Volume 2 No. 34 |August 28, 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!
Promoting The Arts & Arts Councils Everywhere
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In This Issue
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Chris Confessore on Cancelled Seasons
Fall Classes at VBMA Museum Art School
Cancellations and Postponements
A Request from ACO's David Amado
News from Area Arts Councils
Calls for Art
Bits & Pieces from Around the Area & Around the Web
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There's an updated On the Calendar at WilliMiller.com!
Get Daily Updates on Willi Miller's Arts Blast Facebook Page
plus
Shared Information and Fun Links on Willi Miller's Arts Blast Extras
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Sunday on Cultural Connection on the Air - Author Carl Hiaasen and Susan Smith, Indian River Symphonic Association. |
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Listen to Cultural Connection on the Air at a new time and place, Sundays at 8 a.m. on WQOL, 103.7 fm.
If you miss the show Sunday, you can listen to a replay for one week at willimiller.com.
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Maestro Chris Confessore on Changing Seasons |
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One of the big attractions on the Indian River Symphonic Association's schedule every season is the Brevard Symphony Orchestra, led by Maestro Chris Confessore. He took time this week to reflect on what's happening.
"We were disappointed to hear the news of the season cancellation from the IRSA Board, but we certainly understand. In the present state of the world, it's the only decision that could be reached. The BSO feels especially close to the Indian River Symphonic Association. We were the very first orchestra they presented back in 1994, and we have performed multiple concerts on the series each year. It's natural for our musicians, staff, and board to view Vero as our "home away from home, and we certainly regard the special people who make up the IRSA family as our extended family. Our musicians certainly feel that connection to the Vero audience, and we miss that connection even more than any lost income brought on by a cancellation. We will continue to communicate with the IRSA Board on ways the BSO can remain connected to IRSA subscribers and the Vero community during the closure."
The King Center in Melbourne, currently closed, is home base for the Brevard Symphony Orchestra. Confessore said, "The King Center is currently closed to live events but ... in the meantime, they have agreed to welcome the BSO into the venue in September and October. During that time, we will rehearse and perform (without an audience present) two programs that will be professionally audio and video recorded and will be available to view via online stream in late September and early November."
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Confessore is also principal POPS conductor of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and frequent guest conductor with many others. He said, "Every orchestra I work with has been impacted by the pandemic.
... It's been a time for creative thinking, and connection. It has also been a time of struggle." A large number of supporters have rallied to help, "including donations from longtime friends of the BSO who had never before made a contribution."
Health and safety protocols will be bumped up when concert halls are open again, Confessore predicted. "The setup of the orchestra onstage will be different. Just as the audience members will be spaced and distanced, so will the performers. We'll have to adjust how we play in larger ensembles because we'll hear each other differently onstage. Repertoire selection will be impacted initially. It may be a while before we can experience large-scale works that require especially large forces."
Until live concerts resume, we have formulated plans to present several concerts via web stream. The first of these will be Streaming Strings. Our friends at Suntree United Methodist Church, the home of our Summer Evenings Series, have graciously agreed to allow us to record this concert and share it with you. Streaming Strings will feature a 16-member string orchestra performing familiar classics, including Mozart's Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Pachelbel's Canon, and other musical gems written or arranged for strings.
This concert will be professionally recorded and made available to watch online for 72 hours, starting at 7 pm on Saturday, August 29. We are asking for voluntary donations in any dollar amount, but making a donation is not required in order to watch the concert. Register to watch here.
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Cancellations and Postponements |
Indian River Symphonic Association Cancels Season
From the Indian River Symphonic Association:
The Indian River Symphonic Association regrets to announce that its Festival of Orchestras, scheduled to run January through April of 2021, has been cancelled. The touring orchestras invited to perform have chosen not to participate in light of the potential for a continued restriction on public gatherings, an effect of the Corona Virus outbreak. Refunds will be provided to those who have already purchased their season tickets.
The Association is looking forward to a return to the stage in 2022 with a full concert season of beautiful symphonic music, exciting soloists and dynamic performances. Please consult our website at irsymphonic.org, as well as our Facebook page, for ongoing information.
The Ticket Office at the Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901 23rd Street is temporarily closed. Any questions or concerns may be directed to (772) 778 1070 or by email to info@irsymphonic.org.
The Indian River Symphonic Association has a new addition to our website. Click HERE to see great suggestions for live stream concerts and recordings of concerts by orchestras from all over the world. This week, you will find information about the Brevard Symphony Orchestra’s “Streaming Strings” concert, which will be available for viewing for 72 hours starting on August 29.
From Maestra JoAnn Falletta, Buffalo Symphony:
"We are very sad about the cancellation of the IRSA season. We always looked forward so very much to playing in Vero. We are starting our season in Buffalo in September, but with a smaller orchestra for right now. We are not sure when we will get permission to open up the hall to audiences, so we will stream all the concerts until we can have a live audience. Strange times but we are not giving up!"
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Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach has released information concerning its 2020-2021 season. Note that Comedy Zone, Live in the Loop, and programs at Riverside Theatre for Kids will continue.
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(Vero Beach, FL) Riverside Theatre, led by Producing Artistic Director/CEO Allen D. Cornell and Managing Director/COO Jon R. Moses, has made the difficult decision to postpone the 2020-2021 Season due to the uncertainties of COVID-19. The previously announced season: Almost Heaven, Billy Elliot, Comedy of Tenors, Carousel, and On Your Feet on the Stark Stage and I Love You…, and A Doll’s House, Part 2 on the Waxlax Stage, will now take place during the 2021-2022 year.
“Of course, we are extremely disappointed to have to go dark,” said Mr. Cornell. “But, given the unprecedented circumstances all businesses that depend on large gatherings of people face for an unknown length of time, our chosen path is one that prioritizes safety and economic prudence. Until we know it’s safe to audition, to travel, to rehearse, and to have an audience sit in our chamber, we cannot take the health and financial risks.”
During the normal course of the year, Riverside Theatre holds auditions in New York City in the fall and from those auditions, selects the best performers for our productions. Auditions in New York are impossible at this time. Too much time and resources have already been invested in this Season to discard it, thus the logical step to postpone 2020-2021 Season to the following year.
“When it is safe to reopen with our major productions, Riverside will be ready to welcome everyone back to experience the magic of live theatre,” said Mr. Moses. “Live theatre is the heartbeat of our community and the show will go on… safely!”
“It is our continued hope that some type of alternate programming will be produced in the spring of 2021, however that determination will be made in January based on virus conditions,” says Mr. Cornell. “We ardently look forward to the time the lights will shine bright at Riverside again.”
Riverside Theatre will continue its weekly Comedy Zone and Live in the Loop presentations following CDC guidelines regarding capacity and social distancing. Intensive cleaning procedures and mask requirements will still be maintained.
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Just in from Maestro David Amado, music director of the Atlantic Classical Orchestra:
Dear ACO Family,
Who doesn’t like a challenge? Though I would have preferred an ‘ordinary’ roll-out of our season—2020, for now, is not allowing ‘ordinary’ anything. Cindy, our Board, and I are up to the challenge, though, of figuring out how to bring our music to you safely. Figuring out how to keep everyone healthy and safe on both sides of the proscenium, in three venues, all governed separately, is a bit like trying to solve a four-dimensional Rubik’s Cube. And as the days pass, we, along with everyone else, modify and adapt our thinking, and our plans.
To that end, this email contains a survey that will help us understand just where your comfort is, and will help us make thoughtful plans to serve you going forward. We hope you will take a moment to fill this survey out, and assist us in making the most responsible choices we can.
In the meantime, visit our website to stay up-to-date on decisions and happenings in the ACO orbit. Right now, under the Watch Listen and Learn tab, you have access to a gorgeous album made by our Principal Harpist, Kay Kemper. It is no coincidence that heaven’s soundtrack is provided by harps, and Kay’s expert playing makes a wonderful case for just why that is.
We are extraordinarily grateful to you for your support of, and commitment to our wonderful orchestra. We are equally grateful to you for your patience with us as we continue to develop and refine our plans for music-making in these challenging times. Thank you. -David
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From Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts:
The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts has announced the cancelation and rescheduling of previously announced performances in two of the multi-show series for the upcoming 2020/2021 season.
Regional Arts Classical Concert Series
The following shows have canceled their tours and will not be performing: MUSIC “At Eight” – China Philharmonic Orchestra (November 15), George Li, Piano (December 9), Renée Fleming (January 3), Cleveland Orchestra (January 28), and Buffalo Philharmonic (March 22); and MUSIC “At Two” – Internationale Bach Stuttgart (November 22) and Moscow State Symphony Orchestra (January 18).
Kravis On Broadway
Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville has been rescheduled from December 15-20 to January 5-10. The tour of My Fair Lady, originally scheduled for January 5-10, has been canceled.
Ticketholders to canceled performances have the option of receiving a refund back to their original method of payment, or donating their tickets to the Kravis Center as a tax-deductible gift to support the Center through these challenging times or to receive a non-expiring gift certificate for a future purchase.
To stay up to date on all upcoming Kravis Center performances, visit the Center’s official website www.kravis.org.
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An Update from The Choral Society of the Palm Beaches
The Choral Society of the Palm Beaches is on hiatus from rehearsing and performing. There won’t be a December concert this year. We are waiting until public health officials give us the green light that it is safe to resume choral singing. Thank you to our faithful fans for your years of support. We can’t wait to perform for you again!
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Ballet Vero Beach Goes Wild!
Nutcracker on the Indian River Gets a Makeover
From Adam Schnell:
Rather than cancel our spectacular holiday production, we are going the extra mile to make it available to our entire community — for free!
Partnering with our friends at The Indian River Land Trust, and with the support of
Quail Valley Charities and TV-30, Ballet Vero Beach is creating an original film of our production.
Adhering to all current orders and guidelines, we will create and deliver a spectacular dose of holiday magic for all.
Filming is scheduled to begin in October, with a holiday presentation planned for Nutcracker on the Indian River.
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The Environmental Learning Center's Youth Division is accepting submissions for Indian River's Got Talent through Nov. 15, and a full-blown adult version is coming soon. Indian River’s Got Talent is FREE to enter. For more information - https://www.discoverelc.org/irgt.
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Registration Opens for Online Classes at
Vero Beach Museum Art School
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The Museum Art School continues its mission of providing the most exceptional studio art and humanities learning experiences for children and adults. This fall’s schedule features a selection of Art History, Textile Arts, Museum Learning Strategies, Photography (adults and children), Drawing, Women in the Arts Studies, Painting, and Mixed Media. All courses will be presented via Zoom. To enroll in any of these classes, you must register for this site (your old logins will not work).
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There will be no classes held during the week of November 23.
Select a category to learn more:
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Riverside Theatre for Kids Begins Classes |
Riverside Theatre for Kids announces its class schedule for the fall of 2020. Kevin Quillinan, Director of Theatre Education, will be leading an all virtual slate of classes beginning on September 9 and running through mid-November.
“Theatre education is not just about putting on shows,” Quillinan said. “There are so many more benefits than just performing. These classes build up confidence and self-esteem and interacting with others. Theatre teaches empathy and, if we do it right, helps create a more compassionate society.”
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Kids Story Making
Recommended for ages 6-9
Junior/Teen Acting Through Song
Recommended for ages 10 and up
Junior/Teen Virtual Show – She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms
Recommended for ages 10 and up
Tuition Assistance and scholarship programs are available to qualifying students.
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From the Martin County Library System:
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Aug. 28, 7 p.m. - Space Coast Symphony Orchestra with Central Florida Vocal Arts - Broadway Gender Bender - Drive-In concert at Pathway Church, 1105 58th ave., VB
Aug. 29, p.m. - Space Coast Symphony Orchestra with Central Florida Vocal Arts - Broadway Gender Bender - Drive-In concert at The Avenue Viera
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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.
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The Cultural Council of Indian River County is searching for the perfect person to fill the position of executive director. Applications/resumes may be emailed to director@cultural-council.org or mailed to
Cultural Council of Indian River County,
2041 14th Ave, Vero Beach, FL 32960.
Application deadline: October 15, 2020
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The Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation - Keeping Literary Arts Alive in Indian River County
"Claude Wilkinson was an alum of our 2015 Poetry and BBQ 'Geography of the Heart.' We are delighted to include Claude in our growing collection of poets who are generous enough to find time and energy to film themselves wherever they are during this pandemic. We are grateful for these poetic journeys that transport us for just a moment."
Enjoy more poetry from poets like Claude Wilkinson on the LRJF Featured Poets page here.
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Updates from the St. Lucie Cultural Alliance!
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For updates on gallery openings and classes in Melbourne and surrounding Brevard County, check the Brevard Cultural Alliance website and individual gallery social media.
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Final days:
Aesop and Other Fables is the exhibit at Fifth Avenue Art Gallery through Aug. 29.
Also through the 29th, Eau Gallery features "Celebrating Abstracts."
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Florida & Beyond, art by Kathie Benson, opens on August 31, 2020, at Fifth Avenue Art Gallery. There will be a First Friday Opening Reception to meet the artist and mingle with the gallery members on September 4, from 5:30-8:30 pm.
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Animal Nature: Recent Works by Linda Mitchell is at the Foosaner Art Museum in Melbourne through Oct. 24. Hours Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Foosaner Art Museum, 1463 Highland Avenue, Melbourne, FL 32935
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From The Henegar:
The Henegar opens with GREASE Oct. 23, running through Nov 8.
Schedule changes for the 2020-2021 season have been announced:.
ELF: Nov 27 – Dec 20
Godspell: Jan 15 – Jan 31
La Cage: Feb 19 – Mar 7
The Irish Curse: Mar 12 – Mar 21
Mary Poppins: Apr 2 – Apr 18
Hedwig: Apr 23 – Apr 25
The Full Monty: May 7 – May 23
The planned production of ROCKY HORROR in November has been cancelled.
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Call for Central Florida Artists from Polk Museum of Art:
Hindsight 2020 will showcase art produced since March 2020 and that represents a diverse spectrum of perspectives, ideas, and reflections upon the past five months of our lives. Submissions should be related but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic, experiences in isolation, social justice, the Black Lives Matter movement, and any other aspect of this novel 21st century moment.
The eligible counties are Hillsborough, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, and Seminole. Deadline to apply is August 31 at 5 p.m.
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Arts Council of Martin County updates from Executive Director Nancy Turrell:
"Our plans involve getting back in the Court House Cultural Center in late August, preparing for “Art Out of the Closet” for late September, and then hosting the 35th Annual All Florida Juried Show in October. We are excited to get the gallery space back open and available, with certain restrictions and attention to CDC recommendations, to the public."
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. ArtsFest Stuart has been chosen annually as a Southeast Tourism Society "Top 20 Event" since 2016!
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Courtesy of the Arts Council of Martin County:
JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND CALLS FOR ART
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From the Cultural Council for PalmBeach County: |
Although the Cultural Council's building remains closed to the public, the Council is now offering free Virtual Summer Programs, running through September on its Facebook & Instagram channels and website. To view the artwork up close, access artist interviews and more, please follow the Council (@palmbeachculture) or visit
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The Council’s first-ever Virtual Summer Performing Arts Series will feature several Palm Beach County performers in special live broadcasts streamed for free on YouTube and the Council’s website. All performances start at 7 p.m.
Donations to the Council and directly to the creative professionals are encouraged. For more information about each upcoming performance, visit palmbeachculture.com/summer.
Aug. 29: One Love: A Tribute to Bob Marley
Featuring: Soda Pop and the Insiders
Sept. 5: Cheek to Cheek
Featuring: Jill & Rich Switzer and Friends
Sept. 12: Art Shift: An Evening of Dance
Featuring: Libby Faber, Arise Dance Collective; Demetrius Klein, Demetrius Klein Dance Company; Donna Goffredo Murray; Anna Nunes, AGWA Dance Company; and Ericka Squire, Natural Movers//Dance Project)
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The Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta is going completely virtual with an exhibit for the first time with its Faculty Exhibit & Treasures from the Collection. The exhibition will feature over 200 works by the Lighthouse ArtCenter’s talented faculty as well as pieces from the gallery’s private collection. Faculty artwork includes ceramics, glass, jewelry, sculpture, photography, oil, watercolor and acrylic paintings. The ArtCenter’s private collection includes “Woodland Waterfall” from landscape artist John Lee Fitch and “Son of Apollo” from contemporary artist Mark T. Smith. Multiple pieces are available by one of Florida’s most famous artists, Purvis Young. All of the art can be viewed and purchased online at lighthousearts.org.
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From the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach:
General admission tickets are now available for purchase for those who wish to visit the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum (1 Whitehall Way, Palm Beach) during the month of September. The Museum's Visitor Services team remains available, as always, to answer any questions regarding the Museum's New Visitor Experience — including its "contactless" point of entry — and its Public Safety Protocols. Tickets must be purchased in advance by calling (561) 655-2833 ext. 10 or by visiting www.flaglermuseum.us.
Walk This Way: Historic Footwear from the Stuart Weitzman Collection, has been extended until further notice at the Flagler Museum, Palm Beach. Sept. tickets are available online.
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From the Henry Plant Museum in Tampa:
One bright side to the pandemic: Museums that might be farther away than you’ve wanted to travel are putting themselves out there - virtually.
Visit the Museum's YouTube Channel
"If you missed one of our past programs on architecture, sports, music, opera, or conservation, check out our YouTube channel today. You'll find intriguing programs, mini-tours for youth, and other interesting videos."
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Thieves Purloin a Frans Hals Painting Valued at $17 Million From a Dutch Museum—for the Third Time
The Dutch Golden Age painting of two boys laughing over beers was stolen from the Hofje van Aerden museum in 1988—and again in 2011.
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Who Says Museum Heists Don’t Pay? Here Are 5 Ways Crafty Criminals Actually Profit From High-Profile Art Thefts
Stolen art can be a hard sell. We spoke to the experts about what thieves tend do with it.
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Each stream becomes available at 7:30PM ET and remains accessible for on-demand viewing until 6:30PM ET the following day, with the exception of the August 28 stream of La Traviata, which will be available until August 29 at 12PM ET. The August 29 stream of Don Carlo will begin at the normally scheduled 7:30PM ET.
Starring Diana Damrau, Juan Diego Flórez, and Quinn Kelsey, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. From December 15, 2018.
Starring Marina Poplavskaya, Anna Smirnova, Roberto Alagna, Simon Keenlyside, Ferruccio Furlanetto, and Eric Halfvarson, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. From December 11, 2010.
Starring Lisette Oropesa, Angela Meade, Stephanie Blythe, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Paolo Fanale, Ambrogio Maestri, and Franco Vassallo, conducted by James Levine. From December 14, 2013.
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Each weekday, Lamont Stokes and his brother, Antwon, pop open a violin case listing a PayPal address and park themselves near one of the busiest spots in the transit system.
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Stream "In the Heights: Chasing Broadway's Dream" through Sept. 4. The documentary, streaming on ALL ARTS, charts the months leading up to the Lin-Manuel Miranda production’s opening night at the Richard Rodgers Theater in 2008.
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From My Modern Met:
Mona Lisa, Girl With a Pearl Earring, more.
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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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Live via Skype or archived on YouTube
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Call or text: (772) 532-2083 or email annora.daige@gmail.com
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https://www.facebook.com/soliviapiano/
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LIBRARIES - IF YOU GO (ONLINE)
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Scroll down for guidelines for submitting calendar items and feature suggestions to ARTS BLAST.
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Like Willi Miller's Arts Blast Facebook page for updates and Willi Miller's Arts Blast Extras 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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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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