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. 43 | November 17, 2023

From guest editor Oscar Sales:

When Willi underwent her medical treatment a few months back, many of her friends willingly volunteered to help in a variety of ways. A couple, including myself, wanted to help by sending out her weekly Arts Blast.

In the decades she’s lived in Vero, she has always been one of the most ardent advocates for the arts. From her days at WQCS to her continuing radio show and Arts Blast, Willi takes great pride in enhancing people’s lives through the beauty of art. Whether it be the performing arts or visual arts, she knows the importance of the quality of life arts and artists bring to any community.

As the holiday season rapidly approaches, Willi wants everyone to consider gifting the gift of the arts through memberships, classes, and tickets to events. Memories and great experiences last forever!

Thank you, Willi, for allowing me to be of help this week. Oscar Sales

If you're responsible for promoting an arts-related event, send in details using the format at the end of this email. There's no charge for basic calendar listings but your advertising flyer that includes a link to your website will do more to catch readers' attention. Email for advertising information in Arts Blast and Arts Blast on the Air.

Please support small, local businesses. Arts Blast is one of them, so if you have an event coming up, or something artsy to sell or teach, consider advertising it in Arts Blast!

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Some St. John webcam links, just for the beauty of it.

Arts Blast on the Air with Willi Miller

November 15, 2023 - Marshall Adams, Executive Director of the Backus Musem in Fort Pierce, invites one and all to the exhibition of "Kindred Spirits: Paintings and Letters From the Kiplinger Family Collection." And then we speak with Dr. Jacob Craig and Brad Gardner about the Vero Beach Choral Society and the upcoming concerts at the First Presbyterian Church.

Note: Arts Blast on the Air podcast is now available on more sites — Spreaker; Spotify; iHeartRadio; Deezer; Podcast Addict; Podchaser; and JioSaavn — and there's even an Alexa skill! "Alexa, play the latest Arts Blast on the Air with Willi Miller."

Bookmark On the Calendar at WilliMiller.com for frequent updates. Calls for Artists, Auditions, & Volunteers are on the website, too. 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.

In This Issue

Majestic Grand Piano w/ Marcos Flores

New at Backus Museum & Gallery

Space Coast Jazz Orchestra

Ballet Vero Beach Documentary

Vero Beach Christmas Parade

Eau Galle Arts Festival

Sunrise Theatre Comedy Corner

Schoolhouse Rock Live

Garden Club of Indian River Christmas Ornament

Giving Tuesday at the Children's Museum

And More ...!

Scroll down for a load of entries from the Arts Blast online calendar.

The Concert Series at Christ by the Sea United Methodist Church, led by Dr. Marcos Daniel Flores, director of worship arts, is ready for another season of outstanding musical offerings performed by talented musicians.

The first concert of the series will be a solo piano performance by Flores featuring a program designed to show off the church’s large concert grand Steinway. The program includes demanding masterworks by Bach, Beethoven, Albeniz and Chopin.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Flores attended the prestigious Eastman School of Music and received his doctorate of musical arts from Arizona State University. He started the annual Concert Series the year after his arrival at the church in 2004.

The Majestic Grand Piano Concert will be held on Sunday, November 19th at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary at Christ by the Sea United Methodist Church at 3755 Highway A1A, Vero Beach. Tickets are $30 for adults and $10 for children. For more information, call 772-231-1661 or online at CBTSUMC.org. Tickets also available at the door.  

Two in one day from the Space Coast Symphony JAZZ Orchestra.

It's a pair of Sunday concerts worthy of swinging fringe and free-spirited flappers, when Frank Wosar and the Space Coast Symphony JAZZ Orchestra present an exciting and unforgettable program.

The JAZZ orchestra will celebrate the music of speakeasies that enthralled gangsters, flappers and Bright Young Things a hundred years ago. The 1920s was the Jazz Age! The decade roared with rising confidence, and its music embodied the excitement and carefree exhilaration of the moment. The high-energy program will showcase the music of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Jelly Roll Morton and Bix Beiderbecke, with great hits like "Minnie the Moocher," "Crazy Rhythm," "The Charleston" and many more. The concert spans the era of the Big Bands, with some great American bandstand music up through the 1940s. Guest vocalist, Hannah Stokes, will sing favorites from several decades, while dancer/choreographer Joanne Collins will entertain with some iconic 20s and Lindy Hop/swing dancing. 

The concert spans the era of the Big Bands, with some great American bandstand music up through the 1940s. Guest vocalist, Hannah Stokes, will sing favorites from several decades, while dancer/choreographer Joanne Collins will entertain with some iconic 20s and Lindy Hop/swing dancing. 

Performances are at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, November 19 at the Emerson Center, 1590 27th Avenue in Vero Beach, followed by a Sunday evening performance at 7:00 p.m. at the Satellite High School Performing Arts Center, 300 Scorpion Court in Satellite Beach. 

Tickets are $30 in advance for adults, available through the orchestra website at SpaceCoastSymphony.org or at Marine Bank & Trust in Suntree and Vero Beach. Tickets at the door are $35. The Great Gatsby Party: the Roaring Twenties concert is free for those aged 18 and under or with a student ID.

New at Backus - Kindred Spirits: Paintings & Letters

from the Kiplinger Family Collection

W. M. Kiplinger (1891-1967), a famed Washington journalist with a home on Sewall's Point in Stuart, discovered the art of A. E. Backus and befriended him in the 1950s. Despite the differences in their lives, Kiplinger found in Backus a close counterpart, and commissioned a number of significant paintings. A tireless letter writer, Kiplinger corresponded with his friend as well as with other artists he met at the Backus Studio, including a remarkable exchange with future Highwaymen artist Alfred Hair (1941-1970).

This exhibition is the first public showing of these paintings and rare letters, and also includes selected works by Al Black, Walter Cole, Willie Daniels, James F. Hutchinson, Kevin Hutchinson, Therese Knowles, Roy McLendon, Harold Newton, and Sam Newton acquired by W.M. Kiplinger, and in recent years the Kiplinger Family, that honor the Backus legacy.

View more here: https://www.backusmuseum.org/2023-2024

[Image: Knowles, Therese (1918-2008). Grove Scene, c. 1960. Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 in. Kiplinger Family Collection] Opening Reception - Friday, December 1

“Schoolhouse Rock Live!” features a teacher named Tom who, anxious about his first day of teaching, turns on the TV show and the characters come alive and help him prepare for his lessons. Popular songs include “Three is a Magic Number,” “Just a Bill,” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly” and “Conjunction Junction.”

“Schoolhouse Rock Live!” opened onstage in Chicago in 1993, with Ferguson directing. It was an instant hit and moved to off-Broadway in 1995, and returned to Chicago after an 11-month run. A national tour was launched in 1997, with repeat tours in 1999 and 2000.

Performances of “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” are Thursday and Friday, Nov. 16-17, at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18-19, at 2 p.m. Individual tickets are $20 and may be purchased by calling 772-462-4750 (toll-free at 1-800-220-9915), or in person at the McAlpin Fine Arts Center Box Office, which is located at 3209 Virginia Ave. in Fort Pierce. Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Art in the Park is Back for a New Season!

Vero Beach Art Club is gearing up for the 2023-2024 season, beginning with a full slate of the Art in the Park series at Humiston Park on Ocean Drive in Vero Beach.

Member artists will be showing and selling their art, and some of them will demonstrate their work from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

2023 Dates:

Sunday November 19, 2023

Sunday, December 10, 2023

2024 Dates:

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Sunday March 24, 2024

Sunday, April 7, 2024

The Garden Club of Indian River County announces its 32 annual Christmas ornament! This year it is celebrating Riverside Theatre and its 50th anniversary.

It all began with the first ornament, celebrating the old railroad station in Vero Beach, designed by Arun Wijetilleke for Christmas 1992. Nat Jackson was the chairman of the committee and in 1996 became the writer of the history that's enclosed in each gift box. Civic projects are supported by sales of the Garden Club Annual Christmas Ornament. This year's ornament was designed by Bonnie Pfiester.

Mrs. Winchester Fitch of New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut, a winter resident of Vero Beach, found other women interested in beautifying the area through gardening and, in 1928, created the Vero Beach Garden Club. From its beginnings, Garden Club beautification programs concentrated on parks, schools, roadways and buildings. In 1944 planting of the oaks on Victory Blvd. was a Garden Club project that remains today. Over the years, assistance has broadened to include non-profit organizations, such as the Heritage, Inc., the Salvation Army, Indian River Habitat for Humanity, Homeless Family Center, the American Red Cross, Abilities Resource Center, Hibiscus Children's Home and Redlands Christian Migrant Center among others.

This year’s ornament features Riverside Theatre. Built in 1973 on a 54-acre tract of land designated by the City of Vero Beach as a cultural park, Riverside Theatre was funded solely by private donations. Over the last 50 years, Riverside Theatre has grown to be the largest, independent, professional theater in the state of Florida. 

Saturday, December 2, 2023

at 6pm

Comedy Corner LIVE at the Black Box brought to you by Casey Peruski and Spaz!

Headliner is RC Smith!

Seen on “Good Morning America,” ABC’s “The Chew,” “Rachael Ray” and more, ​RC headlines all around the country and Canada and is a regular on a handful of 50,000 watt radio stations. He regularly plays Atlantic City and Las Vegas along with the Mohegan Sun Casino. RC’s influences are Don Rickles, Lenny Bruce, and Gene Simmons.

Feature act LARRY VENTURINO

Larry Venturino is a stand-up comedian living in Florida but originally from Rhode Island. He burst onto the Southwest Florida comedy scene in his mid-30s. He had already been married and, of course, divorced. Then, he adopted two kids! He’s a middle-class white single father raising two Hispanic children doing his best impression of “Diff’rent Strokes.” Across social media formats worldwide, Larry’s comedy has been viewed over 15 million times. He can be seen on LMAO TV.

November 25 @ 8pm. 772-461-4775 or www.sunrisetheatre.com

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Florida clay artists invited to enter 2024 Form + Fire

Indian River Clay invites Florida clay artists from across the Treasure Coast, Space Coast, Gold Coast – any area of the state -- to take part in the 2024 Form + Fire, a high-quality juried art exhibition returning for the second year. 

Application deadline is Dec. 1, 2023 for the show, which will run from March 1 to March 22, 2024, at Vero Beach’s Raw Space Gallery, 1795 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach.

Applications must be made online through Indian River Clay’s website: www.indianriverclay.org.

Youth Art Classes with Vero Beach Art Club

The Vero Beach Art Club announced its Youth Classes, a unique opportunity for young artists to explore their creative talents. These engaging classes will take place at the Art Club's Gallery & Marketplace, located at 1903 14th Ave, Vero Beach.

The Youth Classes at the Vero Beach Art Club offer a wide range of artistic mediums, including sculpture, painting, collage, and much more. Whether your child is a budding artist or simply curious about the world of art, these classes are designed to inspire and nurture their creativity.

Key Details:

• Age Group: 5-11 years old
• Class Schedule: Various Saturdays from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
• Admission: $10 per class for non-youth members
• Free for youth members (Youth membership is only $25 per year)

These classes are the perfect opportunity for children to explore their artistic abilities, learn new skills, and express themselves in a supportive and encouraging environment. The Vero Beach Art Club is committed to providing a safe and welcoming space for young artists to unleash their creativity.

www.verobeachartclub.org/youthclasses.

Art Club Office - 772-231-0303

Marketplace & Gallery - 772-217-3345.

From The Barn Theatre:

In a season marked by Tony Award winning productions, The Barn is again excited to stage another audience pleaser, the well-known comedic farce “Lend Me A Tenor” by award winning play-write Ken Ludwig. So, here's the plot. When a world-famous Italian tenor, set to perform the starring role in Otello, receives a double dose of tranquilizers through a series of mishaps, the company navigates one catastrophe after another. Dealing with an angry wife, an ambitious female co-star, a presumed death, a flirty head of the opera guild, and secret sex romps, they must find a way to save the opera company's opening night. With crazy costumes, loads of slamming doors, and mistaken identities, will they find a way to save the night? Directed by Bryan Childe.

Top Row (L to R): Kevin Korman, Lou Larsen, Molly Raimondi, Dave Murray, &Amanda Ferrier; Sitting(L to R): Colette Schweizer & Katelyn Anne Johnson;

Missing: Andy Morejon 

“Lend Me A Tenor” runs through November 19. Call the box office at 772-287-4884 or visit the Barn's website at barn-theatre.com. Group rates for 10 or more are available.

Do you have a passion for the arts? Love the thrill of the stage, the magic of storytelling, or the camaraderie of the theatre community? Here's your chance to shine, create, and connect as a volunteer at our Community Theatre! 

🌟 Why volunteer with us? 

• Unleash Your Inner Artist
• Forge Lifelong Friendships
• Create Unforgettable Memories
• Give Back to the Community

Volunteer Opportunities: Acting, Advertising, Back Stage, Board of Directors, Building Maintenance, Carpentry, Choreography, Community Outreach, Costumes, Dancing, Directing, Electrician, Fundraising, Grant Writing, Improv, Lighting, Play Reading, Plumbing, Producing, Set Design/Painting, Set Dressing/Props, Special Effects, Stage Manager,Tech Crew, Ushering, and more!

Ready to take your bow on the volunteer stage? We're always looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our theatre family. Your talents, time, and dedication can help us stage incredible performances that leave our audience in awe. 

Let's make magic happen together! Contact us at thepineappleplayhouse@gmail.com or visit https://www.pineappleplayhouse.com/volunteer-signup to express your interest and learn more about becoming a vital part of our community theatre. 

Coming Up on the Arts Blast Calendar

Events listed are for the next few weeks. For a complete listing of future events, (click here or go to: willimiller.com/arts-blast-calendar)

Indian River County

EVENTS:

Nov. 17 @ 7 pm - The Ultimate Christmas Variety Show with the Edwards Twins at the Emerson Center

​Nov. 18 @ 3pm-8 pm - Downtown Vero Beach Tree Lighting at Pocahontas Park, 14th Avenue - FREE, family-friendly event

Nov. 18 @ 5:30 pm - A Musical Evening of Escher w/ACO at VBMA

Nov. 19 @ 10 am-4 pm - Art in the Park - Vero Beach Art Club in Humiston Park, Ocean Drive

Nov. 19 @ 3pm – Great Gatsby Party – Space Coast Symphony at Emerson Center

Nov. 19 @ 3pm – Majestic Grand Piano Concert at Christ By The Sea UMC

​​Nov. 24 @ 6pm-9 pm - Downtown Country Hoedown in Vero Beach, 14th Avenue - FREE

Nov. 30 @ 6pm-9 pm - WinterFest Preview Gala at Riverside Theatre

ONGOING:

Through Nov. 30 - Viner Series for the Visual Arts at Community Church of Vero Beach, Sanctuary Narthex Gallery

Through Dec. 13 - Feathers, Fins, and Furs at IRC Intergenerational Recreation Center

Through Dec. 29 - Nature-Inspired Art Show at Environmental Learning Center - The Magic of Trees

​Through Dec. 30 - M.C. Escher: Infinite Variations at VB Museum of Art

St. Lucie County

​

​EVENTS:

Nov. 17 @ 7pm- Schoolhouse Rock Live! at IRSC McAlpin Fine Arts Center

Nov. 17-Jan. 7 - Kindred Spirits: Paintings & Letters from the Kiplinger Family Collection at

A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery

Nov. 18 @ 2pm - Schoolhouse Rock Live! at IRSC McAlpin Fine Arts Center

Nov. 19 @ 2pm - Schoolhouse Rock Live! at IRSC McAlpin Fine Arts Center

Nov. 22, midnight - Deadline for entries for Pineapple Playhouse's  One Act Play Festival - So You Think You Can Write?

Nov. 24 & 25 @ 7pm – Tom Segura Live at Sunrise Theatre

Nov. 28 @ 7:30pm – Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour at Sunrise Theatre

Nov. 30 & Dec. 1 @ 7pm - IRSC Jazz Ensemble and Wind Ensemble concert, Home for the Holidays, at McAlpin Fine Arts Center

Brevard County

​EVENTS:

Nov. 18-19 - ArtWorks of Eau Gallie Fine Arts Festival, Melbourne

Nov. 18 - Turtle Trot at Tortoise Island - Brevard Symphony Orchestra fundraiser

Nov. 18 @ 8pm – Jo Koy at King Center

Nov. 19 @ 7pm – Patti LaBelle at King Center

Nov. 19 @ 8pm – Henry Rollins at King Center

Nov. 20 @ 7:30pm – Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at King Center

Nov. 25 @ 2pm – Sounds of the Season – Brevard Symphony Orchestra at King Center

Nov. 29 @ 8pm – A.J. Croce Plays Croce at King Center

​

ONGOING:

Through Dec. 31- Jingle All the Way 41st Annual Holiday Craft Show at Fifth Avenue Art Gallery

Call for Artists:

The Cultural Council of IRC’s Art In Public Places announces the 3^rd annual exhibit with the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Our member artists and gallery affiliates have been invited to exhibit work in the Patten Community Gallery from December 8 to January 21, 2024.

We are accepting 2D and 3D pieces which may include mediums such as textiles, wood, baskets, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, photography as well as paintings and drawings. Original work only.

Artists may submit up to five (5) images of work to sheila@cultural-council.org by Monday, November 20. Please include the Title, Medium, Dimensions, A brief description and Price. Review the specifications below.

Location: Vero Beach Museum of Art Patten Community Gallery

Theme: Artist Choice

Exhibit Date: December 8 – January 21,, 2024

Exhibit Title: Cultural Council of IRC Members Exhibition

Call to Artists: September 22

Submission Deadline: November 20

Notification Of Selection: November 28

Martin County

EVENTS:

Nov. 17 @ 7pm – Walter Trout at Lyric Theatre

Nov. 18 @ 7pm & 8:30pm – Henry Rollins at Lyric Theatre

Nov. 18, 2 p.m. - Saturday Movies: Arts & Humanities at the Blake Library - Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir

Nov. 19, 2 p.m. - Sunday Cinema Series at Blake Library - Alice's Restaurant

Nov. 27, 12-1 pm - Book Gossip at Blake Library

Nov. 30 @ 7pm – Brubeck Brothers Quartet at Lyric Theatre

Dec. 1-17 - Doublewide, Texas Christmas  at A.C.T. Studio Theatre

ONGOING:

Through Nov. 18 - Day...Night...Dream - Jacquelyn Roesch-Sanchez & Rachel Tribble at

Court House Cultural Center, Stuart

Through Nov. 19 - Lend Me a Tenor at The Barn Theatre

Palm Beach County

EVENTS:

Nov. 18 @ 8pm – Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at Kravis Center

Nov. 19 @ 3pm – The Symphonia/Alastair Willis/Kina Khuong-Huu at Roberts Theatre, St. Andrew’s School

Nov. 19 @ 3pm – Yefim Bronfman w/ Palm Beach Symphony at Kravis Center

Nov. 24 & 25 @ various times – Cirque Dreams Holidaze at Kravis Center

Nov. 28 – Dec. 10 – A Christmas Carol at Maltz Jupiter Theatre

Nov. 29 @ 8pm – Fonseca at Kravis Center 

ONGOING:

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

Thursdays 6-9 p.m. - Clematis by Night

Every Friday, 5-10 p.m. - ART AFTER DARK at the Norton

Through Dec. 2 - Little Lush exhibition at Lighthouse ArtCenter

Through Dec. 2 - Elegant Threads at Lighthouse ArtCenter

​Through Dec. 9 - Wild Things - Sue Gurland at Delray Beach Public Library

Beyond the Treasure Coast



EVENTS:

Nov. 18 @ 8 pm - Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at Van Wezel

​Nov. 18 @ 9 am- noon - Old Timers Reunion at Immokalee Pioneer Museum

Nov. 18 @ 10 am- 1 pm - Collier County Wilderness Family Day at Collier Museum at Government Center

Nov. 19 @ 7pm - Mannheim Steamroller Christmas  at Van Wezel

Nov. 21-Jan. 6, 2024 - A Cottage Christmas - Collier Museum at Government Center

Nov. 25 @ 8pm - Rumors of Fleetwood Mac  at Van Wezel

Nov. 26 @ 7pm - Johnny Cash - The Official Concert Experience  at Van Wezel

Nov. 27 & 28 @ various times - Pretty Woman: The Musical at Van Wezel

Nov. 29 @ 7:30pm- Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour at Van Wezel

Nov. 30 @ 8pm - Joe Bonamassa: Live in Concert at Van Wezel

ONGOING:

Every Saturday 1 p.m. - Saturday Exhibition Highlight Tours at Rollins Museum of Art, Winter Park

Live carillon concerts Thursday - Sunday, 1 & 3 p.m. - Bok Tower Gardens. 

​Through April 14, 2024 -The Nature of Art at MFA St. Pete

VOLUNTEERS

Ballet Vero Beach is looking for energetic and outgoing individuals to help us promote the art of dance as a universal language in our community and beyond.

VOLUNTEER TO ASSIST IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS

GUEST SERVICES

BOUTIQUE SALES

SPECIAL EVENTS

ADMIN SUPPORT

PUBLICITY

Ballet Vero Beach Volunteers receive FREE tickets, merchandise, and the opportunity to attend volunteer thank you events.

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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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.

To Submit Calendar Information for ARTS BLAST!

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Use this format for Calendar entries:

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