“We are delighted to welcome everyone in the community to the Cultural Council to experience our upcoming exhibitions,” said Dave Lawrence, the Council’s president and CEO. “Our new season kicks off with our Main Gallery exhibition ‘Whimsy & Wonder’ this fall, an enchanting exhibition celebrating quirky and magnificent visual creations. In January, we will present ‘She. Her. Hers,’ an exhibition that focuses exclusively on the work of women artists, followed by ‘Beyond Blossoms: The Power of Pollinators’ that will feature work that represents the flora that attracts pollinators to our region.”
Eleven other vibrant exhibitions will also be featured throughout the season in the Cultural Council’s Solo Gallery and Donald M. Ephraim Family Gallery. Discussions and special events with artists and members of the community will also be offered alongside the three Main Gallery exhibitions, starting with kinetic sculpture performances with artist Dave Blair on select Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. during Whimsy & Wonder. All exhibitions and their related programs are free and open to the public. The Council will also host a free series of Culture Talks in partnership with The ArtsPaper, a monthly arts-focused publication distributed inside The Coastal Star newspaper.
Upcoming programming highlights include:
Main Gallery: From November 17 to January 13, visitors are invited to experience Whimsy & Wonder, highlighting enchanting, engaging and enthralling visual creations. Florida’s flamingos will be represented in all their glory along with a wide array of quirky and beautiful visual creations. With specific installations that will evolve throughout the show’s run, visitors are encouraged to return again and again. One artist, whose self-created machine projects images, will offer showings for guests on select Saturdays.
Solo Gallery Exhibitions: Celebrate the work of individual artists, starting with Lauren Bertelson: Like Mother, Like Daughter, featuring self-portraiture combined with a variety of domestic crafts to create a feminist body of work, October 6 through December 2. Next up is an exhibition of artist Kristin Miller’s mixed-media “wall-life” works on paper and sculptural installations from December 8 through January 20.
Exhibitions in the Donald M. Ephraim Family Gallery: Visitors can take in Veterans of Palm Beach County, an exhibition in honor of Veteran’s Day that will feature the work of seven artists who are also veterans or have family members that are veterans, on display November 3 through December 9. Next up is Palm Beach County Photographers: iPhone Photography, juried by renowned digital imagery expert Jack Davis and celebrating the work of Palm Beach County-based photographers created via iPhone, on display from December 15 through January 27. This exhibition is a collaboration with the Palm Beach Photographic Centre.
The ArtsPaper Culture Talks: The ArtsPaper, a publication founded in 2008 by a group of Palm Beach County-based arts journalists, will host their second annual discussion series at the Cultural Council in January and February 2024. Guests include Ahmad Mayes, executive director of the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach, in conversation with Greg Stepanich (January 13); and Marilynn Wick, executive producer and CEO of The Wick Theatre & Costume Museum, in conversation with Hap Erstein (January 20). All Culture Talks will take place at 2 p.m. Free admission; registration recommended by visiting www.palmbeachculture.com/council-events.
Other programs this season include: a Summer Jazz Series at the Cultural Council, featuring a series of intimate jazz concerts at the Cultural Council’s downtown Lake Worth Beach headquarters; Palm Beach County Open Studios and the annual MOSAIC (“Month of Shows, Art, Ideas and Culture”) program in May; and free professional development opportunities for cultural organizations and creative professionals will also be offered all season through the Institute for Cultural Advancement, the Council’s signature professional development program.
The Cultural Council’s popular Culture & Cocktails series returns for its 19th season at The Ben in West Palm Beach, with fun and fascinating conversations scheduled for January through April. And save the date for the Cultural Council’s annual fundraising event An A-MUSE-ing Evening: a not-to-be-missed evening that will dazzle with creatively-crafted food on Thursday, March 7, at The Hangar in Riviera Beach.
Additional events will be offered by invitation to members of the Cultural Council. The Council offers opportunities to individuals, creative professionals, small businesses and large corporations to get involved in the local arts community through its membership and sponsorship programs. To celebrate supporters who champion arts and culture in Palm Beach County, the Council offers “thank you’s” depending on giving levels, such as a subscription to the Cultural Council’s award-winning magazine art&culture, an exclusive member discount card offering savings to museums across the U.S. and VIP passes for art and antique fairs.
Sponsors for Whimsy & Wonder include Ellen Liman, Publix Super Market Charities, Florida Weekly, The ArtsPaper (The Coastal Star) and Flamingo magazine, and Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is the exhibition’s community partner. Sponsors for She. Her. Hers. include Ellen Liman, Florida Weekly, Palm Beach Media Group, WLRN, The ArtsPaper (The Coastal Star) and Habitat for Humanity is the exhibition’s community partner. Beyond Blossoms: The Power of Pollinators is sponsored by Ellen Liman,Florida Weekly, WLRN and Flamingo magazine.
For more information on upcoming events or to become a member or sponsor of the Cultural Council and its programs, please visit www.palmbeachculture.com or call (561) 471-2901.
About the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County
The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is the official support agency for arts and culture in The Palm Beaches, Florida’s Cultural Capital®. Headquartered in the historic Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. building in Downtown Lake Worth Beach, the Council presents exciting year-round exhibitions and performances featuring artists who live or work in Palm Beach County. The Council features spectacular work by Palm Beach County-based professional artisans in its Roe Green Uniquely Palm Beach Store and offers complimentary resources for visitors in its Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Visitor Information Center. During the summer months and through October 31st, the Council is open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the second Saturday of each month from noon to 5 p.m. Starting on November 1, the Council will be open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information and a comprehensive calendar of cultural events in The Palm Beaches, visit palmbeachculture.com.
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Media Contact:
Linnea Bailey (561) 713-0673