Art News

Blue Star Museums

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, active-duty military members, National Guard and Reserve soldiers, and their immediate families can enjoy free admission to many museums across the U.S. The military family member will be required to present a valid active-duty photo ID upon arrival.

Area museums include: Florida Holocaust Museum Florida Museum of Photographic Arts John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art MOSI -- Museum of Science and Industry Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg Sarasota Art Museum Tampa Bay History Center Tampa Museum of Art

Charge your car while seeing a show

The Duke Energy Center for

the Arts – Mahaffey Theater

and Duke Energy are celebrating the arts and the installation of five new electric vehicle charging ports at the theater. The charging station, located in the theater’s parking garage, is distinguished by a recently completed original mural painted by the Vitale Brothers, well-known muralists from St. Petersburg.

Painted in shades of blues and greens with splashes of purple and gold, the mural is a nod to St. Petersburg’s location on the Gulf of Mexico. The cool tones of the colorful mural splash across the gray concrete of the parking structure, stretching 20 feet high and 80 feet wide, and surrounding five functional level-2 electric vehicle charging ports.

Bula Barua invites us to enjoy her bold and beautiful artwork, The Dance. In this work, four women dance together in a joyous celebration. This artwork is so vibrant and conveys so much emotion, life, and beauty; it is a statement piece for any living or working space.

The artist also painted and epoxied the frame with iridescent silver and metallics. The pigments in this artwork glow in the dark and dramatically change as the sun sets, creating a different painting by night. Made with blown glass, pigment, acrylic, ink, iridescent glitter, and resin. For more information: 727-900-1063 or bulagallery@gmail.com. The Bula Barua Gallery, 212 2nd St. N, St. Pete

Volunteer for history!

Applications are being accepted for a position on the Pinellas

County Historic Preservation

Board. Responsibilities include recommending the designation of historic districts and landmarks, nominating historic resources for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, reviewing and approving applications for impacts to properties in a historic district or a landmark and landmark site, and producing educational materials, programs and publications. Apply at www.pinellascounty.org/boards by June 11.

Van Gogh with the flow

In conjunction with its current Van Gogh Alive exhibition and back by popular demand, The Dalí invites you to enjoy an evening of musical homage to Van Gogh. The event begins with a playlist of songs inspired by Van Gogh followed by a Zoom chat hosted by curator of education and part-time WMNF DJ, Peter Tush. For this event, you are first encouraged to check out the curated playlist of songs inspired by the art and life of Vincent Van Gogh.

After listening, we invite you to follow up with Peter Tush, who will facilitate a discussion about the music, prompting you to consider Van Gogh’s enduring inspiration for artists everywhere. When: June 17, 6-7pm Cost: Free; registration is required online at www.thedali.org

Tom Segura: I’m Coming Everywhere – World Tour

Actor/comedian/writer Tom Segura, one of the biggest names in the comedy business, is coming to the Straz. Best known for his Netflix specials including 2020’s Ballhog, Segura has been described by Paste Magazine as “... having a natural and capable storytelling ability, one that lifts his narratives out of average anecdote fare and plants them firmly in hilarious ground.” When: Saturday, Oct. 2, at 7pm Where: Morsani Hall at The Straz Cost: $45 to $99. Purchase at www.strazcenter.org, in person at the Straz Center Ticket Sales Office, or by calling 813-229-7827.

Bob Dylan Revisited

This fall a major retrospective of Bob Dylan’s art will make its U.S. debut in Miami. Retrospectrum, as the exhibition is called, is set to open at Florida International

University’s Frost Art

Museum on Nov. 30, just in time for Miami Art Week. A multi-day symposium on Dylan’s cultural legacy will kick off the occasion. Some 120 paintings, drawings, and sculptures from the past six decades of Dylan’s life will make up the Florida exhibition, including never-before-seen works from a new series of paintings titled “American Pastoral.” Dylan’s paintings have graced the cover of several albums, including his Self Portrait (1970) and Planet Waves (1974), as well as The Band’s Music From Big Pink (1968).

And if that’s not enough Dylan for you, the Bob Dylan Center is coming to Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 10, 2022. The museum

will house more than 100,000 photographs, rare recordings, handwritten lyric sheets, letters, and other pieces of ephemera – many of them neverbefore-seen – from the storied, 80-year-old singer-songwriter’s life. This includes the Bob Dylan Archive, a famously mysterious collection of personal objects some believe are a key to unlocking the singer’s oeuvre. The center also promises a curated display of objects from the archive, an immersive film experience, and a recreated studio environment so fans can feel what it was like to be at one of Dylan’s recording sessions. The three-story brick venue will be in the downtown Tulsa arts district, just feet from the Woody Guthrie Center, which is fitting since Guthrie proved to be a major influence on Dylan early on in the latter artist’s career. For more information see www.bobdylancenter.com. A club girl from L.A., awakening from a long sleep to the memories of her past, finally finds release from its curse. And Beauty learns that Beasts can understand more than men. Through a series of nine spaces, audiences will interact with the environments in surprising ways. For more information and tickets see www.freefalltheatre.com. When: June 25 – Aug. 8 Where: freeFall Theatre, 6099 Central Ave., St. Pete Cost: $39

Good news for artists!

Vast Art Magazine is excited to announce the international open call for ISSUE N°03. See your work in print and published alongside new, emerging, and established practices from around the world. Thirty artists will be selected and profiled in a full-color print spread showcasing their work, biography, and artist statement. Featured artists will receive a complimentary print issue along with an online feature and digital download for their archives. Vast Art Magazine is a new international visual art print and online publication featuring artists and photographers from around the world. Learn more and apply here: www.vast.art/pages/submit.

freeFall Theatre returns to its indoor space on June 25 with

Francesca Lia Block’s

The Rose and The Beast, an interactive walk-through experience. The show turns familiar fairy tales inside out. Escaping the poisoned apple, Snow frees herself from possession to find the truth of love in an unexpected place. The Suntan Art Center is open for members! Join your creative friends for an open studio from 1-4pm in the Jones Room. Only $5. It will be a good place to start thinking about the next members’ show, Oct. 1. The theme for the show is MUSIC in honor of the second Saturday of the month being Music Universal Day.

Paintings - Ceramics - Glass - Jewelry - Fiber

[gallery open Sunday-Tuesday 11-4, Thursday-Saturday 11-7]

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By Nanette Wiser

What’s on your summer reading list? Congressman Charlie Crist is reading “A Promised Land” by Barack Obama.

I’m in the middle of Joan Silber’s “Secrets of Happiness” and “Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie” by Lisa Napoli about the NPR female journalists who broke through the broadcasting ceiling, creating opportunities for women reporters.

Also on my nightstand is a provocative book by my Cornell colleague Steve Leveen, owner of www.Levenger.com Tools for Readers, a book publisher and well-known journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.

His new book is a must-read: “American Bilingual Century: How Americans Are Giving The Gift of Bilingualism to Themselves, Their Loved Ones and Their Country.” Leveen chronicles the enlightened new ways of teaching a language and delves into America’s language history. “English is what unites us,” he writes. “Our other languages are what define and strengthen us.”

If you love to travel, you’ve read my former San Diego colleague and famous wanderlust journalist Mark Orwoll’s award-winning travel missives. His new book, “John Wayne Speaks: The Ultimate John Wayne Quote Book,” is filled with more than 1,000 quotes, with footnoted movie references for each quotation, as well as film reviews, production notes, and little-known facts about the iconic American actor, due out Nov. 9 and available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Alsace Walentine, owner of Tombolo Books, is an indie bookstore enthusiast who promotes reading culture, with book clubs and author talks at her downtown St. Pete literary haven. Her favorite genre is literary fiction and The Little Engine That Could is the book that initiated her love affair with reading. Check out their website for her recommended reads and staff picks, including Julia Phillips’ “Disappearing Earth.” On June 28, Sterling Watson will interview Lee Sandifer about his new book “Battle for the Big Top.”

Want a great escapist novel? Beloved novelist and cookbook author Mary Kay Andrews’ newest book, “The Newcomer,” is set on Treasure Island, and even mentions 3 Daughters Brewing. Tombolo hosted her for a live book talk in May.

Book + Bottle’s non-fiction book club meets the last Wednesday of the month and the fiction book club the last Thursday of the month. There’s a champagne tasting June 11 4-8pm; tickets required. I’m signing up for their Readers + Drinkers Club, a wine/ booklover’s dream come true. Each month, as a member of the Readers + Drinkers Club, you will receive a curated book + bottle pairing for only $40/month; you can subscribe for any period of time, three months or more.

By Nanette Wiser

SURFING U.S.A.

Ron Jon Surf Shop, good waves and a Beach Boys playlist are your ticket to ride in Cocoa Beach. Family fun starts on the beach and winds up with a roar at the nearby Sands Space History Center in Cape Canaveral and CB’s Museum of Dinosaurs & Ancient Culture. Cocoa Beach is the East Coast surf capital and pro surfer, and hometown hero Kelly Slater’s statue is at the entrance to downtown. Learn to surf www.SurfGuru.com. Play golf, go ziplining or biking, book a helicopter tour, kayak tour of the Thousand Islands or boat ride (including airboat rides on the St. Johns River).

For nightlife or craft beers, head over to Coconuts On The Beach, Florida Beer Company or BeachFly Brewing Company. Sip and relax at The Skinny Mermaid or BLaCK Coffee and Donuts. Book a stay at Best Western Ocean Beach Hotel & Suites, and after poolside drinks and Atlantic Ocean bodysurfing, chow down at 4th Street Fillin Station, The Fat Snook, Cocoa Beach Squid Lips, Florida’s Fresh Grill, Pizzavola or Gregory’s Steak & Seafood Grille and Comedy Club. Shop historic downtown Cocoa Beach and check Facebook for events.

WILD KINGDOM

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is an ecotourism paradise and a must-see when in the Cocoa Beach area. Home to seven habitats, 330 bird species, 31 mammal species, 68 amphibian/reptile critters and 1,000 plant types, the refuge supports 16 wildlife species endangered or threatened such as gopher tortoises, wood stork and Florida scrub jay. It’s one of the most important sea turtle nesting sites in the U.S. with 1,300 loggerhead nests annually. You can hike, boat, take a wildlife drive, fish, boat and paddle, even see manatees from the observation deck. The island is open from sunrise to sunset.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 as an overlay of NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center for the protection of migratory birds and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and visitor complex are on the island. Black Point Wildlife Drive, a 7-mile auto tour, is our most popular wildlife viewing area. Many refuge dike roads also offer excellent wildlife observation and photography opportunities. Hikers will love the hammock refuge and beginners can trek the ¼ mile loop on a wheelchair accessible boardwalk, with two freshwater ponds, a native butterfly garden, hammock, a wetland prairie and associated wildlife.

CULTURE & COCKTAILS

The Shelborne South Beach has partnered with Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and Verde for the ultimate getaway package. You’ll get two complimentary museum passes to tour the outdoor sculpture garden and exhibits, brunch on Biscayne Bay at Verde ($125 gift card) and enjoy the iconic art deco pool at this glamorous hotel, originally built in 1940 and designed by famed Art Deco architects Igor Polevitzky and Thomas Triplett Russell. It was embellished in the 1950s by Neo-baroque design master Morris Lapidus. The Shelborne was the epitome of classic South Beach glamour and opulence throughout the 1960s.

World-famous for spirited pool parties, celebrity guests and vibrant nightlife, the Shelborne was always an iconic Miami experience. The property is known for its iconic Art Deco pool deck and recent launch of Sweet Beach by Sweet Liberty Drinks & Supply Co. and the David’s Cafe, cafecito popup, plus Drawing Room, its signature restaurant. In addition to the Miami Perez Art Museum package, you can book thru July 1 for travel through Sept. 30, 2021 another package featuring 50% off best rates and $50 towards food/beverage or valet parking if you book two or more nights during the weekday.