Culture Worthy of Your Calendar: Paintings and Photographs and More... 

Winter Park “Paint Out Exhibit” at Welcome Center
What better place to exhibit a group of beautiful paintings – ALL of scenes of Winter Park – than at Winter Park’s Welcome Center at 151 West Lyman Avenue. The exhibit of 24 paintings was created recently during an event called the Winter Park Paint Out.  Sponsored by Winter Park’s unique and industrious Albin Polasek Museum, fine artists were invited to paint outdoors at various Winter Park locations, creating new works of art depicting different aspects of the city. The paintings – on display through August 30 at the Welcome Center – are available for purchase with proceeds benefiting the Polasek Museum. For more information, call 407.647.6294 or visit www.winterparkpaintout.org/chambershow.php or www.polasek.org

Everglades Images through July 25
The month of July offers our last chance to view the photography exhibit Clyde Butcher: Big Cypress and the Western Everglades at the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) before it closes on July 25th.  The exhibit features 40 large-format black and white photographs and a video documentary depicting the beauty and fragility of the Western Everglades. The exhibit is particularly timely as we are all affected every day by Florida’s current environmental crisis in the Gulf. In the tradition of Ansel Adams' large-format photographs, Butcher composes his works at locations across Big Cypress Swamp creating unique compositions that have given him the reputation of being one of Florida’s foremost landscape photographers.  The OMA is located in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park at 2416 North Mills Avenue. Call 407.896.4231 or visit www.omart.org.

Summer Concerts at Epcot
The music of our favorite bands will keep the crowds “rockin” every evening in July at Epcot during their ‘Sounds Like Summer’ concert series featuring tribute bands that celebrate the music of Bon Jovi, The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, U2 and Chicago. “The key thing about tribute bands is that their intention is to reproduce, as closely as possible, the music of the artist whose work they are celebrating,” explains Alan Bruun of Walt Disney World Entertainment. “A tribute band goes for authenticity. Each band that performs as part of the series has received written authorization from the band whose music they play.” Performances at America Gardens Theatre are scheduled for 5:45, 7 and 8:15 pm, and are included with Epcot admission. Here’s the schedule
Now through July 3: Karin Lawson - A Tribute to Janet Jackson
July 4 to 10: Satisfaction - A Tribute to The Rolling Stones
July 11 to 17: Slippery When Wet - The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute
July 18 to 24: 2U - A Tribute to U2
July 25 to 31: Beginnings - A Tribute to Chicago

New Art from ‘Ab the Flagman’
The fireworks of July 4 will also announce the arrival of Georgia artist Roger Ivens, aka Ab the Flagman, to the Jeanine Taylor Folk Art Gallery in Sanford. Ivens’ reputation is based on his patriotic, large-scale wooden flag assemblages. As a child, his father’s flag-draped coffin provided early inspiration for what would become the Artist’s trademark subject.  In addition to his three-dimensional flags, Ivens carves assorted images of American culture, including eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and street scenes.  His exhibit for the Jeanine Taylor Gallery will also feature work inspired by visits to Florida with palm trees, ocean piers, and ospreys finding their way into his repertoire. Ivens’ work is found in numerous collections, including the House of Blues, the Mennello Museum of American Art, and the Orlando Chamber of Commerce.  The Opening Reception, with the Artist in attendance, will be held on Friday, July 9, from 6 to 9 pm at Jeanine Taylor Folk Art, 211 East First Street in Sanford. The Show will run through July 25 with a Gallery Talk set for Saturday July 17 at 1 pm. Call 407 323-2774 or visit www.jtfolkart.com

Josh Garrick is the Florida Arts Editor for Wandering Educators