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