Other unique projects fueled by the Community Foundation’s support include Jenny Larsson’s Fågelbo Artists Residency. Fågelbo, which means “bird’s nest” in Swedish, is a three-week program that nurtures collaboration among artists from diverse fields to produce experimental, interactive performances. In lieu of seating, audiences are free to engage in spontaneous conversation and choose how they view the show. That freedom fosters communication and community, Larsson said. Musician Joshua Tiktin is the force behind the Sailboat Bend Art Festival. The art-centric celebration evolved into a popup market at Fort Lauderdale’s Sunday Jazz Brunch and eventually led Tiktin to head up the Flagler Village Block Party Weekend. Currently, he coordinates the Flagler Village Art Walk Market, which takes place every month on the final Saturday. Tiktin said festivals connect people on a cultural and social level. Live music, DJs, vendors, food trucks and visual arts exhibits draw crowds that enable artists to earn “money doing what they love,” he added. Calibe Thompson, a publisher, television and event producer, broadened her Taste the Islands Experience in conjunction with the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society. Thompson added a Caribbean culinary museum and theater to her annual event that showcases the Caribbean’s rich culinary heritage. The festival featured actors portraying their ancestors’ stories about regional foods such as rum, sugar and spices. A museum display held antiquated cookware. Freshly prepared dishes gave attendees a taste of history.
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“It exposes our culture to a broader mass market audience so they can learn about it and fall in love with it the way we love our culture,” Thompson said.
...THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AIMS TO SUPPORT ARTS THAT CREATE A SENSE OF PLACE AND PRIDE IN BROWARD COUNTY...
ABOVE: MASS District Art Walk, curated by CFB Grantee, Joshua Tiktin; Photos courtesy the artist
CREATIVE + CONSCIOUS CULTURE
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