Category Archives: Culture Builds Florida

Grantee Feature: Tampa Theatre Remains a Beacon in the Midst of Pandemic

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About Tampa Theatre
Built in 1926, Tampa Theatre is a passionately protected landmark and one of America’s best-preserved movie palaces. The majestic movie palace is owned by the City of Tampa and operated by the not-for-profit Tampa Theatre Foundation, whose mission is to protect, preserve and program the Theatre as a dynamic film and cultural center for its community.

On Thursday, March 12, Tampa Theatre made the difficult decision to close in the face of rising concerns over COVID-19. Nearly three months later, the movie palace remains closed, waiting for the opportunity to reopen safely. We asked long-time President and CEO John Bell what the organization has been doing during the shutdown to stay connected with its community.

Tampa Theatre’s marquee thanking front-line responders in the COVID crisis.

In an average year, the historic Tampa Theatre welcomes guests to 700+ film screenings, live shows, fundraisers, tours, community events and educational programs. Over the past two years, the 1926 movie palace has set attendance and box office records – success launched in large part by the December 2017 completion of the landmark’s first major restoration project in 40 years.

On March 12, that upward trend came to a screeching halt.

CEO John Bell wrote in an email to patrons:

“This beautiful landmark has welcomed tens of millions of people over the past 94 years, but now it feels forlorn and abandoned, work halted mid-stream when its caretakers were sent home to stay safe.”

The Theatre remains dark over COVID-19 concerns.

In the days immediately following the closure, team members were consumed with communicating cancellations and issuing refunds. But they quickly turned their efforts to finding innovative ways to stay relevant and engaged.

Regular “social streaming” suggestions on the Theatre’s social media pages offer themed playlists of movies easily found on popular streaming channels for film fans, and weekly Friday Movie Trivia contests invite Facebook followers to show off their cinematic knowledge.

“Today’s technology gives us the unique ability to stay connected with film lovers virtually.”

John Bell, CEO of Tampa Theatre

In partnership with fellow art house cinemas and independent film distributors across the country, Tampa Theatre launched a Virtual Cinema program that offers ticketed screenings of new releases and specialty films, a portion of which directly benefits the Theatre. In more recent weeks, patrons have had the opportunity to bring home a taste of Tampa Theatre: Popcorn Pickup dates offer to-go popcorn, candy and other concessions to enjoy during those living-room screenings.

Popcorn Pickup offers to-go concessions on select Fridays in-front of the Theatre.

The Tampa Theatre Movie School initiative gives parents with kids of all ages the tools to make movies the basis for guided research, art, dramatic play and discussion-based learning. Soon, the Theatre plans to announce week-long virtual programs to replace their popular Summer Film Camp that isn’t able to start this month as originally planned.

“We’ve always felt that nothing can rival the magic of coming to a majestic movie palace to enjoy great cinema. So while it hurts not to be able to welcome our fans and friends to gather in person, we continue to look for ways to provide unique cinematic experiences for our patrons.”

That technology, Bell says, is what made it possible for Tampa Theatre to make a return to its 1926 roots recently by live-streaming a silent film, accompanied by an organist playing to an empty auditorium. The General, LIVE!, which featured acclaimed organist Dr. Steven Ball on the Mighty Wurlitzer,streamed on the Theatre’s Facebook page for about 200 viewers, and has since been viewed several hundred more times on YouTube.

Dr. Steven Ball plays to an empty auditorium, surrounded by webcams.

“It seems almost trite at this point to say that we are in a period of profound uncertainty: We are all taking this day by day, week by week, and month by month… But I do know one thing for certain: when this has passed, people will need the beautiful, historic Tampa Theatre more than ever as a place to gather, embrace each other, and celebrate our collective humanity once again.”

For more information, please visit Tampa Theatre online at www.TampaTheatre.org or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @tampatheatre.

*Interested in being featured on Culture Builds Florida? Please fill out this form HERE
(Note: submission does not guarantee inclusion.)

Grantee Feature: Lighthouse ArtCenter Announces ‘Super Summer’ ArtCamp & Exhibition

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​Founded in 1964 by a group of artists including Christopher Norton of the Norton family (Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach), the member-supported Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery and School of Art has been dedicated to providing artistic programing and cultural opportunities to people in Palm Beach and Martin Counties for 56 years, offering exhibitions, outreach programs and dynamic workshops and classes for youth and adults.

The Lighthouse ArtCenter is pleased to announce their upcoming Super Summer ArtCamp which will run June 1 – July 31, 2020 and will feature the work of world-class puppeteers, FX animation engineers, concept originators, and character designers who specialize in “prototypes and peculiarities.”

‘Gru’ by Carter Goodrich; ‘Super Summer’ design by Fernando Porras

Nowhere else in the world do kids have the chance to create art with some of America’s finest character designers, illustrators, and animation engineers. And, although the fun is happening right here in the heart of Tequesta, Florida, they don’t have to be at our location to enjoy it!

Opening June 1, 2020, the Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery will feature a lively art exhibition of works created by world-class puppeteers, FX animation engineers, and concept originators. Some of the featured artists will include masters in the field of animated movies like Carter Goodrich, who gave us the characters for Finding Nemo, Despicable Me, and Shrek. There will also be dynamic life-size puppets displayed from the award-winning plays Beauty and the Beast and The Wiz.

by Carter Goodrich
Carter Goodrich

But the Lighthouse ArtCenter’s School of Art has joined in to take this opportunity one giant leap further. Their ArtCamps have inspired creativity in local youth every summer for the past 30 years. Carrying on tradition, this year’s camp titled “Super Summer” is being refashioned as an interactive “ArtCamp in a Box.” The carefully designed camp for children between the ages of 6 and 12 will combine independent exploration, some parental supervision and three optional, interactive, instructor-lead zoom sessions. 

Matt Ficner

Each week, the registered camp attendees will receive their “ArtCamp in a Box” by mail or curbside pick-up. On Monday, they first open their box that includes everything needed for all of their projects for the week. In the box they will receive a surprise “How-To” character design created uniquely for the Lighthouse ArtCenter by one of the nationally acclaimed artists on display in the gallery. Unique lesson plans made by esteemed instructors will expand on the initial character design and encourage children to imagine and create their own worlds. On Friday, the week will end with a virtual show-and-tell, allowing the students to share what they created with the camp. 

by Russ Cox
Russ Cox

“Through conversations with our young artist community and their parents, we learned that students need creative outlets now more than ever. They also need opportunities beyond the computer or tablet,” says Director of Education, Maria Tritico. “That is why we designed ArtCamp in a Box. This camp is one-of-a-kind and the exciting lessons take children on a journey that stretches as far as their imaginations, from the comfort of wherever they might be…”

Patrick Girouard

As local children are allowed to venture out into public once again, they can visit the Lighthouse ArtCenter Gallery and join us to social distance alongside drawings from the brilliant artists behind video games for Surf’s Up, animations for VeggieTales, National Geographic World publications, Highlights Hidden Pictures books, Microsoft Word’s “Clippy” character, best-selling picture books and more. For more information, visit the Lighthouse ArtsCenter Super Summer Exhibit page.

“Never have the arts been more important to the well-being of our vibrant community, and never have artists who create for children been more generous with their time and their talent. It’s proof, once again, that all great art begins at home, wherever that home may be.” – Janeen Mason, Curator

Students and parents are encouraged to share their progress throughout the week by tagging @lighthousearts and using the hashtags #LighthouseArtCenter, #SuperSummer, #ArtCampInaBox on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.               

Interested in being featured on Culture Builds Florida? Please fill out this form HERE (Note: submission does not guarantee inclusion.)

Art Talk: Leiland Theriot, Executive Director of Florida Alliance for Arts Education

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Leiland Theriot is Executive Director of the Florida Alliance for Arts Education (FAAE). The Division of Cultural Affairs recently talked with Leiland about FAAE’s newest partnership with Interactive Academy to provide teaching artists and students access to virtual arts education and remote classes.

Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA): Can you tell us a little bit about FAAE?

Leiland: The Florida Alliance for Arts Education was founded by Dr. June Hinkley (FDOE) and Dr. Mary Palmer (UCF Dean) in collaboration with arts educators and agencies from around the state, including the Department of Education and Division of Cultural Affairs, to establish the Arts for a Complete Education (ACE) coalitions.  Our mission is to improve, enhance, and promote arts education in the state of Florida.  We are currently funded by the FDOE ACE Grant and by two grants from DCA: one for General Support and the other from the National Endowment for the Arts Special Initiative.

DCA: FAAE’s new partnership with the Interactive Academy to provide arts education classes through a virtual platform is particularly timely. How will it work?

Leiland: The FAAE and the Interactive Academy will partner with teaching artists anywhere in the state to remotely continue to provide arts instruction to their students. The delivery can be to one student, or 20, or 1000. IA has several delivery platforms available. The FAAE is the paymaster, registration, and additional marketing. There are no costs initially, and the three will split the net revenue evenly. The best thing is that the platforms are secure and private!

DCA: What was the genesis of the project?

Leiland: Ricardo Canchola (IA) approached me in January at Arts in the Capital Day. We began our discussion, thinking we might have everything worked out by maybe the summer or fall. And then the Coronavirus Pandemic happened, and we were watching our friends losing their “gig” pay. We had respond quickly to try and get them working again.

DCA: Teaching artists are a valuable resource. Are you looking for particular disciplines?

Leiland: No, we are not. You can do any arts discipline. There is a warning for musicians, however – live ensemble playing does not work on any digital platform, due to latency issues.  We do have other options, however, that will work for delivering music instruction.

DCA: What qualifications does a teaching artist need to take part in the program?

Leiland: Our teaching artist should have a high level of content knowledge, and have had experience in delivering online lessons. This is fairly simple to learn the digital platform, and Ricardo has developed video tutorials and is willing to chat with anyone having difficulties. You will need a laptop with video and audio (camera and mic), and your ping speed should be around 20-30 mbps at minimum, around 50 mbps on uploads if you plan to livestream. Visit Speed Test to check your speed.

DCA: How does a teaching artist sign up?

Leiland: Click HERE for the proposal form. You can also get there by going to https://www.faae.org. The first banner on the landing page has a button that takes you to the page for the Interactive Academy, and there you will find a button to Submit a Proposal.

DCA: How do you plan to attract students to the platform?

Leiland: The FAAE has email distribution lists for memberships (over 3500), local arts agencies, and public schools arts supervisors (who will send to teachers to send to students). Also, most teaching artists already have access to the emails for past participants.

DCA: What is the ultimate goal of the initiative?

Leiland: Our initial goal is to get teaching artists working again. However, once we have a solid revenue stream it is our intention to use it to support our mission – to improve, enhance, and promote arts education. There are four school districts with less than 20% arts education. Those districts do not have elementary music or visual art classes for their students. I would like to see what we could do to change that.

DCA: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Leiland: I left teaching three years ago to be the Executive Director of the FAAE. I have never regretted that. I love being able to work with such consummate professional artists, teaching artist, and arts educators. It has been a blessing to work with the people at the Division of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Education to support arts instruction throughout the state. Thank you!

The Division thanks Leiland Theriot and Florida Alliance for Arts Education for their participation in this interview. To learn more about FAAE, visit their website: https://www.faae.org/

Interested in being featured on Culture Builds Florida? Click HERE fro the proposal form (Note: submission does not guarantee inclusion.)

Grantee Feature: The Naples Players – Responding to the Current Crisis

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The Naples Players is a nationally-recognized community theatre. Founded in 1953, they fulfill their mission to enrich, educate and entertain the community through dozens of educational programs for adults and kids alike, children’s theatre, live concerts, residencies and comedy nights in addition to their regular performance season. A true community theatre, their 650 volunteers put in more than 65,000 hours per year.

How does an organization respond to a ban on gatherings of large numbers of people when their artistic medium requires such gatherings? We asked Executive Artistic Director Bryce Alexander about the adjustments Naples Players have made in order to reach out to and serve their community.

Hospital masks made by Naples Players volunteers

The Naples Players has called itself a “theatre for the community” since we were founded 67 years ago. It is this very creed that has kept The Naples Players operating – even in an augmented form – during these challenging times.  

Like many people, our first impression of COVID-19 came from social media. So, too, did our first act of community service. The Naples Players utilizes more than 650 volunteers for more than 65,000 volunteer hours every year. After understanding that the theatre would have to shut its doors to performances, Resident Costume Designer Dot Auchmoody saw a Facebook post containing a pattern to build surgical masks. She quickly realized that this was a way the costume staff and volunteers could continue to utilize their skills. A call was placed to the local hospital, and an offer made to use any of our remaining bolts of fabric to create surgical style masks. The hospital requested 300. It was only a matter of days until the hospital called, needing as many masks as had already been created.  

Combining the effort of the staff in alternating shifts at the theatre, volunteers were also able to contribute – and were given “take-home” kits to continue making masks at home. Word quickly spread about our efforts, and a local printing company offered to use their laser cutters to cut the fabric patterns of the masks. This collaboration allowed high-precision, high-output capacity of the masks while furthering our business relationships – all the while continuing to engage and train our volunteers. We continue to make masks today, providing them to hospitals, nursing homes, and others who may need them. 

Intubation box made by Naples Players

This effort was utilized in the scene shop, too: when Assistant Technical Director Chase Lilienthal realized he could use leftover plexiglass to create intubation boxes, a critical shield for protecting doctors and nurses when intubating patients. A simple pattern was built, and the boxes have become another added tool to help protect our community’s heroes. 

At the same time, our Education Department began to think of the impact this crisis would have on students. Serving more than 1,200 students on-site in classes every year, we know that the social and imaginative access our programs provide our students would be critical to their at-home education. In only 1 week, all of the education programs, for every age and level, were modified and moved to electronic formats. Not only has this provided the students continuity and connection, it has inspired the theatre to evaluate ways to bring virtual classes to underserved populations in the future. Parents have been overwhelmingly thankful for the outlet this has provided. Adult students crave the voice the classes provide as well. 

Online improv class for students from the STARability Foundation

The Naples Players has made news in the past for creating a “Director of Community Wellness and Education” to connect arts education with wellness programs, and just this week provided 30 students with disabilities from the STARability Foundation a virtual improv class to discuss emotions and current events, hosted an “Improv for Isolation” class for 15 adults, and provided free virtual yoga on our social media platforms. These efforts will continue weekly. As April is National Poetry Month, we will be calling for poems related to COVID-19 to be submitted, and they will be given dramatic readings by local performers.  

Finally, we’ve been able to utilize our technical departments and artists to create digital content that continues to promote the arts and engage with our community. Live-streaming concerts have been viewed by 5k+ people just this week,  and virtual sing-a-longs and virtual cabarets have called on quarantined artists to submit their performances digitally.  

Improv for Isolation flyer/graphic

The Naples Players could lose close to $500,000 to cancelled performances through June. Our endowment saw its value fall by more than $1.5m since this crisis began. Knowing the endowment funds exist for times of need, we’ve been standing strong to continue serving our community – and the community has responded. Subscriptions to next season continue to sell, small donations have been flooding in and online engagement has continued to allow us to spread the arts further than ever before.  

The financial impacts of this shutdown will be deep. Reliance on the generosity of our community is going to be crucial. Most importantly, we know our patrons, donors, and volunteers are embracing our position as a theatre for community – and together we will all get through this.  

Culture in Florida: August 2019

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Culture in Florida is a monthly news roundup to showcase our state’s wonderful diversity, spotlight the organizations and artists that contribute so much to our communities, and stress the comprehensive benefits of arts and culture to Florida’s economy and quality of life.

Here’s a sample of arts and culture around the state for the month of August:

FEATURED FESTIVAL

Studio 620 in St. Petersburg hosted its inaugural Zine Fest on Sunday, August 25th. A zine (short for magazine or fanzine) is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images. Creatives from across the Tampa Bay area had zines and other works available for sale and sometimes even to trade, and there was a DIY Zine Zone to craft your own creations.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The 7th annual UPAG Artists Show was held on August 23rd at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa. From the Museum: “The United Photographic Artists Gallery is composed of fully engaged artists versed in the fine art world and dedicated to the excellence of the medium. UPAG supports the education, income, and creative progress of emerging artists.The 7th annual UPAG Artists Show was held on August 23rd at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts in Tampa.”

The Dunedin Fine Arts Center hosted its “wearable ART 15” fashion show on August 24th, featuring presentations by Jenna Barnes, Mark Byrne, Melissa Dolce, the Garden Fairies + Electric Diva, Johnny Hunt, Kikimora Studios, Cindy Linville, and Frank Strunk III. Visit their website to see images from the event.

On Saturday, August 3rd, the Heartland Cultural Alliance held a Cellphone Photo Contest at the HCA Museum Gallery. Cellphone owners countywide submitted photographs from their phone, and community members were then asked to choose the winner from an exhibit of 26 qualifying photographs.

OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

Opera Atelier in Miami closed its production of “The Not So Little Prince,” a whimsical one-act opera based on the story of The Little Prince which takes audience members on a journey through space and time, on August 18th. The production featured young performers from The Opera Atelier 2019 MOZ-Art Program, alongside their teachers. 

This month in Panama City, The Light Room opened an exhibit called “After the Hurricane: Photos by The Panama City News Herald,” showing coverage of Hurricane Michael recovery with images by Patti Blake and Joshua Boucher. Metal prints of the night sky show sparkling stars over areas impacted by Hurricane Michael, celebrating the courage of Bay County residents and their love for the community.

UPCOMING IN SEPTEMBER

ArtsLaunch2019 will happen on September 7th at the Adrienne Arsht Center. ArtsLaunch is the biggest free community event in Miami that celebrates the performing arts and other arts disciplines, and serves as the annual kick-off to Miami’s art season! The schedule for the celebration includes over 50 activities including free mini performances, interactive workshops, kids’ activities, farmers market, tours, and more.

The Sarasota Orchestra will kick off their “Discover Beethoven” series with performances of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony on September 28th & 29th. This series invites audience members to further explore the composer’s best-loved and most-celebrated works, and it will run through May of 2020.

Celebrate the end of summer with the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville at the last of their “Summer Fridays” series on September 6th. Visitors will enjoy free entertainment, including live music, art activities, lawn games, lounge areas, and more at the Museum’s s riverfront gardens and galleries, with extended hours to 9 PM. Museum-goers will also have their last chance see the French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950 exhibit, which will close on September 8th.

Make sure to check in with your local arts council this month as performing arts organizations begin their new seasons across the state!

Have an event you’d like to see featured as part of this blog series? Please fill out this form: https://goo.gl/forms/rNFpweK1euL3y9YH2. Note: submission does not guarantee inclusion. 

Art Talk: Jonathan Brooks, Photographer and Visual Artist

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Jonathan Brooks is an award-winning photographer/visual artist, who was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Brooks graduated magna cum laude with a BS degree, double majoring in Advertising and Fine Art Photography with a minor in Marketing from the University of Miami. His studies in graphic design and architecture, and extensive backgrounds in the fashion industry and music industry have also helped to influence his work. He attended one of the Division of Cultural Affairs’ workshops given as part of the Professional Development for Artists program, presented by Citizens for Florida Arts, Inc. in partnership with the Creative Capital Foundation.

Brooks worked for Eastman Kodak during their transition from analog to digital. His photographs have been published in numerous anthologies and periodicals. His Fine Art Photographs have been featured in major movies (Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates, and Uncle Drew), the Emmy nominated short film series celebrating the 50th anniversary of National Endowment For The Arts- United States Of Art, and television shows (David Makes Man, Southern Charm, The Vampire Diaries, and Germany’s Only Love Counts).

His work has been exhibited in Miami, New York City, Amsterdam, France, Germany, Greece, and the United Kingdom. This includes Art Basel, the Louvre, and the biggest billboard in Times Square.

Division of Cultural Affairs (DCA): Tell us a little about you and your history. What are you currently working on?

Silver Palm Trees by Jonathan Brooks

Jonathan: I’ve always been artistic and it shows in all I do. I was very much into performing arts in grade school through high school, and totally involved in drama and chorus. I grew up with Twilight Zone and Creature Feature, movie stars and rock idols, the photographs of Time, Life and Vogue magazines, LP records and mixed tapes, and MTV videos. I was always a doodler, until taking two and half years of Architecture at community college, in which I found its rigors ruined drawing for me. I later changed my major to advertising and fine art photography at the University of Miami, where I graduated Magna Cum Laude.

I started out entirely into portraiture and was obsessed with the work of my photography idol Herb Ritts. I continued to enjoy shooting fashion and portraits, but it seemed my photography was slowly becoming a hobby due to circumstances beyond my control.  In 2013, after deeply feeling the effects of the recession, and assisting with my father’s five-year long battle with cancer, his death found me refocusing my efforts on my art photography. I found death, mortality, and our journey as my main topics of interest. I suddenly began using skulls in my portraiture and images. 

Winning Photo Of The Year 2014 during Miami’s prestigious art week at the inaugural Miami Photo Salon, and having my skull series used as the work of a photographer character on the CW Network’s hit series The Vampire Diaries, really helped to boost my confidence and encouraged me to continue to pursue my art.

Blue Coconuts by Jonathan Brooks

As of late, I have found a new interest and appreciation for simple still life photography, in contrast to today’s trend of issue based photography (ie. Feminism, climate change,…). I believe the focus on the mastery of photography becomes more important than the underlying reasons behind the photographs. Today, everyone is a photographer and has access to a camera via their cell phone. The rules and techniques of great photography is what ultimately sets the average ones apart from the great ones.

I’m currently working on finding the right place to exhibit my Blue Palms series. I’ve been surrounded by palms for over half a century, and like the great Cuban poet and national hero Jose Marti, I find them inspirational symbols of my birth place and ancestry. It is important to me to find the right venue for this work because I believe it deserves and commands it.

I’m continuing to enjoy botanicals and still life, and want to focus on my ongoing interest in the Everglades, but I am missing my days of portraiture. While enjoying some recent work involving live humans, I’ve begun to play around with masks as identities on individuals, and want to begin a series I have been wanting to start for a while regarding our use of old vs new technology. 

DCA: Why did you choose a career in the arts?

Jonathan: It is innate in me and I really feel that because of that it chose me. I’ve found that my artistic abilities influence everything I do. Whether it be the renovation of my condo in 2000 that was featured in a national publication or in the contents of my Kickstarter funded book The True Cuba that I self-published in 2014. Aside from my photography work, I’ve always gravitated towards all things artistic. In every kind of work I do or have done, I find that there is some level of artistic prowess involved.

A Bubble Bath & A Glass of Wine by Jonathan Brooks

I firmly believe that a true artist expresses themselves in all that they do. Because of that, I would say a career in the arts is much more of a calling, rather than a choice. I know there is a bit of “the artist” in all of us, but I think a few take it to another level, and even fewer take it to another place all together. 

DCA: What is the best part about your job?

Jonathan: The best part about being a photographer is that I am able to find beauty in all that surrounds me and share it with others. It is a great outlet for my creativity and my preferred way of creating art. Every image captured is documenting history, freezing time, and capturing a memory. Finding beauty in the day to day and sharing your vision with the world is an amazing way to connect with others. Showing others how to look at things from a different direction or angle, or helping them see the beauty in themselves is a powerful and rewarding tool.

I’ve always loved the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  I believe photography is probably the strongest means of communication there is and a universal language that anyone can understand.  As children, we learned through picture books before we learned to read. The power of an image to deliver a message is something that is worldwide and transcends limits and boundaries. 

Another great thing about being a photographer is that you can apply your skills to an array of different subject matter.  You are never bored or need to deal with the pains of monotony. One day you can aim your camera at fashion and portraits, another at nature or architecture, and another at street or documentary. As a photographer, the world is your oyster.

DCA: In your opinion, what is the greatest contribution that you and your art have made to your community?

Jonathan: In my opinion, exhibiting, displaying, and selling my art has a great effect on one’s community, and enriches the lives of all of us. It helps economic development and increases business, improves social well-being, and it brings people together to help celebrate the community. It also encourages interaction in public spaces, engagement in community activity, promotes diversity of culture, builds personal and professional relationships, and educates and entertains. The impact is felt not just in museums or galleries, but all around us.

2 Pink Flamingos & A Thunderbird by Jonathan Brooks as exhibition promotional poster in Athens, Greece. Photo courtesy of Blank Wall Gallery

I think my greatest contribution to my community has been garnering attention and recognition for my art outside of my community. Whether it be other cities and states in the nation or other countries paying attention to my work, this contributes to the positive image of our community when it comes to tourists and foreigners. I take great pride in having my work displayed at the Louvre in France, Amsterdam, Germany, Greece, the United Kingdom, and New York City’s Time Square. I also believe having my art used in major movies and television shows adds a credibility to my work and makes it a part of pop culture.

I feel that probably my greatest contribution to my community is having my work in the Emmy nominated short film series United States of Art, celebrating the 50th anniversary of National Endowment For The Arts.  Inclusion in such a historical, meaningful, and recognized piece of work truly makes me proud for being able to represent my community, Miami, and Florida in such a manner.

DCA: What do you think of when you hear “Culture Builds Florida”? Why are the arts and culture important to our state?

No Vacancy by Jonathan Brooks in Shep Rose’s bedroom on Bravo’s Southern Charm. Photo courtesy of Margaret Wright for Parachute Home

Jonathan: I hear that a state without culture would be pretty boring and uninviting. I think Florida is lucky to be extremely rich in art and culture, and because of this many are drawn here. The abundance of art and culture available in Florida through our many and diverse communities has always established Florida among the most cultural places to be. Some of the hottest destinations for tourists from all over the world are in Florida. Orlando, Miami, and the Florida Keys are prime examples of the excellence in art and culture that the state offers. 

Florida locations are also widely used and sought after in television and movies because of our art and culture. From the vintage Flipper series to Miami Vice to the Golden Girls. I am extremely proud to be one of the Florida artists who will have their work featured in the upcoming Oprah Network’s original drama series David Makes Man. The coming-of-age story from Oscar-winning Moonlight co-writer Tarell Alvin McCraney and starring The Cosby Show’s Phylicia Rashad is set in the Florida projects.

The Division thanks Jonathan Brooks for his participation in this interview. To learn more about him and his work, visit his website: http://www.jonathanbrooks.net

Interested in being featured on Culture Builds Florida? Please fill out this form: https://goo.gl/forms/3sMwuJWA3bM1orPl2 (Note: submission does not guarantee inclusion.)

Culture in Florida: July 2019

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Culture in Florida is a monthly news roundup to showcase our state’s wonderful diversity, spotlight the organizations and artists that contribute so much to our communities, and stress the comprehensive benefits of arts and culture to Florida’s economy and quality of life.

Here’s a sample of arts and culture around the state for the month of July:

SPECIAL EVENTS

On Saturday, July 13th, the Matheson History Museum teamed up with the Gainesville Sun and Piedmont Publishing for a unique partnership called the “Gainesville Memories Community Project.” This project utilizes images from the Matheson’s collection to create a book focused on the city’s history prior to 1940, tentatively entitled “Gainesville Memories: The Early Years.” Community members were invited to bring in their historic photos dating back to 1940 or earlier.

The Pensacola Orchestra performed a free concert in the Happiness Is exhibition at the Artel Gallery on July 25th. The musicians, a string quartet with oboe, performed works by Mozart, Elgar, and others.

Florida Secretary of State, Laurel M. Lee, visited Tampa and St. Petersburg on July 18th and 19th. While in Tampa, she toured the Straz Center and met with a group of young actors from the cast of Annie with the Patel Conservatory. In St. Petersburg, she alongside Senator Darryl Rouson met with staff from the Morean Arts Center to discuss their community engagement programs, and ended the day by exploring the spectacular Chihuly Collection with her family. Photographs below are from her Twitter page.

OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

The Ringling Museum in partnership with the Circus Arts Conservatory opened their Summer Circus Spectacular this month, which will run through August 3rd. This hour-long show, housed in the Historic Asolo Theatre, showcases breath-taking circus acts such as the Rolla Bolla, Hand Balancing, Aerial Lyra, Hula Hoop and Interactive Comedy. This summer special is perfect for the entire family!

The 31st Annual Arts in Gadsden exhibition opened at the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum in Quincy on July 25th, and will run through August 6th. This celebration of the region’s creative work presents 101 works by 82 artists. Exhibited works span the mediums of watercolor, egg tempera, acrylic, oil, photography, clay, encaustic, wood, metal, glass, papier maché, and serigraph.

The Venice Theatre opened their performance of Urinetown on July 26th, and it will run until August 11th. The production is described as “a side splitting sendup of greed, love, revolution (and musicals!), in a time when water is worth its weight in gold.”

APOLLO 11 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

July 20th, 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the first Moon Landing by spaceflight Apollo 11. Several arts organizations around the state took an opportunity to celebrate this event with special programming outside of their regular season!

The Gulf Coast Symphony celebrated the event with a concert of “moon music” and footage from the historic flight. The program included iconic fare such as Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra” made famous by the film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” themes from the popular TV show “Star Trek,” and two segments from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets.”

On July 31st and August 1st, the Melbourne Municipal Band will celebrate the moon landing anniversary with a picnic concert featuring various jazz hits.

UPCOMING IN AUGUST

On Thursday, August 15th, the Naples Players will present “Laugh for a Change!” in collaboration with the United Arts Council of Collier County. This fun-filled night of improvisational comedy will allow the Southwest Florida to unite for a great cause: to help provide access to the arts for at-risk children in their community. There will be two separate performances, at 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM.

In collaboration with the Museum of Discovery and Science in Ft. Lauderdale, the South Florida Symphony will present their “Preserve the Coral Reef” concert on August 4th. The performance will feature their music educator, Donna Wissinger, and admission is free with the purchase of a museum ticket.

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Grantee Feature: Dance Alive National Ballet Welcomes New Resident Choreographer

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Provided by Dance Alive National Ballet. All photos by Johnston Photography.

About Dance Alive National Ballet

Founded in 1966 in the ‘Gator Nation’ of Gainesville, FL, Dance Alive National Ballet features an international roster of award winning dancers. Elegant and exciting, they are at the heart of the company’s undeniable success. DANB’s repertoire ranges from the quintessential classic Nutcracker to the cutting-edge movement of contemporary ballet. Throughout this choreographic tapestry are woven the ballets of Executive Artistic Director Kim Tuttle and Choreographer-in-Residence Judy Skinner whose distinctive artistic styles brand the company.  Entertaining and insightful, provocative and joyous, this creative aesthetic is at the heart of the Company. From dancing on a basketball court where lights were hung on hoops to being sponsored in state of the art theatres, to performing by invitation for HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, DANB has been on a mission to bring dance to the people.

New Resident Choreographer

Dance Alive National Ballet is proud to announce the appointment of Brian Carey Chung (choreographer, poet and nurse) as Resident Choreographer for the 2019-20 season. Mr. Chung brings to the table an extraordinary wealth of experience in both classical ballet and contemporary dance. He was founder and artistic director of Collective Body Dance Lab, performed with LINES Ballet for 7 years before joining Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Armitage Gone! Dance where he was principal dancer, rehearsal director and assistant choreographer. His first ballet for DANB, premiered in February 2019, ‘Touch Me Closer’, was a work of deep beauty, using highly trained classical dancers in a new and original way. This was so successful that Kim Tuttle, Executive Artistic Director of Dance Alive National Ballet asked him to create a full length ballet for the spring of 2020. His title of choice is ‘Athletes of God’, inspired by a quote from iconic modern dancer Martha Graham and set to music by Bach. His respect for dancers is boundless, and we look forward to moving Dance Alive National Ballet forward with grace and enthusiasm. 

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Culture In Florida: April 2019

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Culture in Florida is a monthly news roundup to showcase our state’s wonderful diversity, spotlight the organizations and artists that contribute so much to our communities, and stress the comprehensive benefits of arts and culture to Florida’s economy and quality of life.

Here’s a sample of arts and culture around the state for the month of April:

FEATURED FESTIVALS

The 21st annual Sarasota Film Festival took place between April 5 and 14. This year’s festival featured films from national and international filmmakers, special appearances with actors Greg Kinnear, Blythe Danner, and Anne Heche, and other special events. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida celebrated Earth Day on April 13th with a huge community event that included educational programs, interactive shows, hands-on activities, food, and beverages for children and families.

The Jazz Society of Pensacola hosted the 36th annual Pensacola JazzFest on April 6 and 7. This free event celebrated America’s unique musical art form through a wide range of concerts and events. The City of Holly Hill and Helping Hands Thru Arts presented the inaugural Holly Hill Arts Festival on April 6 and 7. The event featured over 70 juried works of arts and crafts.

Many organizations hosted festivals celebrating the written word in conjunction with National Poetry Month. In Jacksonville, the month-long JAX Poetry Fest featured readings, workshops, and lectures for children, teens, and adults. In Miami, the O, Miami Festival facilitated a month-long initiative with the mission of “every single person in Miami-Dade County encountering a poem”, and in Tallahassee, the annual Word of South festival was held from April 12-14, an event that explores the relationship between writing and music.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Davie’s Young at Art Museum celebrates its 30th birthday this month! The museum hosted an evening of live music, performance art, and food to mark the occasion on April 27. Naples Art Association also celebrates its 65th birthday this month. Happy Birthday!

In Jacksonville, Thursday, April 4 was officially proclaimed “Jacksonville Symphony ‘Bridges’ Day”. This special honor by the city of Jacksonville and Mayor Lenny Curry celebrated the symphony’s Symphony in 60 concert that featured the world premiere of Bridges, a piece inspired by the city and composed for the symphony by composer-in-residence Courtney Bryan.

Naples Botanical Garden kicked off their “Music in the Garden” series on April 7 with a performance by indie band The Woodwork. The series continues on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month through August.

OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

The Museum of Art-DeLand opened Gary Monroe: Photographs and Revelations on April 6. The exhibit features 46 black and white photographs by the artist as well as 22 cultural objects and 10 paintings from his personal collection. In Miami, the BASS Museum opened Sheila Hicks: Campo Abierto on April 13, an exhibit that groups works of art from various periods that explore the formal, social, and environmental aspects of landscape throughout Hicks’ career.

In Winter Park, Phase II of The Sage Project opened at Hannibal Square Heritage Center. This exhibit features 17 portraits and living histories of the most senior residents of the African American west side Winter Park community.

A new exhibit exploring how contemporary artists are influenced by graphic novels and comic books opened at Boca Raton Museum of Art. Beyond the Cape! Comics and Contemporary Art includes prominent contemporary artists exploring some of today’s most complicated issues in this pioneering show, on display through October 6, 2019.

The United Arts Council of Collier County opened an exhibit by three pastel artists who challenged each other to create 30 images of the same subject. Their creative journey is on display through May 28, 2019.

UPCOMING IN MAY

MOSAIC — the Month Of Shows, Art, Ideas & Culture — in Palm Beach, the Key West Songwriters’ Festival and the Orlando Fringe Festival are just a few exciting events during the month of May. Subscribe to this blog or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

Have an event you’d like to see featured as part of this blog series? Please fill out this form: https://goo.gl/forms/rNFpweK1euL3y9YH2. Note: submission does not guarantee inclusion. 

Culture Builds Florida – and Florida Builds Culture: The Southwest Florida Symphony introduces Brave New Music

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Provided by the Southwest Florida Symphony 

image001At 58 years old, the Southwest Florida Symphony is the fourth oldest continuously operating orchestra in the State of Florida. As was intended at its inception, it continues to serve as an “audio museum,” performing great classical repertoire written for full orchestra and chamber ensembles, but as Florida’s demographic evolves, becoming younger and more diverse, the Southwest Florida Symphony has made great strides to acclimate to Florida’s ever-changing cultural landscape.

vlcsnap-2018-03-04-23h28m28s160Beginning in 2016, the symphony began experimenting with crossover concerts that blended classical music with other genres; indie rock, electronica, jazz and Latin. As artistic trust continued to develop between the symphony and its audiences and our community expressed more “classical curiosity,” the symphony became more artistically confident in its ability to expand its horizons and establish a new concert series called Brave New Music. Not exactly Pops, though featuring popular music – and not exactly classical, though always featuring classical repertoire, this series is designed to encourage dedicated, knowledgeable classical music enthusiasts to examine familiar works through a new lens and to remove classical music’s historic intimidation factor for audiences that are not ordinary classical music consumers.

IJS06454Ultimately, this is a way to demonstrate the relevance of classical music to new patrons of the arts and to lead classical audiophiles on a musical journey that begins in familiar territory for them. In addition to the music these audiences experience, these concerts provide educational opportunities through guest artist and conductor Q&A sessions, to meet our orchestral musicians to gain their perspective on these concerts, pre-concert lectures and social gatherings. The best, most beautiful part is that it brings both of those audiences together; spanning generations, socioeconomic and cultural strata, forging relationships among them. It has been said that music is the greatest social network. That’s what we for envision Brave New Music. The Southwest Florida Symphony is honored that Brave New Music can serve as the cornerstone of that network in our community.

DSC06874allBrave New Music initiatives have included jazz arrangements of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition created and performed by Israeli jazz pianist, Yaron Gottfried and Bach – Jazz fusion arrangements created and performed by pianist Matt Herskowitz. Upcoming Brave New Music programs include an evening of Beethoven v. Coldplay, featuring original electronica – classical compositions and visionary arrangements by Maestro Steve Hackman. This concert culminates the Southwest Florida Symphony’s 58th season with a fusion of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 and tunes by British pop band, Coldplay, on Saturday, May 4th. The orchestra commences its 59th season with a screening of the classic thriller film, Psycho, with live orchestral accompaniment on Friday, October 25th and Saturday, October 26th, then closes its 59th season with a celebratory program of tolerance and joy – Symphabulous! A Symphonic Drag Show features nationally known drag performer Chris Weaver. We have every expectation that this innovative programing will enlighten and bring audiences together and will inspire other orchestras to do the same.

To learn more about the Southwest Florida Symphony, visit their website: https://www.swflso.org/.

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