Let there be peace on earth

In their newest exhibition, Lighthouse ArtCenter is saying "Let there be peace on earth"

Peace on Earth is a juried show being presented by 103 year-old Kathryn W. Davis and features multiple artists' visions of world peace.  It runs from November 18 until December 30.

Artist Nina Fusco’s paper composition, Circle of Peace, is on display in the exhibition Peace on Earth, a juried collection of artwork representing artists’ visions of world peace at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta, Nov. 18 through Dec. 30.

Mrs. Davis is no stranger to promoting peace as well as being a great advocate for education.  Her current major gift of $1 million annually funds the Kathryn W. Davis Projects for Peace, in which she provides 100 university students with a grant of $10,000 each.

In a release from the ArtCenter, Mrs. Davis said,

“My many years have taught me that there always will be conflict, but I’ll remind you that love, kindness and support are also part of human nature. My challenge to you is to bring about a mindset of preparing for peace instead of preparing for war.”

In 2007, she was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Service.

Executive director of the Lighthouse ArtCenter, Katie Deits, reflects on what can come from the show.

"Is there no better time than the end of the year to reflect on how we might eliminate conflict in the coming year? And there is much we can learn from Mrs. Davis’ century of experience.”

The Lighthouse ArtCenter is located at:

373 Tequesta Drive Tequesta, FL 33469 Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Closed Sunday  (561) 746-3101

Giant pink snails invade Miami

If you're heading down to Miami any time soon, be on the look out for massive pink snails!

These large plastic pieces of art have slowly made their way across the Atlantic Ocean and are making themselves at home in multiple public areas including Maurice Gibb Memorial Park, Lummus Park and the Venetian Causeway. They will slowly be moved over time until they all are gathered in Collins Park by mid-December.

The purpose of this installation, which is created out of recycled plastic, is to promote environmental consciousness.  

Forty-five 8 foot tall and 11 foot wide snails are here from November 18 to January 3, courtesy of international artistic collective Cracking Art Group and Italy's renowned Galleria Ca d'Oro.

They are part of a program called REgeneration Art Project, which has also had other colored animal installations in cities including:

• Paris
• Milan
• Rome
• Venice 
• Tornio
• Prague

Gloria Porcella, co-owner of Galleria Ca' d'Oro told the Miami Herald,

"We run and we work too much, and the snail is one of the slowest animals on earth. The concept is the snail wants us to think about ourselves and they want to teach us something. We run, run, run but what are we reaching? What are our goals? We are destroying our planet.''

Do you think the giant pink snails will serve their purpose of making locals more environmentally conscious?

ArtiGras kicks off with Art in the Gardens

This weekend the 5th annual ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival begins with a Art in the Gardens.

Art in the Gardens is a two-day family friendly art festival features more than 70 local artists, musicians, and food vendors.  The main purpose of the event is to give visitors a sneak peak of what the can expect at ArtiGras in February.

It is being held in Midtown off of PGA Boulevard right in the heart of Palm Beach Gardens.

The festival runs:

• Saturday and Sunday November 20 & 21
• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• Free to attend

For the kids there will be children's activities and a youth art competition.

Midtown's Director of Marketing, Sheri Meltzer told artigras.org,

"Midtown is honored to host Art in the Gardens for the third consecutive year as it has become an important cultural event in Palm Beach Gardens. Through Midtown's support of the visual arts, and performing arts at The Borland Center Theater, we are emerging as the arts destination in northern Palm Beach County. Art in the Gardens is Midtown's signature program for the community."

Juno Beach Holiday Craft Festival

South Floridians should be grateful that in the middle of November, we still have the beautiful weather that allows us to enjoy a craft festival right on the beach.

The 9th annual Juno Beach Holiday Craft Festival on the Ocean is coming up this weekend.  It will take place on Saturday November 13 and Sunday November 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It will span A1A between Donald Ross Road & Loggerhead Park.  Entry is free to the public and it will have tons of one-of-a-kind pieces for purchase.  Prices for the creations range from $3 to $3,000.

Local artist, Pat Kaufman will have a booth at the fair.  She is a self-taught artist specializing in water color painting.

Kaufman told the Palm Beach Post that she is inspired by all the colors that Florida has to offer.

“I am inspired by the wonder of color. The transparency and spontaneity of watercolors gives life to my paintings. Here in Florida and other places I have visited, there is so much color all around you. When I observe the trees blowing in the breeze, the sunlight dancing off the leaves or the light shining through blossom petals, it inspires me to paint them and see if I can capture this dance of light.”

Kaufman will also have a booth at the 11th Annual Downtown Delray Beach Thanksgiving Art Festival.


On a side note:

The Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David 1787, oil on canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

This very serious looking painting is called The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David.  It was painted in 1787 and pretty much depicts exactly what the title says.  Socrates was condemned to death or exile by the Athenian government for teaching his beliefs.  He chose death and here he is seated on his bed with a goblet of hemlock.  While everyone in the photo seems overcome with grief, his student Plato, at the foot of the bed is calm.

YoungArts gets a boost from Sotheby's auction

An auction at New York's Sotheby's is giving nearly $40 million to YoungArts, a program of Miami's National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.

The two paintings auctioned off were a water lilly painting from 1917-1919 by Claude Monet and
Jeanne Hebuterne Wearing a Hat, a 1917 portrait by Amedeo Modigliani.

Claude Monet, Water lillies, 1917-1919

The donor of the paintings is Lin Arison, widow of Carnival Cruise Lines founder, Ted Arison.

YoungArts president, Christina DePaul told the Miami Herald her feelings on the donation.

"We are overwhelmed by the gift. This will allow us to do everything we wanted to do a lot faster.''

DePaul said the donation will be used toward study guides produced by famous artists and to help further develop art programs.

Each year YoungArts brings about 150 17 to 18-year-old students from all over the country to Miami for a one week program including classes, performances, and competitions.  Mentors are often famous and well known artists.

Barker Animation Art Gallery Grand Opening

If you've ever been a fan of cartoons or you still are, then you should make time this weekend to visit the grand opening gala for the Barker Animation Art Gallery.

The gallery is the newest addition to the The Villages at Gulfstream in Hallandale Beach, Fla.  The celebration will go from Nov. 5 to Nov. 7, 2010 from noon to 8 p.m.

In honor of the event, Disney fine artist, Tim Rogerson will be present for all 3 days of the gala to dedicate and embellish artwork in the gallery for purchase.

On Saturday the 6th at 1:30 p.m., Rogerson will be painting live in the gallery.  No word on what he plans to paint, but on his blog he says that good old Mickey Mouse has always been his favorite character to recreate.

"I've been drawing the mouse since I was 4 years old and I'm always pushing myself to create new ways to draw Mickey Mouse.  Mickey will always be my favorite subject and I'm always searching for that perfect portrait of Mickey Mouse. I'll never get there but the journey is so much fun!"

The Villages at Gulfstream is located at:
1270 Seabiscuit Trail, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009. The new gallery is directly across from The Container Store, next to Crate & Barrel.

1(888) 224-2357

Creative Pumpkin Carving

In honor of the spookiest day of the year, The Armory Art Center is offering creative fun for the whole family.

Bring your own pumpkin on Saturday Oct. 30, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and learn how to make a super creative jack-o-lantern from an artist.

You're guaranteed to have the coolest, most impressive jack-o-lantern on the block!

The cost is $25 for your first pumpkin and $5 for any additional creations.

To sign up, call 561-832-1776 ext 33 or just stop by the registration desk.

The Armory Art Center is located at:
1700 Parker Ave. in West Palm Beach
Just 1/2 from the Kravis Center

Boca Raton Museum of Art reopens with multiple exhibitions

Like many of its visitors and neighbors, the Boca Raton Museum of Art had a bit of work done. *wink wink*

After months of being closed for renovations, the museum finally opened its doors again on October 12 and museum goers will have plenty to see.

Five new exhibitions were unveiled at the re-opening.  They are:

• Valerio Adami

Adami is an Italian-born, widely recognized European painter specializing in Nouvelle Figuration, the French intellectual version of Pop Art.
The exhibition runs now through Jan.9, 2011

• Robert Cottingham: Twenty Ways to See a Star.  

Cottingham is an American photorealist painter of signs and building facades.  His exhibition is sponsored in part by the Sun-Sentinel.
The exhibition runs now through Jan. 9, 2011.

• Romanticism to Modernism: Graphic Masterpieces from Piranesi to Picasso

On display or 65 original works for masters of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries,

The exhibition runs now through Jan. 19, 2011.

• Latin American Art from the Museum's Collection

Twenty works, including sculpture, are being shown from 20th Century Latin American artists such as Rufino Tamayo and Carlos Cruz-Diez.

The exhibition runs now through May 1, 2011.

Travodor by Rufino Tamayo

• Wyland: Art and Conservation

Focuses on work of marine conservation artists.  Ocean, sea life, endangered wildlife, etc. are the subjects of the paintings.  The exhibition is running in conjunction with the "Wyland Living Green Fair."

The exhibition runs now through Nov. 7, 2010.

Museum Hours

• Tuesday-Friday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Wednesday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
• Saturday-Sunday: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
• Mondays and Holidays: closed

Admission Cost

• Museum Member: Free
• Children (12 and under): Free
• Adults: $8
• Senior Citizens (65 and older): $6
• Students (with ID): $4
• Adult Group Tours (15 or more): $4
• School Group Tours (up to 60 students): Free

Las Olas Art Fair coming up this weekend

The 23rd Annual Las Olas Art Fair is returning to us this weekend.  It is a show featuring more than 150 artists displaying their work in booths lining the streets in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

The show is juried which means that each artist was selected to be in the show out of hundreds of applicants ensuring a quality experience for all visitors.

All work on display is available for purchase with prices ranging from $15 to $20,000.  Items inclue small jewelry, paintings, sculpture, woodwork, and more.

In honor of October being breast cancer awareness month, artists and festival goers are encouraged to wear pink.

The festival runs Saturday and Sunday Oct. 23 & 24, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Las Olas Blvd. and admission is Free.

As a veteran attendee, I would highly recommend clearing some time in your schedule to make a trip down to Las Olas Blvd this weekend.

Erotic Art Museum Celebrates Sex

Oct. 16, 2010 marks the fifth birthday of The World Erotic Art Museum in Miami, Fla.

Founder, Naomi Wilzig, a 75-year-old grandmother began collecting erotic art from around the world 20 years ago.  Once her collection outgrew her home, she purchased building space in Miami and that is how the World Erotic Art Museum came to be.



Hajime Sorayama, Lithograph #38



Wilzig wants to make sure that she is not seen as a collector of pornography, but of fine art.  She told South Florida Gay News,

“Many people presume erotic means pornographic.  We are fine art. They don’t realize the potential and experience of coming in and discovering 12,000 square feet of erotic art from all over the world.”

She also believes that the display of sexual art is historically important.

“So many people are unaware that erotic art has been created throughout the centuries.  Without eroticism, without the sexual acts which are depicted, there would be no people. What the art does is visualizes the thoughts and activities of habits of people throughout the ages.”

In honor of the 5th anniversary, a party will be held at the museum on October 16 from 8 p.m. until midnight.

There will be performances and the $15 entrance fee will go toward stem cell research at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach.

• 1205 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. 
• No one under 18 admitted. 
• For more information call 305-532-9336 or visit WEAM.com.

Bank of America perk gives free entry to museums

Calling all Bank of America customers!  Just in case no one told you, there are a variety of museums across the country that you can get into for free.

I seem to have a trend of promoting as many free opportunities as I can because who doesn't love a good deal?  I do!

During the first weekend of every month, show your Bank of America credit or debit card and receive free general admission to over 100 museums nationwide.

Participating museums in South Florida include:

Miami

• Miami Art Museum
• Miami Children's Museum
• Miami Science Museum
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Bass Museum of Art

Fort Lauderdale

• Museum of Discovery & Science
• Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale

Davie

• Young At Art Children's Museum

West Palm Beach

• South Florida Science Museum

On a side note:

A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Georges Seurat, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This lovely painting is called A Sunday on La Grande Jatte by French painter, Georges Seurat.  It was painted between 1884-1886 and its most famously known for being composed entirely of individual dots of paint.  The color of each dot was chosen strategically based on color theory to complement each other and create the final desired affect.

Seurat was only 26 years old when this painting was first showed which seems like it would be toward the beginning of his career.  Unfortunately, this talent's life ended at the young age of 31.

Meet Me at the Center of the Earth

Artist Nick Cave is a creator of sculptures like never seen before.  He makes wearable sculptures called 'Soundsuits.'  The name of each 'soundsuit' comes from the noise it makes in movement while being worn.

On October 9, 2010, Cave's exhibition titled Meet Me at the Center of the Earth, is debuting at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach.  The museum will have forty works on display by Cave.  The suits are all made from materials such as yarn, beads, sequins, bottle caps, vintage toys, rusted iron sticks, twigs, leaves and hair.

When asked about his soundsuits, Cave told the UCLA Newsroom,

"To me, everything outside of myself is community.  I don't see myself as an artist but as a humanitarian using art to create change. My hope is that these new Soundsuits will cause people to find ways to live with each other, extend our compassion to other communities and take care of our natural resources. If I can create an opportunity to bring people of all creeds, identities and interests together, then I am doing my work."

The exhibition will run from Oct. 9 to January 9, 2011.

Museum HoursTuesday - Saturday - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday - 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Second Thursday of each month - 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Closed Mondays and on major holidays

Admission to the Norton Museum is as follows:
(Includes access to Special Exhibitions and the Norton Collection)
- $12 for adults
- $5 for visitors ages 13-21
- Free for Members and children under 13.
- $10 for Adult Group Tours
- Free for School Group Tours

FAU Fine Arts Festival to raise funds for visual arts and art history departments

Coming this weekend, Florida Atlantic University's visual arts and art history departments will be hosting the first Fine Arts Festival.

The festival will feature the art of students as well as professional artists and will be for sale with prices ranging from $10 to $10,000.

The Fine Arts Festival is the main fundraising event for the visual arts and art history departments.

Linda Johnson, organizer of the fine arts festival told FAU,

"We are excited to have Claire Dorst, Stanford Slutsky and John McCoy joining our group of professional artists.  Claire Dorst, painter and FAU professor emeritus, joined FAU in 1964 as the founding member and first chairperson for the art department. John McCoy, an accomplished ceramist whose soup tureens are a must buy, brings clay to life with his focus on functional pottery. Stan Slutsky will be adding a splash of vibrant color with his pure geometric and chromatic abstraction paintings."

The types are art being displayed are:

• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Design
• Photography
• Painting
• Printmaking
• Sculpture

The festival will be held at the Performing Arts and Visual Art Center on FAU’s Boca Raton campus on Oct. 9 & 10, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Admission is free.

Delray Beach craft show a definite miss

This weekend a craft fair took place in Delray Beach.  It was not advertised anywhere.  I just happened to be in the area and stumbled upon it on 4th St. and Atlantic Ave.

4th St. Downtown Delray Beach

Smaller fairs like the one this weekend can be hit or miss.  They will not be as big and busy as an event such as the Delray Affair or the Las Olas Art Fair, but they still have the potential to be a hidden jewel.

The craft fair in Delay Beach this weekend was a miss; there were maybe three booths that actually displayed art.  One of them was called A Chopping Block.  Artist, Jim Keading says on his website,

"A Chopping Block has provided a fun way to be creative and earn money during the down times."

Keading provides chopping blocks in various colors and shapes, but if you are looking for something specific, he can make custom chopping blocks as well.  The boards at $20 plus shipping.

Other booths were selling plants, organic dog treats, hot sauce, and earrings that have been out of style since the 1980s.  I'm not one to judge fashion, but decorative earring cuffs should be banned.

I would have taken a picture of a person wearing one, but no one dared.

Doggie sun visors were all the rage this weekend, which somehow didn't surprise me.  After all, there were more dogs in baby strollers than actual human babies, so why not give them UV protecting headgear?

This spoiled pooch is enjoying the fair in his stroller while shaded by his sun visor.

If you missed this show, which you probably did, not to worry.  It was bad and there will be plenty more good ones in the future.

Van Gogh and Picasso are local

In honor of Smithsonian Magazine's 6th Annual Museum Day, I went to the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach and brought my parents along with me.

The Norton is the perfect museum for art lovers and non-lovers alike  It's small, but still has some impressive works.  Everyone leaves happy, the art lovers got to see some cool pieces and the non-lovers didn't waste an entire day aimlessly wandering the corridors.

What drew me to the museum and helped convince my father to join, was one of Vincent van Gogh's self-portraits.  It is on temporary display from the National Gallery of Art.

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait, 1889, oil on canvas

It is one of at least 36 self-portraits.  If you think that's a lot, think about this: van Gogh did not start painting until he was in his late 20's and he committed suicide at the age of 37.  In those years he created over 2,000 works of art, which means at the very least, he was producing 200 pieces a year.

This painting will be on display at the Norton Museum of Art until Feb. 8, 2011.

In their permanent collection, the Norton has multiple paintings by Spanish cubism artist, Pablo Picasso.  Tete de Femme is my favorite at the museum, oddly enough due to the lack of color.  The whites, grays and black are striking and stand out more to me than his more colorful pieces.

Pablo Picasso, Tete de Femme

This painting is always on display and I'd suggest taking a look at it.  You make like it, or you may have similar feelings to my dad's.  On our way back to the car he said,

"You know what I think?  That Picasso crap is so overrated."

That is coming from the same man who walked into a museum in Florence, Italy, home of the Renaissance, and said,

"I am so sick of this Madonna and baby Jesus stuff.  Who actually likes this?  They all look the same.  I'll be waiting on the bench over there." 

Museum Hours

Tuesday - Saturday - 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday - 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Second Thursday of each month - 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Closed Mondays and on major holidays

•  $12 for adults
•  $5 for visitors ages 13-21
•  Free for Members and children under 13.
•  $10 for Adult Group Tours 
•  Free for School Group Tours 
•  Every Saturday, admission to the Norton Collection only is free for residents of West Palm    Beach, with proof of residency. 
• The first Saturday of each month, admission to the Norton Collection only is free for residents of Palm Beach County, with proof of residency.

Art cinema to open in Coral Gables

Lovers of foreign and independent art films rejoice.  Coral Cables Art Cinema is set to open on Oct. 15, 2010 with the film Freakonomics.

The non-profit organization is a year-round seven-days-a-week establishment.  The 144-seat theater is an intimate and comfortable way to view films that are not shown in other theaters in South Florida.

The cinema is founded by Steven Krams of Coral Gables Cinematuque, Inc. and is also available for film festivals, lectures, book readings and other cultural events.  

It is located at

260 Aragon Ave.

In the heart of the Coral Gables cultural center.

More details on an Opening Night Special Fundraiser event will be available soon.

Museum Day is just around the corner

If you love art and even if you aren’t so sure about art, Saturday is the day for you!  Smithsonian Magazine presents the 6^th Annual Museum Day! 

It’s one of the best days in the whole wide world for art enthusiasts and art not-so-enthusiasts.   Why? Because it’s FREE!

Museums all across the county are opening their doors to you on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010.  All you have to do is go to the Museum Day page on the Smithsonian Magazine website and sign up.  

You choose your museum and then a ticket will be emailed to you.  The ticket grants entry to one person plus a guest.  If you love art, you can bring a friend that is unsure and make them sure.

Think about how lovely it would be if each of us art lovers opens the door and welcomes a new appreciator of art into the world.

Participating museums in South Florida:

• 
  
  Armory Art Center
• 
  
  Norton Museum of Art
• 
  
  Art and Culture Center of Hollywood
• 
  
  Bass Museum of Art
• 
  
  Coral Springs Museum of Art
• 
  
  Gold Coast Railroad Museum
• 
  
  MiamiHistory
• 
  
  International Swimming Hall of Fame Museum
• 
  
  Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum
• 
  
  Lowe Art Museum
• 
  
  Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale
• 
  
  Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
• 
  
  Seminole Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum
• 
  
  The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum
• 
  
  Zoo Miami

Watch promotes living in the moment

Ever hear of watch that promotes living a life not ruled by time? Personally, I feel that whether I like it or not, time controls everything I do and I wouldn't mind a change.

Ian Koslow and Ron Muram decided to “stop worrying and start living.” So is the basis of their business, Time-Peace.

Time-Peace is a collection of watches and clocks created to help people view the world and their lives in a more peaceful way of living in the moment.

One of their business owners, David Damnjanovic told the Sun-Sentinel,

“Everyone is bound up by time, and everyone wears a watch. It’s not a watch; it’s a time piece, so it’s like a new kind of watch. It’s the anti-watch.”

The watch faces are designed by a graphic artist and first a peace sign, but then turned upside town to become the tree of life.

http://www.facebook.com/TimePeace

Koslow told the Sun-Sentinel,

“We want to remind people to live in the present. That’s where you can find peace. In the now.”

The company was founded on four basic principles:

• Time is an Illusion
• Your perception creates your reality
• Everything is interconnected
• The Universe is in alignment

The Time-Peace watches are unisex and range from $36 to $145.

Help feed shelter dogs

This post is off topic from what I am supposed to be writing about, but it supports a very important cause that I couldn't pass up.

Pedigree is hosting a 'Write a Post, Help a Dog' project.  For every blog post written about the Pedigree adoption drive until September 19, the company will donate a twenty pound bag of their Healthy Longevity Food for Dogs to a shelter.

Also, for every "like" they get on their Facebook page, Pedigree will donate one bowl of food to a shelter dog.

Fellow bloggers, get writing and become a fan of Pedigree and feed shelter dogs!

Once you write you blog post the link to this site so Pedigree will see it and make sure that your blog accounted for.

Blog Hop!

Must see events for this coming weekend

The Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts presents the First Annual Letterpress Appreciation Day Open House. Visitors will receive a hands-on experience by printing on an antique Wesel Iron Handpress. In the studio, different relief presses are on display and occasionally still used by students and artists.

This open house is sponsored by Convivio Bookworks, they will have items available to purchase.

The open house is free to all who would like to come, though donations are welcome and go directly to The Jaffe Center for Book Arts.

The exhibition is located on the third floor east room 350 of Florida Atlantic University’s Wimberly Library on the Boca Raton Campus. It runs on Friday Sept. 17th and Saturday Sept. 18th.

Courtesy of Wikipedia.com

This weekend is the last chance to see the Star Gazer Exhibit in West Palm Beach. Featured is the astrophotography of Robert Q. Fugate. See the universe and galaxies along with spacesuits from NASA and Russia.

The exhibit is free and open to the public from noon until 8pm everyday except Sundays it is open from noon to 6pm at the Waterfront Lake Pavillion located at 101 S. Flagler drive.

Courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Ahhh! Monsters Invade the Morikami

This Summer, monsters invade Morikami Museum.  This fun all ages exhibition, titled Kaiju! Monster Invasion! features vintage toys from the 1960s through the 1980s.  All the toys were inspired by Japanese films and television shows.

One of many display cases featuring the monsters..Ahhh!

Courtest of YouTube and Morikami Museum


One particuarly interesting monster is Eyezon by Mark Nagata.  It was inspired by soft vinyl based on Tokusatu films and TV programs.  Japanese soft vinyl toys monsters from the '60s and '70s have a huge influence on international art toy movement in recent years.  (Information provided by Mark Nagata and Morikami Museum.)

Eyezon in all his glory surrounded by his monster friends.

Apart from hosting fun exhibitions like the monsters, the Morikami Museum hosts a variety of family programs during the weekends.  This past weekend was learning how to make an origami crane.  For a $1 donation you can pick the paper color of your choice learn while an instructor shows you what to do step by step.

The program is geared toward children, so naturally I had to try my hand at it.  I am very thankful for the great instructor because I never would have made it to the end without her help.

My very first origami crane!

Kaiju!  Monster Invasion! is running through October 17, 2010.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is located at:

4000 Morikami Park Road

Delray Beach, Fl 33446

It is open Tuesday- Sunday from 10am - 5pm

Admission:

$12 + tax for adults

$7 + tax for children 6-17

$11 for seniors 65+

$7 for college students with ID

Japanese Gardens

Ever want to take a trip to Japan and enjoy the beautiful gardens?  Well you can, and no passports or brutally long airline flights required.

Hidden within the hubbub of Delray Beach is a jewel called Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens.  The mile-long trial around a lake offers 25 points of interest that make even the hottest summer day bearable.

Walking through the gardens is an aesthetic experience of landscape architecture and botanical artistry at its finest.  You feel as though you have been transported across the globe, forgetting that you are in south Florida until you feel that large bead of sweat making its way down your back.

Some points of interest:

• Morikami Falls
• Yamoto Island
• Bamboo Grove
• Hiraniwa Flat Garden
• Nelson Family Memorial Garden
• Morikami Bonsai Collection



Morikami Falls.  The larger of two waterfalls in the gardens.



The lake with Yamoto Island on the far side.









Yamoto Island houses the original museum building.  It has now been transformed into two exhibitions.  Japan Through the Eyes of a Child and The Yamoto Colony: Pioneering Japanese in Florida

Bamboo Grove.  The museum asks goers to refrain from carving into the wood because it permanently damages the tree.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is located at:

4000 Morikami Park Road

Delray Beach, Fl 33446

It is open Tuesday- Sunday from 10am - 5pm

Admission:

$12 + tax for adults

$7 + tax for children 6-17

$11 for seniors 65+

$7 for college students with ID

Mark your calendars for Second Saturday

Second Saturday events are great way to visit galleries.  They are fun and take place just often enough to avoid being redundant.  Lucky for us all, this coming Saturday the 11th is the second Saturday of the month!  


In Lake Park, Art on Park Studios and Gallery is hosting their monthly 2nd Saturday Celebration.  It will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.  It will feature works from the gallery along with Studio Artist Members.  Each month the gallery promotes a new artist, so don't fear seeing the same things over and over again.  It is located at 800 Park Avenue and best of all, it's FREE!


Further down south in Miami is the Wynwood District Second Saturday Art Gallery Walk.  It goes from 7:00 - 10:00 pm and is FREE and open to the public.  The galleries stay open late while entertainment and drinks take place on the streets.  The Wynwood Art District is located at North Miami Ave to I95 and extends from 10th to 36th street.


On a side note:

   This lovely painting is titled Maecenas Presenting the Liberal Arts to Emperor Augustus.  It's creator Giovanni Battista Tiepolo was one of the most successful Italian painters of the 18th century and the most famous since the Renaissance period.  When I chose to write my thesis on this painting last semester, I'd never heard of Tiepolo and was very proud of myself for choosing an artist that was obscure.

Wrong.

I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York a few weeks ago and they have an entire room dedicated to him.  Too bad the painting I chose to write about lives in St. Petersburg, Russia.  I would love to see it in person.

 

Hello.

The first thing that I would like to say is that I am not an artist.  I find the task of drawing a simple stick figure utterly daunting and will never be able to create a respectable looking one.

With that said, I do however appreciate art.  To me art is not about just looking at a piece of work and saying, "Ohhh ahh!"  Art is much more than what you just see.  There is a history behind each painting, sculpture, drawing, etc.  There is a reason for each brushstroke and color choice.

I hope to use this blog to write about different art exhibits/fairs/shows/galleries in South Florida that I will visit.  I will also post upcoming events that are short-term.  What would be the point in bragging about a great show if it was only a two day event and you couldn't go see it for yourself?

On a side note:

Courtesy of Wikipedia.com

   This painting is titled "The Sower" by a Dutch man called Vincent van Gogh.  You may have heard about him; they crazy guy who sliced off his own ear.  Yes, he went a little nuts and spent some time in a mental institution, but he was not the type to just slap some paint on a canvas in his unstable state.  He applied paint to create texture and depth.  In "The Sower" he chose colors that offset each other in such an eye-catching way.  This is one of my favorite paintings and for the record, this photo does not do it justice.