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Arts Updates, Interviews, Calendar, Calls for Artists and Volunteers, Auditions --- It's All Here in Arts Blast, Arts Blast on the Air, and on Facebook. | Supporting The Arts & Arts Councils Everywhere | |
Volume 5 No. 2| January 13, 2023 | |
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Ignore the date. How can we feel unlucky with so many events to choose from?
Now that the brief lull after the December holidays is wrapping up, it's time to get out a very sharp pencil to begin filling in your dance card for the next several months.
If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to include Man of La Mancha, playing at Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach through the 22nd. I don't generally write reviews, knowing I never want to say anything negative about our community's arts offerings, but I so thoroughly enjoyed this show that I have to share the joy with Arts Blast readers.
Had I landed in Manhattan instead of Vero Beach for Wednesday's matinee? It could have gone either way! The entire cast was superb, delivering the memorable music (Mitch Leigh) and lyrics (Joe Darion) in impeccable style. Special kudos to leads Edward Staudenmayer, Lianne Marie Dobbs, and Tony Chiroldes. The period costumes as well as the solitary set, created by the talented team at Riverside, were perfection, carrying the show through to the standing-ovation curtain call. Thank you, Riverside Theatre!
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Some St. John webcam links, just for the beauty of it.
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Man of la Mancha
House of Refuge
Steven Edgar Bradbury
Virtual Author Talk MC Library System
Galleries at First Pres Opening
Trolls - Really Big Trolls
Enhancing Landscapes with PIAS
Playtime in the Park
Gifford Youth Orchestra
Brevard Happenings
Mangroves and Moonlight at ELC
Make Some Noise in SLC
Brad Meltzer in Vero Beach & on Arts Blast on the Air
...and more!
CHECK THE ARTS BLAST CALENDAR ONLINE FOR DAILY ADDITIONS
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Steven Edgar Bradbury - Artist, Poet, Writer, Translator | |
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Steve Bradbury Translates Life and Art - Warren Obluck
Steve Bradbury couldn’t wait to get out of Miami, where he’d lived most of his life. He was an artist, and his voracious reading had taught him that the only place to be an artist was New York City. Even more, he had just been accepted to Cooper Union, the legendary art school that had produced major figure after major figure in the art world – Audrey Flack, Milton Glaser, Eva Hesse, Alec Katz, R.B. Kitaj, even Lee Krasner. As soon as he graduated from high school, he headed north.
What he hadn’t considered was how he would support himself once he got there. He immersed himself in his classes, excelling in them all. But the jobs he was able to land barely paid the rent. “I was so poor I walked 80 blocks each way from my apartment to the Met every day I was not In class so I could work on making copies,” he recalls.
After a year of struggling, young Steve gave up and left both Cooper Union and New York. He took with him his abiding passion for literature and Chinese painting, sparked by the art covers of translations of classic Chinese poems by Kenneth Rexroth and Ezra Pound.
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Eventually – perhaps inevitably – he ended up in San Francisco, where he studied calligraphy with a teacher from Japan who spoke no English. To communicate, Steve began to learn Japanese at San Francisco State, then Chinese. He studied under Howard Goldblatt, whose distinguished translations into English helped Chinese novelist Mo Yan earn a Nobel Prize in 2012.
With Goldblatt’s strong encouragement, he left California for Taiwan to take his Chinese and calligraphy to the next level. Later, after winning an East-West Center scholarship, he relocated again to the University of Hawaii. There he earned an M.A. in Chinese and his Ph.D. in English. Now fluent in Chinese and back in Taiwan, he taught modern literature at National Central University and cemented a reputation among younger poets not only as a knowing and sympathetic reader but as their translator of choice. That paid off with the 2021 Award from PEN America for Best Poetry in Translation of Taiwanese poet Amang’s “Raised by Wolves: Poems and Conversations,” which is illustrated with brilliant Bradbury drawings.
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Today Steve concentrates his energies on a steady stream of literary translations and his increasingly in-demand art. He lives in Melrose near Gainesville, a region he knows intimately. It is the source of inspiration for his plein air work which, though distinctly contemporary, nevertheless hints at an ancient Chinese sensibility. His drawings and watercolors are unmistakably Floridian yet possessed of an almost otherworldly sense of mystery that lifts them beyond cliché.
Since COVID upended his earlier routines, Steve has taken to walking long distances every morning. He carries a sketch pad and searches purposefully for scenes that capture his interest. “It’s put me in the habit of drawing every day: ‘No day without a line,’” he says, quoting Roman sage Pliny the Elder. The phrase has become Steve’s mantra. “For me it has a double meaning because I’m also a translator and it could just as easily refer to a line of poetry I’m working on as a drawing.”
His walks take him into what he calls “trail house” country, fields crossed by barbed wire fences, hay fields and sink holes. He finds himself especially attracted to the area’s cloudscapes.
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“The great black-and-white photographers of the 19th Century were a big influence on me – especially Gustave Le Gray.” Le Gray was the central figure in French photography of the 1850s and one of the early daguerreotype photographers. “He did the most beautiful skyscapes ever,” he says.
Some might find the demands of literature and art contradictory. Not Steve. “Translating language or nature is absolutely the same. It’s all about close observation -- looking, seeing. Most people paraphrase what they read, but I have to be concerned solely with what’s on the page. It’s the same with landscape art. It’s definitely not about paraphrasing. It’s about trying to look very carefully and drawing what you see.” –Warren Obluck
| Photos, counterclockwise, from top left: Cypress Trunks on the Santa Fe; The Fence Line; A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall; Yarnell Lookout. | |
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A Q&A with the Artist, Steven Edgar Bradbury, (Steve), 70, Melrose, Florida
Why did you choose north/central Florida for your home and studio?
I fell in love with the Ichetucknee Springs and Santa Fe River and Santa Fe Lake and other watering holes when I lived here in the mid 1970s.
You create art with poetry. Do you write poetry?
Yes, I do. Poetry was what I mainly taught and translated when I was an English literature professor and Chinese literary translator. I haven’t published a book-length collection yet, but my poems have appeared in many journals and magazines and anthologies, including Raritan, Plume Poetry, and Jacket 2. In fact, I have a poem in Decade: ten years of poetry and barbecue, published by the Seizin Press Vero, Vero Beach. I have also given several poetry workshops and MCed the Poetry and Barbecue Festival Sean (Sexton) curates.
What made you choose graphite/pencil for your medium?
I gravitate to graphite for several reasons. First, it comes in many forms (pencil, graphite sticks, graphite powder, graphite putty, watercolor graphite), which all have a very distinct range of effects. But I also love it’s silvery sheens, rich blacks and thousand shades of gray, which remind me of film noir and moonlit nights.
Talk about your choice of papers.
The sketchbook I showed you is Quattro Artist Blank, which is a paper sketch pad I work a lot with. Yupo is a Japanese “treeless paper” made of polypropylene that was designed for watercolor artists who don’t want to bother with stretching and taping watercolor paper. It is difficult to work with, but is capable of producing the most amazing effects. And has the additional advantages of not warping when it is wet and of letting you wipe it down and start again if you are not happy with the results.
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I love your business card but the photo made me wonder if there’s any danger in handling graphite to the extent you do.
I researched this out of the same concern, and discovered graphite has no health risks, unlike pastels and oils, which can be quite poisonous.
How are your graphite images protected from accidental smudging?
The only way to protect graphite drawings from smudging is to either spray them with a sealant or put them behind glass. I never spray them because it changes the values of the darks, but also because smudges are often quite interesting. My general practice is to keep the drawing in the sketch pad unless somebody wants to buy it or I want it for a show, then I have my framer, Gail Davis, put it behind glass.
Where will your work be shown after this event?
I have no plans of doing another solo show soon, as I just did two, but I currently have work in several national-juried shows, including the prestige UNC Asheville Annual Drawing Discourse show, which I have often gotten in. I have a Facebook account, where I often post new drawings, and make most of my sales. You can find it by googling Steve Bradbury Melrose.
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Tropic Cancer - Portraits of the Artist Dealing With Cancer | |
Pine Flatwoods - Corkscrew Park | | |
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Riverside Theatre for Kids presents Playtime in the Park, a FREE program for the community’s youngest audience members. Riverside Theatre’s Education division showcases dance and theatre offerings Saturdays, twice a month, on the Theatre’s new outdoor Loop Stage.
These offerings are ideal for kids 2-5, but entertaining for parents and the whole family, too!
January 14 @ 11am – Beginning Jazz, Dance Along with Me (Dance Program)
January 21 @ 11am – Theatre Program Presentation
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The Galleries at First Pres will offer an opening reception of the Sixth Anniversary Art Show on Sunday, January 15, 2023, from 2:00 to 4:00pm. The show will feature the works of local artists Jean Breeding, Cathleen Hahn, and George Kofas. The galleries are located throughout the campus of First Presbyterian Church at 520 Royal Palm Boulevard in Vero Beach. Admission is free, light refreshments will be provided.
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Cathleen Hahn was raised in Roselle, NJ and began winning art competitions at an early age. She attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, yet completed her formal education in MA where she graduated cum laude with a degree in psychology. These divergent interests led to the creation of an advertising and graphic design business which she maintained for 10 years. Upon returning to her native NJ, she focused her efforts in working with nonprofits and soon became the director of a local women's crisis center. In 1992, after the fall of communism, she left for Kiev, Ukraine and established Gloria Ministries Crisis Center for Women named after her Ukranian mother. Five years later and back in the United States Cathleen became certified to teach fine art. Finally, in 2012 after leaving teaching, she earnestly began to develop the gift within her and she began to paint professionally. Currently, Cathleen lives and paints out of her studio on Hutchinson Island. Ocean - Cathleen Hahn
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Jean Breeding’s journey as an artist began in photography, weddings, and glamour. Her home in the mountains and love of nature prompted her to pursue wildflower preservation. She photographed many wildflowers, several on the endangered species list, and was chosen to judge photography contests. Studying with several art teachers, she developed skills to apply nature and people on canvas. Her experiences developed into a business, “Tranquil Nature.” Many of her nature prints are displayed in businesses and institutions throughout Kentucky and Florida.
When invited to display her art, Breeding immediately thought “WOMEN of VALOR” as a title of her show. It encompasses the women she has known, past and present. Outstanding women of different ethnic backgrounds, careers, and possessing qualities of perseverance and determination. All paintings are real people whose life stories exhibit strength, courage, and a strong desire not only to survive, but thrive. Their struggles include a rainbow of sicknesses, abuse, rejection, and loss of children. Bible Study - Jean Breeding
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The work of George Kofas is about Spiritual issues: The Temporal and the Eternal. There are two major ideologies in the art world today. One of these ideologies concerns itself only with the Physical world. Much of Post-Modernist art, in conjunction with the Art-for-Art’s Sake philosophy abides in this tradition. Such art exists within limited perimeters and has no greater purpose. However, another ideology concerns itself with Spiritual issues and the relationship which exists between the Physical and the Spiritual. The work of Caspar David Friedrich, Wassily Kandinsky and Mark Rothko would be such an example. The work of George Kofas attempts to explore issues regarding the interrelationship existing between the Physical and the Spiritual realms and attempts to present various components of the Spiritual. The Path - George Kofas
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Author Talk with Dana K. White
Jan. 17 | 2:00–3:00pm | Free Online Event
Martin County Library System
You’re invited to start your new year calm and collected by learning to become better organized and clutter-free with Dana K. White, creator of popular podcast and blog, A Slob Comes Clean.
Free and open to all!
Will also be available for replay from our library website.
Dana is author of best-sellers Organizing for the Rest of Us & Decluttering at the Speed of Life. While the world seems to be in love with the idea of tiny houses and minimalism, many of us simply can't purge it all and start from nothing. Yet, a home with too much stuff is difficult to maintain, so where do we begin? In this deep-dive webinar, Dana will share actionable mindset shifts that will free you to make fast decluttering progress using minimal emotional energy. In addition, she offers sustainable ideas to simplify and manage your home and will teach you how to make great strides with minimal effort in every room of our home.
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Update from Rob Steele, president and CEO of the Historical Society of Martin County: | |
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After a year-long closure for much-needed restoration, the iconic House of Refuge at Gilbert's Bar is now officially reopened! The beloved "House" has received a comprehensive interior refit of all four buildings on the campus. All the exhibits have been recreated to authentically showcase the line of remarkable stories that have evolved on that site, covering the island’s first inhabitants, the Ais Indians, up through the historic presence of the Lifesaving Service, the US Coast Guard, the US Navy, and Ross Witham's Turtle Rescue operation. The exterior spaces have also undergone extensive repairs, and the remaining outside projects will be completed "on the fly" in 2023.
The fact that this treasured landmark still stands after 148 years is hard to explain. The House has endured 22 hurricanes and the near continual pounding of the tropical elements. It is the last of 10 houses of refuge in the State of Florida. But somehow, it still stands as a testament to the quality materials and craftsmanship of its original construction, as well as to this community's resolute commitment to preserve this precious piece of history.
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The House of Refuge is unquestionably the most photographed and iconic structure on the Treasure Coast, and if you haven't visited in awhile, please put the "House" on your list of things to do! The Boathouse building now serves as a welcome and interpretive center with live weather, water, and surf information, and it’s a convenient outpost to purchase soft drinks, snacks, and last minute beach supplies for the scores of people who frequent the site to enjoy the sand, the sea, and the views.
We have planned a tantalizing offering of events to keep visitors coming back time and again to enjoy the House of Refuge throughout the year. I welcome you to take in the live concerts, lectures, and group tours. This stunning vista also makes an unforgettable setting for private event rentals and weddings.
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A Bit of History from the Website:
The Houses of Refuge were designated as havens for shipwrecked sailors and travelers along the sparsely populated Atlantic coastline of Florida. Run by the United States Lifesaving Service, the Houses played a critical role in a time when sailing ships dominated the world commerce.
The historic structure has weathered many storms and provided needed shelter for shipwreck survivors, including those of the Georges Valentine, an Italian brigantine whose wreckage remains just 100 yards off the rocky shoreline, providing an ideal dive site.
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From My Modern Met:
There is magic to be found in the wilderness. You just have to know where to look! Artist Thomas Dambo is doing his part to make the world a bit more enchanting by spreading his incredible troll sculptures throughout the world. His monumental gentle giants are constructed using recycled wood, branches, and other debris, and they are in forests and along shores just waiting for anyone to find them. Once discovered, their calm demeanor and jovial expressions add delight alongside the surprise of coming upon the larger-than-life fantastical forms.
Dambo’s work spans multiple continents, and his latest collection of trolls was recently constructed in the Peel region of Western Australia. It’s part of Giants of Mandurah, and he’s installed six different trolls throughout the area. Their varying locations have been made into a game and invite visitors to explore the surrounding nature as they try to find them all
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The Environmental Learning Center (ELC) will kick off its 35th-anniversary celebration during its annual fundraiser social, Mangroves and Moonlight, on Saturday evening, January 28th, 5-8 p.m.. Enjoy an evening of live music, small plates, and cocktails on the beautiful ELC lagoon-island campus at 255 Live Oak Drive in Vero Beach. Dance the night away under the stars to live music from the popular local band East Harbor. Wild Thyme Catering will be serving their signature CharCrudite and delectable small plates.
Advance tickets can be purchased online at Eventbrite.com, by mail, or in person at ELC Guest Services prior to the event.
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On Thursday Feb. 23, The Gifford Youth Orchestra will hold its annual GALA at the Quail Valley River Club, 2345 Hwy A1A. The Diamonds and Crystals event will feature guest speaker Captain Winston Scott, a former NASA Astronaut. For 20 years the GYO has offered violin lessons to the children of Gifford where founder Dr. Crystal Bujol believes that changing hearts one violin at a time is worthwhile. She is right as all students who go thru the program, graduate high school and go on to higher education. There will be plenty to eat & drink plus entertainment by the GYO students, as well as a silent auction and 50/50. Only $150 per ticket with sponsorships available. www.gyotigers.org or call 772-213-3007 and ask for Casey Lunceford, the new Executive Director.
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MAKE SOME NOISE! CALL TO MUSICIANS
The St. Lucie Cultural Alliance is looking for great talent to be a part of our festivals!
Art Mind & Soul Fest | April 1 & April 2
A 2-day festival with art, music, dance, yoga, meditation, and so much more.
Levitt AMP Fort Pierce - Music at the Pointe
Saturdays, April 8 - June 10
St. Lucie Cultural Alliance, St. Lucie County Parks & Recs, and the City of Fort Pierce bring ten FREE outdoor music concerts to Museum Pointe Park! Apply now to be considered!
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Brevard Happenings
Jan 13-29: The Miracle Worker, Surfside Players, Cocoa Beach
Jan 13 - Feb 12: Escape to Margaritaville, Titusville Playhouse
Jan 13 – Feb 19: Lettice and Lovage, Melbourne Civic Theatre, Downtown Melbourne
Jan. 14, 7 p.m. - SCSO FanFavorites Jazz Edition at The Scott Center at Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, MLB
Jan. 15, 3:30 and 7 p.m. - Jazz in Our Time - Swingtime Band/Kurt Schulenburg - at Riverside Presbyterian Church
Jan. 15 & 16, 7 p.m. - Auditions for Leading Ladies at Melbourne Civic Theatre
Jan. 28, 7 p.m. - Brahms & Rach - Space Coast Symphony Orchestra at Satellite HS PAC, Satellite Beach
Jan. 30-Feb. 25 - The Guardians, solo exhibition by Barbara Desrosiers, at Fifth Avenue Art Gallery, Front Room Gallery
Jan. 30-Feb. 25 - The Essence of a Woman, solo exhibition byTheresa Prokop, at Fifth Avenue Art Gallery
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From A.C.T. STUDIO THEATRE:
You don’t need to know anything about Shakespeare to enjoy this supernatural fantasy about a TV star who goes to any lengths to avoid doing the role of Hamlet. Television actor Andrew Rally relocates to New York after his west coast TV series "L.A. Medical" is cancelled. He’s offered the opportunity to play Hamlet in NY’s famous “Shakespeare in the Park” but there’s one problem: he “hates Hamlet.”
I HATE HAMLET PERFORMANCES:
JAN. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 & 22
FRIDAYS at 8:00 pm
SATURDAYS at 3:00 and 8:00 pm
SUNDAYS at 3:00 pm
TICKETS: $26
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The Vero Beach Choral Society is in need of vocalists in both Tenor and Alto ranges. Anyone who can read music and has experience singing in a vocal ensemble is welcomed to join the group by audition. Visit the group’s website, www.VeroBeachChoralSociety.org, and click on “Audition” to apply.
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Streaming First Presbyterian
First Presbyterian Church in Vero Beach presents many concerts and special performances. If you can't get to them in person, visit the church's website and watch the archived videos!
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Treasure Coast Theatre presents "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" -- the second longest running Off-Broadway musical in history. This hilarious show takes on the truths and myths behind the modern relationship --everything you ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit! Jan. 6-22 weekends. | |
Every Thursday from 6 – 9:30 PM in downtown Jensen Beach (on Jensen Beach Boulevard), Jammin Jensen offers a mini-festival of local artists’ displays, music, vendors, and family entertainment!
There is no admission fee — it’s FREE!
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From the Lake Wales History Museum:
New Exhibit from the Museum of Florida History coming January 10-April 11, 2023.
Stop in and learn about the rich history of Blues and Jazz in central Florida. This exhibit has interactive displays, videos, and much more to learn about how Florida Got the Blues!
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Instructions for PIAS Birds Need Plants Photo Contest
- Each month you can submit up to 3 photos for the Birds Need Plants Contest with emphasis on birds pursuing, consuming, using plants, or near plants and prey. To submit a photo for this month, the deadline is the last day of the month.
- A Florida bird must be pictured in your photograph (priority to action shots with or pursuing, using plant, food sources, habitat, and that demonstrate relationship to plants, insects, animals, natural foods).
- The photo must be taken in Florida.
- A photographer may submit 3 digital images per month.
- A photographer will submit only photographs that have never won an earlier award in any contest or exhibit anywhere.
- PIAS requests that you provide the highest resolution possible of your jpg digital images.
- Deadline: The last day of the month
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Email to piaudubon@yahoo.com
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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. And now there's a Facebook Arts Blast on the Air!
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To Submit Calendar Information for ARTS BLAST!
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Use this format for Calendar entries:
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Then add a short, descriptive release if available.
Send only one photo, with caption, unless more are requested.
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