Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday December 21, 2013

10am to 4pm  Commander’s Call. Free. Museum of Military History 5210 West Irlo Bronson Hwy Kissimmee FL. This ongoing program is held on the 3rd Sat of each month is designed to appeal to families, military memorabilia collectors, history buffs, re-enactors & others interested in military history. In addition, persons interested in displaying, trading or selling their military items such as honor coins, swords, photographs, military buttons, scale model boats & planes, military art, uniforms or other equipment register in advance by calling the museum to reserve a spot. Re-enactors & veterans are welcome to come in uniform to add to the history & authenticity of the military experience. Non-military booths such as health care providers, home improvement, local attractions or other businesses are invited to be vendors for minimal donation.

3pm to 7pm Cruisin’ Downtown DeLand Car Show! Free. East Indiana Ave Downtown DeLand, Deland FL.  Classic cars & rods.  Live DJ, giveaways, shopping & dining. Fun for the family! Every 3rd Saturday night! http://mainstreetdeland.org/calendar.cfm/mode/details/id/12037/recurringId/71147/cruisdowntown-deland-car-show

9pm to Midnight The Falcon Presents: C-Note Collection. Free, but be sure to grab a drink and linger. The Falcon 819 E. Washington Street, Suite 2, Orlando, Fl. Original art and framed prints under $100.

Sunday December 22, 2013

1pm to 3pm Irish Music. Free. Olivia’s in 108 N. Bay Street, Eustice FL. http://www.oliviascoffeehouse.com/

5:30pm to 9pm Southern Fried Sunday. $10 Will’s Pub 1042 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL. Thomas Wynn & Friends, Hymn for Her, Bad Santa & The Angry Elves and The Bloody Jug Band will be entertaining you with some great music!   BBQ from The Smiling Bison!

6:30pm to 9:30pm   First European Winter Fair. Rosen Shingle Creek 9939 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL.  The newest family event is a European-Style Gift-mart and Culinary-crafting. Booths and vendors, with displays on the decorated outdoor patio of the beautiful hotel, will offer gifts and crafts, cocktails and food, chocolate workshops, ornament-making, cookie decorating, custom Christmas stockings and more. Call 866.996.6338 for reservations.

Windermere Arts Festival

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The Windermere Arts Festival is held annually in a lakeside park nestled among the chain of lakes. There were artists tents, a boat show, antique cars and a wake boarding competition. Local authors read from their work.

; Rhoade on his red bicycle told me a little about the mission to try and save Nehrling Gardens. The Gardens are
the former home of famed horticulturalist Henry Nehrling, who
purchased the property in 1885 to establish a garden where he could
experiment with tropical and subtropical plants year round. It is
located in Gotha, Florida, a small community near Orlando that was
founded by German Americans in the 1870s. The 1880s frame
vernacular style home and semi-detached kitchen were moved by
ox-cart to the site in the early 1900s.

 

Palm Cottage
Gardens was Florida’s first experimental botanical garden where Dr.
Nehrling tested over 3,000 new and rare plants for the USDA. By the
early 1900s it was a popular destination for thousands of tourists,
nature lovers, and new Florida settlers. Many prominent people of
the era, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Edison, Liberty Hyde
Bailey, Theodore Mead and Dr. David Fairchild, marveled at the
garden and celebrated Nehrling’s extraordinary work. Of the 60
plus acres purchased by Henry Nehrling between 1885 and 1897, only
the 6-acre homestead site remains; a portion of this extends into Lake Nally. Remnants of the original 100-year old tree canopy and
many of his plantings still exist, and the house is a charming and
authentic example of pioneer Florida life.

  

The Mission of the
Henry Nehrling Society is to preserve Dr. Nehrling’s historic home and
gardens in Gotha, Florida, and provide a History and Horticultural
Education Center focusing on environmental conservation and to:

  • Honor Dr. Nehrling’s horticultural and ornithological achievements.
  • Preserve the remaining historical home and gardens in Gotha, Florida.
  • Recognize the community’s historical and German-American cultural heritage.
  • Teach environmentally
    sound gardening and landscaping practices through horticultural classes
    and demonstration gardens; provide education for wetlands restoration
    and conservation.

See Art Orlando

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I went to Loft 55 Gallery and Boutique (55 West Church Street, suite 114, Orlando, Fl), curated by Ashlie Lawson, to see  an interactive performance concept by Stephen AG Carey. This local artist will be locked within a gallery to only portray the messages given to him by the community. He calls this exhibit “Messages 4 the Cure” to help advocate for those who have survived, still battling or lost their lives to cancer. People were able to write a message and tape it to the gallery
windows for those individuals who survived, are still battling, or lost
their lives to cancer. The artist then rewrote the messages onto an art
piece hanging on the galleries wall.

Unfortunately when I arrived a little before rush hour, a sign on the door said the artist was out for a three hour break. The painting in progress had maybe ten lines of copy written into the piece. The writing was too small for me to read. The painting was far from complete. This was a sad excuse for performance art. The concept was good but the execution wasn’t great. I lost interest and left.

Since I still needed to do a sketch, I hiked to Lake Eola to sketch one of the new See Art Orlando sculptures of a flock of gulls swooping over the lake. See Art Orlando’s mission is to enhance the aesthetic experience and cultural image of Downtown Orlando through a major Public Sculpture Community Project. The installation of iconic works of art throughout the City will bring National and International attention to Orlando and will add to the economic viability of the community.

The flock was sculpted by Douwe (“Dow”, a Dutch name) Blumberg. He came to his art career by a rather circuitous route. Born in Los Angeles of two amateur artists. During a childhood that was almost a continual art education, he spent some formative years in Europe being exposed to western artistic traditions. Later he attended the University of Southern California’s prestigious Idyllwild School of the Arts and Music. This was followed up with four years of sculpture/metal working education during which he won many national awards. His education was capped by an apprenticeship at a CA art foundry where he mastered the many facets of creating bronzes. He attributes his ability to work in varied techniques and styles to this style of learning.

Upon graduation however, he did not immediately pursue an art career. Instead, he became a professional horse trainer, a career he pursued for 18 years at his ranch outside of L.A. Gradually, however, he started sculpting again, albeit part time, and began accepting commissions. As demand for his work grew, he was forced to choose between the two careers; his lifelong passion of sculpting won out. Closing his barn in 2000, he relocated to centrally located Kentucky where he has a studio and home north of Lexington. Douwe has completed well over 200 private and public commissions and has numerous awards, residencies and shows to his credit.

Dickens by Candlelight

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On December 14th I went to a dress rehearsal for Dickens by Candlelight at The Cross (1300 Brookhaven Drive Orlando FL). The Cross is in Ivanhoe Village and it is in a neighborhood of warehouses. When I arrived it was dark so I waited under a street lamp out front. After maybe ten minutes I saw a Prius pull into the parking lot next to the building and Terry Olson popped out and quickly rushed behind the building like the white rabbit. I followed, but when I rounded the corner he was gone. There was a small glass door at the back of the building and through it I could see a woman in turn of the century period dress. I entered the dark room.

John DiDonna who plays Scrooge had informed me about the rehearsal. Monica Long Tamborello and Robin Olson  played just about every other character in the Dickens tale, The Christmas Carol. This is the 16th anniversary year that Dickens By Candlelight has been performed in Orlando. Robin Olson who first wrote this adaptation is returning to the cast this year. Producer Kenneth Ingraham gave me tips on where I might catch the action in my sketch. Fewer people showed up than expected, and he suggested I sit closer but I was already committed to this sketch.

The warehouse doubles as a church and it turned out that the rehearsal was being staged for parishioners to thank them for letting the space be used for rehearsals.  Ben Hoyer and his family were the first to arrive. Ben is the founder of Credo Coffee Shop and he helped acquire this space for church use. As people arrived, the cast made their way back stage behind barn-like sliding doors. A bare branch was suspended from the ceiling with delicate golden ornaments hanging from it. Each table in the room had a red candle and tiny bells. At one point in the production everyone was encouraged to ring the bells then stop on cue.

The tale cleverly envelops the audience as the characters move through
and around the guests who are seated at treat-laden tables.  The three talented Orlando
actors, portray all of the roles and artfully transform themselves from
character to character and stave to stave.  The best way to witness
visits from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and  Future is while
enjoying homemade cookies and a pot of freshly-brewed hot  tea.   Since there have been so many film adaptations of Dickens Christmas Carol, I expected to feel jaded. But the cast kept the story engaging and suspenseful. John DiDonna did an amazing job portraying Scrooges greed and then joyful redemption.

When it came time for the ghostly visits, the room was only illuminated by the flickering candles. Scrooge shouted in terror when the huge metal garage door rattled by forces unseen.  I suspect Terry Olson must have been outside rattling the doors on cue but the effect was ghostly and unnerving. This subtle use of sound and candlelight held more dramatic terror than any of today’s special effects laden films. This is theater’s magic as people gather together in a dark room to share a tale. Children huddled close in their parents arms. The costume changes were quick and numerous with every word save one having come from Dickens pen. Audience members became part of the action as they joined the cast in holiday celebrations.

I highly recommend this show to ring in your holiday season. Shows will be in the Patron’s Room at the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL). Tickets are $35 with group rates available.

Wednesday December 18, 8pm

Thursday December 19, 8pm

Friday December 20, 8pm

Saturday December 21 4pm and 8pm 

Sunday December 22, 4pm and 8pm

Monday December 23, 8pm

Culture Pop

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On November 8th, I exhibited a sketch at the Maitland Art Center (231 W. Packwood Avenue, Maitland FL.) Devin Dominguez had the unique idea of exhibiting art on clothes lines in the museum’s courtyard. Since there was no charge to the artists, I submitted a sketch for the evening. My sketch was on the right hand clothesline in that inverted pyramid stand.

The evening included music, poetry from Maitland Poets and Writers, and food from Gator County BBQ Food Truck and of course cocktails. The Art and History Museum’s Main Galleries will were open for guests to enjoy A Day in the Life of the Research Studio and shop at the Museum Store. Terry stopped out, excited to hear local author Naomi Butterfield read. Inside the Art Center, there was an exhibit by the first artist in residence in 56 years,  Josette Urso from Brooklyn New York. This is the first formal,
nationally competitive Residency program at the Art and History Center since
Smith’s fellowship program, which was funded by Mary Curtis Bok from
1938 through 1957. Several of Josette’s pen and ink drawings were absolutely stunning. I should have bought one. All the sketches and drawings were done around the Maitland Museum property, having the Mayan motifs. Other work was more abstract. It was a really good exhibition.

We ran in to a former colleague of Terry’s who was exhibiting several photos of horses. The plan was to stay until the event closed and then take the sketch home that night, but after watching several readings, Terry wanted to go out to get some dinner. We ended up getting some fast food. I picked up my art a week later.

Amazon Hose and Rubber

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While driving to the College Park Jazz Festival, I noticed that Amazon Hose and Rubber will be moving from the warehouse they have occupied for years. The current location is 1625 West Princeton Street Orlando, Florida and the new Location (Coming January 2014) will be 4105 Seaboard Rd Orlando, Florida. The current location was always easy to spot since there is an old water tower behind it and the front facade is covered with a colorful mural that showcases Florida wildlife.

Summer Rodman is  the president of this family owned business started
started by her grandfather Harry Jacoby back in
1919.  Her grandmother Lorena did collections and worked int he office until
she took over in 1973 after his death. She was a little blond with a
big personality and many of the long time players in the industry still
remember her. Lorena ran this male-dominated business
at a time when a woman had many more challenges than now, and she not
only succeeded but set an example of leadership, dedication and the
pursuit of superior customer satisfaction. Summers mother ran the business for years and still consults. Though the business started small, it is now grosses over 11 million dollars by supplying Central Florida’s hose needs. They also serve national and international orders thanks to the Internet. It was ranked as one of the Top 5 Women owned Businesses in Central Florida by the Orlando Business Journal.

There is a counter at the front entrance of the current location where costumers can sit to wait for their hose order to be filled. Construction workers and do it yourselfers constantly muscled up to the counter. Staff would scour the warehouse which is like the Library of Congress for hoses. Row after row of shelving housed every kind of hose and bracket.

Words As Silent Tattoos

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On December 12, I went to a rehearsal of “The Words We Wear” at the Goldman Theater in the Orlando Shakespeare Center. The theater space was pitch black when I entered. I stood behind the back row waiting for my eyes to adjust. The directors Aradhana Tiwari and Kevin Becker greeted me warmly. The Goldman is a small intimate space so I decided to sit house left near the back.

Actress Mikki Scanlon Kriekard was getting into military fatigues to perform a monologue Aradhana had written. The director asked all the other actors to clear the space. This was the first time Mikki was performing the monologue and the director didn’t want any distractions. I kept sketching and thankfully Mikki and Aradhana didn’t consider me a distraction.

It had been 192 days since the soldier had spoken. She had been stationed in Afghanistan and things had happened over their that would get under anyone’s skin. When she returned, people seemed like a sea of pages walking the streets. She felt she had been stained by silent tattoos. She came close to relating the horrors that she had seen, but she stopped short. Then she met a young girl that could read her like an open book, seeing the scars and invisible tattoos. The girl gave Mikki a slip of paper laced with hope and redemption. The room was silent and full of emotion. I didn’t know why but my face flushed and in the darkness hot tears roll down my cheeks. No one could see. Mikki, as a brave soldier managed to keep her emotions in check but when
she related how thankful she was, her throat constricted and she had to
slow down to keep from crying, for the first time she felt hope.

After the performance, there were notes from the director. I wiped my eyes and kept sketching. I began to wonder why I had been emotionally bowled over by the performance. A friend had a way of reading people and was able to heal others with a touch. She had a deep, heart felt faith. Yet she wasn’t able to heal her own invisible scars left by life.  Her boyfriend, an artist, that she had just broken up with, drove to the Grand Tetons, did a few paintings and then shot himself. I only saw her once after her boyfriends funeral. She asked me to pray for her. I didn’t pray. Several weeks later, she took her own life.  I realized that I hadn’t cried at her funeral or since. What kind of person doesn’t cry at a funeral? Instead of feeling anything, I sketched like a machine. At the time I was annoyed that the focus at the memorial service was on resurrection rather than on the suicide. The word wasn’t uttered once. She wasn’t rising from the grave. Due to red tape her body had yet to be cremated. I hadn’t seen it coming. The one word on my mind remains WHY? How could someone with so much faith take their own life? Did she find the enveloping love of God that she hoped for? I wish I could believe that. Her suicide note absolved everyone from guilt, but guilt remains. I could have been a better friend. This performance finally made all the suppressed emotions bubble up to the surface.  There is so much to live for. The sun burns bright. What choice remains, but to hope?

The second part of the rehearsal involved the whole cast removing white fabric with negative words and then picking up fabrics from the clothes line with positive words. Some actresses removed scarves, shackles, belts and blindfolds. One fiery redhead looked like Jackie Onassis with big sunglasses and the head shawl that she threw away. In one run through, Becky Lane removed her negative garment and when she picked her life affirming clothes line fabric, she smiled and daintily nestled it in her cleavage with a silent film Chaplinesque flair as she walked off stage. I was thankful for the laugh.

“The Words We Wear” will be playing tonight at the Goldman Theatre in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL).

Saturday, December 14th at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM

Sunday, December 15th at 8:00 PM. (The Sunday performance is sold out.)

You can purchase tickets on the EpicVita website.

Weekend Top 6 Picks

Posted on by Thor

Saturday December 14, 2013

7:15am to 9:30pm Reindeer Run. Free to watch. Sea World 7007 Sea Harbor Drive Orlando, FL. 7:15 am 3 Mile Start. 8:45 am Rudolph Run. 9:15 am Rosen Hotels Holiday Costume Contest.

2pm and 8pm Words We Wear. $25 Goldman Theatre in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL).A 60 minute original performance piece that includes dance, acting, and mixed media. There is an ensemble of 20 female performers.

The show is about exchanging negative words for more positive words. EpicVita Also on Sunday December 15th at 8pm.

4pm to 7pm McRae Art Studio Open House. Free. McRae Art Studios 904 Railroad Ave. Suite 200 Winter Park, FL. Take a peek inside the studios and processes of various artists working at Mcrae Art Studios. This is a great opportunity to see works in progress, purchase available works, and learn more about Mcrae’s warehouse space, situated in the heart of Winter Park, FL.

Sunday December 15, 2013

10am to 7pm Grandma Party. Free. Stardust Video & Coffee1842 E. Winter Park Rd. Orlando FL. Arts, crafts and local talent. Grandma Party is you and me and all of us making it happen. http://grandmapartybazaar.tumblr.com/

Noon to 4pm  Locally Grown Words – a Book Fair. East End Market 3201 Corrine Drive Orlando, FL. In January 2014 I will be opening a small, independent bookstore called Bookmark It in the new East End Market, located in Orlando’s popular Audubon Park community. Its primary focus will be two-fold. First to offer books that support the mission of the various other vendors in the market (organic farming, juicing, sustainability, etc..) and the local-focus movement that defines East End. And second (this is the exciting part), to champion the local writing community by offering a wide selection of books by Central Florida authors, develop events that offer opportunities for book launches, readings and workshops, create a “Local Book of the Month” club, and more!

7:30pm to 9:30pm Abdias Ernesto and Family. Free. The Timucua Arts White House 2000 South Summerlin Avenue, Orlando, Fl. An intimate evening of World Folk Music, art and love-filled energy. 7:30pm Kattya Graham. 7:45pm Beth McKee. 8:15pm Abdias Ernesto Garcia and Family. Live Art by Deliz V. Berrios. This show will be recorded and released as a live DVD and CD of our first album as ‘Abdias Ernesto & Family.’ We will have special guest performances by Beth McKee and Kattya Graham plus some brand new music.

Words We Wear

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I bumped into Becky Lane in the Full Sail parking lot and she told me about a show she is working on called Words We Wear. Kevin Barber and Aradhana Tiwari are co-directing and Holly Harris is in charge of choreography. Becky invited me to a rehearsal at Movement Arts Studios.

Words We Wear is a 60 minute original performance piece that includes dance, acting, and mixed media. There is an ensemble of 20 female performers.

The show itself is relatively secular. It is about exchanging negative words for more positive words, but the final call to action is faith based. An organization called Epic Vita contracted Becky and the rest of the creative team and heavily influenced the content of this show. They focus on Christian Women’s Ministry.

At the rehearsal, blue tape marked a grid on the floor. The female cast were walking aggressively as if on the streets of a big city. They wove together in a tight knit pattern. If a performer got in the way then the dancer would stop, turn at a right angle and move in another direction. At one point rows of dancers had to move past one another and the squeeze was so tight they bumped shoulders. A fraction of an inch adjusted the movement and the bumping stopped.

The next sequence rehearsed involved movements related to exercise. They wanted to have a quick beat to the movements and Becky demonstrated an accelerated yoga routine where she did sun salutations and downward facing dog to a quick eight beat. The effect was both funny and awe inspiring. Aradhana chimed in, “These moves will be simplified, you can all thank me later.” Everyone applauded Becky’s performance, thankful they wouldn’t have to repeat it.

As I was finishing my sketch, the women rehearsed a routine involving the drudgery of sorting laundry. The baskets of clothes became part of a delicate angst filled dance. Performers experimented and improvised slowly allowing the routine to find it’s own form. This is what I love about sketching rehearsals, there is an open sense of childlike play that brings a piece to life.

Aradhana explained that the show was built around a quote from Maya Angelou. Aradhana explained that certain events in her own life have made the shows theme particularly relevant at this time in her life. Maya said, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, ““Someday we will be able to measure the power of
words. I think they are things. I think they get on the walls, they get
in your wallpaper, they get in your rugs, in your upholstery, in your
clothes and finally into you.”

The show will be playing at the Goldman Theatre in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL).

Saturday, December 14th at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM

Sunday, December 15th at 8:00 PM.

You can purchase tickets on the EpicVita website.