Brian Feldman presents, Dishwasher.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

The Television art show at Barefoot Spa.

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I submitted a piece at the Television Art Show at The Barefoot Spa (801 Virginia Dr, Orlando, Florida 32803). This show featured art of television personalities, art of televisions, and art of anything related to televisions. There were classic television shows, cartoon characters, Atari, the evening news, and more. I submitted a sketch I did of a Brian Feldman performance done at Frames Forever. Brian set up televisions in the storefront window and watched TV all night as each station switched from analog signals to digital signals. Each TV showed static after the switch. It was the night when analog officially died. If you had an old TV with rabbit ears, it became a devise to watch static across all the stations. Since Brian was bored by the viewing options, he used his cell phone to tweet and research through the night.

The TV Art Show reception was fairly well attended, but more than there quarters of those in attendance must have been artists. Linda Saracino is an artist who paints quirky dress fashions and does intricate collages. She was talking to someone who ended up being deleted from the sketch, since he or she would have been standing in the centerfold of the sketchbook. Linda’s work wasn’t in the show, but I’ve seen her at about every art opening that I’ve ever sketched. John Glassman Gardener was busy signing colorful spray can lids that acted as magnets. He would place each on the metal column as he finished signing them.

The show featured 30 pieces of art by 18 different artists.

Bethany Taylor Myers

Brian Garnett

Carrie Perman

Chrissy Hufford

Cierra Hannah

Delores Haberkorn

Donna Harrington

Eric Wise

Glaucia Mir

Jamie Meagher

Jon Glassman Gardner

M Scott Morgan

Mark Goffe

Parker Sketch

Thom Solo

Thomas Thorspeken

Vanessa Bernal

Parker Sketch curated the show, and he did a great job logging the art as it arrived and when is was picked up. My piece didn’t sell. The problem was that I exhibited the original. Lets face it people in Orlando cant afford my originals. My prints at half the price do sell on occasion. Even the owner of a sports stadium decided to buy a print rather than the original painting that they commissioned. 

Far Away at the Venue.

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Far Away written by Caryl Churchill brings a nightmarish vision to The Venue (511 Virginia Dr, Orlando, FL 32803). The play began with a young girl (Brenna Arden) in a nightgown crawling on stage. She couldn’t sleep. The older woman (Amanda Hudson Giese) in the rocking chair was an aunt that the girl was visiting. The girl had heard screams and crawled out her bedroom window to investigate. Her uncle was beating someone and there was blood everywhere. Others were held captive and were also bloodied. The aunt twisted each aspect of the story to paint the uncle in a better light. Everything she said was a lie. She made the girl swear an oath of silence. Ultimately I feared for the girls life. She was too innocent, to caring to witness what she did. A truly deviant criminal will eliminate all witnesses.

 The next act featured hat makers. It was the woman’s first day on the job. The male hat maker (Charlie Wright) took her under his wing, letting her know the best place to get lunch. A series of scenes showed them creating hats and becoming more playful together. He ultimately informed her that the way that the business was run, was corrupt. She lamented the fact that 211 their beautiful work would ultimately be cremated along with the bodies. “You make beauty, and it disappears.” he replied. That sent me thinking. If a body is lying in a casket then how can a hat be worn? The brim would get in the way or be crushed, ruining the shape of the creation. Perhaps in this futuristic society, bodies are suspended Christ like at a wake, minus the cross of course. The male hat maker vowed to speak to the boss about his concerns about corruption. He might loose his job by speaking up. “If I loose my job, I’d miss you.” He said to his work companion. “All ready?” was her response. In one last seen their romance blossomed as they shared some beads. They found themselves holding hands. 

A final scene was the strangest of all. Characters spoke of a war with animals and people. I’m assuming the categorizing of animals and nationalities made a point the it makes no sense to separate people based on their skin color, or nationality. A couple hugged for an eternity. She took off a poncho she was wearing and she had on a latex black jumpsuit underneath with gun holsters on he legs. She was a rebel. I lost track of which animals we allies and which were enemies. I believe the elephants switched sides. Wasps were poisoned. The older woman had a phobia about butterflies. She said that in Roman times, people commit suicide by plain a sheet of gold leaf in their throat to asphyxiate themselves.   She imagined that inhaling a butterfly would have the same effect. All these scenes seemed to play up to peoples need to categorize each other, thus limiting our view of all the subtle layers that make us each unique. 

Far Away presented by Unseen Images Theater runs through November 6.

Tickets are $18.

Phantasmagoria VII, “The Cards They are Dealt”

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The brand new PHANTASMAGORIA VII “The Cards They Are Dealt” thunders on to the Mandell Stage at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center with all new stories of terror! Live performers, “Phantastical” dance, explosive stage combat, large scale puppetry, aerial performance and haunting storytelling combine to create a tapestry of macabre and whimsical horror!

Phantasmagoria’s evocative troupe of steam punk storytellers, dancers, and chorus  embark on their newest journeys through literary tales of terror, horrific folk stories, legends, and myths from around the world. They present  dark tales from the likes of Poe, Lovecraft, Oscar Wilde, Ambrose Bierce, and M.R. James, as well as Arabic folklore, whimsically macabre German fairy tales, and so much more – all to set the tone for a truly Phantasmagorical Halloween season!

I arrived early to watch the fight call. The swords looked threateningly red and even at quarter speed, the swashbuckling action seemed all too real. Dancers stretched and limbered up on the suspended hoop. Right before the house opened John Di Donna had all the N circle up on the stage. He reminded everyone to breath and since it was a smaller house, he let everyone know the still needed to maintain the is momentum. “Throw your energy out there!” “We get to collapse after wards” he said. Regarding the fight sequence, ever one was advised to keep their focus. “lets sling some steel!”  the actors shouted.

An unexpected twist to this evenings presentation was that John’s character managed to bring a mortal, namely Alice, out through the looking glass to join his story telling troupe. The Phantasmagoria storytellers are eternal an they resented a mortal in their midst. Alice however was a very good storyteller. At the height of a brawl she screamed and the specs on volume knocked everyone down. It turns out she had powers beyond everyone’s expectations.

Once a story is begun, it must be completed. These storytellers live the tales often to a menacing effect.  They take a fiendish delight in each tales macabre humor and drama. In Some ways they are like a circus Sideshow troupe, but each Story fully consumes them. the re was d wonderfully choreographed waltz dance that had all the actors paired up and dancing with delight. Each year new stories weave their way into the tapestry, making Phantasmagoria a show that can be revisited each Halloween season. One member of the troupe wanted to explore the darker side of the sinister tales. to do that he would ha to splinter away from his family roots and forge his own path.

Remaining Performances are
October  30 and 31 (The 100th show!)
Box office will open each night at 7:15 / doors 7:50 / Curtain at 8:00pm – VIP After show follows immediately after in courtyard

Regular Student/Senior/Military – $15.00 / VIP Student/Senior/Military – $25.00
Regular General Admission – $25.00 / VIP General Admission – $35.00
(VIP includes Pre-Seating, VIP post show performance, photo op, souvenir, and a glass of wine or soft drink post show)

TO PURCHASE TICKETS:
WILL CALL/CASH ONLY AT DOOR reserve by calling our hot line at 407-476-5121 (Leave name/number/date of performance and number in party – you will be called back only if there is a problem with your reservation)
CREDIT CARD PREPURCHASE – For further information contact our box office email: phantasorlando@gmail.com

Beth Marshall presents The Glass Menagerie at the Garden Theater.

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The Glass Menagerie written by Tennessee Williams harkens back to memories of his youth when he worked in a warehouse to support his mother and sister. Tom, (Anthony Pyatt Jr.) restlessly dreamed of a life of adventure as a poet. The only way to find that adventure in his work a day life is to escape to the movies. His mother, Amanda Wingfield, (Cami Miller), is a faded southern belle who lives in poverty with Tom and her painfully shy daughter, Laura, (Anneliese Moon) in St. Louis during the late
1930s. Tom’s fragile sister seems unable to find her place. Believing that marriage will be the answer for Laura, Amanda pushes Tom
into finding a male suitor (Zack Lane) for her. What begins as a promising evening
soon unravels, and the fragile fantasy world the family had begun to
build is irreparably cracked. Tennessee Williams drew upon his own life
to create a poignant tale that has become an award-winning American
classic. The Glass Menagerie was first brought to the stage in 1945, the play was a 2014 Tony Award nominee for Best Revival of a Play.

 Laura is so frail and vulnerable that of course my heart went out to her. So many survivors of the Pulse shooting spoke of their life being on hold. My own life seems frozen, waiting for the next chapter to begin. Laura got flustered at business school and had to drop out. Her every memory of High School, is of being different, an outsider. The gentleman caller, Jim is the embodiment of the American ideal. He believes that a few courses in public speaking will catapult him towards certain success.  He wants a give his confidence to Laura and every time he touches her she calms down. My theater companion felt that Laura’s constant shaking was distracting, but I was so won over be her delicate beauty that it didn’t bother me. Animators stage a scene so that it plays to back of the theater. Perhaps that is the reason used for Laura’s mannerisms.

What mattered most was how the last act bowled me over. Tom had left to seek out his life of poetry and adventure. He however loved his sister and wished he had been able to do more for her. In walking down a city street at night he remembered seeing brightly lit colored glass in a drug store window. That beautiful glass reminded him of his sisters delicate Menagerie of glass animals.  His sister was the glass unicorn who only wanted to be like every other horse. She joined the herd by having her dream smashed and her heart broken. Tom’s memory of her caught me and made me well up. Was I crying for her, or all of us?

The Glass Menagerie runs through November 6th.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for October 29th and 30th.

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Saturday October 29, 2016

2 pm to 9pm Free. GUTS Orlando 2016. 2428 E Robinson St, Orlando, FL 32803. GUTS is a friendly pumpkin carving competition with all proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish®

AIGA Orlando invites you to its 2nd Annual live pumpkin carving competition, GUTS Orlando. The event will be held October 29, 2016. The carving competition will last from 2 to 5 pm, with an after-party featuring live music from local bands until 9 pm.

More information on the music lineup to come!

The event is free to attend, open to the public, family-friendly, and features the carvers going head-to-head to craft pumpkin creations live that will then be put up for auction to raise money for Make-A-Wish®. While the carving happens, there will be food and drink for sale, trick-or-treating for the kids, live music, silent bidding for the auction, raffle opportunities, and activities for all ages.

Interested in being a carver or creating a carving team? Visit GUTSORLANDO.COM for more information on how to register for carving competition!

The primary goal of this event is to unify the creative community in support of children who fight for their lives every day and to make their wishes come true through Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida. All money raised from the carver’s registration fees, the silent auction, as well as food, drink, and merchandise sales during the event will go to benefit Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida, and donations will also be accepted.

The competition is open to local and regional creative professionals who want to test their pumpkin carving skills, and more importantly, raise money for the brave kids of Make-A-Wish®.

The deadline to register to carve will be Friday, October 14th.

About AIGA Orlando

AIGA Orlando advances design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force. As the largest community of design advocates, we bring together practitioners, enthusiasts, and patrons to amplify the voice of design and create the vision for a collective future.

For additional information please contact:

guts@orlando.aiga.org

8pm to 2am Free. Return of the PokeParty 2016! Bikkuri Sushi Noodle & Grill, East Colonial Drive, Orlando, FL. Guess who’s back? Back again! DING! is back! TELL A FRIEND! Tons of people have been asking for this, and OMNOM is bringing it back in style! Not only are we going to celebrate our love for Pocket Monsters old and new, but in true DING! fashion we’re also going to be celebrating our friend Sammi’s Birthday AND Halloween all at the same time!!!!

Featuring a performance by Pokemon Master Rapper Shammers!!!

This is going to be one hell of an event, and we want to see everyone dressed up to be the very best! Feel free to wear your favorite cosplay OR Halloween costume! (Not required to be Pokemon related!) The only requirement is to come out and have fun!!!

(MORE INFO WILL BE ADDED LATER ON)

…BUUUUT be prepared for more awesomeness than ever before! Some of the fun things available to do include video games, dancing, sushi, bar specials, AND A PIÑATA FULL OF CANDY!!!

Bring your family, your friends, and whoever else that you think would enjoy a night of friends, fun and fantastic memories!

8pm to 10pm $10 4th Annual Thornton Park Halloween Block Party. Party. Entrance in front of Dexter’s Thornton Park. Festivities include:

Live Music by The Sh-Booms, $1000 Costume Contest, Food Trucks, DJ Spreadsheets, Dark Art Market… and much more and it’s all for a good cause! Proceeds for the event benefit non-profit Thornton Park District!

Patrons will fear the spooky brick-lined streets of Thornton Park, the city’s most haunted district. (21+ event)

Tickets are $10 in advance.

Thornton Park District is an entity, made possible through the interest, efforts and generosity of the national trust Main Street USA, the City of Orlando as well as our many members and volunteers. Event Chair:

Board Member Melissa Schumann

Sunday October 30, 2016. 

10am to 3pm Free. Annual Pet Costume Contest.  North Park Ave at Garfield in Winter Park. Presented by Doggie Door.

10am to 4pm Free. Lake Eola Farmers Market. Southeast corner of Lake Eola Park.

2pm to 4pm Free. Yoga. Lake Eola Park, 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL. Near the Red Gazibo. Every week.

49, 53 and Beyond Children’s Mural.

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Michael Pilato a mural artist from Philadelphia has come to Orlando to create a series of murals dedicated to the 49, 53 and beyond who were directly affected by the tragic shooting at Pulse nightclub. He has moved into the empty apartment above Tony’s pizzeria on the corner of Mills and Colonial. This run down apartment was formerly known as “The Space” and has been the location for quite a few cutting edge exhibits and performances. Volunteers have been working tirelessly to make the space livable. New floors are being put in, along with a new sink and cabinets. Piles of scrap wood were piled in the hall, waiting to be taken to the dump. There was no air conditioning and some window panes were broken and missing. Michael was bitten by mosquitoes on his first night in the space.  The groundwork for this artist studio is a true labor of love.

Long narrow staircases lead up to the space. Chimene Pindar Hurst came up with the idea of having home school students create a mural on the walls of the front stairwell. Susan Gromala Crary has done murals on Disney property and she stepped in to spearhead the project. Day one had the children sketching and writing ideas on paper. The kids wanted to sling paint from the start, but Susan assured them that they needed a unified plan before paint touched the walls.  They circled up to share ideas and chat while they worked. The moms sat on the opposite end of the room, also chatting. Susan took all the sheets of paper home to her studio to create a unified concept that incorporated all the separate ideas.

When the kids were finished, Susan sat with them and enthusiastically let them know which ideas inspired her the most.  She collected all the sketches and notes and the conversation she had with the kids gave her a definite idea of how to proceed. Words are very important to these kids because of texting and the internet. Therefor words of love and inspiration would weave themselves in to the visual tapestry of the mural. The plan was to have the kids come in weekly to get the mural painted.