Cultural Corner
It’s Peak Season!
By Lori Baumel
It is PEAK season and difficult to comprehend how many events there are to see this month. If you are an NBA sports and cultural arts fan then you best get out your calendar and try to squeeze in as much as you can. The weather has been perfect. We are the envy of all our friends up north experiencing frigid temperatures. Get up and out. Perhaps I’ll run into you at Art after Dark, Open Mic Night, Festival of the Arts or BODYVOX at the Duncan. There is no time to waste, so I’ll offer more than a “TOP FIVE” this month. Set your DVR for the game and…
Live… Go… Do!
1) Let us begin with the Norton Museum of Art…
Back in February, I was very fortunate to meet Beth Rudin DeWoody, one of the world’s foremost art and photography collectors. What an intriguing woman! Not only does she have a vast collection of over 10,000 pieces and 1500 photographs, Ms. DeWoody is a curator and cultivator of new artists. A part-time resident of West Palm Beach, her influence is felt throughout the art world. Currently on exhibit is a small, but exquisite, portion of her collection – not to be missed! See:
The Triumph of Love: Beth Rudin DeWoody Collects
Now through Sunday, May 3, 2015
Also on exhibit:
High Tea: Glorious Manifestations East and West is the first to examine this influence globally, focusing on eight key cultures – China, Korea, Japan, England, Germany, France, Russia, and America. The exhibition, organized by Laurie Barnes, Elizabeth B. McGraw Curator of Chinese Art, is on view at the Norton Museum of Art through Sunday, May 24, 2015.
Be sure to attend their March 2015 High Tea lecture:
One for the Pot: Silver Tea Wares in Colonial and Federal America
March 8, 2015 at 3 p.m.
Beth Carver Wees, Curator of American Decorative Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, examines the range of silver tea vessels used by early Americans, infusing her talk with literary references and anecdotes associated with tea-drinking etiquette.
In addition, the Norton Museum of Art is proud to be the first venue in the United States to show the special exhibition:
Pastures Green: The British Passion for Landscape.
Drawn from the remarkable collections of the Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, the exhibition includes more than 60 works by pre-eminent artists such as Thomas Gainsborough, J.M.W. Turner, John Constable, Claude Monet, Alfred Sisley, Richard Long, and many others spanning five centuries from the 1660s to the early 2000s. Pastures Green offers new insights into the importance and role of landscape painting during this time of rapid change, both in Wales and throughout Great Britain, and is on view through April 5, 2015. This exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and Amgueddfa Cymru–National Museum Wales.
Finally, don’t forget about the Norton’s most popular weekly program:
Art After Dark - Where Culture and Entertainment Meet
Thursdays from 5 – 9 P.M.
Art After Dark offers eclectic programming, including exceptional music of all genres, captivating conversations with curators, docent-led tours, art activities, film, dance, wine tastings, chef demos, and more. All activities and performances are included with admission (Sponsored by the Addison Hines Charity Trust)
The Norton Museum of Art is a major cultural attraction in Florida, and internationally known for its distinguished Permanent Collection featuring American Art, Chinese Art, Contemporary Art, European Art and Photography. The Norton is located at 1451 S. Olive Ave. in West Palm Beach, FL., and is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed on Mondays and major Holidays). General admission is $12 for adults, $5 for students with a valid ID, and free for Members and children ages 12 and under. West Palm Beach residents receive free admission every Saturday with proof of residency. Palm BeachCounty residents receive free admission the first Saturday of each month with proof of residency. For additional information, please call (561) 832-5196, or visit www.norton.org.
2) Ten amazing days…
Stars of International Ballet
Sunday, March 8th – 7:00 PM, Amphitheater
A unique star-studded evening featuring some of the biggest names in ballet with dancers from The Royal Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Washington Ballet, American Ballet Theater and more.
Young People’s Chorus of New York City and
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
Saturday, March 14th – 7:30PM, Amphitheater
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City is one of the finest youth choirs I have ever seen. If you enjoy young voices, choral choreography and outstanding repertoire you are sure to enjoy this performance with the Master Chorale of South Florida, Festival Orchestra BOCA and Soloists. Constantine Kitsopoulos conducts.
Here is a video preview:
Young People’s Chorus at the White House
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-DvCUl6DCg
As you can see, there are a plethora of performances!
For more information see: www.festivaloftheartsboca.org
3) One of my Favorite Plays:
4) Contemporary Dance unlike anything you’ve seen before…
BODYTRAFFIC
DuncanTheater
March 27 – 28, 2015 at 8 PM
For More information see: www.palmbeachstate.edu/theatre/duncan-theatre/
5) Back By Popular Demand:
Capitol Steps: How To Succeed in Congress without Really Lying
The Capitol Steps are my favorite comedy ensemble. I have most of their CD’s and have seen them more times than I can remember. If you enjoy political satire, talented vocalists and pure comedy then hop down to the KravisCenter’s Rinker Theater and choose from a variety of performance dates and times from March 1 – 7, 2015
For more information go to: Kravis.org
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Lori Hope Baumel and her husband Eric live in Wellington and have three children.
Their eldest, Sam, 27, is a media producer and conceptual artist who currently resides in (extremely hipster) Brooklyn, NY. Her younger children, Evan and Rachel, wrote the Around Wellington “Teen Talk” column in previous years. Rachel, 24, lives and works in Boston, MA and Evan, 21, is a senior at American University in Washington DC. Eric has practiced radiology in Wellington since 1991. His many talents include artist, cook, photographer and, recently, medical app developer. You can learn more about Lori at www.loribaumel.com or read her blog:www.grownupcamp.tumblr.com