Lori Hope Baumel » 2016

01 Jan 2016

The Season Has Just Begun

By Lori Baumel

Lori Hope Baumel

Originally appeared in Around Wellington Magazine on January 1, 2016

Yay! Wahoo. It’s the height of “season” in South Florida. Northerners are jealous

of the magnificent weather and the cultural arts are in full bloom. Equestrians are

jumping or can be found stomping divots on the Polo Fields. New Year’s Eve may

be the end of the holiday season, but those of us who live in Wellington know

that there’s something exciting to enjoy each day in Palm Beach County. Take

advantage of all the area (and great climate) has to offer. Museums, concerts,

films or a book by the beach are all within a twenty-minute drive. Let’s get to it.

Listed below is a small sample of a plethora of enlightening opportunities. Don’t

just dream about it. Set some dates in your calendar. Recently, Dr. Johnny

Bergstrom shared this bit of advice with me: “Find your joy, follow it and it will

give you more.” Call a friend – make a plan and do it!

Live… Go… Do!

1) What’s going on at our very own Norton Museum of Art?

World Premiere Tiny: Streetwise Revisited – Photographs by Mary Ellen Mark

On view through March 20, 2016

Tiny in her Halloween costume, Seattle, Washington 1983

“Tiny” Photo: Mary Ellen Mark

“She’s an amazing force of nature.”

– Norton Curator of Photography, Tim Wride

Based on a book in collaboration with Aperture Magazine, the exhibit is the

photographer’s final long-term project (Mark passed away in May at age 75).The

exhibition, features about 60 images, many of which have never before been publicly

displayed. In 1983, Mark began a project called Streetwise that would become a

poignant document of a fiercely independent group of homeless and troubled Seattle

youth who made their way on the streets as pimps, prostitutes, panhandlers, and

small-time drug dealers. Streetwise received critical acclaim for its honest,

unvarnished portrayal of life on the streets and introduced the public to characters

not easily forgotten, including, “Tiny,” a 13-year-old prostitute with dreams of a horse

farm, diamonds and furs, and a baby of her own.

After meeting Tiny all those years ago, Mark continued to photograph her, creating

what has become one of Mark’s most significant, and ultimately her last, long-term

project. Now 45, Tiny’s life has unfolded in unexpected ways, including the fact that

she is the mother of 10 children. Tiny: Streetwise Revisited is a rare examination of

intergenerational poverty, radiating out to issues of homelessness, education,

healthcare, addiction, mental health, and child welfare. Mark’s images provide

powerful insight into some of the more complex challenges of contemporary

American life; yet also reveal the unique 30-year relationship between an artist and

her subject.

I urge our readers to take their time when viewing this exhibit. Attention must be paid

to the detail in every photograph. Tiny had no choice but to live the life of an adult at

the tender age of 13, yet she insisted that her children live joyful lives. The portraits

are almost embarrassingly intimate. Ms. Mark was in this project for the long haul

and photographed Tiny and her family well into 2014. For more information go to www.norton.org.

Art After Dark… Jazz

The Norton Museum of Art is thrilled to have Reuben Hoch and his Chassidic Jazz

Project perform at Art After Dark in conjunction with the exhibition, This Place: Israel

Through Photography’s Lens. The concert takes place during the Museum’s Art After

Dark at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7.

Norton Concert Series:

Andrew Sords: Art of the Violin – Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016 at 3 PM

With comments like “utterly radiant” and “exceptionally heartfelt and soulful,” reviewers

have hailed Andrew Sords’ artistry with the violin. Along with pianist Eriko Izumida, Sords performs a concert of Romantic favorites, including Brahms’ 3rd Sonata for Violin and Elgar’s Salut d’Amour, as well as Bartók’s Rumanian Folk Dances.

On View… A Rare Opportunity:

Vincent van Gogh – The Poplars at Saint-Rémy, 1889

(On loan from The Cleveland Museum of Art)

Through April 17, 2016

Edgar Degas – Portrait of Mlle. Hortense Valpinçon, c. 1871

(On loan from the Minneapolis Institute of Art)

Through May 15, 2016

2) Concerts and Shows:

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is going to jumpstart 2016 with two months of nonstop concerts and shows highlighting award-winning headliners from Broadway, Hollywood and all over the world.

Including:

The Best of Forbidden Broadway, Paul Anka, 42^nd STREET, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, 2 Cellos, Patti LaBelle, Penn & Teller, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Yo-Yo Ma, Kristin Chenoweth, STAR TREK: The Ultimate Voyage Concert Tour, Shatner’s World: Starring William Shatner, Cleveland Orchestra, The Slocan Ramblers, Jackie Mason, Che Malambo, Robert Klein & Rita Rudner, African-American Film Festival and Michael Feinstein Conducts The Kravis Center Pops Orchestra

For dates and times visit www.kravis.org

3) Check it out:

Lafayette’s at CityPlace in West Palm Beach Features:

Henry Gross

Sunday nights through January 31 at 7:00 PM

A founding member of 1950’s revival group, Sha Na Na, at age 18, Henry was the youngest person to perform at the Woodstock Festival. Henry went on to sell seven million singles and LP’s while recording over twenty solo albums for many of the most prestigious record companies in the world. He’s spent the last 46 years touring the world, performing solo shows and sharing stages with nearly every iconic act from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s including The Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith, The Byrds, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Joe Cocker, Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, Huey Lewis and the News, Hall and Oates, Chicago, The Kinks, Loretta Lynn, Jay Leno as well as touring England with legendary rocker Joe Brown.

He wrote and recorded several top 40 and regional hits including the worldwide hit “Shannon,” inspired by the death of his pal, Beach Boy lead singer Carl Wilson’s Irish Setter which has become an anthem for animal rescues, no kill shelters and dog lovers everywhere. His guitar playing can be heard on recordings by a variety of artists including Dion, Judy Collins and the late Jim Croce. Henry also currently performs a self written, ninety minute one man theatrical show called “One Hit Wanderer” to rave reviews. He continues to write and record for his own Zelda Records label, while splitting his time between Nashville, TN and Naples, FL. Admission is free.

For more info see:

www.henrygross.com and www.lafayettes.com

4) Books:

Do you work for 12 hours a day in your bathrobe and slippers? George Gershwin did. Start off the year learning about the daily rituals of famous artists, poets, scientists, choreographers, writers and more. Everyone works differently; yet, you’d be surprised to discover how much we all have in common. Mason Currey’s Daily Rituals is a literary gem filled with short stories that are sure to bring on a smile or two.

Included are the daily rituals of Charles Darwin, Andy Warhol, John Updike, Twyla Tharp, Benjamin Franklin, William Faulkner, Jane Austen, Anne Rice, and Igor Stravinsky (he was never able to compose unless he was sure no one could hear him and, when blocked, stood on his head to “clear the brain”). Brilliantly compiled and edited, and filled with detail and anecdote, Daily Rituals is irresistible, addictive, and magically inspiring.

5) Films:

Golden Globe and (sure to be) Oscar contenders, Brooklyn and The Big Short both demonstrate cinematic excellence. Brooklyn literally glows on screen, while The Big Short intensely immerses you into the cause of the 2008 economic collapse. Both have stellar casts and brilliant direction. If you miss them in theaters, be sure to put these movies on your Netflix or Amazon Prime watch list!