Volume 3 No. 24B Special Edition |July 21, 2021
With Donna Roberts Mitchell
ARTS NEWS
& PROFILES
FROM
FLORIDA'S
TREASURE COAST & BEYOND
Sharing our wealth of arts and culture. We're having an ARTS BLAST!

Promoting The Arts & Arts Councils Everywhere

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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Remember that Arts Blast and On the Arts Blast Calendar are on summer schedule, alternating weeks, but check our Facebook pages often for updates and bookmark On the Arts Blast Calendar for frequent additions. If you have an arts-related event coming up, scroll down for information on submitting it for a free basic listing. Limited advertising is available.

Arts Blast is accepting information about arts-related scholarship offerings for the new Scholarships page on our website. Send me what you have, making sure to include a deadline for applying and a link to detailed information.
Les Standiford Heads Our Way This Week
Vero Beach Book Center July 22, 6 p.m.
The Book Mark in Atlantic Beach July 23, 7 p.m.
Story and Song on Amelia Island, July 24, 4 p.m.

Battle for the Big Top
P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling and the Death Defying Saga of The American Circus

Listen to a replay of our conversation on the Cultural Connection radio show later this week.
Scroll Down for a Taste of
What's Ahead from the Arts Blast calendar web page
and guidelines for submitting calendar items and feature suggestions to ARTS BLAST.
Battle for the Big Top
Battle for the Big Top: P. T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus
A dozen or so years ago, I decided to invest some time in an FIU writers workshop Florida author Les Standiford was producing on Hutchinson Island. Among the instructors, including Standiford and wife Kimberly, were James W. Hall, Dennis Lehane, John Dufresne, Lynne Barrett, Debra Dean,and other authors of note.

It was time well spent, rubbing elbows and getting one-on-one time with writers I'd read and admired. It also showed me I was cut out to be a reader, not a writer.
My introduction to Standiford's writing was the early '90s' "reluctant sleuth John Deal, a South Florida building contractor who has a penchant for stepping into the path of the wrong people," to borrow from amazon.com. I've had the good fortune to interview the author about many of his books through the years as he moved from "mysteries to histories."

Standiford is an author we can count on to do his homework — in spades — for the non-fiction books that began with Last Train to Paradise, a must read for Floridians. Another is Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction that Changed America.
Battle for the Big Top: P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling, and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus is the latest of Standiford's books, the one he's introducing to Florida this week. Somehow, it seems a little unfair that he gets to have so much fun in his job. Research for Battle for the Big Top took him to the very last performance of the circus in 2017 and into history of this national institution that had never fully been written about.

Before there were railroads and paved roads crisscrossing this country to transport the animals, equipment, costumes, and people — those who performed and those who made the magic happen — everything moved on wagons with wheels that broke and got sucked into deep mud any time it rained. The elephant was more than just a pretty face in the circus world. It was a tow truck and bulldozer that got the show where it was going.
This gem of Americana will appeal to readers who, as kids, thrilled to the sight of the circus wagons parading down the street in their small hometown as well as to a younger generation that has experienced the three-ring phenomenon only on television.
Standiford and James W. Hall are featured in an hour-long conversation about Battle for the Big Top in a US National Archives video on YouTube that streamed live July 7 and is still available.
While his website isn't necessarily up to date, Standiford does add to his blog, albeit on a fairly casual schedule. His April 21 post poses an interesting but is-it-necessary question: Must a writer have to experience something personally to write about it? He hands over the blog to a colleague for her response:

"My dear friend and writer of excellence from Amherst, Madeleine Blais (Uphill Walkers) passed along an op-ed from a recent issue of the Boston Globe, in which the well-known novelist Anne Bernays opines on the concept of literary 'appropriation.' Rather than try to paraphrase Ms. Bernays, I thought I'd share what she has to say.

An excerpt — click on the link for the complete column:

Throw Shakespeare from the train
Not so long ago, it was an accepted fact that fiction writers could and did write from whomever’s point of view they figured was the best way to tell their story.

By Anne Bernays Updated April 16, 2021, 3:00 a.m. Boston Globe

Did an adolescent boy write “The Catcher in the Rye”?
Did a stuffed bear write “Winnie the Pooh”?
Did a pre-pubescent girl write “Alice in Wonderland”?
Did a semi-literate sailor write “Moby-Dick”?
Did anyone make a fuss at the time these books were published?
Dr. Robert Taylor is a colleague of Standiford and long-time history presenter at Vero Beach Book Center, once with Standiford a few years ago. "Les is a great storyteller and a great teacher of writing. Loved his book on Dickens' Christmas Carol."
Cynthia Callander, former events manager at Vero Beach Book Center, knew she could count on a big turnout whenever Standiford came to town for a signing at VBBC.

She offered some comments on his appearances with an old saying, less is more. "I extend the thought to Les really is more! Les Standiford continues to find varied topics of interest, then weave a fascinating story around the facts.
"I’ve seen Les in action over the years, always bringing life to the group he is addressing and cultivating curiosity.
"One favorite of his titles includes Last Train to Paradise. Henry Flagler’s Florida story is a must read for any Floridian, native or transplant.
"Another favorite is The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits. The title says it all! Can’t wait to see the Circus with Les either! Les is MORE!"
Meet Les Standiford this week:

Vero Beach Book Center July 22, 6 p.m.
The Book Mark in Atlantic Beach July 23, 7 p.m.
Story and Song on Amelia Island, July 24, 4 p.m.
Photos:
Top left: Les and Kimberly Standiford
Center lefrt:Les Standiford with screenwriter Susan Coyne at the Man Who Inventer Christmas New York premiere. Photo courtesy Bleecker Street
Top right: Illustration by Coconut Grove artist Carol Garvin
From the Cultural Council of Indian River County:
The Cultural Council of Indian River County/Art In Public Places is excited to announce the Vero Beach Museum of Art Museum Art School has invited our member artists and gallery affiliates to exhibit works to coincide with the upcoming exhibit, American Perspective: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection. Learn more about the exhibition here.
For your consideration: We are accepting 2D and 3D submissions in the style of Folk Art including, but not limited to, painting, photography, textiles, needlework, wood carvings, baskets, clay art and jewelry. This is beyond our usual scope and ability to exhibit, so give your creative spirit free rein!
Artists may submit up to five (5) images of their works to Elise@Cultural-Council.org by Wednesday, September 15. Please include the Title, Medium, Dimensions, a brief Description and Price. Download the specifications from the Call To Artists page on our website.
Location: Vero Beach Museum of Art Patten Community Gallery, Museum Art School
Theme: Folk Art
Exhibit Date: October 17 to November 19, 2021
Exhibit Title: Cultural Council of IRC Members Exhibition
Call to Artists Date: July 16, 2021
Submission Deadline: September 15, 2021
Notification of Selection: October 4, 2021
Artwork Delivery Date: October 11, 2021
Visit the Cultural Alliance Art Guild exhibitions at many venues countywide and online.
Auditions, Casting Calls
There's a New Dinner Club in Town (MartinCounty)
Treasure Coast Theatre will hold auditions July 25th & 26th for the November show "Inlaws, Outlaws and Other People That Should be Shot" 
Performance Dates: Fri-Sun, November 5-21, 2021
The Barn Theatre in Stuart has uploaded audition information to its website.
Let's Murder Marsha - September 19-21
Rent - the Musical - October 9-10
The Bare Truth - January 16-18
Mamma Mia! - Feb. 19-20
​Flashdance - The Musical - May 7-8
 All Auditions are OPEN Casting* Auditions will be held at the Theatre located at 2400 SE Ocean Blvd. Stuart, Fl. 34996* This is a Non-Compensated Theatre. All Actors are Volunteers*
A.C.T.Studio Theatre Auditions
  • Designer Shorts (an evening of short plays)
  • August 10 & 12, 7pm
  • Sides will become available on actstudiotheatre.com after the short plays are selected
  • A Christmas Carol (onstage radio play)
  • September 25 & 26, 7pm
  • Script is available on actstudiotheatre.com
The new Weekend Dinner Club at the Elliott Museum's
Philly Down South Bar & Restaurant 
is FREE to join and it’s easy to participate —

  • Call (561) 718-9733 by 3 p.m. to make your dinner reservations for Friday or Saturday night.

  • After your meal, pick your “gem*” to reveal your discount treasure — a complimentary glass of wine, appetizer, dessert, entrée or more! (*one “gem” discount per table)

  • Enjoy exciting special menus offered every Friday and Saturday night.

  • No club membership fees or dues!

Members of the Historical Society of Martin County will receive one complimentary beverage of your choice, including wine, beer or a soft drink. If you're not yet a museum member, you can act now by clicking on this link!

Located on the second floor of the museum, Philly Down South Bar & Restaurant is a hidden gem of dining delight! 
There’s no museum admission if you're just coming to eat or sip a beverage at the restaurant.

Our inside dining surrounds you in vintage charm. For a more tropical vibe, take a seat on our outdoor seaside balcony.

There’s always something new on the chef’s daily menu board, and proprietor Jim Leary is happy to welcome you with his signature specialties, including Philly cheesesteaks, prime rib, seared salmon, pasta dishes, lobster rolls, crab cakes, Caesar salad, and delicious homemade desserts. 

An Open Mic Event on Saturdays, from 2-5 p.m. features host Forrest King. Have a bite to eat while enjoying a showcase of instrumental and vocal artists — and feel welcome to step up to the mic to share your own musical talent. 

Summer Hours: 
Lunch served Tuesday through Saturday.
Dinner served Friday and Saturday only - reservation is required.
New Digs for the Cultural Council of Indian River County
The Cultural Council of Indian River County has moved a few blocks north from its 14th Avenue location to an office in the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce building, 1216 20th St., Vero Beach. CCIRC had shared a space with Flametree Clay Art Gallery before the gallery closed a few months ago.
New Cast Chat from Riverside Theatre
Indian River County's Jamari Williams is the guest for Riverside Theatre's latest Cast Chat. Marketing director Oscar Sales is the host.

Williams was a student in Riverside Children's Theatre classes and appeared on the Main Stage in Smokey Joe's Cafe in 2018.

Summer Film Program “Yes, We Cannes”
with Xaque Gruber
Tuesday, July 20 | 7pm, Leonhardt Auditorium | Anna (1987)
The feature film is preceded by a brief introductory lecture and the short film Anna(2019).
Tuesday, July 27 | 7pm, Leonhardt Auditorium | Persepolis (2007)
The feature film is preceded by a brief introductory lecture and the short film 12 Zloty(2018).
It's a Blue Star Summer!
Vero Beach Museum of Art
National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum
Elliott Museum
House of Refuge
Flagler Museum
Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum
Boca Raton Museum of Art
Museum of Florida Art - Deland
VT&M - Museum of Military History - Kissimmee
Polk Museum of Art

Get the complete list on the website.
The Vero Beach Art Club is looking for corporate sponsors for the 2022 Under the Oaks Fine Arts and Crafts Show, March 11-13, 2022. Contact Sue Dinenno 772 321-8701

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Indian River County

ONGOING - Video submissions accepted for Indian River’s Got Talent at the Environmental Learning Center. Indian River County residents only.

Through July 23, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Weekly Creative Art Camps for Children and Teens at the Vero Beach Art Club Annex & Gallery

Through July 25 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at Vero Beach Theatre Guild

Through July 30 - Pelican Island Audubon Society summer camps

Through Aug. 1 - Video auditions accepted for Disney's Beauty and the Beast JR at Riverside Theatre For Kids!

Through Aug 6 - Vero Beach Art Club's Big Bold & Beautiful Fine Art Exhibit and Art Marketplace. 1903 14th Avenue

Through Aug. 31. - Small Format, Diverse Vision - Group exhibit at Village Square, Sebastian 

Through Sept. 5 - At Vero Beach Museum of Art - A Tribute to Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Selections from the Tom Golden Collection

Through Sept. 9 - CCIRC Art in Public Places Member Exhibit - J. Thomas Transformation - at IRC Courthouse

Through Sept. 10 - 12 x 12 Summer Squared at Gallery 14

Through Sept. 15 - Video auditions accepted for Elf The Musical JR at Riverside Theatre For Kids!

Through Sept. 29 - CCIRC Art in Public Places Member Exhibit-Mixed Themes and Solo Exhibit - Steve Reid, Not Myself at IRC Administration Bldgs.

Through Sept. 30 - Summer Art Show at The Galleries at First Pres. Featured artists: Linda Irwin, Pat deRobertis, and Lolly Walton. 

Ongoing - Riverside Theatre’s two virtual series, Putting it Together and Cast Chats. See the website for the link
July 20, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. - Indian River Clay invites the public to stop in to see the soup bowl production process - 1239 16th Street, Vero Beach

July 22, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. - Indian River Clay invites the public to stop in to see the soup bowl production process - 1239 16th Street, Vero Beach

July 22, 6 p.m. - Les Standiford presents Battle for the Big Top at Vero Beach Book Center

July 23 & 24 - Puffs - on the Stark Main Stage - Riverside Theatre for Kids!

July 24, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.- 14th Annnual Treasure Coast Waterway Cleanup at ELC and other locations

July 25, 11 a.m. - Walking Meditation at ELC

July 25, 4 p.m. - First Presbyterian Church Youth String Orchestra’s final fundraising performance for the trip to the Aspen Invitational Music Festival - at Unity Spiritual Center, 950 43rd Avenue, Vero Beach
Brevard County

Ongoing - Virtual Visual Art 2020 by members of the Central Brevard Art Association on Facebook and YouTube.

Through July 31 - Works in Progress at 5th Avenue Art Gallery

Through July 31 - Eau Gallery presets Ah, Freedom! Local artists with their interpretation of freedom

Through July - Americana on Exhibit at the Studios of Cocoa Beach

Aug. 6-Sept. 12 -Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park at Melbourne Civic Theatre (MCT)
No. Palm Beach County

Ongoing Fridays and Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. - Garden Sculpture Tours at the Norton

Through July 23 - Art of the Phoenix at Armory Art Center

Through July 31 - The New Normal: COVID Times at Palm Beach Photographic Centre

Through Aug. 7 - Summer Home at Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery

Through Aug. 22 - Artist Innovation Fellowship Showcase at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County

​Through Aug. 31 - Summer Dreams exhibit at ArtWorks Gallery, WPB  Artworks of Northwood, 555 25th Street

Through Sept. 5 - Boca Raton Museum of Art - An Irresistible Urge toCreate: The Monroe Family Collection of Outsider Art

Through Sept. 19 - Painting Enlightenment: Works by noted Japanese scientist and artist Iwasaki Tsuneo at Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens

Through Oct. 3 - For the Record: Celebrating Art by Women at The Norton Museum of Art

July 22 - Clematis by night: Sweet Justice

July 24, 11 a.m. - Sculpture Garden Tour at the Norton with docent Cynthia Dillon in Spanish

July 24 - Ocean of Notes Concert 2021: Reverberations at Performing Arts Academy of Jupiter
Martin County

Ongoing - Weekly Tuesday night car show at Elliott Museum. 5-8 p.m. Small fee to show your car. Admission is free for guests, who are asked to remember to follow CDC guidelines pertaining to social distancing, wearing a mask in public, etc.​

Ongoing - Mark Cook: When Flows Return to the River of Grass - Virtual exhibit curated by the Arts Council of Martin County

Through July 24 - Martin Artisans Guild Summer Salon at the Court House Cultural Center.

Through Aug. 1 - Legally Blonde The Musical at The Barn Theatre

​Through Aug. 10 - Tails & Tales - Martin County Library System Summer Reading Program

Through Oct. 31 - Portfolios - Jane Lawton Baldridge, A Sea Story Girl at the Elliott Museum

Through Aug. 1 - Legally Blonde The Musical at The Barn Theatre

July 21-22 - Masters Workshop Hand Sculpted Clay Fountains at Clay Habit Studio, Jensen Beach
St. Lucie County

July 23, 8 p.m. - Bruce Springsteen Tribute - Bruce in the USA at Sunrise Theatre
Beyond the Treasure Coast

Daily at 11 a.m. - Keeper Chats from Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum. -Giant Pacific Octopus

Ongoing, Saturdays, 2 p.m. - The Bass Highlights Tour at The Bass

Through July 31 - Beats & Brushes: Artists of Color exhibit at Lake Wales Arts Council

Through Aug. 22 - Antioch Reclaimed: Ancient Mosaics at the MFA - Museum of Fine Art St. Pete

Sundays at 2 - Upstairs Downstairs Live Theater at the Plant Museum

Through Aug. 22 - Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration at Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete

Through Aug. 27 - Banking on the Past, Savings for the Future: The Legacy of Barron Collier’s Bank of Everglades at Museum of the Everglades

Through Aug. 28 - Connections in Nature at Naples Depot Museum

Through Aug. 29 - 2021 Rollins Faculty Biennal at Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College

Through Aug. 29 - Multiple Voices/Multiple Stories at Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College

Through Aug.29 - Path to Paradise: The Artistic Legacy of Dante's Divine Comedy at Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College

Through Aug. 29 - Uptown/Downtown: Richard Lindner's Fun City at Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College

Through Aug. 29 - Creatures in the Margins at Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College

Through Sept. 25 - Beaches, Creatures & Cowboys: Florida Movie Posters, a traveling exhibit from the Museum of Florida History at Lake Wales History Museum

Through Sept. 26 - Selected Portraits from the Morse Collection at the Morse Museum, Winter Park.

Through Sept. 26 - Iridescence - A Celebration - at the Morse Museum, Winter Park.

​Through Sept. 26 - Earth into Art - The Flowering of American Art Pottery at the Morse Museum, Winter Park.

Through Oct. 25 - The Nature of Encaustic: A Florida Wax Show at Bok Tower Gardens

Through Nov. 28 - InFocus: Precision Photography of Extraordinary and Uncommon Shells at Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum

Through Dec. 23 at the Plant Museum - "When the Train Comes Along": Booker T. Washington at the Tampa Bay Casino

July 22 -  - Death & Resurrection: The History of Notre Dame Part 2 online  at Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers. Pre-register.

July 22, 7:30 p.m. - Zach Bartholomew Trio - Virtual concert - Community Arts Program, Coral Gables, FL

​July 23-25 - Stories We Tell: LGBTQ Art & Activism at MFA


Free streaming videos of operas from the Metropolitan Opera are available at 7:30 p.m. each night and for the following 23 hours. The site also offers many and short performance videos.
Use this format for Calendar entries:
Who (organization)
What (Event)
When (dates, time)
Where (Name of venue, address)
Why (a brief description of the purpose)
Web/Facebook address
Contact for public use (for tickets, questions, etc.)
Then add a short, descriptive release if available.
Send only one photo, with caption, unless more are requested.
Media contact with email for Arts Blast followup (not for publication)
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.
Information is to be received in an email at least one week before publication.

Use this format for Calendar entries:
Who (organization)
What (Event)
When (dates, time)
Where (Name of venue, address)
Why (a brief description of the purpose)
Web/Facebook address
Contact for public use (for tickets, questions, etc.)
Then add a short, descriptive release if available.
Send only one photo, with caption, unless more are requested.
Media contact with email for Arts Blast followup (not for publication)
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:

IMPORTANT: In order to promote your events as a member of the Cultural Council, you must enter your event on the CCIRC calendar via this link: https://www.calendarwiz.com/culturalcouncil and click on "Submit your event"
The deadline is MONDAY - 10 days prior to the Wednesday publication.
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