Tag Archives: arts

Summer Fun At The MCA Denver!

DenverMCA

The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver (MCA Denver) explores the art and culture of our time through rotating exhibitions and public educational programs. Featuring regional, national and international artists, MCA Denver offers a wide range of exhibitions promoting creative experimentation with art and ideas. Through adult and youth education programs and other creative events, the museum serves as an innovative forum for a culturally engaged community.

MCA Denver is a non-collecting institution acting as an incubator for art and ideas, artistic exchange, and dialogue. In 2007, eleven years after its founding, the museum opened a new David Adjaye-designed building in Lower Downtown Denver. MCA Denver presents exhibitions featuring local, national and international artists, as well as offering ongoing public programs that explore the relationship between art and contemporary life. MCA Denver has a robust youth program, with a focus on teens.

The MCA has a fun Summer Camp With Adult Drinks program running through August with Bartender-in-Residence on Wednesday Nights
from 5–9PM where Denver’s top bartenders drop by to counsel campers on the art and craft of a tasty cocktail. Each beverage counselor will create signature drinks on the outdoor rooftop bar on Wednesday evenings from 5–9PM. During June the Beverage Counselor is from Steubens. In July, the Beverage Counselor is from The Kitchen, and in August, the Beverage Counselor is from Coohills.

Also, on Thursday nights, The MCA hosts “Mixed Taste”, Tag-team lectures on unrelated subjects, such as Sinkholes & Wormholes or Draft Beer & Draft Urbanism. The Mixed Taste series runs until August 29, 2013. Visit mcadenver.org for more information.

Laura Bruney- Executive director of Miami’s Arts & Business Council.

laura_bruney[1]

Tell me about your current job and your past history that makes you the perfect person to be a Miami insider.

I moved to Miami when I was 11 years old so I think I am almost a native. I have been Executive Director of the Arts & Business Council of Miami for over 23 years. In this role I create working partnerships between the corporate and cultural communities. We have programs that help business professionals connect with their creative side and make meaningful use of their skills and their free time. I work with over 500 arts groups and hundreds of artists in Miami Dade and am a passionate fan of the arts in our community.

What do you love about Miami in the Fall?
The cultural season gets into full swing in the fall. I also love football which starts in the fall and love the Miami Dolphins (most years). The weather cools off and hurricane season ends.

What are some of your favorite neighborhoods?
South Beach on the bay side, Design District, Mimo and Miracle Mile in Coral Gables.
For eating? Lincoln Road, Coral Gables
Museums? Miami Beach, Downtown

What is your favorite place to shop in the city?
Museum gift shops have the best and most unique items for sale. Your purchase supports the arts. Many museums carry the work of local artists. You can find a list of all the museums in Miami-Dade at www.MiamiDadeArts.org and click on find an arts group.

laurie1_serving_the_arts_3

What inspires you about Miami?
The diversity of the people and places, the sunshine, the warm and inviting atmosphere and of course our world class cultural community including over 1,000 arts groups.

Do you have an insider tip for tourists visiting Miami for the first time?
Explore. Go to the different neighborhoods for different experiences. Visit our museums, take an Art Deco walk or historic walking tour with Dr. George. Check the Weekend Section of the Miami Herald and go to a festival or special event. Miami has more festivals than days in the year! Visit the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau website www.gmcvb.com for a great calendar of events and programs and great promotions such as Miami Spice month at some of our best restaurants.

Are you a regular somewhere?
The Adrienne Arsht Center, museums, theatres and festivals.

Do you have a secret spot in the city (to unwind, get away, people watch, read a book, escape) and why?
Maurice Gibb Park in South Beach is a quiet little park right on the bay. Perfect for a small picnic with friends, walking the dog or just watching the sunset over beautiful downtown Miami.

What are your favorite
Restaurants – Joe Allen, Solea at the W, Dynamo Café at Wolfsonian, Garcias on the River, Sr. Martinez
Museums – Miami has a great variety of museums and I love them all. Some of my favorites Wolfsonian, Bass Museum, Lowes Art Museum, Deering Estate. Looking forward to our new museum park opening in a few years in downtown Miami.
shopping places – Lincoln Road, Bakery Center Art Space, Museum gift shops
favorite events:
Art Basel, Coconut Grove Arts Festival, Miami Book Fair, Summer Shorts, Miami Hispanic Theatre Festival

laurie41368_706304519_4872_n

3. Join the Tradition at Capitol Hill People’s Fair June 5-6

Picture 106The aptly named People’s Fair really has become a favorite summer tradition in Denver, even receiving a “Top of the Rocky” Award by the Rocky Mountain News Readers. The CHUN Capitol Hill People’s Fair celebrates the diverse Denver urban community with a premiere arts and crafts festival, delicious culinary bites, entertainment from talented musicians, and other things to do with the family. It’s a great way to spend time with friends and family- and best of all, it’s all for free.

3. 12th Annual Boston College Arts Festival April 29

Screen shot 2010-03-24 at 4.47.23 PMEvery year, the Boston College Arts Festival brings the community together to celebrate the arts.  This annual spring event, now in its 12th year, showcases over 1,000 student and faculty artists in the performing, visual, and literary arts. Join the over 16,000 art enthusiasts expected to attend the festival and participate in art demonstrations, enjoy music, dance and theater performances, browse through art exhibitions, listen to literary readings and view films. A staple of the festival every year, this year’s children’s activities include interactive arts and crafts, a story hour, and an instrument petting zoo with the Boston College band.

2. SoBay Festival of the Arts Feb. 1-14

Created in 2006, the SoBPicture 2ay Festival of Arts is an annual celebration of the literary, performing and visual arts of the South Miami-Dade community, including a wide-range of events that appeal to different tastes.

Events will include the Greater Miami Youth Symphony Performance, an Eco-Art Project, and the Miami-Dade College Theatre Department presenting an evening of Vignette’s on the Estate, to name a few. Along with the Festival, Ancestral Journeys by Xavier Cortada, an installation exhibit that uses DNA to trace the ancestral journeys of the people living in Miami, will be on view the entire month of February. Pianist Johnny Rodgers will bring the festival to a close on February 14th at the Annual Moonlight and Music Jazz Concert.

Twirls, Tutus and Tights at the Miami City Ballet

Dancing couple 2Master ballet choreographer George Balanchine had a protege once, his name was Edward Villella and he is now the artistic director of the Miami City Ballet. Even though Villella has made a name on his own, with an induction into the Dancer’s Hall of Fame in 2004, it’s no wonder a major chunk of the troupe’s repertoire — which numbers 88 ballets — are Balanchine-choreographed pieces.

The troupe’s international blend of dancers have performed with the Paris Opera Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre, The National Ballet of China and the San Francisco Ballet, to name a few. This season, on top of the Balanchine pieces, there are nine world premieres in the mix. Check them out this season as they leap, twirl and float across the stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Downtown Miami.