Artsfest 2011 announced

Keep your schedules open for ArtsFest 2011, February 4-13, 2011. The 9th annual ArtsFest will take over Central Florida with more FREE arts and cultural events and locations for you to experience. Registration for organizations will open this summer, so stay tuned to ArtsFestFL.com for all the updates.

ArtsFest achieves 43,500!

From February 5-14, 2010, over 43,500 free cultural experiences were offerred through ArtsFest! This number is gathered from information on attendance received from the participating arts organizations. Thank you to everyone who participated in ArtsFest and save the date for ArtsFest 2011, February 4-13, 2011.

The ArtsFest Finale

It was the last day of ArtsFest, and I couldn’t think of a better way to bring these ten days to a close than to watch one of the most beloved plays of all time: The Kind and I.

The King and I, a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, is a tale about an English school teacher named Anna Leonowens as she travels with her young son to Siam to tutor the many wives and children of King Mongkut. I’d heard nothing but good things about the musical, so when finally presented with the opportunity to see it, I knew I couldn’t pass it up!

So off I went to the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in Sanford. I was excited, I was anxious and I was ready to be dazzled!

I entered the building and took my seat, but as I was waiting I came to be a little bit confused. There was music playing, but the curtain was down. And it stayed down. For a while.

I was beginning to question whether this was a play at all or just a musical performance when finally the music came to an end, and applause erupted. A moment later, the curtain was drawn and the show began.

The first scene was lovely enough; as Anna and her son sailed to Siam, she broke out into the first song in her beautiful voice and I was immediately drawn into the story. But the part that truly amazed me was what came next.

The first second curtain was drawn and the stage was illuminated to reveal what easily rivaled the beauty of any set I had ever seen. The King of Siam’s palace was filled with rich reds and golds and purples and blues, and large curtains draped to the floor behind golden screens. In the middle of the stage stood a tall throne of gold, and on it sat the King himself, dressed in blood red robes trimmed in gold..

The glory of the set was absolutely astonishing. I have never seen anything like it, and I was unable to tear my gaze away for even a second. The live orchestra in front of the stage only added to the richness of the performance. Between the witty, humorous and genuine dialogue between the characters, the beautiful music and the breathtaking set, this was easily the best play I have seen in a long time.

The last event on my to-do list was the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in Avalon Park. Now, when the location in my ArtsFest pamphlet said “Avalon Park”, I was expecting to arrive in an actual park. Apparently I assumed incorrectly.

I turned into the entrance of Avalon Park and found myself driving not through a wooded glen or clearing or anything quite so quaint, but instead an actual neighborhood. There were apartments and flats on one side, houses on the other and all sorts of little shops in between.

I parked on the lawn next to a long line of other vehicles and was greeted by a group of kids that ran past with squirt guns. This was my first indicator of what was to come...great fun.

I meandered on over to a small amphitheater in front of which countless families sat in lawn chairs, on top of towels and sprawled out across the soft grass. The lazy Sunday afternoon sunlight was filtering down warmly on the audience as children laughed and screamed and soft tunes from string voices filled the air.

All around the edges of the lawn was a sidewalk down which people were walking their dogs and chatting softly. There were booths set up as well, some that served coffee and hot cocoa and others that sold tropical smoothies, knitted hats and everything in between.

When I finally found a seat on the lawn amidst the other concert-goers, I was pleasantly surprised at how soft the grass was. It wasn’t like the stereotypical Florida grass that poked my feet and was filled with fire ants; it was soft and green and cool from the breeze. It was REAL grass!

Things only got better from there as the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra selected the song Green Sleeves as their next number. And as I sat on the cool lawn with the sunlight warming my back, I took the chance to reflect on the last nine days I’d experienced.

I’d had a little taste of everything on my plate, from sculpture to improvised comedy, to symphonies and plays and dance and African folklore and pottery, and if there’s one thing that I can take away from all of it, it’s this:

No one should be intimidated to pursue art in any avenue. There are so many different mediums to try, and there are so many chances every day to create something beautiful. And that’s what is important to remember; it doesn’t matter what you do or how you do it, but it’s crucial that you simply DO. In context of the universe, our time here on Earth is fleeting, and the most significant thing we can do as human beings is to leave behind a beautiful mark upon the world, and the way we do this is simple:

We create Art.

These ten days have been absolutely magnificent, and I’ll be biding my time waiting for next year’s ArtsFest to come rolling around again.

Until then, I hope that everyone has had a happy ArtsFest 2010, because without a doubt, I know I did!

ArtsFest Day 9: Orisirisi and Out of This World Costumes

From the moment I met Tutu at the kickoff of ArtsFest at the Enzian Theatre, I knew I had to attend her event.

Tutu and her husband, Don, were in charge of Orisirisi African Folklore: Drum Sermons, Folktales, Legends and Myths from the Far Corners of Africa. When she introduced herself to me for the first time, she was dressed in traditional African attire. She was happy to tell me a little bit about her event, then she motioned between her husband Don and herself.

“I am African, and he is American; therefore, we are African American,” she explained with a huge grin on her face. “We’re the real deal.”

The atmosphere in the Orlando Public Library, where Tutu and her husband were set to perform on Saturday the 13th, was just as playful and lighthearted as the drummers themselves. Children were laughing, parents were chattering and everyone seated in the audience seemed to be smiling.

The stage was filled will all sorts of traditional African drums. In fact, they covered so much of the stage that there was hardly enough room for Tutu and her husband to make their entrance. Somehow they found a way, and the couple, along with a guest drummer from Nigeria, started off the event with a traditional African song.

After that, Don shared the African folktale about how music first came to be. That story preceded many more like it, all of which were more fun and interesting than the last.

African stories are different than the Anglo-Saxon tales more of us are accustomed to for one key reason; they require listener participation. If you were intending to slump down in a chair and be lulled to sleep by a storyteller, you‘ve come to the wrong place!

Each story has its own individual song that is broken up into two parts. The first part is sung by the storyteller, and the second is the designated audience response. The way it works is that the storyteller will go through the story up until the point where the song fits in. Beforehand he’ll teach the audience the appropriate response, so when he sings the verse of the song, with a little prompting the audience will sing the next verse, and then it’s a trade-off between singers.

Other than that, African sermons are similar to fairytales in other cultures; they’re filled with magic, humor, and, of course, plenty of talking animals.

Don, whose narration of the African folklore was the equivalent of James Earl Jones', playfully embodied all of the colorful characters in his stories, from the bald, troublesome turtle to the loud elephant, making the children in the crowd squeal with laughter and the adults chuckle, too.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. Tutu invited everyone to grab a drum and beat to their hearts’ content, and the kids didn’t hesitate to rush the stage and claim their instruments. The adults hung back, content with relaxing and watching their children enjoy themselves. But Miss Tutu wasn’t having any of that.

“If you’re not a drummer, that makes you a dancer,” she announced, which sent a good-natured groan echoing through the crowd.

As Don taught the children the beat of the song, Tutu and some African-costumed helpers in the front row taught the audience to dance.

“Always dance as if no one is looking!” Tutu cheered encouragingly.

Far too soon, the event was ending and the audience dissipating. But the Orisirisi Drummers’ good humor and vivacity had been positively contagious, and everyone left the event with a smile on their face.


I spent the remainder of the day in downtown Orlando at the Orange County Regional History Center for Film and Television. I’d heard through the grapevine that the new exhibit there was pretty cool, so I thought I’d go take a look.

From the outside, the building appeared normal enough. It was concrete and conservative like the buildings around it; nothing out of the ordinary.

Therefore I was sharply taken aback when I entered the museum and there were manatees hanging from the ceiling and what appeared to be a red Ferris Wheel peeking out from one of the upper levels. This, I thought, must be what it’s like to set foot in Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.

It was definitely full of wonder.

I walked past- or under, rather- the manatees and down the hallway that led to the new exhibit: Out of This World: Extraordinary Costumes.

The entire room was dimly lit for theatrical effect, and all around, preserved in glowing, glass cases were some of the most historical Hollywood costumes in existence.

Darth Vader’s black cloak and helmet was there, along with many other of the Star Wars outfits. Indiana Jones’ whip, leather jacket and Holy Grail were one of my personal favorite pieces, along with the jumpsuit worn by Dan Aykroyd in Ghostbusters.

The model of the ship Voyager from Star Trek was there, and so was Luke Skywalker’s severed hand from Star Wars [don’t worry, it’s fake].

I made it through the costume exhibit, but I thought I’d meander on and see what else was in the building as long as I was there. There was an entire exhibit dedicated to Florida oranges, and another on the history of Florida Native Americans. Yet another was dedicated to the plight of pioneers and life on the prairie.

There was even a legitimate courtroom on one floor!

The new exhibit may have been put in the spotlight for ArtsFest, but the History Center will remain open long after the ten days of ArtsFest have passed. You can check out details by visiting their website, www.thehistorycenter.org/
This place was just one adventure after another, and I have to say, I was glad I stopped by!


Day nine has come to and end, and with only one more day left of ArtsFest, I can certainly say that this has been one of the most fun weeks I’ve had in a while.

Happy ArtsFest!

ArtsFest Day 8: The Detroit Symphony Orchestra

It would not be an entirely unwarranted accusation to say that one of the deciding factors in my going to see Festival of Orchestras present The Detroit Symphony Orchestra was the fact that it originated in Michigan. Because I am a Michigan native myself, I naturally have an unfathomable pride for anything and everything that has to do with my state… except the Lions. But I think my lack of support for the Detroit Lions is justified.
At any rate, when I discovered that the Detroit Symphony Orchestra would be playing as part of the Festival of Orchestras at the Northland Performing Arts Center, I knew I couldn’t miss it for the world.
In all the years I’d lived in Michigan, I had never actually seen the orchestra perform. Next to the automobile, seafoam candy and the Red Wings, the DSO is probably the Mitten’s greatest export.
What’s interesting about the DSO is the fact that it was founded in 1914 by ten society women. To get things running, the women entreated subscribers to donate $10 apiece in order to fund what was, at that time, ‘a little project‘. Little did they know that by the 1920’s the DSO would be one of the most prominent orchestras in the country, attracting guests such as Sergei Rachmaninoff, Igor Stravinsky and Richard Strauss, just to name a few.
So put that at the top of the list of “Reasons Why Women are Awesome”.
I arrived at the Northland Performing Arts Center worrying that I might be slightly underdressed in my Orlando Magic’s Jersey, but when I entered I noticed that many of the guests that evening were dressed casually as well. There were children in the crowd, too. In all, it was a very comfortable atmosphere.
I took my seat in the auditorium and joined in the tumultuous applause as the musical director Leonard Slatkin traversed the stage and took his rightful place on the podium. The orchestra played a long, harmonic chord for the purpose of tuning, and then the room fell silent.
With a bouncing flicker of his wand, Slatkin pulled the first perfect note from the players onstage, and from there, the room was filled with an array of grand, delicate and beautiful tones and trills.
Between pieces, I hurried out to the lobby with the intention of grabbing a pamphlet, but as soon as the door closed behind me I was trapped.
“You’ll have to go up and watch it from the balcony until intermission,” the woman rigidly explained, pointing at a staircase.
She acted like it was a punishment. Watch it from the balcony? As in, take one of the best seats in the entire house and enjoy amazing music?
Well if I absolutely have to...
I hurried up the staircase and was ushered into the upper level of the auditorium, where I spent the rest of the performance enjoying the fantastic view of the stage below.
It’s not easy to describe music with words, but as I closed my eyes and basked in the wonderful acoustics of the auditorium, I had a thought. I came to the conclusion that music is, perhaps, the finest art in world because it is the only medium of art that is untouched by human hands. Artists play the instruments that produce the music, yes, but really, we are only the channel through which music passes.
So in a sense, music is the ‘perfect’ art.
I spent the entire concert thinking deep thoughts like this; I couldn’t help myself. There was something profound about the music that incited ‘big thinking’. That’s probably why parents play Mozart for their babies. Hm. It’s all adding up now.
Eventually the time for intermission arrived, and as I was walking down the stairs I heard the sound of music. It sounded like someone was playing a marimba in the lobby.
Sure enough, as I rounded the corner there was a marimba parked right in the center of the lobby, and a girl with two mallets in each hand was deftly tapping away on the instrument.
The last time I witnessed anyone play that many notes in succession that ungodly fast, it was when a world-renowned percussionist played Flight of the Bumblebee. This girl, and her successor, were amazing!
The lights in the room flickered as a notice that the intermission was coming to an end, so I left the girls to their marimbas and settled down in my seat for the rest of the concert. The lights dimmed down, the instruments went up, and I was thoroughly dazzled for the remainder of the evening.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra was definitely a good decision; I would see them again in a heartbeat! They definitely made day eight of ArtsFest a success in my book!

There are only two days of The Central Florida ArtsFest remaining, so go out and have a happy ArtsFest!

ArtsFest Day 7: Sculptures and the SAK

It seems impossible that there could been any form of art absent from the vast multitude of events during this week of ArtsFest, but on second thought, I realized that one medium had somewhat fallen by the wayside:
Sculpture.
Fortunately after consulting my 30-page ArtsFest pamphlet I realized that there was an event that was exactly was needed to fill the gap in my ArtsFest experience where fine arts should be. The City of Orlando’s Sculpture Exhibit was in full force downtown, and I’d be darned if I was going to miss it!
I drove into the city and, after circling what I thought was 400 S. Orange Ave. more than a few times, I managed to find a parking spot… in the scariest, darkest, most decrepit corner of the parking lot across the street. The wind was biting cold and the dead branches of the scraggly trees next to my car stretched up haggardly towards the golden moon, and the sound of my car door slamming behind me was the only sound in the entire, desolate lot…
It was creepy.
I hurried as fast as a could towards the building but was a little bit hesitant to enter when I saw display table after display table of what appeared to be VFW memorabilia. I scanned the area and checked the address to make sure I was in the right place and everything seemed to be correct, so I walked inside to make sure.
I was greeted by the sound of a disgruntled night watchman grumbling into the phone- not the watchman himself. He managed to separate himself from the conversation long enough to bark out “Sculptures?” and then, upon my timid nod, immersed himself in the conversation once more.
I wandered into the sculpture exhibit and silently appreciated the work. The first thing I saw was what appeared the be the shape of dress made out of mesh, with shreds of cloth attached strategically in some places.
Abstract pieces like this always leave me begging the question, “What is art?” And I don’t mean the technical definition that you’ll find in Webster’s.
I mean, what makes something art? What makes something beautiful? What makes something like Starry Night a masterpiece, or the Statue of David, or the Mona Lisa as well?
I don’t think anyone can really say for certain, because the world of art is, really, based on perception and individual interpretation. I could look at the sculpture of the octopus and say that it was angry and terrible and mean, while a stranger could say that it seemed sad and desperate, and evoked a feeling of helplessness.
But that, I think, is the true beauty of art. It’s the ability to create something from nothing, and to stir up feelings in people that experience it.
The beauty in art is doing it. Doing something.
Some people could argue that you can’t just “go do art”. There are rules for art; there are time-tested methods. You can’t just go out and paint a cow and call it “art.”
I would have to disagree.
There are some principles, of course, that come with art and are prevalent in all mediums, such as painting, drawing, film and dance; but I think the real beauty of art comes not from following the technical rules, but instead using them as guidelines to channel feelings into the tangible.
The real beauty of art is when artists capture an emotion and use it to build something that can be shared with the world.
That’s what is beautiful about sculpture, in my opinion, because whenever one looks at a sculpture, they’re looking not only at the creation, but into the soul of the artist who created it. It’s looking at a specific moment in the artist’s life that is perfectly crystallized into something that can be seen and touched.
In my opinion, that is what makes art, art.

The trip to the sculpture exhibit was quiet compared to my other misadventures during ArtsFest, but it was certainly not a disappointment! And there would plenty of time for rowdiness that evening at the SAK Comedy Lab.
I’m sure plenty of people are familiar with the improvisation television show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” Well if that has you laughing, you should definitely check out the SAK!
The SAK’s new show “Dueling of Fools” kept me laughing longer and harder than I have in a very long time!
The way it works is that the players on the show are divided up into two teams of three, and select audience members are given score cards. The teams compete to win points, which are awarded based on how much the audience members like the improvised skits.
The show started with the host, Ron Weaver, sprinting across the stage and up the aisles with a bucket of tootsie rolls in hand. He scattered the candy into the excited audience with all the vivacity of a kid on a parade float, then picked up the mic and welcomed in the players of that night’s show.
Scene by scene, things spiraled into hilarious insanity as the players hopped around stage, climbed on top of one another, improvised their own Broadway musical numbers and ate bunt cakes off the floor.
The show had me laughing from beginning to end!
There will be shows at SAK for the next two days of ArtsFest, so if you’re looking for something fun and interesting to do with your Friday or Saturday night, check out www.sak.com to grab tickets and look at details on the upcoming events.

ArtsFest has continued to provide thought-provoking and entertaining events throughout the entire week, and I’m sure the next three days won’t be any less exciting!

Have a happy ArtsFest!

ArtsFest Day 6: Heritage

I have never seen a more vibrant display of pride for one’s culture than at the Heritage festival put on by the Orlando School of Cultural Dance on the sixth day of ArtsFest.
The Plaza Theatre was abuzz with excitement last night at 7:15 as vendors outside the auditorium doors cheerfully showed their artwork for all of the incoming guests. I perceived, as I entered the doors, a sort of energy radiating through the air. Although I couldn’t explain why, I knew that this event was going to be vastly different than the previous eight I had attended so far.
The first thing I noticed when I took my seat in the theatre was the unique set of drums set up on the stage. As I am not much of a ‘connoisseur’ of foreign drums, I could only rightly call the drums “bongos”, which I’m sure is incorrect. Nevertheless, there were several of them sitting in a row, and each of them had a silhouette of Africa painted on its front.
The stage was perfectly silent and awash with blue light from the lamps above. The only movement was the sparkling freckles of dust that churned gracefully in and out of the spotlights. There was something about the way the tendrils of azure mist swirled about the stage that gave the scene a feeling of mystery, and I felt a shiver of excitement pass through me as the first hallow knock of the drum echoed around the room.
I was already drawn in, and the show had barely even started!
Suddenly the stage was filled with dancers dressed in traditional African costume of the most vibrant teals and pinks and yellows and reds, and all of them were throwing themselves into the beat of the music, singing at the top of their lungs and smiling from ear to ear.
I can honestly say that I have never watched anyone dance with more vigor and outright joy than the students of OSCD. And that’s to say nothing of the crowd! All around me, women who were part of the Orlando School of Cultural Dance’s adult programs were quick to raise their voices and join in with the beautiful African hymns, and all throughout the performances there were excited yips and trills from the audience members as they cheered on the girls onstage
The Orlando School of Cultural Dance didn’t put on a show last night; what happened at the Plaza Theatre on the 6th day of ArtsFest could only rightly be called a party which all the audience members were a part of.
It was an honor to be involved in such an experience!
At one point in the night Julie Coleman, who founded OSCD in 1989, invited audience members up on stage to learn the moves of an African dance.
“There’s no Simon Cowell out there to judge you,” she assured her pupils as she took her place center stage.
The reason, she explained, for learning a cultural dance is to express yourself and celebrate life. There is just no room for judgment in an environment like this that is so inherently joyful.
I was right when I guessed that this event wouldn’t be like the rest of the ones I‘d attended- in fact it was unlike anything I had ever seen period!
While I was sitting in the audience looking up at the youths onstage who so jubilantly celebrated their life and culture, it was obvious to me how proud they were. Though the costumes were beautiful and colorful, and the dances were energetic and the music was fun, the real beauty of the experience came from obvious joy the students were experiencing as they displayed the arts of their history.
I wish that more people in the world could show just an ounce of the pride towards their own cultures as the students did for their mother Africa last night. In the end, it’s our own responsibility to make sure that the traditions and arts of our past are kept alive, and the best way to do that is to share them with the rest of the world, like the Orlando School of Cultural Dance so aptly demonstrated this ArtsFest.

It’s the 6th day of ArtsFest and things are just becoming more and more interesting! This was one of the most fun events I have been to yet, and there are still four more days’ worth of events to attend. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Have a happy ArtsFest!