Pop Up Gallery at Nora’s Sugar Shack

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I went to Nora’s Sugar Shack (636 Virginia Drive Orlando
FL) to sketch the opening of a
Pop up gallery show for photographer Robert “Kap” Kaplinger. This was the debut
of a monthly series of shows at Nora’s. The shows are a collaboration between
Nora Booker and Frankie Messina of Apartment E. These pop up exhibits happen
every second Tuesday of each month.

Nora’s Sugar Shack is a quirky little white clapboard
bungalow with a red door, although the entrance is actually around back. The
place offers wine, beer and cigars. The gallery was in a small room maybe 10 by
15 feet in size. Frankie Messina set up his analog record DJ station at one end
of the room and I sat down beside him for my view of the event. The opening was
well attended. Nora stood behind the bar.

The photos were black and white featuring native Florida flora and fauna.
The crowd got so dense that they spilled out onto the patio which is where a
few puffed on cigars. One guy wore the same hat as Heisenberg in Breaking Bad,
so I ended up sketching him several times. Nora’s has the vibe of an antique
shop with fun nick knacks and vintage lighting. A small table in the corner
had some bottles of wine and some information about the photographer.

Spring Pops, The Race for Space

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The City of Winter Park
hosted the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra led by conductor Dean Whiteside as
they presented Spring Pops in Winter Park’s Central Park main stage. Patrons set up on the grass lawn
with blankets and lawn chairs. Some folks came really prepared with wine
candles and a full spread. Everyone was ready for a relaxing evening of music
under the stars. The sun set behind the stage as I sketched creating a warm
glow behind the performers. I squinted as I starred straight into the sunset.

The evening featured music by composer John Williams along
with other space themed music. Guest vocalists for the night were Natalie
Cordone and Shawn Kilgore. I was set up and sketching before the performer got
on stage. I was fascinated with the cello player that had a wheel on the bottom
of his instrument so he could roll it around like a wheel barrel. By the end of
the performance the stage s lit by two stage spot lights that had been set up
stage left and right.

It is so nice to enjoy an outdoor concert as the northern
states are still experiencing cold temperatures. As I write this I am at my
Sister’s home in Port Charlotte Florida.
She is looking up photos of the snow covered landscapes in the northern towns
where out other brothers and sisters live. There is nothing so rewarding as
seeing cold weather while basking in the Florida
sun.

Fundraiser and Sneak Peek: Female 12th Night

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Roque  Pub  (3076  Curry Ford Road  Orlando,  FL 32806) hosted a fundraiser for the Female 12th Night. The Orlando Shakes presented the show back in February and March.

A pair of shipwrecked twins set into motion a tale of mistaken identity,
eccentricity, and unlikely love. Separated from her brother Sebastian,
quick-thinking Viola adopts a male disguise and enters the service of
the handsome Duke Orsino – only to find herself in the middle of a love
triangle. When Viola’s new boss sends her to win his unrequited love,
the Countess Olivia, her disguise proves too effective and the Countess
falls for the young girl dressed as a boy instead.

The show features  endless gender swapping and was presented at first with an all male cast. That show was then followed by several performances by an all female cast. I saw the all male cast and it was laugh out loud funny. I unfortunately never saw the whole female performance of the same show but at this Roque Fundraiser, I got to see several excerpts. I sketched the event organizers as things got started.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for November 24 and 25, 2018

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Saturday November 24, 2018

9am to 5pm Free. Coastal Christmas Market. Downtown New Smyrna Beach Canal Street and Sam Avenue . Outdoor Holiday Market.

Noon to 5pm Free. FusionFest. Seneff Arts Plaza Dr Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. 

FusionFest is a free two-day celebration in Downtown Orlando
that features a kaleidoscopic fusion of aromas, sights, sounds, tastes,
textures and fascinating short films that represent the diverse origins
and heritages of our community. 

Presented
by Dr. Phillips Center, FusionFest is a project of the Downtown Arts
District with support from Orange County Government, the City of
Orlando/Downtown Development Board and a growing grassroots movement.

4:30pm to 7pm $12. Light Up Mount Dora. Historic Donnelly House 535 N Donnelly Street Mount Dora. Dinner in the Historic home before Mount Dora lights up for the holidays.

Sunday November 25, 2018

10am to Noon. Free. Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources.

11am to 5pm Free. Holiday Makers Market. Casa Feliz The Pines at Windermere, 3409 Maguire Road Windermere FL.  Meet local artists and purchase their one of a kind creations.

3pm to 5pm Free. Handles Massiah. Bob Carr Theatre 401 W. Livingston Street  Orlando, Florida. Messia Choral Society celebrating 46 years is Olando’s Longest running free cultural arts performance.

Cemetaries as Museums

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Pam Schwartz and I went to the Osceola County Welcome Center and History Museum (4155 W Vine St, Kissimmee, Florida 34741)to listen to guest speaker Kevin Gidusko from the Florida Public Archaeology Network as he spoke about the preservation of historic cemeteries.

His talk covered, the archaeological process in cemeteries, the use iconography and headstone styles to date sites, and preservation and dating techniques. Cemeteries are a rather recent phenomenon when compared to the entire history of the world.  Cemeteries have had an important place in our culture since the beginning of recorded time. Taking special care to honor our ancestors and have a proper final resting place for them is one of the things that makes us uniquely human.

Many cemeteries are now being documented online on Find a Grave making finding distant relatives for genealogy increasingly easy. Any cemetery is a  place where we can see the people who helped shape our history. Weathering, vandalism, neglect, and encroachment by development and plant growth threaten the fate of historic cemeteries. Because of this it is important to systematically survey and document these historic sites before they are forever lost.

The intricate carvings on headstones can tell much about the beliefs of the person buried. Common designs in the 19th and early 20 centuries included urns, Latin crosses, willow trees, doves, lambs, hands bibles, flowers and vines. For instance the symbol of a weeping willow reflected the interest in the United States in ancient Greece. The most obvious meaning is the “Weeping” or mourning for the loss of a loved one. A willow is a fast growing tree that is easy to grow from cuttings and often is the first tree to grow on a disturbed site. Thus the tree is known as healing. In many cultures the willow tree is a symbol for immortality.

Kevin let us know that there are many opportunities to volunteer should we want to take part in the preservation of cemeteries.

The event was sponsored in part by Gatorland.

Veterans Day Ceremony at Evergreen Cemetery

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On Veterans Day a small group of Orlando Urban Sketchers went to Evergreen Cemetery in Casselberry. The cemetery dates back to 1890 when 18 acres of land was donated for the establishment of a cemetery for black slaves. At the time blacks and white were not allowed to be buried together. The cemetery was surrounded by forest with oak trees, sand pines,
evergreen, camphor and palm trees, along with wild fern growing though
out. The first pioneer trustees of the cemetery worked in the fern industry and they went on to build their own grocery store and shotgun homes on the site of the cemetery.

A shotgun home was a narrow house without halls. If a bullet were to be fired through the front door, it would go right out the back door without hitting a wall. These homes were rent free and known as the Barnett and Casselberry quarters. Five churches helped maintain the cemetery. One common cemetery maintenance practice was to cut the sand pines as Christmas trees. The original name of Evergreen Cemetery was forgotten over the years. It came to be known as Altamonte Colored Cemetery and Fern Park Cemetery. In 2007 Alton Williams found the original name in his research it was restored.

Alton Willaims was the Master of Ceremonies for this Veteran’s Day Ceremony. People crowded under a tent to stay out of the Florida sun. The Seminole County Sheriff Office Honor Guard performed a pre ceremony drill followed by a trumpet player performing taps in the distance. The sad notes resonated through the cemetery. Behind Alton was the framework for a shotgun house being built as a museum on the cemetery grounds. Volunteers are desperately needed to help finish the construction.

Cora Sneed called the names of all the fallen soldiers who were buried in Greenwood Cemetery. One woman in the audience seemed to know many of the family names being called and she picked up the certificates to be given to each family. Entire families went up to honor their relatives who had given their lives for our freedom. After the ceremony we all were given Bubbalou’s BBQ.

Fusion Fest Open House

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A FusionFest Open House was held at City Beautiful Church, (1220 Alden Rd, Orlando, FL 32803). The primary goal was to gather the interest of volunteers and to share with the community what this new cultural event which is a celebration of diversity.

Terry Olson explained that Orlando is a melting pot and as a city we have never shied away from celebrating our roots. He said he has been to 62 different cultural events in central Florida. “I know, because I have been to all of them.” he explained. An international festival of this scope would have to be large and this meeting was the first step on spreading the word. Signs on each of the tables outlined ways that people can share their heritage.

100 booths are planned to be set up in Seneff Arts Plaza in front of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts (Orange Ave and City Commons downtown). Outside City Hall and in front of the arts Center entrance there will be performance stages.

Food vendors were encouraged to serve small affordable dishes so that people attending the event can sample food from many different cultures. FusionFest is free, but you can purchase food tokens at the food and drink court. Fusion Fest is scheduled for November 24 and 25,  2018 the week following Thanksgiving. The festivities begin at noon each day.

Mark your calendar.

FusionFest

November 24 and 25, 2018

Noon to Sunset

Seneff Arts Plaza 445 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL 32801

Free.

onePULSE Foundation Town Hall Forum – Changing Hate…A Conversation

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The onePULSE Foundation Town Hall Forum – Changing Hate…A Conversation, was held at the Orlando Rep (1001 East Princeton Street Orlando FL). The set was for a production of Elf.

Hate crimes in our nation’s 10 largest cities increased by 12% in 2017 the highest level in more than a decade. This Town Hall Forum brought national key influencers to Orlando to discuss how they overcame a hateful belief system, are addressing hateful messages and reaching others to dispel the belief that hate is learned.

I sketched the Morgan Stanley banker who introduced the evening at the podium. Barbara Poma the Pulse night club owner and founder of the one Pulse Foundation also introduced the evening. The panel was moderated by

Sally Kohn, author of The Opposite Of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity she is also a  CNN political commentator and columnist.

Panelist

Daryl Davis, author of Klan-destine Relationships: A Black Man’s Odyssey in the Ku Klux Klan spoke about his childhood growing up in Europe where white and black are not an issue. His family returned to America and he joined the boy scouts. His troupe was invited to walk in a parade. He gladly put on his uniform and joined his fellow scouts on the parade. However during the course of the parade several small boys and adults began to throw small rocks. He thought, “They must not like boy scouts.” It wasn’t until troupe leaders shielded him that he realized that the rocks were only meant for him. At home his parents had to patch his wounds and he asked why people had a problem with him. He had never heard of racism. He couldn’t understand how someone could hate him if they didn’t know him.

Thus began a life long mission to speak with members of the KKK who hated him. Many of these conversations resulted in friendships. Daryl collects KKK memorabilia from people he has talked to who gave up their life of hate. Over 200 Klansman have left the KKK after these conversations with Daryl.

Dylan Marron is a blogger and host of Conversations with People Who Hate Me. He experienced a rush of euphoria as his online persona took flight. However this success also resulted in hate directed towards him online. He become obsessed with finding out who these people were who hated him. He would look up their contact information on social media and call them. These recorded conversations are what he shares online now. He and Daryl bot agreed that giving someone the chance to express their opinions often resulted in them being willing to hear their opinion. Conversation is about acknowledging someones self worth. In the course of each conversation there is usually a moment when someone has a dog rush in the room, of they step on a Lego. The moment they laugh together gives him a glowing moment of hope. All the differences of opinion melt away.

Sally asked everyone in the audience to think of three issues that they hold dear, be it abortion, gun control etc. Then she asked us all how many of us had researched that issue with government reports, research, or read multiple books on the issue. No one raised a hand. This is how people who have an opposite opinion also came to their conclusions. They only read enough to justify how they feel.

At the end of the evening, Theresa Jacobs who is stepping down as Orange County’s Mayor took to the podium. With one day left in office she seemed to want to clear the slate. She spoke of her childhood fear of black people but in school she befriended a black girl who had given her a pencil. Because she sat at the lunch table with this girl, she was ostracized by white students. She mentioned a gay boy who she dated and then a black boy she performed a trapeze act with. She expressed her support for transvestites but I think she meant to say transgender. This was the wrong forum to make that slip.  It was a strange litany and I stopped believing her sincerity.

In office she is best known as the woman who did all she could to block gay marriage, saying. “marriage should be reserved for a man and a woman.” She confided that this is the issue that conflicted with her Catholic beliefs. At a wedding for her son, she realized how her family was so important to her and how the vows in any wedding mean so much for her families happiness. She broke down and cried and realized she had been wrong. Everyone should have the right to get married and share that happiness.

Though every panelist agreed that we are living in dark times and that hate speech is rampant, they choose to battle the ignorance and hate one conversation at a time. If you disagree with someone try and avoid expressing your disdain, instead stop and listen and share your thoughts. This Thanksgiving if you have a relative who supports today’s atmosphere of intolerance and hate, try talking to them and plant a seed of light in the darkness. Change doesn’t happen quickly. But some people can change.

Creative Momentum Gathering

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This free Creative Momentum Gathering, hosted by LifeArt Studio founder,
Lezlie Laws, and Writers Block Bookstore, was a chance to not only hear
Charlene’s story, but to hear tips and encouragement for all journalers,
memoirists and writers. It was an opportunity to come together as a
creative community to reflect on the power of words, and to explore the
love, sacrifice and endurance that’s needed to create our own unique
life art. 

Charlene Edge read from her book, “Undertow: My Escape from the Fundamentalism and Cult Control of The Way International” in a back room at Cocina (214 151 E Welbourne Ave, Winter Park, Florida 32789). Charlene is a devout person and she loves the academic side of religion which eventually lead to Charlene being promoted to the inner circle of biblical researchers, where she discovered devastating secrets. The organization’s founder, Wierwille, twisted texts of Scripture to serve his personal agenda,
shamelessly plagiarized the work of others, and misrepresented the
purpose of his organization. Worst of all, after Wierwille died in 1985,
shocking reports surfaced of his secret sex ring. Undertow is not only a brilliant cautionary tale about
misplaced faith but also an exposé of the hazards of fundamentalism and
the destructive nature of cults. Through her personal story, Charlene
Edge shows how a vulnerable person can be seduced into following an
authoritarian leader and how difficult it can be to find a way out.

Lezlie Laws was conducting a workshop the day Charlene decided to start to tell her story. Writing the book took years to complete but she persevered thanks to a supportive artistic community. There was a warm feeling of love and support in the room for this local author who was sharing her work.

VegFest

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This year’s VegFest was held at Festival Bay Park. This festival has grown exponentially since I started sketching it back in 2010. Pam Schwartz and I did a full walk about and ordered some vegetarian food for lunch. I ordered a Dosa which was much larger than I expected. A dosa is an Indian version of a pancake but much thinner. Mine was filled with some mashed potatoes and spices. It was tasty, but honestly I couldn’t eat the whole thing.

The food tents were set up on a narrow pathway through the center of the park. This arrangement created a major traffic funnel with line of people blocking traffic in every direction. Had they move the tends back off the pathway then strolling by could have been a more pleasant experience. Pam’s  dog, Sprout came out too the festival with us and he and a great time. There were so many scents and things to see. He also got to meet so many other pups.

There was a cute little pig that people could pet but when I returned to do a possible sketch he was being taken for a walk. I settled instead on this tent full of people meditating. Pam warned me that they would stop meditating once I started sketching and she was right. Regardless I stayed committed and got some semblance of a sketch.

We walked around some more once my sketch was done. There were a few politicians since Mid Term elections were right around the corner. It seems Florida is the laughing stock of the country again since there is a major recount for three of those mid term election races. In the 2006 election there were hanging chads to contend with but today there seems to be inefficiency and an inability to count quickly. Hopefully every vote will count. We all need to take a moment and breath deeply. Ohmmmmmm……..