Merchants of Downtown Lake Worth
The MOD Squad Presents
May in Downtown Lake Worth
Take a Springtime Ramble Through This Little Village by the Sea
May Flowers bring color and life to LakeWorth, Florida’s OldCity, filled with character and characters. LakeWorth has long resisted the mushrooming growth or surrounding communities that stamp out nature and old fashioned neighborhood Main Streets. LakeWorth is the Norman Rockwell hometown of South Florida that we all yearn for.
With your help, LakeWorth is rapidly becoming the epicenter of South Florida’s Great Arts Renaissance. This month, you are invited to directly contribute to this. On May 6, The Community Foundation and United Way are hosting the Great Give. This is one day of giving, on line, to hundreds of non-profits throughout Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Lake Worth, Flamingo Clay Studio, Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery is participating in the Great Give. On May 6th, enter www.greatgivepbc.org/#npo/flamingo-clay-studio and contribute $10-$10,000. Every donation FCS receives will be multiplied with bonus dollars from the Community Foundation and a National Pool. The funds raised by Flamingo Clay Studio will be used to train students from Lake Worth High School’s Arts Department in the buiding and installation of ceramic, mosaic walls in Lake Worth’s most blighted neighborhoods. The funds will also be used for scholarships for economically challenged senior citizen artists, to build a huge, community accessible kiln complex and to continue construction on the regions largest 3-D artists studios for glass blowing, large metals foundry, clay, ceramic, fused glass and small metals studios. This project, once fully funded and complete, is expected to become an international arts destination. If you miss the May 6th Great Give, you can still contribute to this non-profit artists’ project. On website CGMS.FlamingoClayStudio.org, you may make a tax-deductible contribution through PayPal.
ModSquad (The Merchants of Downtown Lake Worth) have many fine art gallery members for you to visit during the month of May. All exhibits are constantly changing. Make the month of May your Art Tour Month through the HistoricVillage of Lake Worth.
Start your tour on the 600 block of Lucerne and visit the Lake Worth Arts League, South Florida’s oldest arts association. Their beautiful gallery is filled with paintings and photography. Head west to the MaryAnne and Bruce Webber Galleries, located on the 700 block of Lucerne the longest established galleries and framing establishments in Lake Worth. Make a left hand turn on J street and walk two blocks to 15 South J Street, The Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery, Palm Beach County’s first non-profit 3-D artist cooperative. Head back to the 800 block of Lake Avenue for the Robert Pardo (Artefacts) Gallery featureing the works of Laura Anne Jacobs. Travel east to ShoeStrings Gallery located in Palm Beach Interiors. There are many other little galleries located in the nooks and crannies of the town. Take a day to explore and delight in the art that fills this town.
Fine Art and fine craftsmanship are found in many shops throughout the town. At Lake Worth Jewelers, 615 LakeAvenue, master designer and jeweler, Richard Fahnoe, has begun to create one of a kind jewelry studded with gold and diamonds. He is also in charge of repairs. His figurative miniature work is flawless. After one piece is cast, the mold is destroyed. LakeWorth Jewelers has been in downtown LakeWorth for thirty-two years. Their hours are 9-5, Monday-Saturday.
Brogue’s Down Under, 621 Lake Avenue, has learned the formula for packing in crowds for dinner and a show. With their elegant and newly windowed back restaurant, diners can come in for a fine meal and to enjoy their Thursday evening (5-8PM) Rod Stewart Tribute Band. Watch for additional evenings with addition tribute groups to spring up on a regular basis.
Lake Worth now welcomes exciting new Street Performers to town beginning in May. FlowSource has found a new home in Lake Worth. Every First and Third Friday in May for Lake Worth’s Evenings on the Avenues, FlowSource will be presenting a flowing team of powerful, creative, and joyful individuals dedicating their lives to what they love to do best. These artists are excited to share many forms of performance arts. They will mesmerize, captivate, and amaze you. You will laugh and join in the fun. Come see: Live painting and portraits by Zipporah SkyWalker, Spoken Word/Poetry acapella and musical accompaniment by Casandra Tenenbaum, Brian Ritter, and Emily Andari. Poi, Staff, and Hula Hoop performances by Patrick Kiebzak, Jeremiah Collins, Blair Welcome, and Cassandra Tenenbaum. Watch as these performers, especially as they use LED and fire props! They inspire community connection through playful interactions and create a showcase spectacle in Downtown Lake Worth that links the community with performers, artists, and merchants.
The Lake Worth Playhouse and the Stonzek Movie Theater are the finest antiques Lake Worth has to offer. The buildings are architectural gems, well worth the visit. Sitting inside the theater brings you back 100 years. Within the beautiful surroundings of this glorious theater, you can experience wonderful and affordable productions. The Stonzek Movie Theater shows independent and rare films seen nowhere else in the county.
The alliterive Second Saturday Sidewalk Sale (May 10th) in Lake Worth is always filled with Big Bargains and a ThirdEye Adventure. The Second Saturday Sidewalk sales fill the downtown streets with treasures. Long cherished, Bees Knees, has lost its lease in Lake Worth and is looking for a new site. You Bees Knees addicts can find their extrodinary and affordable treasures every Second Saturday on the parking lot of CGMS Gallery, 15 South J Street. This is Lake Worth’s example of neighbor helping neighbor. The best way to get the Bees Knees up an running again is to come downtown and make sure you buy out their parking lot sale. GotThirdEyeAdventures.com raises money for local charities. This month’s adventure is “Back to Boston,” a bar crawl and tap takeover. This adventure will feature an 80’s Costume Contest with food, fun, music & prizes.
Friday, May 16, Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery (15 South J Street) celebrates its 5th Anniversary in downtown LakeWorth. The party starts at 6PM. Some of Palm Beach’s best performers come out to celebrate this anniversary. In keeping with Gallery Anniversary Tradition, Butterflies will be handed out to the first 100 visitors. Champaingn and cake will be served.
Metal Clay Classes for Charity: Ruth Ekiert of Trinkets and Treasures teaches regular classes in metal clay and resins to raise funds for a local non-profit. Metal Clays can be worked with to make jewelry and art objects. Once fired in a kiln, the clay burns out and you are left with silver, copper or brass. Most classes cost $140 plus materials for a four hour class. Ruth charges $75 including materials. Groups are welcome. Classes are set up at your convenience. Six person minimum.
The Merchants of Downtown is a group that meets weekly to make DowntownLakeWorth a welcoming destination for neighbors and visitors alike. The MOD Squad, as they fondly refer to themselves, organizes block by block bringing activity, unity and camaraderie to the Downtown corridor. For additional information contact JClay6@aol.com .