arts in The Palm Beaches
A GUIDE PRESENTED BY At the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach
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ARTS & WELLNESS in The Palm Beaches
Part of the appeal of museums and cultural destinations is the sense of well-being they provide and the wonder they inspire. In Palm Beach County, many organizations are doubling down on the positive impacts the arts have on emotional, physical, and mental health by providing a plethora of programming centered around mindfulness, exercise, science, accessibility, and more. In the following pages, we spotlight some wellness-centric activities you can try now and share insight into their benefits. BY SKYE SHERMAN
Mounts Botanical Garden
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It’s hard not to feel inspired when exploring the 20-acre Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach; luckily, you can channel that into painting if you take a watercolor class with local artist and photographer Carl Stoveland. Mounts offers adult watercolor classes for novices and experienced painters alike. Time is split between demos by Stoveland and supervised painting. During the beginners’ class, students start with the basics and learn a new technique
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each week, over time creating simple paintings and progressing one’s skills. While you can always drop in, signing up for a weekly painting class is the best way to reap the benefits of this calming hobby. Watercolor classes are a way to combine an interest in art and nature, relax, express yourself creatively, and produce beautiful pieces of art you can feel proud of. If you sign up, equip yourself with a basic set of pencils, pens, paints, sketchpad,
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Tickets are $15 for members and $30 for non-members and include admission to the museum. bocamuseum. org, 561.392.2500
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COURTESY OF MOUNTS BOTANICAL GARDEN
Get your yoga on at these cultural destinations •Every Monday evening, yogis gather with local yoga studio owner Mary Veal on the ground-level deck of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum to participate in a serene twilight yoga session. The class costs $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers, is open to all levels, and requires only a yoga mat and a flashlight. jupiterlighthouse.org, 561.747.8380 •Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach hosts Mindful Moments adult yoga every Tuesday and Thursday evening (5:45 p.m.). These hour-long classes cost $5 to attend and take place outside, adjacent to the Lake Worth Lagoon. visitmanatee lagoon.com, 561.626.2833 •The Boca Raton Museum of Art presents Yoga at the Museum on one Sunday every month at 9:30 a.m. Leslie Glickman of Yoga Journey Studio leads a gentle Vinyasa class among the museum’s inspirational works.
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watercolor pad, or journal plus a way to take photos (like a cell phone or tablet). Beyond this painting class, visitors can return to the Mounts again and again for unique wellness offerings, from tai chi to holistic healing workshops. The latter includes heart-opening cacao ceremonies, full-moon release ceremonies, and forest bathing. Plus, any visit to the Mounts should include stops in the restorative Garden of Tranquility and informative Herb Garden of Well-Being. mounts.org, 561.233.1757
JUPITER INLET LIGHTHOUSE & MUSEUM
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MOMENTS OF ZEN ABOUND AT MOUNTS BOTANICAL GARDEN’S HERB GARDEN OF WELL-BEING (INSET) AND GARDEN OF TRANQUILITY (BELOW).
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COURTESY OF COX SCIENCE CENTER AND AQUARIUM
Cox Science Center and Aquarium
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Individuals with physical or mental differences are not excluded from the many wonderful arts and wellness offerings at local institutions. The Cox Science Center and Aquarium in West Palm Beach boasts special programs for those with sensory processing challenges and for seniors. On the first Saturday of each month, the organization hosts Sensory Saturdays, a program designed for families affected by autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing or cognitive challenges, and other guests
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requiring assistance for disabilities. On these days, the center opens for special exploration hours from 9 to 10 a.m., allowing visitors to experience the exhibits before the doors open to the general public. The center also limits stimulation via softened general lighting, decreased noise level, and limited visual stimulation on interactive exhibits, wherever possible. On the second Wednesday of every month from 2 to 5 p.m., guests 60 and older can enjoy Silver Science Days, during
THE COX SCIENCE CENTER AND AQUARIUM OFFERS NUMEROUS HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND EXHIBITS. ITS SENSORY SATURDAYS PROGRAM AIMS TO MAKE THE FACILITY EVEN FRIENDLIER TO GUESTS WITH SENSORY-PROCESSING CHALLENGES.
which they can learn from guest presenters on various topics, view a planetarium show, and interact with dozens of educational exhibits. Participants in both Silver Science Days and Sensory Saturdays are privy to discounted admission and other perks. coxsciencecenter.org, 561.832.1988
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COURTESY OF ARMORY ART CENTER
COURTESY OF THE MORIKAMI MUSEUM AND JAPANESE GARDENS
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens Meditative walks at the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach are a favorite pastime among locals, but participating in a sado tea ceremony, which takes place in the authentic Seishin-an Tea House, will further deepen visitors’ appreciation for this cultural gem. A word meaning “the way of tea,” sado is the term for Japan’s traditional and highly ritualized tea ceremony, or a way of serving and drinking green matcha tea that involves a host and guests. The practice, with its series of very precise movements, is considered a moving meditation and can be beneficial to mental and emotional health when used as a way to slow down in today’s frenetic world. During the Morikami’s guided sado workshops, guests are asked to sit on the floor of the tatami room in the seiza position (with knees bent and folded beneath the thighs) to fully appreciate the aesthetics and traditions of the ceremony. Those who take the workshop learn how to participate as a guest as well as the appropriate way to prepare and serve a bowl of tea. If you go, make sure to wear white socks and long
HONORING AMERICA’S HEROES West Palm Beach’s Armory Art Center is servicing one of society’s most underserved demographics—veterans— through its BraveHeArts program. Working with the VA of West Palm Beach and Mission United, the Armory provides veterans with both group art therapy classes and individual opportunities in a wide range of media, from pottery to creative writing. Through visual arts and the power of creative expression, veterans are encouraged to be present, learn new skills or rediscover strengths, improve dexterity, and experience further rehabilitation. The program’s aim is to instill a sense of accomplishment in each veteran, supporting their mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. armoryart.org, 561.832.1776
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THE MORIKAMI’S SADO TEA CEREMONY CLASS IS OFFERED TWICE MONTHLY AND GEARED TOWARD BEGINNERS.
pants or a long skirt. In addition to Japanese tea ceremonies, the Morikami offers a wide variety of workshops, classes, and experiences, including calligraphy, gift presentation, ramen spoon carving, kintsugi (mending broken pottery with gold), and shibori indigo dyeing. It also hosts a therapeutic garden walking program called the Stroll for Well-Being, with multiweek sessions taking place in the fall and winter. Advance registration is required. morikami.org, 561.495.0233
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TRACEY BENSON PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF MAX PLANCK FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR NEUROSCIENCE
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SPEAKERS AT THE SCIENCE MEETS MUSIC SERIES HAVE INCLUDED DR. DANIELA SAMMLER (ABOVE), WHO DISCUSSED HOW THE BRAIN PLAYS MUSIC, AND DR. PATRICK CRAMER (TOP CENTER), WHO SHARED INSIGHT INTO HOW MRNA IS MADE.
Science Meets Music In addition to beautiful surrounds and a thriving arts scene, The Palm Beaches are home to an impressive science sector—to include the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) in Jupiter. And for more than a decade, MPFI has presented its breakthrough research with a serving of classical music. The organization’s Science Meets Music series celebrates the similarities between
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science and music, two fields that require ingenuity and dedication in spades. At evening concerts held at The Benjamin Upper School in Palm Beach Gardens, leading
neuroscientists share their discoveries in between world-class musical performances. Previous speakers have explored topics such as how memories are powered, the future of mental wellness with new technology, and new insights into Alzheimer’s disease causes and therapies. MPFI has a robust back catalogue of its presentations on YouTube. mpfi.org, 561.972.9000
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CHRISTINA CERNIK
Walking has a host of health benefits, both physical and mental. Here’s a roundup of the county’s best places to go for a stroll. • Palm Beach’s Lake Trail stretches more than 5 miles along the Intracoastal Waterway (from near The Society of the Four Arts to just north of the Sailfish Club), but walking, biking, or blading any section is scenic and refreshing. Park near the Four Arts’ King Library and walk north to the massive kapok tree at the Royal Poinciana Chapel to experience the trail’s most popular portion. • Located at Wellington’s Village Park Athletic Complex, Peaceful Waters Sanctuary is a 30-acre wetlands park with 1,500 feet of elevated boardwalks and a mile of walking trails. Best of all, you can enjoy bird-watching and read various displays with information about native wildlife as you go. • Part of the Great Florida Bird and Wildlife Trail, Frenchman’s Forest in Palm Beach Gardens is a natural area spanning 172 acres, every portion of which provides habitat for at least one rare or endangered animal or plant species— more than 500 animal and 200 plant species call this spot home. Walk the paved or sandy paths and see if you can spy a great horned owl, red-bellied woodpecker, gopher tortoise, or manatee. • Open to cyclists and pedestrians, West Palm Beach’s new Clear Lake Trail runs 1.5 miles along the western border of Clear Lake between Okeechobee and Palm Beach Lakes boulevards. Highlights of the paved path include a 700-foot boardwalk on the lake’s southern shore and 148 newly planted trees, including live oaks, wild tamarind, mahogany, gumbo limbo, and more.
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PAVING THE WAY
DOCTOR’S ORDERS
The correlation between pursuing cultural and mindful pastimes and improved well-being is well-documented. Here, Dr. Natalie Rosenzweig, founder of Above Down Chiropractic in West Palm Beach, discusses the mental and physical health benefits of engaging with the arts. abovedownchiro.com, 561.867.3225 What does it mean for the nervous system to be imbalanced and what are some ways to bring it back into alignment? Rosenzweig: We have two primary modes of our autonomic nervous system: sympathetic, or “fight, flight, freeze,” and parasympathetic, or “rest, heal, digest.” When our brains are chronically faced with stressful, mentally strenuous scenarios, we can get stuck in fight-or-flight. Our bodies cannot thrive in this state. To create more ease in our nervous system, we can seek support from a professional and expose ourselves to environments that support a calm state of mind. Being in nature, creating, engaging in the arts, and play (even as an adult!) are all amazing activities to restore the nervous system to balance.
Why is regulating the nervous system so important? The nervous system is the primary operating system of the body. It directs and coordinates every vital system within us, allowing us to adapt to stress and heal. When our nervous system is stuck in fight-or-flight, the body actually starts to break down and lose optimal function. Our emotional state suffers as well. When we can help our nervous system be more at ease, we not only help our body heal and function optimally, we actually create better relationships with those around us. It can have a positive ripple effect on our families and communities. How do healthy regulation practices lead to better health outcomes? Much like exercise and meditation, when you engage in the arts and creative activities, you enter what I like to call the “flow state.” This is where your mind gets to just be rather than do. By allowing yourself to be present, enjoy beauty, and detach from rigid structures, deadlines, and problem-solving, you access the parasympathetic nervous system. This is where healing happens within your body.
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Yoga and South Bath Workshop led by Dakota Dawkins in front of Interconnected mural by Craig McInnis
Experience the Arts & Wellness Space Discover a vibrant outdoor space at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, where art and wellness come together. From hands-on workshops to interactive classes, there’s something for everyone—whether you want to explore movement, music, or visual arts. Engage, create, and recharge in a welcoming environment designed to inspire.
Located on the south side of the Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. Building 601 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460 palmbeachculture.com/wellness A&C Special Project_v2.indd 8
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