Weekend Top 6 Picks for November 12th and 13th.

Saturday November 12, 2016 

10am to 5pm Free. Special display of Pulse Memorial Crosses. Orlando Regional History Center.

Admission to the History Center will be free to all on Saturday,
November 12 and Sunday, November 13 during Orlando’s annual Come Out
with Pride festival.

The free Pride Days weekend coincides with the recent opening of a
new exhibit reflecting the progress and setbacks of Central Florida’s
gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community over five decades of
change.

The exhibit, titled Pride, Prejudice & Protest: The GLBT History of Greater Orlando,
was prepared in association with the nonprofit GLBT History Museum of
Central Florida and will be at the History Center through January 26,
2017.

The exhibit was planned long before the mass shooting at the Pulse
nightclub on June 12, 2016. To pay tribute to the 49 lives lost and to
the community’s outpouring of support, a selection of items collected
from memorial sites has been added to the exhibit.

For Pride Days on November 12 and 13, the 49 Pulse Memorial Crosses
will also be displayed at the History Center. Greg Zanis of Chicago made
each cross in memory of someone who died in the tragedy and brought the
crosses to Orlando soon after the shooting. They were displayed near
Orlando Regional Medical Center, where many of the victims were treated.

10am to 9pm Free. Art under the Stars. Lake Lilly 641 S Maitland Ave, Maitland, FL 32751. The 40th “Art Under the Stars,” the only night time fine art festival in the State of Florida during the weekend of November 11-13. Fine arts, live entertainment, beer & wine. Buy the ones you love the gift of fine art for the holidays. Find out why the Rotary Club of Maitland makes this event so special for patrons and artists alike.

1:30pm to 3:30pm Free. Come Out With Pride Parade. Around Lake Eola Park512 E Washington St, Orlando, Florida 32801. Members and supporters
of the LGBTQ+ community in Central Florida will gather together for a
day of celebration, remembrance, festivities and giving back. The 12th
annual festival will feature the Most Colorful Parade in Orlando, an
incredible entertainment lineup including a nighttime fireworks
spectacular, not to mention our region’s most supportive businesses and
organizations. Be sure to invite all your friends and let’s all Come Out
With Pride!

Sunday November 13, 2016. 

11am to 5pm Free. Orlando Japan Festival. The Village at Hunters Creek 13500 Village Park Drive Orlando FL. On stage, we will have performances including
Judo, Iai, Japanese dance, Koto, Shamisen, Japanese Taiko drum, and
more. At the festival, there will be Japanese restaurant, bazaars,
various booths, yatai and Ennichi street. To enjoy the festivity even
greater, audiences can take part in the raffle drawing, Cosplay Contest,
raffle drawing and Bon Odori.

12:30pm to 5pm Free. 2016 NYCC Composium.  Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts 445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, Florida 32801. 

Program Details.

It’s like a concert, plus a master class, plus a competition. It’s informative, dramatic, and entirely thrilling. Witness an amazing afternoon of excitement, drama, and music.

In the first session, the winning chamber ensemble compositions are performed by symphony musicians. Each composer is interviewed by Maestro Wilkins and comments are given by the judges and musicians.
 After a brief intermission, the full orchestra session starts. The performance of each winning full-orchestra composition begins with an audio excerpt from the young composer’s computer-generated MIDI score. Next, the composition is rehearsed, giving the composer an opportunity to interact with Maestro Wilkins, the orchestra musicians, and the judges. Each session ends with the final recorded performance of the composition.

To learn more about this year’s winners and details about the
NATIONAL YOUNG COMPOSERS CHALLENGE,

 

3pm to 5pm Free. MUSIC PERFORMANCE with Students from the Rollins College Department of Music. Cornell Fine Arts Museum 1000 Holt Ave, Winter Park, Florida 32789. “In the Light of Naples: The Art of Francesco de Mura” is the first-ever exhibition of the art of Francesco de Mura (1696–1782), arguably the greatest painter of the Golden Age of Naples. The leader in his day of the Neapolitan School and the favorite of the reigning Bourbon King Charles VII, De Mura was the chief painter of decorative cycles to emerge from the studio of Francesco Solimena (1657-1747), the celebrated Baroque artist. De Mura’s refined and elegant compositions, with their exquisite light and airy colors, heralded the rococo in Naples, and his later style led to Neo-Classicism.

The exhibition—which will travel to the Chazen Museum at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Loeb Art Center at Vassar College—features more than 40 works by De Mura from museums and private collections in the United States, as well as Italy and the United Kingdom.

The Cornell Fine Arts Museum’s painting by De Mura “The Visitation,” ca. 1752 was the impetus for this show, which was curated by Dr. Arthur Blumenthal, Director Emeritus of the Cornell. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue published by the museum and D. Giles Ltd., available in the museum’s gift shop.

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Nerd Nite at the Geek Easy.


Nerd Nite is always crowded at The Geek Easy (114 S Semoran Blvd Suite 6, Winter Park, Florida 32792).

PRESENTATION #1:

“The Amazing Fabric of Gordon Space Time” by Scott Gordon. The current concept of space time is incorrect and it has been for the past 100+ years. This incorrect concept of space time is one of the reasons why the theoretical physicists cannot solve the theory of everything. Gordon is claiming to have solved the theory of everything and is presenting the correct manner in which space time should be modelled. He will present space time as an energy medium that light waves propagate through, as well as show how the energy contained in the space time medium fits into the big picture of all energy in our universe.

Speaker Bio: Scott Gordon is a Brooklyn-born and public school educated, with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. Gordon also has an M.D. degree from New York Medical College and works as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand surgery for the past 28 years. As a humorist, he co-authored the book, “The Celebrity Who’s Who of Losers”, and co-hosted a radio talk show “The Gordon Brothers Weekend Revue” on 580 WDBO. He also co-wrote the medical comedy movie, National Lampoon presents RoboDoc and also composed, arranged and created its original music soundtrack.

PRESENTATION #2:

“Vulnerability: You ARE crazy and its GREAT” by Rodrigo Groppa,  An exploration of different vulnerability activities. From the Meisner technique to EMDR therapy, we will explore how getting in touch with your emotions helps make life more engaging and authentic.

Speaker Bio: Rodrigo Groppa is a software engineer and rainbow enthusiast. He is passionately driven to constantly improve himself and the world. This speech is a part of that journey.

PRESENTATION #3:

“The Science of Jurassic World” by Trevor Valle. “In the “Science” Of Jurassic World, we will look into the science of dinosaurs, the aspects of speculative genetic engineering of extinct species, how these ancient animals interacted with their environment… and how the movie got practically everything about it wrong, with 100% less overt sexism and fan pandering!”

Speaker Bio: “Trevor Valle is a field paleontologist who specializes in the recovery of fossils from large-scale construction sites. A three-time Nerd Nite Los Angeles presenter, Trevor also was the host of the National Geographic Channel’s “Mammoths Unearthed”, documenting his six-week adventure in Siberia hunting for the remains of woolly mammoths. He likes dead things, strong drink, and enjoys getting dirty.”

Mark you calendars, the next Nerd Nite is November 10, 2016 at 7pm at The Geek Easy (114 S Semoran Blvd Suite 6, Winter Park, Florida 32792)

Culture Pop at the Maitland Art Center.

Culture Pop at the Maitland Art Center, (231 W Packwood Ave, Maitland, FL 32751) featured the work of two acclaimed artists, John Petry and Derek Gores, who used Art Under the Stars at Lake Lily as a springboard for their current success.

Mark you Calendar! Art Under the Stars runs from November 11th to November 13th.

Friday Nov. 11              6pm – 10pm

Saturday Nov. 12          10am – 9pm

Sunday Nov 13.            10am – 4pm

Art Under the Slars is a boutique art festival surrounding Lake Lily Park in Maitland with only
135 artists vying for $26,000 in awards.  Art Under the Stars, The 40th
Rotary Club of Maitland Art Festival is the only night-time fine art
show in Florida.  With subtle live entertainment and sparkling lights
the evening hours create magical experiences for artists and patrons
alike.

Collage artist Derek Gores is a recycler of everyday ephemera.
Magazines, labels, newspapers and digital media combine to reflect his
contrasting interest in the abstract aesthetics of figures and objects
in space. A black and white collage  looked like Audrey Hepburn’ The Eifel tower loomed behind her. The entire image was created from fashion magazine strips of paper. He must n are large bins filled with the colorful strips of paper. The attention might wander, with the preexist, photo coming into focus. Several Orlando based artists use this technique to create their art. Derek wag the first to master this technique and they are his decides.

 Chattanooga artist John Petrey is a sculptor working with metal, rubber,
plastic and other industrial and everyday items. Petrey creates iconic
dress sculptures that reference stories from history, pop culture and
childhood experiences. John used to run his own advertising agency when he lived in Orlando. He feels that his work in advertising helped is pi his life sized dress sculptures. The dress in the foreground featured old 1960s yard sticks. John bought about 7000 of these yard stick’s for $100 at an estate sale. The top blouse was of agree copper. Each dress was completely unique u sing unique metals and materials. The furthest dress had a large bell shape skirt that was built from brightly colored past is spoons and forks. From a distance it reminded me of the glass sculptures of Chiuli. John has been building the dress sculptures for the past nine years. His work keeps getting larger and he is now doing large public installation sculptures. I had John sign my sketch.

 

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Closed Major Holidays

Admission: $3 adults; $2 Seniors (55+) and Children (4-18 years); free
Children (3 & under) and A&H Members (Memberships start at $30)

Pop Art Show opening at Dandilion Communitea Cafe.

I went to the opening for POP! at Dandelion Communitea Cafe,  (618 N Thornton Ave, Orlando, Florida 32803).
The November – December show theme is POP! This
includes pop art, pop culture, popping colors or anything the artists interpret
as POP!

As a special
project for this show the curators were trying out something new. The small art
board will be a hang able, movable board that can hold a number of small
pieces. Artists could submit two pieces for consideration to the board in
addition to the normal three submissions. All the small art pieces are
just $40.

Bethany Taylor Myers had an abstract straight across the room from the corner table where I set up to sketch.   The large painting had a green “sky” and blue “ground”. Three psychedelic spheres floated above a bright pink mass and black and white stripes. We tried to guess what that pink mass was. I saw a toothbrush on a table, and a typewriter. Bethany was at the opening, and she explained that it was done from a blind contour drawing. She was in bed, closed her eyes and drew her bed from the image in her mind. The black and white stripes are sheets and she says that her feet and her husbands, can be seen in the abstraction of the pattern. The painting was inspired by a Van Gogh painting of hid bedroom in Provence France.


Linda Sarasino had two paintings in the show. One was of four dresses arranged in an Andy Warhol inspired grid, for $440 and a small painting of a heart, cut up in a similar grid for just $40. Within the first 24 hours of the show opening, two of the $40 paintings sold. If you are shopping for the holidays early, these $40 paintings make an affordable, unique, creative gift.

Orlando Drink and Draw

I have been hosting a monthly art event called Orlando Drink and Draw (ODD) for the past year. Artists gather at a new bar each month to well, drink and draw. This ODD event took Place at Ollie’s Public House (3400 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, Florida 32804). There is a social aspect to the event and artists get to share their experiences and sketches. I am fascinated by other artists hands. Some are slender and delicate with thin skin showing every sinewy tendon and veins. My hands seem bulky in comparison.

I have artists do quick five minute sketches of each of he facing across the table. With the Sketch done, all the artists change seats to face off against another artist. My thought is that this is a quick way for artists to meet and interact, much like speed dating just with sketching. I like that couples come to ODD as a unique date night. Once everyone has been sketched, we share sketchbooks, and the artist who was sketched, signs the portrait. That way everyone has a record of the artists they met that evening.

With all the portraits done, we went on to play, Truth or Sketch. An artist would be asked to tell the truth or do a sketch. Basically every artist chose to do a sketch  rather than tell the truth. My challenge was to sketch a woman riding a pterodactyl. I was also challenged to draw a garden gnome carrying in a life size girl. I will not bother you with that sketch, you are better off using your imagination.

ODD 17 is happening tonight, Monday November 7th at 7pm to 10pm  at Dexter’s in Winter Park (558 W New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789).

Functionally Literate at Avalon Island Gallery.

I went to “There will be words“, at The Gallery at Avalon Island (39 S Magnolia Avenue Orlando FL) to hear fiction read by local authors.  The evening was hosted by Jesse Bradley. An iPhone, mounted on a tripod recorded every reader. This event is always a great sketch opportunity. I get to see local art in the gallery and then listen to local authors reading their latest work.

The next “There will be words” happens on Tuesday, November 8 from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. This show will take place on the most important day
of the year: Election Day. And there will be writers who are reading
stories based on what the world looks like when you make a terrible
decision.

Glendaliz Camacho
John King
Rachel Kolman
Whitney Hamrick

Afterwards, all the authors will go somewhere and watch the votes being counted and hope that Florida doesn’t fuck this up for everyone.

Brian Feldman presents, Dishwasher.

Flying Horse Editions located in the UCF Center for Emerging Media campus across from the Bob Carr, held an open house with wine and cheese.

Flying Horse Editions is a collaborative research studio for visual
artists at the University of Central Florida. A non-profit publisher of
limited-edition prints, artist books, and art objects by
internationally renowned artists, FHE offers unique opportunities for
artists, students, and the Central Florida community.

Flying Horse Editions offers visiting artists the opportunity to work
with FHE technicians to push the boundaries of their work while
providing a unique educational experience for UCF students.

At part of the open house Brian Feldman presented Dishwasher. The premise is simple; Brian washed dishes for the first half of the evening and then gave a cold reading of a monologue from a play. Sara Segal , who booked the performance, picked the script. After his reading, the audience was asked if Brian was a better actor or dish washer. Brian began h is acting career when he was just 10 years old at the Shakespeare Theater at Lake Eola Park. His first non-acting job however, was as a dishwasher. So he has experience with both career paths. Several of Brian’s friends were at the open house and they joked with Brian as he did the dishes. When it came time to vote, they decided he was a better dishwasher. The rest of the audience voted for his acting.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for November 5th and 6th.

Saturday November 5, 2016

6pm to 9pm Free. Artborne Magazine: November Release Party. The District At Mills 50 1221 north mills avenue, Orlando, Florida 32803.  The release of the official FIFTH issue of Artborne Magazine.

Artborne Magazine is an independently published, print and online publication dedicated to the development and advancement of Orlando’s art scene.

Join us for food, drinks, music, art, and a damn good time.

Orlando, ARE YOU ARTBORNE?

see more at ArtborneMagazine.com

7pm to 11pm $150 Final Neanderthal Ball. Orlando Science Center, East Princeton Street, Orlando, FL. Orlando Science Center will host the 10th annual Neanderthal Ball on Saturday, November 5 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. to benefit its mission to inspire science learning for life. This year marks the final Neanderthal Ball with the theme of “Celebrate our Evolution.” Guests are invited to celebrate 10 years of Neanderthal Ball and what it has helped achieve for Orlando Science Center.

“The success of Neanderthal Ball along with our other fundraising efforts over the past decade has helped the Science Center have an incredible impact on this region,” said Science Center President and CEO JoAnn Newman. “A STEM preschool, new exhibits, expanded teacher training and national partnerships have all been part of our evolution as a stronger community partner. Neanderthal Ball is a time to celebrate our growth as we prepare for a new gala that will help lead us into the future.”

The prehistoric-themed event, located in the Science Center’s DinoDigs exhibit, includes a night of dancing, dining, and a silent auction. The auction will feature over 75 unique packages, including offerings from the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Kennedy Space Center, unique experiences, and local restaurant packages. A diamond necklace and earring suite from Mayor’s Jewelers—valued at $5,000—is also set to be raffled off.

During the event, guests will dance the evening away with live music from the local band, Running with Scissors, and enjoy gourmet creations from Puff ‘N Stuff Event Catering. Neanderthal Ball will fuel the celebration with drinks provided by Tito’s Vodka, a wine bar, and artesian beers provided by Orlando Brewing Company.

To get everyone in the spirit, guests are encouraged to showcase pops of print or wild animal patterns. Harriet Lake, one of Central Florida’s leading philanthropists, sponsors the Caveman Couture Contest with prizes awarded to those with the most chic “caveman couture.

Proceeds from Neanderthal Ball will help fund educational programs at Orlando Science Center, plus support opportunities for youth and families to experience the Science Center regardless of income or educational background.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.osc.org/neanderthal-ball or call 407-514-2000.

7pm to 9pm Free.  Ybor City Art Walk. 7th Ave Ybor Tampa, Florida 33605. Officially beginning the second Saturday of July (the 9th) we are bringing back the Ybor City Art Walk! Featuring a number of arts organizations and artsy businesses, be sure to R.S.V.P. here to get the official map for the walk!

Here are the participating locations:

The Bricks of Ybor

Bloodline Tattoo

Ybor Arts Colony

Hot Wax

Wandering Eye Art Gallery

Dysfunctional Grace

Moon Over Havana Arts Gallery

Live Arts Labs

For any questions please feel free to contact the Ybor Art Alliance here through Facebook.

Expect to be wowed!

Sunday November 6, 2016

10pm to 4pm Free. Lake Eola Farmers Market. South East corner of Lake Eola.

Noon to 3pm Donation. Music at the Casa. Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum, 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. Flamenco guitarist Jorge Mendoza.

2pm to 4pm Free. Yoga. Near the red gazebo, Lake Eola Park, 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL. Weekly.

American Buffalo at Theater on Edge.

I went to a dress rehearsal of American Buffalo at Theater on Edge, (5542 Hansel Avenue Orlando, FL 32809). The theater is very intimate with just two rows of seats. Monica Mulder, an actress who played Oberon in a recent production of Shakespeare’s, A Mid Summer’s Night Dream invited me to the rehearsal. She was seated in the audience having a quick fast food diner. I assumed she would be in the production. I was wrong however, she is also a photographer who took shots to promote the show. I had followed a young man into the theater. He spoke to Monica multiple times in a barely audible whisper. I finally had to ask Monica if he was “in character” and she laughed, saying he was. He had a tough role as Bobby in the production.

American Buffalo is a 1975 play by American playwright David Mamet. The stage set was amazing. It replicated the chaos of a junk shop. A tiny horse carousel trinket reminded are of the Glass Menagerie that I had sketched days before.   Donny, Allan Whitehead, who owns the junk shop where the entire play takes place, had sold a buffalo nickel to a customer for ninety dollars but now suspects it is worth considerably more. He and his young gofer, Bobby, Zack Roundy, planned to steal the coin back. Teach, Marco DiGeorge, a poker buddy of Don’s, arrived and learned of the scheme. He
persuaded Don that Bobby is too inexperienced and untrustworthy for the
burglary, and proposed himself as Bob’s replacement. Teach suggested they
steal the whole coin collection and more. Don insisted that their poker
buddy Fletcher join the heist to watch their backs. Teach insisted that Fletcher was not needed. 

From the moment Teach arrived in the shop in his brown leather suit and brown pants, along with his 70s style handlebar mustache, he was a a violently paranoid braggart, a raw nerve of twitching swirling energy. He was a stark laughable contrast to Donny and Bobby’s lazy meandering conversation about what to get for breakfast. These high-minded grifters fancied themselves
businessmen pursuing legitimate free enterprise. But the reality is
that they were merely pawns caught up in their own game of last-chance,
dead-end, empty pipe dreams. Their dream was based on false information which lead them to turn on each other. 

I was completely riveted. In one scene, Teach almost choked on his breakfast bacon. The director Pam Harbaugh, later said that this wasn’t method acting, she was concerned for his well being. She was also thrilled that the audience of media were laughing so much during the production. After so many rehearsals, it is rewarding to hear the reactions. Violence later the play was shockingly real. I was caught off guard. I loved the intimate staging that left a fine line separating the audience from the action. 

American Buffalo runs from November 3rd to November 20th. Seating is very limited, so be sure to order a ticket online. 

After Orlando at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center.

I went to a rehearsal for After Orlando which is part of Play Fest at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center. The stage floor in the Margeson Theater had beautiful postcard painted images of fall foliage from New York and New England. After Orlando consists of a series of short one a c) plays that are about recovery and loss after the Pulse Nightclub tragedy. A table was set up with scripts and other materials. Each rehearsal had to be short and succinct. There was a small green
hat made out of paper that had green triangular leaves as a brim. The
theater tech explained the she was going to be a strawberry for
Halloween and the hat completed her costume.

The first play, O-Town written by David Lee is a simple narration that describes Orlando in such a way that any tourist could identify with. It was reminiscent of Our Town. Landmarks and people are identified as they are on a typical day, and then how they will be changed after the shooting. A homeless man takes is upon himself to relight all the candles at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts make shift memorial. A merchant creates thousands of rainbow ribbons that are distributed around the world. The Center is faced with an incredible challenge after the shooting and they rise like a phoenix to meet the needs. 

In another play two men chat playfully. One is a professional boxer and he doesn’t want to be seen being affectionate in public because it would make him seem weak. His partner, found on Tinder, is playful and flamboyant. He wants to go to the club, but the boxer is resolute and wants to stay in. They share a connection that goes beyond sexuality. Music fills the room and the playful partner danced with abandon trying to encourage his stoic partner to join in. When he leaves to go alone to the club, his partner begins to sway to the beat, alone. It becomes clear that one of them might not live to see the next day. 

In another play, three men interact inside the club. They are celebrating life and poking fun at American culture that ignores their Latina culture. the in playful banter is endearing. As they dance, one of them freezes looking out into the audience. Then the other two freeze to see what sees. Each in turn falls backwards, as if hit in the chest, while letting out a loud staccato beat box vocal. They turn away from the audience. After a long pause, they each say their name and age. It was a sobering moment.

There were more plays that needed to be rehearsed, but I slipped out and drove to a friends. On the drive, I saw children dressed as skeleton’s and zombies as they pillaged a neighborhood for candy.  Orlando has faced a very real horror. Seeing the children wandering in the dark was strangely reassuring.


PayFest, runs from November 3rd to the 6th.

PlayFest offers you the rare opportunity to participate in the
development of new plays. Converse with playwrights, directors, and
actors while absorbing groundbreaking new works. This four-day event
tears down the barrier between artist and audience, putting YOU at the
heart of the process.

Your input is vital to the extended life of new plays. Many audience favorites from PlayFest have been developed into full productions in Orlando Shakespeare Theater’s Signature Series!

This season we’re dedicating PlayFest to six new plays plus a special reading of The Laramie Project. All selected plays explore issues surrounding the Pulse tragedy that occurred in Orlando in the early morning of June 12, 2016.  In selecting plays for the weekend, we’re concentrating on plays that explore the following issues:

  • LGBTQ struggles and responses to violence and hate
  • Discrimination against Hispanics/Latinos and efforts for acceptance and inclusion
  • Terrorism acts
  • Mental health and gun violence
  • Individual and community responses to mass violence
  • Individual Reading Tickets: $10

  • Click here to book individual tickets for PlayFest Readings. General Admission Seating.

Save now with a PlayFest Package!

  • PlayFest Pass $49 per person (Value: $70)

    See all 7 Readings and save with a PlayFest Pass! Click here to book a PlayFest Pass.

  • PlayFest VIP – $100 per person

    Want to make sure you get one of the best seats in the
    house?  We’re offering the opportunity to upgrade your PlayFest Pass to
    VIP status to ensure a reserved seat for all six new plays and The Laramie Project.  Become a PlayFest VIP to reserve your seat up front in one of the first four rows of the Margeson Theater. Click here to become a PlayFest VIP.

  • PlayFest Patron – $250 per individual

    Reserved seating in the front rows of the Margeson Theater,
    complimentary drink tickets, special recognition in the program, and a
    private event with the PlayFest playwrights. Make your experience a
    memorable one! Please email development@orlandoshakes.org for more information.

Make a commitment to new plays! Call the Box Office at 407-447-1700 ext. 1 for more information. All Passes Expire November 12, 2016.