Culture Connection
E-News for Cultural Council Members |
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Summer 2008 |
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Americans for the Arts sent print advertising packets to over 10,000 media outlets across the nation and in Palm Beach County. The ads point out that children don’t get enough art in school or at home. They feature catchy headlines that misinterpret famous names in the arts such as, “Why Some People Think Duke Ellington is a member of the Royal Family.”
Many of the ads have already appeared in publications such as the New York Times and Harpers’ Bazaar. Keep an eye out for them in local publications and log-on to www.americansforthearts.org and learn 10 simple ways to get more art in kids’ lives.
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Bill Nix, Palm Beach County Cultural Council Vice President of Marketing and Government Affairs, hosts Cultural Capital, which airs on Palm Beach County TV Channel 20 every Wednesday at 9:00 pm, Friday at 11:00 am and Saturday at 12:30 pm. Some of the shows are also available on the county website:
http://www.pbcgov.com/publicaffairs/Local_Programs.htm
The latest Cultural Capital  covers two notable African-American art exhibits currently at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach: In the Hands of African American Collectors: The Personal Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, on display through July, 20 and Highlights: African American Art from the Norton Collection, on display through August 31. The show reveals interesting factoids about the exhibits and introduces you to the people responsible for organizing them.
Tune in often, because each month Cultural Capital covers a different feature that helps make Palm Beach County Florida’s cultural capital! |
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A drastic 62.5% reduction from $400,000 to $150,000 would affect many children, neighborhoods and underserved community programs that the 44 organizations in the fund support. The reduction threatens services to more than 250,000 citizens, including 75,000 children. Furthermore, funding to the arts is a good investment – an Americans for the Arts study shows that Palm Beach County has a $209.06 million non-profit cultural industry that supports 4,812 jobs and generates $19.42 million in local and state government revenue.
The Council encourages all cultural supports to email your commissioners and County Administrator Bob Weisman. Please express how investing in art and culture benefits the county and that such a large funding reduction would have a severe impact in many communities.
Palm Beach County Commissioners:
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Culture for under $100:
 Visit the Cuillo Centre for the Arts on Clematis Street on a Saturday night and treat yourself to a different kind of theatre experience. The second and fourth Saturdays of the month through September Mod27, a comedic improv group, takes the stage with their unique fusion of comedy and theatre. The troupe’s witty and quick thinking actors take audience suggestions and use them as inspiration to create fully improvised comedic scenes. Their material runs the gamut from pop culture to current events to politics and love. They even claim they have the ability to make math funny!
Catch one of the troupe’s rotating 6 productions at 9 pm. General admission is $10.00 in advance and $12.00 per person day of show.
For another great evening, try Cuillo Uncorked on Thursday. In association with Clematis By Night, the Cuillo offers live entertainment 7-11 pm, happy hour 7-9 pm, drink specials all night, and no cover or drink minimum.
For more information logon to: http://www.cuillocentre.com
 Leave time before the show for a bite at the new and ever popular Rocco’s Tacos and Tequila Bar. Just west of the Cuillo and across the street, this upscale Mexican restaurant has become one of downtown’s new hot spots. The wall of Mexican masks, pin-holed star light fixtures and elaborately carved oak bar will draw you in, but it’s the Mexican dishes done right that will having you returning. The salsa, chips and guacamole are perfect starters along with a mojito or margarita. You can’t go wrong with Rocco’s assortment of tacos, salads and combination platters. Most appetizers and entrees are under $20.
201 Clematis Street
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
Box Office: (561) 835-9226 |
224 Clematis Street
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
(561) 650-1001
Open 7 nights a week. Hours vary. |
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Did you know the Cultural Council hosts the largest, public on-line artist directory in Palm Beach County? This valuable tool is free to artists of all disciplines living and working in Palm Beach County. To get listed, visit our website at palmbeachculture.com
and go to the “Artist Community” tab. To update a current listing, please submit a NEW listing. Be sure to include your email address to receive updates from the Council regarding funding opportunities, artist workshops and invitations to our events.
Many cultural organizations have summer-specific activities in addition to their already wonderful programs. Be sure to search the Cultural Council’s online “ Calendar of Events” for all the hot summer happenings, including:
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Turtle Walks
are full! But check for cancellations!) |
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Renda Writer is a Boca Raton transplant from Long Island who went to New York City upon graduation from University of Florida in 2000. As a hip-hop fan, he became intrigued with the artists’ use of literary devices – metaphors, similes and alliteration – and realized the poetic connection. While working as a comedy club promoter and pitching club admission on Manhattan street corners, he began gathering material and honing his craft using the sights, sounds and smells of the city as inspiration.
Writer began his career performing at different cafes and clubs in the city. He released a debut CD, “Eclectic Poetic,” in 2006 and a follow-up, “Workaholic,” is planned for August. A live poetry CD is not necessarily performed a capella. Writer’s tracks are backed with music, ambient sounds, and other production methods.
Away from the recordings, he relishes performing for new, live audiences, noting that teenagers and people aged 30 – 60 react particularly well to their first show. Writer says that his work has great cross appeal because he avoids controversial subjects and doesn’t come off as the “angry” or “political” poet.
Writer admits that surviving solely from his art is tough, so he developed related careers as an open-mic host, a promoter and a freelance writer. He hosts 4 open-mic nights a week in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. This allows him to work and network with performers from all art genres. Writer says that the key to any artists’ success is networking, which he does non-stop – both online and in person.
Writer’s great aspiration is to perform live on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. He has petitioned the show and its producers for the past year, and hopes to be the first performance poet on daytime television. If you’d like to help him get on Ellen’s show, link to: iPetitions Renda Writer on Ellen Degeneres
If you can’t do that, he notes that HBO’s Def Poetry Jam features some of the best performance poets working today.
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