Category: Art

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Festival features Florida’s funky art and culture

Floridiana – A term referring to artifacts relating to Florida history, geography, folklore, and cultural heritage.

Florida is a curious state. To outsiders, it may seem kitschy, exotic and just plain weird. To some of us residents, it’s an odd cultural and artistic melting pot that way too often is bulldozed for the sake of progress.

Floridiana Festival & Highwaymen Artist Show

But many natives and longtime Floridians appreciate our quirky history and think it’s something worth preserving. From time to time, shows and exhibits pop up that deserve attention and attendance. Once such event honoring vintage Floridiana, including the legendary Florida Highwaymen artists, will be held Sunday, Jan. 29, in downtown St. Petersburg.

The Floridiana Festival & Highwaymen Artist Show is held at least once a year in the Tampa Bay area, organized by the fine folks from Hula Hula Productions. Billed as the Sunshine State’s longest-running show and sale of vintage Floridiana, the event also gives attendees the unique opportunity to meet and mingle with many of the original Florida Highwaymen artists.

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The highball goes highbrow at Norton Museum exhibit

It’s a good sign that the blossoming interest in mixology and cocktail culture is reaching mass appeal when exhibits pop up at acclaimed art galleries. One such gallery, the Norton Museum in West Palm Beach, is taking a highbrow approach to an intoxicating topic with a fine art exhibit that premieres tomorrow (Dec. 15) and runs through March 11.

Summer Cocktail Party with English Butler, 1961. Watercolor, gouache, ink on paper by Larry Salk.
Summer Cocktail Party with English Butler, 1961. Watercolor, gouache, ink on paper by Larry Salk.

Titled simply Cocktail Culture, it’s one of the first multi-disciplinary exhibitions to explore the social rituals of the cocktail hour through the lens of fashion and design. It features more than 150 objects, including attire, accessories, ads, decorative arts, illustrations, photography and more from the 1920s to the present.

The show is like a travelogue through decades of cocktail history, from the 1920s jazz age to today. Each decade features a different cocktail (the Flapper, the Prohibition, etc.), plus period clothing, objects and accessories. Also included are advertising illustrations and movie clips.

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Art Basel bring explosion of art and events to Miami

Art Basel official site | Facebook page | Twitter | Design Miami

For art fans, the annual Art Basel Miami Beach can be ridiculously overwhelming. Running from Thursday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Dec. 4, the 10th edition of the “most prestigious art show in the Americas” features more than 260 leading galleries from North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa showcasing works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Art Basel Miami Beach is a sister event to Art Basel in Switzerland, founded in 1970 and called “the Olympics of the art world.” Miami Beach organizers have boasted that their event has eclipsed the original Art Basel in size and popularity, attracting more than 40,000 attendees a year.

Running concurrently with Art Basel is Design Miami, an international design show that also has a sister event in Switzerland. It’s a marketplace for collectible design, where the world’s top galleries gather to present museum-quality exhibitions of 20th and 21st century furniture, lighting and art. It attracts some of the top figures from the worlds of design, architecture, art and fashion.

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Kevin Kidney named art director of new Tiki documentary filmed at The Hukilau

Related posts: 2012 Hukilau tickets on sale | Full Hukilau coverage
Artists shine at Walt Disney World’s 40th birthday party | More on Kevin Kidney

The creators of a new documentary on the rise, fall and resurgence of Tiki culture have announced that artist Kevin Kidney has been hired as art director.

Tiki enthusiasts from around the world gathered at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale during The Hukilau in June 2011. (Photo by Go11Media.com)
Tiki enthusiasts from around the world gathered at The Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale during The Hukilau in June 2011. (Photo by Go11Media.com)

Much of Plastic Paradise was filmed last June at The Hukilau and the historic Mai-Kai restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, and there are plans to show a sneak preview during next year’s Polynesian Pop extravaganza, scheduled for April 19-22. Plastic Paradise is then slated to hit the festival circuit, followed by airings nationwide on PBS affiliates.

The documentary, an hour-long chronicle of Tiki culture, was commissioned by PBS. The filmmakers, known as Common Machine, had previously provided PBS with an award-winning film about Cuban artists living in Miami, Hecho a Mano: Creativity in Exile.
* Click here to see a preview of Plastic Paradise

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When rum-runners ruled South Florida

Official WLRN program site | PBS special series

There’s a fascinating new documentary airing this month on WLRN, the local PBS television station: Prohibition and the South Florida Connection. This one-hour film by award-winning journalist Steve Waxman chronicles a colorful and chaotic period of U.S. history with a special focus on South Florida’s role.

Through interviews, archival photos and video, the program takes an in-depth look at the region’s relationship with rum importers from the Bahamas, along with the culture of profits and crime that defined this infamous era. From Al Capone to local speakeasies to the corrupt police, it reveals a wanton yet endearing chapter of South Florida history.

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Kapow! in Boca cooks up noodles, cocktails, edgy artwork

Review: Kapow! explodes onto South Florida dining and cocktail scene
Related: Take 5: Artist Mike “Pooch” Pucciarelli

Boca Raton’s trendy Mizner Park may never be the same. Restaurant/nightclub impresarios Rodney Mayo and Scott Frielich have joined forces with Pizza Fusion founder Vaughan Lazar for a fresh concept that combines tasty Asian street food with hand-crafted drinks and a social conscience.

Mayo and Frielich are known for such cutting-edge eateries as Dada, Tryst, The Dubliner, Howley’s, and Longboards. Lazar pioneered the concept of organic and eco-conscious pizza with Pizza Fusion.

Kapow! is inspired by New York City noodle bars featuring communal Asian comfort food with a gastro-style influence.
The menu will feature “fresh and sustainable” pan-Asian noodles and dim sum items plus craft cocktails in a edgy atmosphere. Much of that edge has been provided by South Florida artist Mike “Pooch” Pucciarelli, who painted an incredible mural that spans one entire wall.

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Artists shine amid copious crowds at Walt Disney World’s 40th birthday party

Photos: Jump to the gallery
Previous coverage: Disney World celebrates 40 years of mid-century magic
Related: Cocktails come of age at Epcot Food and Wine Festival | More on Disney World

Masses of mouse-minded fans flocked to the Magic Kingdom on Saturday, Oct. 1, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World. And while initial crowd forecasts were low, interest in the birthday bash quickly grew among the Disney faithful and resulted in a sometimes overwhelming throng even though actual celebratory festivities were modest.

The Magic Kingdom entrance and train station, as seen in December 1972 and Oct. 1, 2011. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward)
The Magic Kingdom entrance and train station, as seen in December 1972 and Oct. 1, 2011. (Photos by Hurricane Hayward)

The Oct. 1 opening date was selected in 1971 because it was considered the slow season, and it typically remains so today. But Disneyphiles came out of the woodwork for the anniversary party last week and took advantage of the late park hours at the Magic Kingdom (it was open from 9 a.m. until midnight).

My wife and I combined this event with a visit to the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival on Sunday, and it’s a good thing we did. The overflowing crowd on Saturday made for a hectic day and not much time to relax and enjoy the Disney experience. That’s not to say it wasn’t memorable. Here are the highlights (and some lowlights):

We stayed at the Caribbean Beach, one of Disney’s moderate resort hotels, and were pleasantly surprised. We had previously enjoyed Port Orleans Riverside, and this was on par with that experience.

The rooms were spacious and clean (with the great details that Disney is known for), the grounds (200 acres, including the 45-acre Barefoot Bay) were huge and full of amenities (be sure to take a walk around the lake) and the theming was spot-on. It was closed when we wandered by early Sunday, but I’ve heard the pool bar makes a great Piña Colada.

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Disney World celebrates 40 years of mid-century magic

Update/review: Artists shine amid copious crowds at Disney World’s 40th
Related: Disney World’s updated Enchanted Tiki Room has retro feel
Disney World is still cool at 40 thanks to retro artists Shag, Kevin & Jody

Walt Disney World has come a long way since Oct. 1, 1971. The resort celebrates its 40th anniversary Saturday with a 15-hour celebration at the iconic Magic Kingdom park, where it all started.

December 1972: The author in his pre-hurricane days (Tropical Storm Hayward?) is nearly lost in the crowd at the Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella Castle.
December 1972: The author in his pre-hurricane days (Tropical Storm Hayward?) is nearly lost in the crowd at the Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella Castle.

In 1971, there was just the Magic Kingdom, Fort Wilderness campground and two hotels (the Contemporary and Polynesian) connected by the Monorail. Now, there are four theme parks, two water parks, 30 themed resort hotels and much more. Whether or not the sprawling, 30,000-acre complex southwest of Orlando is the true realization of Walt Disney’s vision (see video below) is debatable, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

My first visit was in late 1972, and I still remember the joy and wonder of that day. I’m looking forward to the surprises Disney says are in store for guests on its birthday, although I’ve grown to appreciate Disney World for many different reasons.

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Take 5: Artist Mike “Pooch” Pucciarelli

Related: Pooch brings his surreal world to Howley’s with solo art show

Hurricane Hayward interviews Pooch at The Mai-Kai, July 2011. (Photo by Susan Hayward)
Hurricane Hayward interviews Pooch at The Mai-Kai, July 2011. (Photo by Susan Hayward)

Welcome to the first in a series of short interviews with noted personalities involved in events, music, art, cocktails and Tiki/retro culture. These aren’t intended to be all-encompassing, life-history-spanning interrogations. Rather, we’re aiming for a fun, quick take on the typical interview. Just five questions in roughly 5 minutes, hence the name Take 5.

Our first subject is a longtime friend and associate. He’s truly a renaissance man in the world of lowbrow culture. Just don’t try to pigeonhole him. He’s a fine artist, but he’s also a tattoo artist. He’s intelligent and soft spoken, but he’s also the quintessential heavy metal guitarist. His creativity seemingly has no limits. If you’re not familiar with Pooch’s work, we’ll let his official bio explain it best:

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Disney World is still cool at 40 thanks to retro artists Shag, Kevin & Jody

Update/review: Artists shine amid copious crowds at Disney World’s 40th
Related: Disney World celebrates 40 years of mid-century magic
Disney World’s updated Enchanted Tiki Room has retro feel
See below: Shag’s Disney World 40th anniversary collection | Video
Kevin Kidney & Jody Daily’s Disney World 40th anniversary collection

The author with a friend at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, December 1972.
The author with a friend at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, December 1972.

It’s late 1972. I’m visiting my grandparents in South Florida but I’m more excited about our day trip to the East Coast’s answer to Disneyland: Walt Disney World. The park had opened just a year earlier and promised to be – in the eyes of an 11-year-old in the early ’70s – the coolest place on Earth.

I’ll never forget my first ride on the futuristic Monorail, the spooky and fun Haunted Mansion, the cartoonish architecture of Tomorrowland, plus the iconic castle and all the classic characters. The day flew by too fast but I cherished my souvenirs, including a Haunted Mansion record that I played to death over the years.

Fast-forward some 30 years and I’m a childless grown-up in South Florida. I’ve made the rounds of most of the state’s attractions as a teenager and young adult but never made it back to the Magic Kingdom. My only Disney World experiences were a day at Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) and a trip to Downtown Disney for a concert at the House of Blues. Like many others, I thought I was too cool for Disney World.

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