news briefs
Free Our Seas and Beyond Environmental Art Festival
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arnessing the power of art to connect with the environment, shine a light on solutions and inspire and educate to create change is the mission of the Free Our Seas and Beyond Environmental Art Festival. In partnership with the Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) at Carpenter House, Nova Southeastern University Broward and the City of Hollywood, the event takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 21. The Carpenter House oceanfront location at 4414 North Surf Road, Hollywood Beach, is perfect for the festival. Art inspired by nature as well as upcycled and recycled environmentally themed pieces will highlight our connection to the ocean while raising awareness of the impact single-use plastics have on our beaches, waterways and marine life. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. with a community beach clean-up sponsored by Surfrider Foundation of Broward County. From noon to 5 p.m., original and inspiring artwork created by professional and student artists will be showcased along with musical performances, food trucks, art centers and games for children, environmentally friendly vendors, nonprofits, a community art installation, feedings of Captain, the rescued sea turtle, and more. For more information, call Manon Wiese, 786-295-4294, email Manon.FreeOurSeas@ gmail.com, Instagram@FreeOurSeasAndBeyond, or visit us on www.Facebook.com/ freeourseasandbeyond/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel Or cnso.Nova.edu/carpenter-house-meec/plan-your-visit/index.html.
Menena Cottin Awakens Your Inner Child Local Author Menena Cottin Shows How Curiosity Leads to Empathy ward-winning author, illustrator and artist Menena Cottin has already touched the lives of many. She has written books, often categorized as children’s books, based on curiosities like experiencing colors as a blind child, living in a world turned upside down and how reality is really a matter of perspective. Simple in their aesthetics, but profound and transformational in their messages, Menena Cottin’s books have been applauded by the likes of the New York Times and School Library Journal’s Best Books for Children, and some have been translated into as many as 20 languages. A sensation in her native Venezuela, and throughout parts of Latin America, now she looks to crossover into the US market alongside curator Pedro Quintero with an artistic exhibition, coupled with book readings and lectures, that promise to awaken the inner child in us all.
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The immersive and fully bilingual exhibition will be on display at IdeoBox Art Space in Wynwood from April 26 to June 23, 2018. All are welcome to come and experience Seeking the Essence. Guided tours for groups of 5 or more can be arranged by calling 305-573-4618. Ideobox Gallery is located at 2417 N. Miami Avenue. Gallery hours are from 9am-5pm, M-F. A public opening reception, with artist talk, guided tour, food and refreshments, is programmed for April 26, 6-9p.m.
O, Seventh Annual Miami Poetry Festival
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, Miami Poetry Festival 2018, a month-long initiative with a mission to expose every single person in Miami to a poem, is in full motion. With Poetry popping up in unusual places around the city, like the walls of the Frost Museum and on street corners where poetry adorned paper flowers will be distributed by vets, this event will take you on an unexpected and inspiring journey. The 2018 event includes “Deep Listening (April 8th) “when we’ll gather at Matheson Hammock (9610 Old Cutler Rd, Coral Gables), and join Archival Feedback in a guided session of Deep Listening and experience selections of Pauline Oliveros’ original Sonic Meditation exercises, along with AF-penned reveries,” said project creator, Emile Milgram, “We’ll find ourselves in a heightened state of awareness through observation and intuition, when our senses will connect us to the surrounding environment toward a more receptive mode for engagement and play.” Each participant can respond to the experience by writing a poem or meditation. “During Oracle in the Trees, (April 21st) we’ll take a sensory and leisurely stroll in the pine rocklands, an endangered ecosystem of Matheson Hammock, with artist Fereshteh Toosi and discover secrets in both written and natural poetry,” Milgram continues. “Together we’ll explore the forest ecology while engaging in a series of sensory experiences focusing on relaxation, reflection, and the poetry of Hafez, a 14th century Persian mystic.” Daily, during the month, is Ocean Stanzas at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center on Key Biscayne (6767 Crandon Blvd, Miami). Visitors will receive a poetry prompt to pause, slow down, and reflect on South Florida’s beauty and natural environment. For more information visit omiami.org April 2018
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