Summer SOULstice celebration kicks off summertime, and opens Clubs, Joints, and Honky-Tonks, a pulsating photo exhibition that captures the music scene

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (May 23, 2012) — In the summertime when the weather is fine, a little rock ‘n’ roll – or blues, or country, for that matter, can be good for the soul. And the Norton is providing plenty of each—and then some, at Summer SOULstice, a joyous, music-jammed, activity-laden, food-filled, photo-packed party. This coolest of events—an extended Art After Dark— is set for 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday, June 21—the first day of summer. (Museum galleries will close at the standard time of 9 p.m.) 

Summer SOULstice! celebrates the advent of summer, and the opening of the photography exhibition, Clubs, Joints, and Honky-Tonks: Photographers Experience the Music Scene, which runs through Sept. 30, 2012. Many of South Florida’s most talented and popular music acts, including The Spam Allstars, Suenalo,  The People Upstairs, Hot Java Band, Max Dubose, Damon Fowler, Melissa “Moonchild” Stokes, among others. The summertime fun also includes a drum circle with tribal dancing; an acoustic campfire with open mic hosted by Ric Pattison; a children’s stage, featuring music and entertainment for kids and by kids; face painting, DIY art activities, steel drum lessons, and more!

Clubs, Joints, and Honky-Tonks,  curated by Tim B. Wride, the Norton’s William and Sarah Ross Soter Curator of Photography, features work by photographers who have immersed themselves in the places, spaces, and energy of concerts, shows, and spontaneous live performances. More than 75 images provide a long-overdue insight into the waves of performance, participation, adulation, and energy that migrate toward the stage from audiences and, indeed, from the venues themselves. Images and essays from photographers Jeff Dunas, Lynn Goldsmith, Henry Horenstein, Elliott Landy, Moby (who as a performer had a unique perspective from center stage), David Scheinbaum, and the 1986 video documentary about Judas Priest fans, Heavy Metal Parking Lot, by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn illuminate the worlds of rock ‘n’ roll, country music, hip-hop, and the blues.

“All too often in most music imagery, the overriding visual emphasis is placed upon the notoriety of the performer rather than the performance and energy of the music,” says curator Wride. “The photographs that dominate Clubs, Joints, and Honky-Tonks, shift the focus of the experience away from the dominating celebrity and personalities of the performers toward the often overlooked participation of the listeners who give the music meaning—and the not-so-passive spaces and places in which performances take place.”

Performance and activities schedule:

East Maze Garden Stage

5 – 6 p.m.  Drum Circle  w/t Tribal Belly Dance

6 p.m.  Performance by Ladies & Gentlemen

7:30 p.m. Fire Dance performance

8 p.m.  Performance by The People Upstairs

9:30 p.m.  Performance by Suenalo 

Food: Latin funk fusion grilling station until 11p.m.

Central Garden

5 p.m. Acoustic Campfire with Open Mic hosted by Ric Pattison

8 p.m.  Performance by Hot Java Band

Food: Southern barbecue station until 10 p.m., serving beef brisket sliders and pork ribs with a southern bourbon glaze.

Theater

6:30 p.m. Performance by Melissa “Moonchild” Stokes

8 p.m. Performance by Damon Fowler 

10 p.m. Performance by Spam Allstars

Food: Café 1451 will be open until midnight offering prix-fixe dinner and a happy-hour style menu.

Atrium

5 p.m. Stars of the Future children’s performances 

8 p.m. Silent Disco

Food: The Café will be open until midnight offering prix-fixe dinner and a happy-hour style menu. There will be a cash bar in all areas.

Face painting, DIY art activities, and steel drum lessons for kids are also being planned.

For details and updates, visit

About the Norton Museum

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.  Special group rates are available. West Palm Beach residents receive free admission every Saturday with proof of residency. Palm Beach County residents receive free admission the first Saturday of each month with proof of residency. For additional information, please call (561) 832-5196, or visit .