opposite Nelson Family Farms) in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome to attend.
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Jamari Johnson Williams
and
The Gifford Youth Orchestra
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A few weeks ago, a very busy Jamari Johnson Williams was my guest on Arts Blast on the Air, somehow grabbing a little time from his Hadestown tour to talk about where life has taken him and about his roots in the Gifford Youth Orchestra. Readers can hear the conversation here and find a Riverside Theatre Cast Chat video on the Riverside website
A Saint Edward's School graduate, Williams grew up in Gifford and attended Indian River County schools.
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From his publicist:
"Pre-pandemic, Jamari made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical Ainβt Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations. National tours include Memphis and Motown the Musical. Favorite regional credits: Hair (Hud, NRT), Smokey Joeβs Cafe (Fred, Palace Theatre, Riverside Theatre) and The Wiz (The Wiz, SDT). He is a proud alumni of the Gifford Youth Orchestra (GYOTigers.org) where he currently sits on the board of directors and manages the Drama department."
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He was one of the first members of the Gifford Youth Orchestra. GYO founder Crystal Bujol told Arts Blast his history with the orchestra. Here are excerpts from her story:
"Jamari Johnson Williams was one of the original 14 students enrolled in the GYO at its inception in 2003. ... An early photo shows him teaching, questioning, and leading the others who made up this charter group. Those attributes never changed. He was never one to follow the crowd, but because of his curiosity about and interest in music, he was teachable.
He was quick to learn and apply everything we put before him. When the gift of an organ was made available to the GYO, he was the one to put up his hand with the request that it be moved into his room. Overnight he became an organist! Another photo shows the cello being introduced to the GYO at one of our summer camps. Up went his hand to add that instrument to his talent menu. ...
When the GYO was invited to perform with the Las Vegas Jazz Band, Jamari was the first to jump on the plane without fear ..., jump into the front seat of the roller coaster ..., and just as fearlessly absorb the last-minute changes the band made while warming up for the performance. In fact, he was so good at it and quick to apply it that ... I caught a photo of him helping some of the professional and highly trained musicians make changes on their lead sheets.
Through the years when he was the lead director for GYOβs 1st String Ensemble, he not only brought ideas for the groupβs music selections, but diligently worked with individual students and led the group during rehearsals as well as performances. I have photos of him serving as a teacher and as the first concert master, though that title was never assigned to him, but he was exactly that.
One of my fondest memories of Jamariβs years as a GYO musician is that while on St. Edwardβs winning team he braved his fellow football playersβ possible taunts as he walked the halls with his violin in hand, football helmet in the other, and cleats on his feet. Just hearing him talk about it was exciting to all of the students. So much so that when the next young man decided to play football, he, too carried his violin around in his football uniform! Jamari was always his own creative person, strong willed but willing to be a beautiful team player.
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Not only did Jamari take the teaching of the GYO to larger circles in the world, he also brought what he learned back to the GYO to assist in building it up. His stage and vocal performances at St. Edwards that brought the house down were also the biggest attraction to GYO musicians who put his calendar on theirs and followed him wherever and whenever he was performing. ... His desire to take the GYO forward is evident as ... he now serves as an active and contributing member of the GYO Board of Directors β the youngest ever board member and the first graduate of the GYO to do so.
Jamari was much loved, much appreciated, and highly respected by the GYO board, staff, and audiences then and now.
My favorite story about his service on the board took place while he was serving as a member of the GYO team being interviewed by the Quail Valley Charities for a possible grant award. After all the discussion, questions, and answers, he offered what I suspect no other organization ever added to any such interview. Much to the delight of all the women on their committee and other members of the GYO team, Jamari serenaded the Quail Valley Committee with one of the songs from his repertoire as the swing soloist from the Broadway production he was appearing in. The happiness shining on their faces and joy in their voices is something my heart will hold dear forever. It was a win-win for everyone β¦ and that is so Jamari Johnson Williamsβ signature piece.
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Gifford Youth Orchestra Concert
The 18th Annual Gifford Youth Orchestra concert will be at the Gifford Community Center, at 4855 43rd Avenue, November 6, 2 p.m.
After last yearβs virtual concert, this yearβs concert will be an in-person celebration of music performed by the amazing students in the GYO program.
Five Indian River County Rotary Clubs are collectively sponsoring a special segment of the concert dedicated to the Peace Initiative. Musician Jeryl Thompson wrote a special composition for the occasion, which will have its world premiere at the concert. The song will be presented in a unique and creative way by the students and teachers.
Under the direction of Joan Haar (Music Director), Sue Lorimier (Piano Instructor) and Lynn DiMenna (Vocal Instructor), students will perform with stringed instruments, on the piano, in music ensembles, and in vocal works.
For one student, Jada Powell, this will be her last concert as she graduates from Vero Beach High School in the Spring of 2022. As Concert Master, Ms. Powell will be performing solo as well as directing all other students.
The concert is FREE but donations will be accepted. Masks are not required, but are highly recommended.
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From the Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation:
Laura's Wish List
Laura did most of her writing on a 1935 Alder Typewriter. We are looking for one to add to Laura's historic house and museum. If you know anyone who owns one and would like to donate it to us, or if you can help us track one down, please contact us at admin@lrjf.org.
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Auditions at Melbourne Civic Theatre(MCT) |
ALMOST, MAINE BY JOHN CARIANI
Welcome to Almost, Maine. A town so far north itβs almost in Canada. Well, almost. One cold, clear Friday night in the middle of winter, while the northern lights hover in the sky above, Almostβs residents find themselves falling in and out of love in the strangest ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. Love is lost, found, and confounded. And life for the people of Almost, Maine will never be the same. Almost, Maine: Itβs love. But not quite.
Directed by Peg Girard. Auditions will be held November 7th & 8th at 7 pm at the theater. Production dates are January 14 β February 20, 2022 (Saturday matinee on February 5th at 2pm).
Actors will be asked to read cold from the script.
Masks are encouraged
WHO: Melbourne Civic Theatre (MCT)
WHAT: AUDITIONS: Almost, Maine by John Cariani
When: November 7th and 8th at 7p.m.
Where: Melbourne Civic Theatre
Box Office Phone: 321-723-6935
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Swingtime Vocal Trio
The Swingtimers Vocal Trio (SVT), a small ensemble of the Melbourne Municipal Band, will present an outdoor concert at The Avenue Viera on November 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is part of the Sunday Jazz in the Park series and will be at 2261 Town Center Ave., Viera. The concert is free.
SVT will perform a wide variety of songs. They include Manhattan Transfer music such as Candy, Trickle Trickle, Poinciana, and Route 66. The trio also will perform the Beatles tribute to Beethoven, Because, as well as some Spanish pieces like Cuando Calienta el Sol, and more from the Great American Songbook β Stormy Weather, Sunnyside of the Street, and The Impossible Dream.
βWe specialize in close harmony, so expect some lush harmony in these tunes,β said Dave Hutson, SVT founder and baritone. βWeβre excited to be part of Sunday Jazz in the Park and encourage everyone to come out for this fun musical event.β
In addition to Hutson, the trio includes soprano Connie Maltby, who also performs with several choirs and the Space Coast Symphony Jazz Band; and alto Diana Sageser, who also sings with the Harbor City Band.
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Vero Beach Art Club's first Art in the Park of the new season is October 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Humiston Park on Ocean Drive |
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The 2021 PICS show winners |
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Photo: Judges Dan Kroeger and Warren Obluck
Winning Entries:
Best of Show is Cathy Ferrell's Fishing the Flats sculpture (3D).
Photography
Toni Wooldridge's Turtle Trax 1st place,
Michele Loftus-Trzcinski's The Odd Couple 2nd place,
Valerie Mayton's Ducks in Duckweed took 3rd;
2-Dimensional
Ms. Quentin Walter's Escape Into the Clouds 1st place,
Lisa Rose's Pelican Dance 2nd place and
Maureen Fitzpatrick's Mangroves at Key Largo took 3rd;
3-Dimensional
Cathy Ferrell's Skimming the Tree Tops 1st place,
Mallory Mixson O'Malley's Night Herons 2nd place and
Gary Gresko's Flame Pod 3rd;
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Mixed Media
Grace Cormier's Nature 1st place,
Alma Arizpe's Morada Ray 2nd and
Andrea Levinson's Under the Sea 3rd;
Watercolor
Beverly Tyson's After Heade 1st place,
Pam Webb's Junge Seagrapes 2nd and
Laura Doll's Tri-Colored Night Heron 3rd;
Oil
Judy Burgarella's An Artist's Palette 1st place,
Linda Fleischman's Pelicans 2nd and
Susan Miiller's Soaring 3rd;
Acrylic
Judy Burgarella's Blue Heron & Orchids 1st place,
Richard Gillmor's Sebastian Mangrove 2nd place and
Peter Coe's Memories: Jones Fruit Farm 3rd;
Plein Air painted Saturday at ELC
Lee G Smith 1st place,
May Brandt 2nd and
Judy Burgarella 3rd;
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CCIRC Artists & Friends at Vero Beach Museum of Art |
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The Vero Beach Museum of Art begins the fall season with American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection, in partnership with the Art Bridges Foundation, in the Holmes and Schumann Galleries through January 2, 2022.
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The Museum extended an invitation to members of the Cultural Council of Indian River County to submit their work to be juried into the exhibit. A total of 25 artists and 42 pieces are on display in the Patten Community Gallery at Vero Beach Museum of Art.
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Exhibiting local artists include Domenico Amelio, Dennis Bartholomew, Judy Burgarella, Andy Burnam, Meran Cadorette, Ella Chabot, Jim Cohoe, LInda Drake, Joan Earnhart, Gail Jaffe,Viola Knudsen, Barbara Landry, Sheila McAvoy, Gwen McNenney, Suzanne Mellott, Michelle Nevaeh, Ginny Piech Street, Anita Prentice, Steve Reid, Lori Rowe, Mark San Souci, Dorothy Knapp Schindel, Yvonne Steere, Cathleen Sullivan, Patricia Willis, Patty Wright, and Linda Drake. |
From Vero Beach Museum of Art:
Folk artists, sometimes referred to as self-taught artists, are individuals whose talents emerged from personal experience rather than formal training. Their creations are beautiful, diverse, truthful, often utilitarian, and rooted in their individual heritage or community. The works in American Perspectives are organized into four sectionsβ-Founders, Travelers, Philosophers, and Seekersβ-βthat respond to such themes as nationhood, freedom, community, imagination, opportunity, and legacy.
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The exhibition is organized by the American Folk Art Museum, New York, with support provided by Artβ―Bridges. It was originally curated for installation at the American Folk Art Museum, February 11, 2020βββJanuary 3, 2021, by Stacy C. Hollander, Independent Curator. The tour was coordinated by Emelie Gevalt, Curator of Folk Art, the American Folk Art. The exhibition offers more than 90 examples of American folk art that include paintings, pottery, quilts, needlework, and sculpture. Carousel figures, wood carvings, and dolls join the traditional portrait and landscape paintings.
Museum visitors are encouraged to participate in a series of upcoming related programming including lectures, studio art classes, artist workshops, Art Talks, and artmaking projects for families. For more information and to register for programs please visit the website www.vbmuseum.org call (772) 231-0707 ext. 136.
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Senior Curator Anke Van Wagenberg said, "Beautiful, diverse, and truthful, the art illuminates the thoughts and experiences of indivduals with an immediacy that is palpable and unique to these expressions. Visitors will be able to access contextual information in the exhibition to further reveal the vital role that folk art plays as a witness to history, carrier of cultural heritage, and a reflection of the world at large through the eyes, heart, and mind of the artist" |
Photos, counterclockwise from top left: HORSE; SPILT MILK Merana Cadorette; SISTER'S SUNBEAMS - SHEILA McAVOY; SIX ROOSTERS - Judy Burgarella; BAKERSFIELD - Lori Rowe .
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Have Faith - Healing is at Hand
Faith Healer opens a six-performance run at A.C.T. Studio Theatre in Stuart. "Throughout the remote and forgotten corners of the British Isles, βfaith healerβ Frank Hardy offers the promise of redemption to the sick and the suffering. But his is an unreliable gift, a dangerous calling. The compelling events delivered masterfully through competing monologues reveal the elusiveness of reality, fragility of memory and the necessity of stories as a means of survival."
The 2006 Broadway Revival was recipient of four Tony nominations.
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Miami Book Fair kicks off November 14 but online events are happening now.
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Morse Museum's Stebbins Collection |
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The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, 445 North Park Avenue Winter Park invites the public to the November 9 opening of The Stebbins Collection: A Gift for the Morse Museum. It introduces to the public for the first time a previously held private collection of seventy works of art by fifty-three artists. From paintings and sculpture to works on paper, the Stebbins Collection includes American masters from Thomas Moran (1837β1926) and Albert Bierstadt (1830β1902) to Thomas Eakins (1844β1916) and Fidelia Bridges (1834β1923).
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Morse's Curator of American Painting, Dr. Regina Palm, said, "The Stebbins Collection represents a wonderful group of 19th-century artists at the height of their abilities."
Theodore E. Stebbins Jr. and Susan Cragg Stebbins have given their gift in honor of Mrs. Stebbins' parents, Evelyn and Henry Cragg, longtim residents of Winter Park.
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Photos Courtesy of The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Winter Park, FL
Upper left: Barnard Castle - Thomas Moran
Below:
Saying Good Night - Walter Granville Smith; Enthroned - Bessie Potter Vonnoh
Mixed Flowers - Martin Johnson Heade
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Event schedules can 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. |
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Copyright Β©2019-2021 Willi Miller's ARTS BLAST!, all rights reserved.
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