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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 4 No. 25 | July 15, 2022 | |
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There will be a short medical break in the action while my hand recovers from surgery (trigger finger). A big thank you to Dr. Nichols and the entire team at Cleveland Clinic, from the (very) early morning sign-in lady to the wonderful woman who wheeled me right to my car door.
With all that's been going on here, I have been neglecting my National Ice Cream Month and Day responsibilities. July's the Month and the third Sunday is the Day and my Blue Bell inventory is unacceptably low. That will be taken care of as soon as I can unwind that enormous Ace bandage and get behind the wheel. What's your favorite brand and flavor?
How did we get to the second half of 2022 already? Before we know it, someone will be starting the Christmas countdown. That won't be me, although I gues it couldn't hurt to begin thinking about holiday gifts. Theaters and arts organizations have been sending out their 2022-23 season schedules, so tickets as gifts could kick off your list.
You might find this hard to believe, but twenty-five years ago, when I began covering the arts on the Treasure Coast, quite a few arts groups hadn't completed their season schedules by September!
What Are You Reading? Readers are welcome to send in brief (100 words or even less) POSITIVE reviews of books enjoyed and recommended. Include title, author, publisher. Acceptance will be in keeping with the Arts Blast policy our mothers taught us — If you can't say something nice, ... .
We'll see how it goes. I have several books in progress and a tall pile of TBRs, hard copies and downloads. Our Last Days in Barcelona - Chanel Cleeton, The Locked Room - Elly Griffith, Lisa Unger's Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, two(!) by Anthony Horowitz, and a Faye Kellerman just arrived! And wit hall that begun, I picked up The Hero of This Book - Elizabeth McCracken - and am thoroughly enjoying it!
Arts Blast is now on summer schedule, alternating with On the Arts Blast Calendar. As usual, there will be an extra Arts Blast thrown in from time to time and updates on Facebook.
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This week hear Kevin Quillinan talk about Into the Woods at Riverside Theatre for Kids and Thomas McKee, trombonist performing with the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra in the Scandinavian Road Trip concerts. Listen to or download the podcast now or listen on the radio — 101.7FM ON THE TREASURE COAST —Sunday evening at 7.
Note: Arts Blast on the Air podcast is now uploaded to more than a few sites:
Spreaker; Spotify; iHeartRadio; Deezer; Podcast Addict; Podchaser; and JioSaavn
| 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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FEATURES
Notes from Ballet Vero Beach
Flagler Museum Panama Hats
Barn Theatre Brightline
Fort Pierce Art Walk
Where the Crawdads Sing
City of Stuart's Call for Artists
Cattle Drive Sculpture Dedication
Melbourne Chamber Music Society
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TIDBITS
Space Coast Symphony Orchestra
Community Arts Program
Galleries at First Pres
Lake Wales History Museum
Maltz Tours
Flashdance at The Barn
Brevard SO Summer Evenings
Treasure Coast Theatre
Vero Beach Theatre Guild
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This is Art Walk evening in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce, 5-8 p.m.
Fur, Feathers and Fins - Art Walk Opening Reception - St. Lucie Cultural Alliance
Join us in a summer exhibition celebrating our animal friends with Fur, Feathers and Fins.
Attend the Opening of this show at Alliance Gallery and enjoy the Art Walk in Downtown Fort Pierce from 5 – 8 PM.
Get your Art Walk Passport stamped for an entry to win The Ultimate Art Walk Gift Basket!
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The City of Stuart’s Sanitation Division is embarking on a public art project for its sanitation service fleet. We are soliciting artists to submit designs to be showcased as mobile murals on sanitation trucks. We envision these traveling murals will display the vibrancy of the City of Stuart, inspiring pride and reflecting the collaboration between our sanitation team and community in sustaining clean, beautiful spaces and places.
The deadline to apply is August 19, 2022. For complete details and application form, please visit:
https://cityofstuart.us/.../View/4450/Call-to-Artists-flyer
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Observations from Ballet Vero Beach's Traveling Adam Schnell | |
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I have just returned from my first trip abroad since summer 2019. Since then, I changed, Ballet Vero Beach changed, the world changed. To say I was riddled with anxiety about both exploring new locales and returning to favorite haunts would have been the understatement of the year. Heck, I hadn't been on a plane since February 2020.
Travel is never without issues, at least for me, but to say I had multiple experiences of a lifetime on this last trip would probably be the second place understatement of the year. Great food, great art, great people, great scenery, and the discovery of a little beach town not unlike our own, I mean what more could I ask for?!
Still, as I return to work and gearing up for this momentous anniversary season, I think what I am most grateful for is the perspective travel, and especially this last trip, afforded me. Our world, and if I may be so bold our country in particular, is incredibly noisy right now. Emotions are running exceptionally high and I constantly feel bombarded with anger and frustration from external sources.
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The perspective I feel I grasped for maybe a second while away is that much of that noise is not real life. Seeing a new mother care for her child in a city park, watching young people give up seats to elderly folks on a train, striking up a conversation with strangers, walking in a crowd hearing ten different languages being spoken at once, and sitting in a theater with thousands of people laughing, crying, and gasping in awe together. I think that is real life. Or, I want that to be real life for as many people as possible. And, I feel so fortunate to have felt that even for a moment. I sincerely hope that it helps me regain some of the perspective, and maybe even compassion for my fellow human beings, that I know was lost somewhere over the last couple of years.
Everyone on this planet deserves a wonderful life and I hope Ballet Vero Beach can be a small part of yours!
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The Incredible History of the Misnamed Panama Hat | |
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From the Flagler Museum, Palm Beach:
In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt traveled to Central America to inspect the construction of the Panama Canal. While there, he was given a toquilla straw hat, made in Ecuador, which he wore constantly. Images of the President in his “Panama hat” were splashed across newspapers around the globe. The media and the public couldn’t get enough. The Panama hat became the fashion of the day.
| Artisanal weaving of the Panama hat can be traced back to 1630, in the provinces of Guayas and Manabi, on the coast of Ecuador. This is the only region in the world where the Carludovica Palm (the material all Panama hats are made of) grows. The toquillales are harvested, stripped, boiled, dried, and then weavers from local villages come to choose only the best materials for their craft. | |
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The process of weaving a single hat can take days, weeks, or even months. The finer the weave and the longer it takes, the higher the quality. Hats are graded and priced based on the number of weaves in a square inch. The process is completed by washing, bleaching, molding, ironing, and pressing into the final hat form.
In 2012, the weaving of the Panama hat was named to the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. You can now support this tradition by purchasing a genuine Panama hat at the Flagler Museum store, likely woven by the descendants of artisans that made the hats worn by Theodore Roosevelt and Henry Flagler.
Photos courtesy of Flagler Museum: Henry Flagler; Theodore Roosevelt
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Setting the Table at McKee Botanical Garden, Vero Beach | |
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From McKee Botanical Garden:
Peter O’Malley, President, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1970-1998, has donated the world’s largest one-piece mahogany table to McKee Botanical Garden, Vero Beach, Florida. In 1976, the 35-foot long, 5-foot wide, 4-inch-thick table was purchased by O’Malley with a vision to use it at Dodgertown. He maintained the table at Dodgertown until it was loaned back to McKee in 2003 for display in the original Hall of Giants and is now happy to make it a permanent gift.
“McKee Gardens will always be a special place for our family, as well as for the city of Vero Beach and Indian River County,” said O’Malley. “I’ve been very impressed with the McKee management, Board of Directors, and volunteers since McKee reopened in 2001 and its future is very bright. For many years, the table will be enjoyed and appreciated by residents and tourists in the Hall of Giants, which was originally built to accommodate it.
| “In 1952, the first Dodger St. Patrick’s Day party in Vero Beach was hosted by my mother (Kay) and father (Walter) at that table, beginning a grand Dodger tradition of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations which continued for six decades and are now legendary. In the mid to late-1950s, campers from the summer Dodgertown Camp for Boys frequently visited when it was called McKee Jungle Gardens and they were amazed by the table’s size. In 1961 during spring training, I led the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants from the Japan professional baseball league on a tour of McKee, and they were intrigued by the impressive table. In 2015, my sister Terry and I hosted our large extended family for Thanksgiving dinner around the special table.” | |
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The table has quite the journey over the past 118 years, traveling from the Philippines to St. Louis, New York and finally Florida. This magnificent piece of wood was brought to this country at the turn of the century for display at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The table weighs more than two tons and is made of kalantas mahogany. At the close of the fair, it was purchased by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where for 30 years, it was displayed as California redwood, for uncertain reasons. A curator discovered it was mahogany, whereupon it was transferred to the museum basement and stored, as only native materials were allowed to be exhibited.
In 1936, the table was acquired first by the New York lumber firm Balfour and Koch and was later purchased by a furniture company in New York, Schmieg and Kotzian. Two years after purchasing the table, while traveling to Florida on vacation, Mr. Schmieg met Vero Beach pioneer and entrepreneur Waldo Sexton, co-founder of McKee Jungle Gardens. Sexton was very familiar with the table as he had spotted and admired it while meandering through the basement of the museum in New York. In 1940, Sexton purchased the table from Schmieg and Kotzian and had it transported to Vero Beach via the Bull Line steamship Cornelia, arriving in nearby Ft. Pierce, Florida from New York. It took a crew of nearly 30 to unload it and get it on a truck to McKee Jungle Gardens. In 1941, Sexton built the historical Hall of Giants to preserve the magnificent table.
In 1976, McKee Jungle Gardens was forced to close when significant traffic diminished because of the opening of I-95 and Florida Turnpike. Today, McKee is more relevant than ever with well-planned enhancements and exhibits.
This unique treasure will now be at McKee permanently and is available for special events (phone 772-794-0601)
Photo above: Table in Hall of Giants Today – Provided by McKee Botanical Garden
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Waldo Sexton on “The Board” during the construction of the Hall of Giants in 1941(from McKee Archives) | |
Arthur McKee Semon (left) with Peter O’Malley when O’Malley purchased the unique mahogany table. Provided by Peter O’Malley | |
Bringing “The Board” to McKee (Mckee Archives) | | |
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July 20, 12pm | Celebrating the Everyday with Doris Lee
Connect with the artist’s uncomplicated concept of an “ideal view” of life.
This program will take place in the galleries. Meet at the Visitor Services desk. Register in advance.
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From the Melbourne Chamber Music Society:
The upcoming 45th International Concert Season promises to be spectacular; it will feature 6 stellar concerts with ensembles from 5 different countries. Our flyers have been mailed and should be arriving soon. You can subscribe via postal mail or on-line for the same price, there are no additional fees for on-line orders.
The season will begin in November with the Septura Brass Ensemble from London. This group features principal brass players from the top orchestras in London including the LSO, Royal Philharmonic and others. In December we will feature cellist Zlatomir Fung, the first American in four decades and youngest musician ever to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division. This concert was a late addition to our series and is not shown on the flyer but is included in the season ticket price.
2023 opens with the outstanding Los Angeles Piano Trio and continues in February with a return visit of the Hermitage Piano Trio. Our season will conclude with 2 of the finest string quartets in the world: the Czech Pavel Haas Quartet (an ensemble ranked by BBC Music Magazine as one of the top 10 string quartets of all time!) and from France, the Modigliani String Quartet.
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A glitch at the foundry working on the Cattlemen's Square (currently named Flagler Park) sculpture project for Okeechobee has caused a postponement of the dedication ceremony. It's now scheduled for Aug. 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | |
From the "As If Mounting a Show Isn't Tough Enough " Department: | |
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From The Barn Theatre:
If you have or will be purchasing Barn Theatre tickets to “Flashdance, The Musical”,
which runs from July 14 - July 31, please be aware of the road closures below.
The Brightline track work may delay your commute to the theatre.
We anticipate heavier than normal traffic in the surrounding areas, so please
plan ahead to avoid being late for the show.
Road closures due to GoBrightline railroad construction:
• Railroad crossing at SW St. Lucie Ave.: July 5 - 17
• Railroad crossing at SE Monterey Rd/SR 714: July 12 - 28
• SW Ocean Blvd. and S Colorado Ave. (Confusion Corner): July 26 - August 15
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The Railroad crossing at SW St. Lucie AVE and SE Monterey RD will both be
simultaneously closed from July 12 through July 15.
If you are headed south on US HWY 1 from Port Saint Lucie: Take a left onto S. Colorado Ave. Take a right on SE Ocean Blvd.
If you are headed North on US HWY 1 from Hobe Sound: Take a right at SE Indian St. Take a left onto A1A Dixie Hwy. Take a right onto SE Monterey Rd. Take a right E. Ocean Blvd.
The Railroad crossing at SW Ocean Blvd & S Colorado Ave and SE Monterey RD will both be simultaneously closed from July 26 through July 28.
If you are headed south on US HWY 1 from Port Saint Lucie: Take a left onto SW Joan Jefferson Way, enter the round-about and exit on SE Ocean Blvd.
If you are headed North on US HWY 1 from Hobe Sound: Take a right at SE Indian St. Take a left onto A1A Dixie Hwy. Take a right onto SE Monterey Rd.
Take a right on E. Ocean Blvd.
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Brass Institutes of America Quintet performs for the Summer Concert Series at Coral Gables Congregational Church. | |
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Opening Reception of the Summer Art Show at The Galleries at First Pres is Sunday, July 24, 2 - 4 p.m.
Featuring works by local artists Bruno Paz, Pamela Schwartz, and Huey Zaplin
Light refreshments will be provided. The show runs from July 24 through September 30.
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Neil Simon's "Broadway Bound" is at Treasure Coast Theatre, PSL July 15-31. | |
Footloose is at Vero Beach Theatre Guild through July 31. | |
Flashdance The Musical is at The Barn Theatre July 14-31. | |
Tour the new Maltz Jupiter Theatre any Monday this summer, June 13-Aug. 8. Tours begin at 2 p.m. | Space Coast Symphony Orchestra takes us on a Scandinavian Road trip July 23 & 24 | |
The Brevard Symphony Orchestra (BSO) Summer Evenings Series at the Suntree United Methodist Church at 7400 N Wickham Rd, Melbourne. July 16, 2022, at 7pm, and August 13, 2022, at 7pm. | |
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At the Lake Wales History Museum - Saturday Summer Fun Days
(Parents must be in attendance)
July 16 - City Day
July 23 - TBD
July 30 - Art History Day
August 6 - Last Day of Summer
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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!
Click to Subscribe to Arts Blast
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