For arts and culture lovers, there’s never a bad time to visit The Palm Beaches. But if you want to optimize how many horizon-expanding experiences you can fit into one month, there’s no better month than MOSAIC, our annual Month of Shows, Art, Ideas, and Culture, which takes place every May.

While MOSAIC’s 25-plus limited-time offers span the whole county and include everything from BOGO deals to steep discounts on admission tickets, retail purchases, and more, we’ve selected seven standout offers that will get you moving, grooving, and maybe even up close and personal with wild dolphins.

To take advantage of all MOSAIC offers, visit mosaicpbc.com.

Norton Museum of Art

For the first time ever, the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach is offering a MOSAIC special: Visit during the month of May and enjoy buy-one-get-one-free general admission. Make sure to bring an art aficionado, because the museum’s collection includes more than 8,000 works, with a concentration in European, American, and Chinese art as well as in contemporary art and photography. Note that the museum is closed on Tuesdays.

SunFest

West Palm Beach will turn up the volume again this year from May 3 to 5 for SunFest, the city’s annual weekend of nonstop music, art, good eats, and island vibes. For the ultimate in tropical chill, make sure to catch Matisyahu’s set on Sunday evening, but the lineup has something for everyone: other highlights include Nelly, Billy Idol, Yung Gravy, Elle King, Shaggy, Dashboard Confessional, Boys Like Girls, Third Eye Blind, and local stars Brett Staska & The Souvenirs and The Lubben Brothers. MOSAIC visitors can save up to $15 off tickets to SunFest 2024! 

Taras Oceanographic Foundation

If you’ve ever wanted to be a dolphin trainer or squealed in delight at the sighting of a playful fin breaking the surface of the sea, this MOSAIC experience should be at the top of your list. Based in Jupiter, Taras Oceanographic Foundation exists to advocate for the conservation of dolphins and the marine environment, and they offer dolphin watch tours so guests can encounter these amazing creatures in the wild and experience ocean conservation research in action. The foundation is offering 15% off tickets to educational Dolphin Expedition Tours this May. 

The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum

History buffs and Boca Raton residents alike will be fascinated by The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum, where a variety of immersive exhibits tell the story of Boca Raton’s history from native ancestry through 2005. A perfect high-humidity or rainy-day activity, the museum has exhibits to educate visitors on the Pioneer Era, the 1920s and Addison Mizner, World War II and the Boca Raton Army Air Field, and the invention and production of the PC computer by a little local company called IBM. During the month of May, the museum is offering $5 off admission.

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary

If you’ve never been to the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, or to its new and improved location in rural northwestern Jupiter, there’s never been a better time. With an intimate environment of a nature center and trails and an unwavering focus on rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation, it’s one of the most unique animal-centric experiences in the country. On Sundays in May, visitors can save $125 off a personalized sanctuary tour for up to 6 people.

Benzaiten Center for Creative Arts

If you’ve ever watched Blown Away on Netflix, visited the island of Murano in Italy, or marveled at a work by Chihuly, you know how captivating glass—these delicate, breathtaking masterpieces—can be. Talk about date night done right: During the month of May, you can receive $50 off a glass-blowing class for two at the Benzaiten Center for Creative Arts in Lake Worth Beach. Each student works one-on-one with a glass artist to make their own creation, and you have a choice of several items to make, including a floppy bowl, vase, drinking glass, paperweight, or flower.

Arts Warehouse

Whether you’re interested in painting, ceramics, drawing, or mixed media, Arts Warehouse in Delray Beach has a workshop for you—plus a gallery, studios, and a full docket of events to entertain, too. This Pineapple Grove incubator space and art haven inspires budding artists and creative types alike to release their creativity and discover their artistic potential. 

To take advantage of all MOSAIC offers, visit mosaicpbc.com.

Cultural Council for Palm Beach County Celebrates 2024 Muse Award Winners

Posted by: Linnea Bailey

March 29, 2024

The Cultural Council’s ‘An A-MUSE-ing Evening’ honored winners and raised funds with live performances, a cocktail reception and unforgettable food art pieces

LAKE WORTH BEACH, FL —

It was a dazzling, creative evening that celebrated arts and culture in The Palm Beaches and its supporters.

Held March 7 at The Hangar in West Palm Beach, guests donned their most stylish, food and art-focused cocktail apparel for the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County’s annual fundraising soirée, An A-MUSE-ing Evening. Taking a cue from the success of 2023’s “Met Gala” inspired event, the lively rendezvous was led by the Council’s Advocacy, Outreach, and Events Committee Chair Cheryl K. Crowley and featured the much-anticipated Muse Award presentations, exhilarating live performances, artist-foodie collaborations, culinary and cocktail delights and a silent auction featuring original artwork by Palm Beach County-based professional artists. The Cultural Council paid the artists for their work and additional proceeds went to the Cultural Council.

The Cultural Council continued its annual tradition of honoring outstanding businesses and individuals who support arts and culture through the presentation of the 2024 Muse Awards. Northern Trust received the Muse Award for Outstanding Business Support for the Arts, while Edith Bush (community activist, cultural leader and executive director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Coordinating Committee) was honored with the Muse Award for Outstanding Cultural Ambassador. Founded to increase funding to local nonprofits (including many cultural organizations), The Great Charity Challenge received the Muse Award for Community Arts Champion, and The Thalia Award for Lifetime Achievement went to Frances Fisher, a volunteer, donor, board member, advocate and ambassador for many cultural organizations, including the Cultural Council.

“We are honored to recognize the outstanding companies and individuals who continually work to make Palm Beach County’s arts and cultural community such a vital part of tourism, our economy and our quality of life,” said Dave Lawrence, the Cultural Council’s president and CEO.

Recipient of the Muse Award for Outstanding Business Support for the Arts, Northern Trust has a long history of supporting arts and culture in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. From hosting student art exhibits, noted authors and artists to supporting and providing valuable knowledge and resources to cultural organizations (such as the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Palm Beach Dramaworks and the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum), Northern Trust’s employees have contributed countless hours, expertise and their own resources to supporting and serving many of Palm Beach County’s cultural organizations.

Recipient of the Muse Award for Outstanding Cultural Ambassador, Edith Bush was a founding member of a committee that began in as the Black Educators Caucus in 1971 but expanded as the membership became more diverse and merged with the Women’s International League for Peach and Freedom, sponsoring remedial tutoring services. From those early beginnings, the committee grew to include oratory, poster and drama contests commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s January birth date, the provision of African American cultural programs and participation in the Cultural Council’s annual multicultural festival. In 1981, she established the Martin Luther King Jr. Coordinating Committee to further the messages and work of Dr. King and provide programs and services to inspire the community. She has received numerous awards including the Individual Leadership Award from Palm Beach State College.

Recipient of the Muse Award for Community Arts Champion, The Great Charity Challenge was founded in 2009 to increase funding to local nonprofit organizations at a time when donations were scarce following the 2008 economic crisis. In its first year, their signature event generated more than $400,000 and benefited 24 local charities. Today, the event — which brings the local equestrian community together with a stadium full of passionate nonprofit advocates in a colorful and exciting show — has grown to benefit more than 30 local charities competing for more than $2 million each year. To date, the organization has distributed $19.4 million to 318 Palm Beach County nonprofit organizations, including many cultural organizations.

Named after one of the nine Muses in Greek mythology, The Thalia Award for Lifetime Achievement is presented to individuals who have exhibited strong and sustained leadership in developing, supporting and/or promoting Palm Beach County’s arts and cultural assets. Recipient Frances Fisher has worked tirelessly with many cultural organizations throughout Palm Beach County, including the Cox Science Center and Aquarium, Mounts Botanical Garden, the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County and the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden. She has been integral to the development of the NeuroArts movement in Palm Beach County focused on brain health and wellness through the arts. Fisher continually shows passion, sensitivity, grace and a commitment to arts education and historic preservation.

The evening’s performance artists included award-winning jazz vocalist Yvette Norwood-Tiger — who began her set perched on a rare Ducati motorcycle courtesy of The Hangar — and a performance by South Florida-based Japanese taiko drumming group Fushu Daiko, who brought the house down with their high-energy set. Soul musician Matt Brown kept the crowd moving and grooving during the cocktail reception, and artist Kyle Lucks painted a piece live throughout the evening as onlookers watched.

Showcasing the concept of “food is art,” “foodies” or chefs were paired with talented commissioned artists to create unforgettable food-art inspired pieces purchased during the event’s silent auction. With hors d’oeuvres by Northern Trust’s Executive Chef Grant Gillen, edible treats included a “Painting Palette Charcuterie Display,” inspired by artist Jennifer Noelle’s crochet charcuterie spread and a cocktail shrimp skewer inspired by artist David Bergstein’s painting. Artist Josh Fradis collaborated with ice sculpture company Styled Ice to display three of his blown glass pairs in a vine ice sculpture box, and artist Pat Crowley’s artwork was turned into a mini-cake by Earth and Sugar.

“The event was a reflection of the spirit of arts and culture in The Palm Beaches: upbeat, fun and creative,” said Jessica Lavin, the Cultural Council’s associate vice president of development. “It was so wonderful to see so many people coming together to celebrate the individuals and businesses that make arts and culture in Palm Beach County a roaring success.”

The Cultural Council provides services to cultural organizations and creative professionals, administers public and private grant programs, advocates for cultural funding, and promotes cultural tourism. In November, the Council announced that it is poised to provide more funding for Palm Beach County’s arts and cultural sector over the next 12 months than it has at any single point in its 46-year history.

Named the YES! Campaign, the new campaign is the culmination of planning and new funding initiatives supported by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, and individual philanthropists that combined now total nearly $12.6 million to support the cultural sector in Palm Beach County.

Sponsors include The Angelwish Fund, Northern Trust, The Roe Green Foundation, Roe Green, Cheryl and Brian Crowley, Karen and Richard Bodwell, David Cohen and Paul Bernabeo, Donald M. Ephraim and Terri Sriberg for The Donald M. Ephraim Family Foundation, Stephen Jacobs and Marilyn Wilson, Lisa H. Peterfreund, Merrill G. & Emita Hastings Foundation, J.A.R. Moeller LLC, Lessing’s Hospitality Group, The Hangar, and Ma’am Kind. Special thanks to the members of the Cultural Council’s advocacy, outreach, and events committee: Committee Chair Cheryl K. Crowley, Bruce A. Beal, David Cohen, Phillip Edwards, Jean Sharf, and Davicka N. Thompson.

Planning is already underway for next year, and sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Jessica Lavin, associate vice president of development, at jlavin@palmbeachculture.com.

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. The Council is 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
pr@palmbeachculture.com

Cultural Council Announces Delray Beach Artist Renée Rey as 2024 Dina Baker Fund Recipient

Posted by: Linnea Bailey

March 26, 2024

A thought-provoking exhibition of Rey’s mystical ecospheres will take place at the Cultural Council April 12 through June 8

LAKE WORTH BEACH, FL —

The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is pleased to announce that Delray Beach-based professional artist Renée Rey has been named the recipient of the 2024 Dina Baker Fund for Mature Female Artists.

Thanks to the generosity of local artist and longtime Cultural Council supporter Dina Baker, the Dina Baker Fund for Mature Female Artists was created to help stabilize and strengthen the careers of female artists ages 60 and up with financial need and recognizable merit. The artist may use the $10,000 grant for professional development, arts-related exhibitions, equipment and supplies, healthcare costs or basic living expenses.

“I feel so honored to be recognized for my art by such a prestigious art community,” Rey said. “The opportunity to show my work at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is very exciting, and the financial support will really help to elevate my work. It’s allowing me to invest in higher quality supplies, exhibition expenses, and pursue marketing development opportunities that I otherwise wouldn’t have considered.”

In addition to the funds, each award recipient receives an exhibition in the Cultural Council’s Donald M. Ephraim Family Gallery at the Cultural Council’s headquarters in Lake Worth Beach. Curated by Director of Artist Services Jessica Ransom, the exhibition will run from April 12 through June 8. The paintings in the exhibition were produced from 2017 to 2023 and are part of her continuous Mystical Ecospheres series that displays an evolution over time.

“In large and intimately scaled paintings, I create other-worldly mystical ecospheres that explore the concepts of place, memory, transformation, and reconstruction,” Rey said. “The works focus on the connection between awe-inspiring nature, the risks of technology and the rewards of kinship with people around the world. Central to my work is a belief in a ‘Grand Unity,’ an internal oneness with nature and people rooted in equality, inclusiveness, and a healthy global environment.”

This vision is deeply rooted in her paternal American/Jewish and maternal Armenian/French/Christian heritage and birthplace in Japan. Growing up hearing multiple languages and experiencing different cultural traditions, her artistic vocabulary has always had the common thread of diversity.

In her work, Rey aims to provoke a dialog between paint and a higher state of consciousness. Created with oil and acrylic on paper (as well as graphite), she gradually reveals layers of symbolism and mystery through unexpected visual relationships with dripping paint, sweeping brush stokes, and both abstract and surreal imagery that points to the earthly and the transcendent.

Rey’s intention is to transport viewers into expansive mystical worlds that awaken wonderment, inspiration, and deep connection to viewers’ personal experiences.

Rey’s award-winning work has been shown locally in solo exhibitions at Bailey Contemporary Arts Gallery (where she currently serves as curator for the gallery retail window) and the Tauni De Lesseps Gallery at Palm Beach Atlantic University, as well as dozens of group and juried exhibitions across the world.

With a career spanning 30 years, Rey has been an international curator and visiting artist and lecturer at several universities, in addition to teaching ongoing art classes. She is currently a Bailey Contemporary Artist in Residence through June 2024.

Past Dina Baker Fund award recipients include:

• 2023: Patricia Lappin
• 2022: Michele Hundt
• 2019: Glenda Green
• 2018: Hegina Rodrigues
• 2017: Debra Yates
• 2016: Batia Lowenberg
• 2015: Alyssa Di Edwardo

The exhibition will take place in the Cultural Council’s Donald M. Ephraim Family Gallery at its downtown Lake Worth Beach headquarters; exhibition hours are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

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. The Council is 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
pr@palmbeachculture.com

Something New is Coming to the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County

Posted by: Linnea Bailey

March 25, 2024

The Council is seeking Palm Beach County-based artists for a new large-scale mural

LAKE WORTH BEACH, FL — The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County has announced an opportunity for Palm Beach County-based artists to submit proposals for a large-scale public art project at its headquarters in downtown Lake Worth Beach.

The project will consist of painting a new mural on the south-facing exterior wall of the Cultural Council’s Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. building on Lake Avenue. The Cultural Council is asking artists to celebrate the concept of community in their design proposals, with themes that include healing, unity, connections, wellness, and/or belonging. As the mural will face the outdoor property that will be developed into a future Art & Wellness Space, themes highlighting nature and tranquility are also encouraged.

Artists have until April 19 to submit their plans, and a panel of arts professionals will then select up to three finalists to present concepts.

“As Palm Beach County’s local arts service agency, our mission is to support and serve creative professionals and cultural organizations in The Palm Beaches,” said Dave Lawrence, president and CEO of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County. “This new mural project provides Palm Beach County-based professional artists with an opportunity to think big.”

The Cultural Council plans to involve the community in the selection of the final design by displaying the final concepts in its lobby this summer and providing feedback forms for public comment. The selection committee will then reconvene and select the final concept. The selected artist or artist team will have approximately three months to complete the project, slated to debut by early fall 2024.

The historic Art Deco building — whose south wall has showcased Brazilian artist Eduardo Kobra’s iconic “I Have a Dream” mural since 2017 — needs repairs to fix cracks and other damage to its facade. The mural itself has also reached the end of its lifespan, as the artist’s original design has sustained significant damage from the sun and graffiti that has needed patching through the years.

Standing at 54 feet wide, the current mural was originally painted as part of the CANVAS mural festival in 2017 and depicts Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech during 1963’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Since then, the mural has served as a backdrop for the Cultural Council’s outdoor events, as well as a destination for residents, visitors, and photographers alike.

“Outdoor public art, by its very nature, is temporary. Unfortunately, the wall’s current deterioration has made it impossible to preserve,” Lawrence said. “The need for a change is expected; the average lifespan for an outdoor mural in Florida is five to seven years. Additionally, our aging building is also requiring some repairs and maintenance.”

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the Cultural Council has raised the funds needed to complete and maintain a new mural. The Council has hosted and been a part of community conversations about the current condition of the building and the Kobra mural, as well as providing information about the process for commissioning a new mural.

The Cultural Council is planning a community sendoff event for the current mural on Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Details will be announced soon.

To learn more about the project and submit qualifications to be considered for the public art project, visit www.palmbeachculture.com/our-mural.

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. The Council is 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
pr@palmbeachculture.com

Request for Qualifications: Cultural Council South Façade Mural

APPLY NOW VIA CaFÉ

DEADLINE TO APPLY: April 19, 2024  

PROJECT OPPORTUNITY

The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County (CCPBC) requests qualifications from professional artists or professional artist teams to create an original public art mural for the back wall of its headquarters (south façade) located at 601 Lake Avenue. The theme of the mural should celebrate the concept of community: healing, unity, connections, wellness, and/or belonging. As the mural will face the Council’s new Art & Wellness Space, themes highlighting nature and tranquility are also encouraged. This call will consist of two parts: a call for qualifications followed by a selection of up to five finalists that will develop proposals for the mural.

PROJECT SITE

The Cultural Council serves as the county’s local arts service agency providing funding, advocacy, cultural tourism marketing, artist services, professional development, and a host of other activities and events year-round designed to support Palm Beach County creative professionals and cultural organizations. Its headquarters houses the administrative offices, three gallery spaces, a visitor information center, and the Roe Green Uniquely Palm Beach store. Immediately behind the building is a lot owned by the Cultural Council for arts programs, concerts, and other gatherings. Through this initiative, the space will be renamed the Arts & Wellness Space, and the mural will be a significant part of this rebranding and reimagining of the space.

In 2017, through the Canvas public art festival, a mural was installed on the back wall. The mural has weathered significantly and must be replaced. The Council’s back wall is approximately 54’W x 36’H and includes a roll-up type garage door that was previously included in the mural. CCPBC requests that the garage door is not included in the new mural design of approximately 1,000 sq. ft. The existing mural will be removed, and the wall will be repaired and primed before the start of the new mural project.

PROJECT GOALS

• The artwork is of high artistic quality.
• The design is expressive and echoes the theme of the project.
• The completed mural serves as a visual identifier for Lake Worth Beach, the Cultural Council, and the theme of community and/or wellness.
• The proposed work is appropriate for the site in terms of scale, design, and materials.

BUDGET

The commissioning budget is $40,000 and is all-inclusive including: design, artist fee, materials, installation, and insurance. Proposals that exceed the commission budget will be considered non-responsive and non-qualified. Artist teams must split the allotted budget if awarded. The Cultural Council will work with the selected artist or artist team on securing rental equipment (scaffolding and/or scissor-lifts). Additional budget may be allocated for these expenses.

ELIGIBILITY

Open to professional visual artists or artist-led teams age 18 and over who reside in Palm Beach County, Florida. Artists or artist teams (max two artists per team) must demonstrate their professional capacity to oversee the design and installation of a large-scale public mural.

If you’re dreaming of a cultural destination with ocean breezes, sunshine, and a thriving arts scene, look no further than The Palm Beaches: a place where year-round arts and cultural festivals abound. A place where you can stroll along tree-lined downtown streets and watch artisans refining their craft, sway to music by a famous band at a waterfront amphitheater or admire masterpieces created with chalk at a renowned street-painting festival.

Aptly named Florida’s Cultural Capital, The Palm Beaches offer visitors a dynamic vacation experience that can’t be found anywhere else. In addition to theaters, museums, botanical gardens and eco-tourism adventures, we’ve chosen eight top picks for stunning festivals throughout the year. Visit soon and enjoy every minute of fun!

Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival

Photo courtesy of the City of Lake Worth Beach

The largest festival of its kind in the country, the Lake Worth Beach Street Painting Festival draws more than 100,000 art lovers each February to walk the seaside municipality’s downtown streets and marvel as more than 600 artists put chalk to asphalt to create expansive temporary works of art. A dazzling display of outdoor living galleries, the works feature everything from replicas of famous paintings to three-dimensional illusions that create mesmerizing spaces and places. Presented by the City of Lake Worth Beach, this annual free public festival also features a mainstage with lively music performances, a food court, eclectic vendors, family activity areas and more.

Festival of the Arts BOCA

Photo by Zsolt Meszaros

A 10-day open-air celebration of exciting performances and author events, Festival of the Arts BOCA’s annual gathering at Mizner Park Amphitheater in Boca Raton each March is renowned for its diverse cultural offerings and intellectual fare. Since its inaugural year, the festival has been heralded as an unprecedented cultural arts festival for The Palm Beaches, attracting more than 15,000 attendees each year and drawing world-class artists and speakers to the region. With a commitment to education, the festival also offers an array of master classes, school visits, lectures and open rehearsals for young people. Come experience the magic of this extraordinary tradition in the heart of Boca Raton.

SunFest

Celebrating 40 years under the sun, the iconic annual arts and music festival SunFest takes place at the downtown West Palm Beach waterfront the first week in May. The event features national music performances on two main stages, a community stage for local acts and an Art Village made up of tented booths where artists sell their work. Attracting more than 85,000 visitors per year, the festival features beloved food vendors, interactive art, and has become synonymous with the start of summer in The Palm Beaches. Slated for May 3 – 5, this year’s festival will feature musical acts Nelly, Cole Swindell, Rebelution, Third Eye Blind, Billy Idol, and more.

TurtleFest

Each February, more than 10,000 guests flock to Juno Beach’s Loggerhead Marinelife Center for TurtleFest. This free, family-friendly event promotes ocean conservation through interactive educational exhibits about marine life, as well as music, art, games and other family-friendly activities. Guests can get an up-close view of the sea turtles currently being treated in the center’s hospital, nosh on festival food and drinks, listen to music and shop for artwork created by Palm Beach County-based professional artists. For future scientists, the Junior Veterinary Lab offers the chance to learn how to rescue, treat and release an injured sea turtle.

Fiesta de Pueblo

Photo by Aladberto Boyer

The largest annual Hispanic multicultural and art festival in The Palm Beaches, Fiesta de Pueblo takes place each January and celebrates Three Kings Day, or the Three Wise Men. Drawing thousands of visitors to Samuel J. Ferreri Community Park in Greenacres, this free event provides a unique, cross-cultural celebration of Hispanic culture through music, food, art and commerce. The event includes representation from more than 21 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. With parades, games, amusement park rides, regional cuisine and live entertainment, attendees can shop for artwork and goods from Palm Beach County-based artisans at the event’s business expo. Join the fun at this annual cultural event!

ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival

Photo courtesy of Tracey Benson Photography

In four decades, ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival has grown from a small, local art show to a nationally recognized fine arts festival attracting tens of thousands of art lovers and collectors. The festival takes place each February over President’s Day weekend in Palm Beach Gardens. Produced by the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce, ArtiGras has been named one of the top 70 fine art festivals in the country and showcases a juried exhibition of gallery-quality art from 300 artists. ArtiGras also features a youth art competition, kids zone and live entertainment. A portion of the proceeds from the festival go to benefit art education in schools throughout Palm Beach County.

Delray Affair

One of the largest arts and crafts festivals in the southeast United States, Delray Beach’s Delray Affair takes place each April along seven city blocks of the waterfront town’s vibrant Atlantic Avenue. Produced by the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce and currently celebrating its 62nd year, the show has received numerous state and international awards for its impressive mixture of art, crafts and unique goods from around the world. The three-day event features live craftsmanship demonstrations, engaging workshops, performances by musicians and interactive experiences. It’s easy to see why this festival has earned the nickname “the greatest art and craft show under the sun.”

Black Gold Jubilee

Courtesy of the Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce

Perfect for families, Belle Glade’s annual Black Gold Jubilee is an annual harvest festival that celebrates the area’s rich soil, dubbed “black gold” for its ability to produce bountiful harvests year after year. With multiple events leading up to the big day each April, the festival starts with 5K and 10K races and a parade on Main Street, followed by a full day of fun, food, and entertainment on Torry Island. The event includes free games and rides for children and the opportunity to shop for handmade goods from artisans. In the evening, the amphitheater stage offers a spectacular lineup of musical entertainment followed by fireworks over the lake.

Looking for more arts and culture to explore in The Palm Beaches? Download our cultural travel guide today.

MISSION

The mission of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is to nurture, promote, and support a healthy, diverse, and inclusive cultural sector. We serve as cultural architects, championing and growing cultural organizations and creative professionals so that arts and culture are a part of everyday life, for everyone.

The Cultural Council’s headquarters (601 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach) features three galleries. The spaces are used for visual arts exhibitions as well as performances (music, dance, etc.) throughout the year. The solo gallery is approximately 390 square feet and includes moveable wall in the space. The Council also offers other programs and services designed to support creative professionals in Palm Beach County and has a dedicated Artist Resource Team (ART) to support the sector.

VISION

We envision Palm Beach County as a thriving, vibrant, financially stable, and inclusive arts and cultural community that contributes to an exceptional quality of life.

STATEMENT OF CULTURAL EQUITY

We believe that everyone has cultural traditions that are inherently valuable. We seek to honor and value creative expression of all people through the work of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County. Creating an art-filled community means seeing, celebrating, and serving all. Cultural equity is essential to a sustainable arts and cultural sector and a vibrant and thriving community.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions allow visual artists to display and sell their work in a professionally curated and well-promoted show. The Council is available to assist in the selection of the artwork to be displayed, install/de-install the show, handle logistics and sales, and answer all questions along the way. The Council retains 25% of all art sales. These funds are used to support the artist services staff and maintain the building.

Overview

The purpose of the Solo Gallery is to provide Palm Beach County-based emerging or professional visual artists with an opportunity for a solo exhibition (typically a full series of their work or a sampling of work representative of their career evolution). The Council uses a non-paid, competitive selection process for this gallery in an effort to provide opportunities for artists of any means.

Interested artists will submit an application and sample work to be considered by a vetting committee of visual arts professionals. The 2024-2025 schedule will include six solo shows that run for six weeks each.

Application Requirements

Artists are invited to submit an exhibition proposal, brief bio and up to seven images of individual artworks to be considered for inclusion in the 2024/2025 Cultural Council Solo Gallery exhibition schedule. Artwork may be any medium including but not limited to: photography, video, work on paper, sculptural installations, crafts, and textiles. Files must be jpg, not larger than 5 MB per file. Please include all artwork information (Title, Date, Dimensions, Medium, Edition, Run length, Insurance Value). The artist must be the sole author and owner of the title and copyright of all artwork entered.

Please list top three choices for show dates in application

Eligibility Criteria: Artists must live in Palm Beach County, Florida

Submissions will only be accepted by the online platform CaFE.

More questions? Email art@palmbeachculture.com or call 561-472-3336 .

Experience Imaginative Collage Work at Powerful New Exhibition at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County

Posted by: Linnea Bailey

February 29, 2024

In her first solo exhibition, Diana Garcia’s ‘Glue – Paper – Scissors’ transforms rescued print images into works of highly original, layered art

LAKE WORTH BEACH, FL —A collection of intricate layered collage pieces will soon be showcased in a notable art exhibition in downtown Lake Worth Beach.

The exhibition Diana Garcia : Glue – Paper – Scissors will take place at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County’s Solo Gallery from March 15 through May 4. Free and open to the public, hours are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

Palm Springs-based professional artist Diana Garcia has long been experimenting with paper, a flexible yet rigid material that serves as her medium of communication. She transforms images rescued from books and magazines, often forgotten on shelves, and reuses paper as an act of love for the planet.

Glue, paper, and scissors are the three essential elements in her work. They have given life to memories, thoughts, and places that captivate her and allow her to imagine what she has yet to experience. Shape, texture, and proportion are vital to her composition process. Humans are always implicit in Garcia’s work, but they are not always the protagonist.

“Diana Garcia’s work is wonderfully meticulous,” said Jessica Ransom, the Cultural Council’s director of artist services, who curated the exhibition. “She has an innate understanding of dimension and size, and she understands how to find disparate imagery and put it together in a cohesive way.”

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Garcia is an interior architect, illustrator and chef who has gained inspiration from her time living in Chihuahua, Mexico — which inspired her use of color throughout her work — and London in the United Kingdom, where she studied graphic design and fell in love with the fashion and movement of the city.

Her work is completely analog, and said she loves the touch and aroma of working with old magazines and superimposing pieces to represent different realities. This exhibition features 23 collages, and includes topics such as food, people and places, she said.

“Every time I travel, I try to go to secondhand bookstore to conduct research,” Garcia said. “I’ll spend hours reading about a place and looking for imagery that matches my vision for a piece.”

Selected through a highly competitive application process, Garcia is one of six Palm Beach County-based professional artists whose work was chosen by a committee for one of the Cultural Council’s coveted Solo Gallery exhibition spots. All the artists chosen for the 2023-2024 season are women.

This is Garcia’s first solo exhibition; her work was recently seen in the Cultural Council’s Contemporary Art of the Latin American Diaspora exhibition in Fall 2022.

Diana Garcia : Glue – Paper – Scissors will run from March 15 through May 4 at the Cultural Council’s headquarters in Lake Worth Beach. Exhibition hours are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. Visit palmbeachculture.com for more information or to register for the opening artist reception on Thursday, March 14, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; to RSVP, visit palmbeachculture.com/garcia. To see more of her work, visit www.dianalogcollageartist.com or find her on Instagram at @dianalog_collage_artist.

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. The Council is open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays 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
pr@palmbeachculture.com

Artists, galleries or groups are invited to apply to exhibit at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction Palm Beach!

Please complete the following application in its entirety to be considered for placement in the event. Any applications received by February 16, 2024 will be considered for priority placement. After this date placement will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applications will be accepted until March 15, 2024. This event takes place on  April 18 – 20 at the Fair Grounds.

To learn more and to download the full application guidelines, please visit PB24_Exhibitor_App_Fillable
Upon completion, please either: email to exhibitor@barrett-jackson.com or fax to 480.355.3637.

For our 25th Anniversary, Creative Capital welcomes innovative and original new project proposals in visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms.

Applications open on March 4, 2024, and the deadline for submitting is April 4, 2024 at 4PM ET.

The Creative Capital Award provides unrestricted project grants which can be drawn down over a multi-year period, bespoke professional development services, and community-building opportunities.

Grants are awarded via a democratic, national, open call, external review process. Our goal is to fund individual artists creating conceptually, aesthetically, and formally challenging, risk-taking, and never-before-seen projects.

Grant Application Details

We invite artists to propose experimental, original, bold projects in the visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, technology, literature, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms which push boundaries formally and/or thematically.

We invite artists to select a primary discipline for their proposals based on which experts are most suited and qualified to review the project proposal, with the understanding that radical art is often by nature interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or antidisciplinary. By choosing to apply within a certain disciplinary category, we are asking you to choose how you want to frame the discussion around your work and to indicate which experts are most qualified to evaluate your project proposal.

2025: 50 Grants

• Visual Arts
• Performing Arts
• Film/Moving Image
• Technology
• Literature

Artist Eligibility

• US citizen, permanent legal resident, or O-1 visa holder
• At least 25 years old
• Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice
• Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program
• May not apply to the Warhol Foundation Arts Writers grant program in the same year
• May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award
• May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year

To learn more and to download the full application guidelines, please CLICK HERE
More questions? Email awards@creative-capital.org.