Capital Culture Magazine: March/april 2007

March/April 2007 Priceless

Adventures in the Arts:

Tallahassee Ballet’s production of Alice in Wonderland

Local Author Rhett DeVane Learns to Belly Dance

Conversations with writer/performer/activist

Terry Galloway

Profiles in the Arts:

John Lytle Wilson

Put a Spring in Yo r Step As the warm weather returns, the ar t scene heats up in Florida’s cultural capital

Vol. 2

March/April 2007

Issue 1

Official Publication of the

For Capital Culture Magazine Publisher Peggy Brady Editor Randi Goldstein Creative Director Tony Archer Editorial Assistant Topher Sherman Capital Culture Magazine is published bi-monthly by the Council on Culture & Arts with support from the Leon County Tourist Development Council and in cooperation with Tallahassee’s Family Forum Magazine.

March/April 2007 Priceless

Adventures in the Arts:

Tallahassee Ballet’s production of Alice in Wonderland

Local Author Rhett DeVane Learns to Belly Dance

Conversations with writer/performer/activist

Terry Galloway

Profiles in the Arts:

John Lytle Wilson

Put a Spring in Yo r Step As the warm weather returns, the ar t scene heats up in Florida’s cultural capital

On the Cover: The Tallahassee Ballet stages Alice in Wonderland for its Dance for Spring, May 4-6 at Ruby Diamond. Follow Alice’s fantastic adventure down the rabbit hole, her experiences at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, the Queen’s Croquet Match, and her encounters with the White Rabbit and the Knave of Hearts.“The production is designed to appeal to both children and adults,” says Artistic Director Henry Hernandez, who choreographed the new ballet. “My goal is for it to be enchanting.” Photo by Jon Nalon

Capital Culture Magazine is distributed free of charge to visitors to and residents of Florida’s Big Bend Area at the Council on Culture & Arts, the TACVB’s Visitor Information Center (106 E. Jefferson St.), the Tallahassee Regional Airport (1300 Capital Circle SW), as well as other partners in the hospitality industry. Reproduction of Capital Culture Magazine in whole or in part is permitted only with written permission from the Council on Culture & Arts. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Back issues of Capital Culture Magazine are available by calling the Council on Culture & Arts at (850) 224-2500 and are subject to availability. Editorial, art, and photography submissions to Capital Culture Magazine are considered. Writer’s guidelines are available at www.cocanet.org. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts or art. Capital Culture Magazine reserves the right to publish any letters to the editor. Although COCA makes every effort to publish accurate information, we make no guarantee as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information in this magazine. All rights reserved. Capital Culture Magazine is available in large print upon request. This publication is available in electronic format at COCA’s website at www.cocanet.org. The opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Council on Culture & Arts, or Capital Culture Magazine’s sponsors or advertisers. Copyright © 2007 Council on Culture & Arts

As the local arts agency for Tallahassee and Leon County, the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) works on behalf of the community to support the area’s diverse range of cultural events and traditions. Through innovative partnerships with community and educational groups, COCA seeks to enrich and improve the lives of citizens and visitors alike. Our professional staff and board of directors serve as a community resource to advocate for and support arts and culture in Florida’s Capital Area. COCA members include non-profit and commercial galleries, museums, theaters, music groups, dance companies, festivals, historic sites, film and video companies, educational organizations, and individual artists, as well as businesses and individuals interested in supporting local cultural activities. For more information about our services, programs, and publications, please visit www.cocanet.org. Council on Culture & Arts Staff xecutive Director Peggy Brady E Tony Archer Randi Goldstein Leslie Puckett Clint L. Riley Topher Sherman Amanda Karioth Thompson Holly Thompson Council on Culture & Arts Board of Directors Chair Michael H. Sheridan Vice Chair Ken Winker Treasurer Anne Mackenzie Secretary Kay Stephenson Exec. Comm. Margo H. Bindhardt Member At-Large Valliere Richard Auzenne Mickey Brady Lydia A. McKinley-Floyd Longineu Parsons Neil St. John Rambana Mark Ravenscraft Susan Stratton Mike Vasilinda Stacey Webb Johanna Williams Ex-officios John Marks, Mayor Bob Rackleff, County Commission Marge Banocy-Payne, TCC Valencia E. Matthews, FAMU Donna H. McHugh, FSU Paula P. Smith, PACC Chair Dick Fallon, Cultural Ambassador 2222 Old St. Augustine Road, Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850) 224-2500 office / (850) 224-2515 fax [email protected] / www.cocanet.org

A COCA publication sponsored in part by the City of Tallahassee, Leon County, the State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

CONTENTS

4 Spring is in the Air: So get up, get out, and explore Tallahassee’s arts and culture in springtime

16

12

Adventures in the Arts: Hips that Jingle-Jangle-Jingle

Conversations With:

22

Mickee Faust (and Terry Galloway)

Profiles in the Arts: John Lytle Wilson



Regular Features

2

From the Publisher

2

Contributors

3

News of Note

9

More Than You Thought

11

Ask the COCA-NUTS

14

COCA Connection

18

Directory of Arts and Cultural Organizations and Businesses



Capital Culture Magazine

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

Harnessing Creativity Illustration by Nathan Archer

By now I hope you have all heard the exciting news about the Knight Foundation’s Creative Communities Initiative, for which Tallahassee has been chosen as one of three cities in the nation. This partnership with Leon County’s leaders and “futurist” Richard Florida applies a new and imaginative approach to economic development. Richard Florida’s work spotlights human creativity as the primary engine of economic growth. “Access to talented and creative people is to modern business what access to coal and iron ore was to steelmaking,” Florida says, and we at COCA heartily agree. We are delighted to welcome this initiative, and are especially pleased that one of our board members, Lydia McKinley-Floyd, will be serving as part of Tallahassee’s Host Committee. COCA will do our best to keep you informed through this year-long process. In the meantime, we’ve put our own creativity to work to bring you a new magazine format, one that gives you more timely news, more in-depth features, and even stronger coverage of topics of interest to arts and culture lovers. COCA coined the now familiar catchphrase “More Than You Thought,” and starting with this issue, we’ll be bringing you conversations with the Many-More-Than-You-Thought arts professionals living and working in Tallahassee. I think you’ll be fascinated to read what writer, performance artist, and activist Terry Galloway has to say in this issue. And coming in May, local bond attorney (and comedy writer) Elise Judelle interviews Tallahassee City Commissioner (and novelist) Mark Mustian. Also inside, local author Rhett DeVane kicks off our new feature, Adventures in the Arts, with the charming story of how she learned to belly dance. If you’ve ever wanted to try something but didn’t because you were too self-conscious, I hope this article makes you reconsider. The new Capital Culture Magazine is bursting at the seams, and you can always get more information at COCA’s web site (www.cocanet.org) or the online calendar (www.morethanyouthought.com). See you out and about!

Peggy Brady

CONTRIBUTORS Rhett DeVane

Sam Atwood Rhett DeVane is a true southerner – born and raised in the deep, muggy, bug-infested pine and oak forests of the Florida panhandle. Originally from Chattahoochee, for the past 29 years she has made her home in Tallahassee, where she is a practicing dental hygienist and an active member of the Tallahassee Writers’ Association. Rhett is deeply committed to the completion of a series of adult mainstream novels set in north Florida. The Madhatter’s Guide to Chocolate was published in 2003 and Up the Devil’s Belly was released in 2005. A third novel in the series, Your Mama’s Comfort Food, is slated for release in the summer of 2007. For more information about Rhett, visit her web site at www.rhettdevane.com.

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Sam Atwood is a writer, performer, and disability advocate who grew up in the wilds of Maine and has lived in Tallahassee for the last seven years. He is an active member of the Mickee Faust Club, writing and performing in their cabarets, radio shows, and short films. His most recent theatrical role was the title character in Curious Echo Radio Theater’s audio production of The Moon Wraith, soon to be released on CD. He is currently collaborating on the Actual Lives project, helping to produce performance pieces created by people with disabilities. When not working, Sam can be found at Black on Black Rhyme, the Tallahassee Rock Gym, or any place coffee and cigarettes are encouraged.

Capital Culture Magazine

NEWS OF NOTE Welcome

Not just great arts teachers – great teachers!

The Tallahassee Ballet welcomes Janet Pichard as its new Executive Director. Janet has taught ballet in Tallahassee for 30 years, and has been a marketing/advertising professional for 25 years.

Five Leon County arts educators have been named the “2007 Campus Teacher of the Year” at their respective schools. They are: Kimberly Brock, art teacher at Killearn Lakes Elementary School; Jodi Drew, chorus and music teacher at Cobb Middle School; Patricia Gaskin, art and creative writing teacher at Griffin Middle School; Francine Hern, language arts teacher at Fairview Middle School, and Sheri Nilles, art teacher at SAIL High School.

Quincy Music Theatre welcomes Kevin Scott Goodson as its new Managing Director. Prior to coming to Quincy, Kevin served as the Interim Executive Director of Tallahassee Little Theatre and has worked with a number of theatres and colleges throughout his seventeen-year career.

Florida State University Art Education Professor Tom Anderson has been named higher education’s “Art Educator of the Year” by the National Art Education Association. He was nominated by a former student, and will officially receive the award in March in New York City.

Congratulations! The Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science is one of fifteen science museums in the U.S. that has been selected for the MetLife Foundation Partnership for Lifelong Learning program. The Museum has been awarded a grant of $75,000 to help create new exhibitions, implement science education programs and provide teacher training.

Attention FSU Arts Lovers The new parking garage, located on the corner of Macomb and Call Streets, is now open. The new garage is particularly convenient to the Fine Arts Ticket Office, the School of Theatre, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Claude Pepper Museum, and the College of Music. Call Street is now two-way, and the parking garage may be accessed from either Macomb Street or Call Street.

International Flair Tallahassee Community Chorus has been invited by Music Celebrations International to participate in the first ever Beijing Choral Festival in July 2007. The Chorus will be traveling to China to perform a major work at the world famous Beijing Concert Hall.

Capital Culture Magazine

Barbara Balzer (center) at the opening of her show Allegory, Attraction, and Anatomy at Thomas Eads Fine Art, December 8, 2006 with Ruth Pyatok (left) and Deanne Pool (right). Photo by Thomas Eads.

Individual Artists Honored Three Leon County writers have been awarded literature fellowships from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs. Sheila Ortiz-Taylor, David Scott, and Lucinda Vickers have each been awarded $5,000 in the highly competitive area of fiction.

David and Stacie Humphrey, Tom Guilday at the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra’s New Year’s Eve “Champagne on Ice” Gala in the ballroom at the University Center Club.

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COVER STORY

As the winter chill ebbs away, but before the full heat of summer descends on Florida’s Capital City, take advantage of Tallahassee’s beautiful springtime and fill your life with the arts.

g n i Spr a , t u o t e g , p u So get

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T e r o l p x e nd

Capital Culture Magazine

COVER STORY

2006 Flori

da Wine Fes

is

tival

e h t in

a h a l l Ta

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. e m i t g n i r p s n i e r u t l u c d n a s t r a s ’ e e s s by Randi Goldstein Editor, Capital Culture Magazine

March and April mark the beginning of a series of seasonal and outdoor arts activities. Those of us who live here look forward to our familiar favorites every year, and anxiously await the arrival of the innovative and exciting. For our visitors, of course, it’s all new!

Go to Market

The white canopies will once again line the walkways under the stately oaks of Ponce de Leon Park, when Tallahassee’s Downtown Marketplace opens for its twelfth season on March 3rd. In this relaxing setting, celebrated local musicians perform, authors and poets read from their latest books, and regional artists show their art and fine crafts. Special events bring hands-on art activities for children or sneak previews of upcoming cultural events. (See list of special events on the next page.) Open every Saturday, March through November, from 8 am until 2 pm, the Marketplace also features local farmers offering Mother Nature’s best. Homegrown produce, organic items, fresh bread, and cut flowers abound. The Downtown Marketplace’s season of 40 Saturdays is a tempting combination of

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COVER STORY the familiar and the fresh. There’s something new every time you take this stroll through the park.

More Arts in the Parks

Just east of the Downtown Marketplace, in Lewis and Bloxham Parks, is the home of another outdoor art festival, this one newer, but fast becoming a Tallahassee tradition. On April 21st and 22nd, celebrate the beauty of art and springtime at LeMoyne’s Chain of Parks Art Festival. According to LeMoyne’s Executive Director, Allison McCarthy, the Festival isn’t just for art collectors. “Our target market is for art lovers, but also for people who just love to spend a beautiful spring day outside as a family, or on a date,” McCarthy says. “People do buy a lot of art, but there is much more than that. It’s an opportunity to get out and be a part of the Tallahassee community.” The festival is a great chance to meet and talk to the artists. In fact, artists who won’t commit to being at the festival in person aren’t accepted. This spring, the 103 accepted artists are from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, but also from as far away as Montana, California, and Washington. “This year is a first,” notes McCarthy. “We will feature an international artist – a man named Yoram Gal, who is traveling all the way from Israel to participate!”

The Art and Science of Wine

An even newer spring tradition is the Florida Wine Festival, which will be celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. This three-day celebration of the art and science of wine benefits the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, and features entertainment for the whole family. For those looking for a sophisticated experience, Friday, April 12th offers an elegant night under the stars. Guests will stroll through Kleman Plaza, tasting fine wine, enjoying an assortment of cuisine from our local restaurants, and bidding on a variety of silent and live auction items. Later on, attendees can dance the night away with a performance by FAB, a Beatles tribute band. On Saturday, April 14th, join the more than 5,000 expected

Downtown Marketplace Spring/Summer 2007 Special Events 3/24

St. Francis Wildlife’s Baby Shower for Orphaned Animals St. Francis Wildlife will receive more than 1,500 orphaned wild birds and animals this spring and summer, and wild babies need lots of help.

3/31

Spring Fest, in conjunction with Springtime Tallahassee In addition to the regular market, there will be an expanded “Avenue of Artists” in Bloxham Park across Monroe Street until 4 pm.

4/7

7th Annual Haiku at Hai Noon Poetry Contest Celebrate National Poetry Month, and enter to win great prizes!

4/21

6th Annual Art Lovers’ Weekend in conjunction with LeMoyne’s Chain of Parks Art Festival More than 55 artists from here, near and faraway, in addition to LeMoyne’s 100 local and national artists.



5/12

Wild Art in the Park The Marketplace’s 4th annual special wildlife event, featuring wildlife artists, live eagles, owls, turtles, elegant snakes, and more.

6/16

Flag Day Celebration Free flags for the first 50 visitors in honor of Flag Day.

7/7

Register to Vote Pick your party or none at all, but make your voice heard. The Voter Registration Drive kicks off on the 7th but lasts all month long.

8/18

3rd Annual Beach Shirt Market Bongo Contest A farewell to summer and welcome to fall. Wear your most outlandish beach shirt and win a prize!

And that’s not all! Keep an eye out the rest of the season for popular annual events like the Art at Your Feet sidewalk chalk art contest, Beads, Bangles, and Baubles jewelry show, The Art of Glass, Pottery Fest, and Hello to Some Good Buys art sale.

“A very clever poet, Wallace Stevens, ended a poem with saying,‘But there is no spring in Florida.’ He did not know Florida. He came as a stranger, a traveler, to Florida… He could not differentiate among the shades of green… He did not know when the... cypress bursts from gray bareness into a dress of soft needles.” - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

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Capital Culture Magazine

COVER STORY

Also this Spring... 621 Gallery presents Bike Power: The Bicycle as a Cultural Force for Change, through March 30. Bicycle-related artwork includes photography, sculpture, video, and mixed media, by artists from Tallahassee and the region, as well as from New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon, California, and as far as away as Vancouver, Canada. The exhibit’s juror, Keith Roberson, an Associate Professor of Digital Arts at Florida State University, participated in and documented the 2005 London World Naked Bike Ride. “Amsterdam 54” by Troy John McCray

visitors of all ages for a community-wide celebration in the Brogan Museum and on Kleman Plaza. Outside will be food, hands-on activities for children, and live entertainment throughout the day. Inside will be wine and food lectures, plus “Winery Stations” offering tastes of fine wines. Saturday’s event will kick off with a Celebrity Grape Stomping Competition, featuring last year’s winning team from The Tallahassee Democrat. New celebrity teams (including a ferocious group of COCA-Nuts from the Council on Culture & Arts) will vie to take the title this year.

2Chez!

This spring, Chez Pierre is bringing Tallahassee a new twist on an old favorite. Replacing the popular Music on the Lawn series will be the Friday Night Music Series, in the brand new outdoor bar and grille under the yellow awning, dubbed “2Chez.” 2Chez has expanded seating, a bar, and an outdoor kitchen, plus multimedia enhancements such as a giant projection screen that rolls down in front of the new band shell. The grand opening event for the new space is planned for Sunday, March 11th, with the music series starting soon after. Besides the concert series, Chez Pierre is planning extensive music and cultural offerings on their new stage. “We will be able to offer many more arts and cultural events without fear of inclement weather,” explains D.L. LaSeur, Chez Pierre’s events manager. There will be film showings regularly during the week, with at least one large event every month. Says David Michael Sprowles, co-owner and director of operations for Chez Pierre, “We want our new space to be a neighborhood place where people drop by and know that there is always something going on.”

The Florida Swing

If you think you know all there is to see at the Museum of Florida History, you’re in for a surprise this spring. Through

Capital Culture Magazine

May 20, in addition to the huge mastodon and the permanent collection of fascinating Florida memorabilia, visitors to Tallahassee can learn about a sport with a deep connection to Florida’s past. The Florida Swing: Golf in the Sunshine State invites the professional, the duffer, and the casual observer to explore the wonderful world of golf. This exhibit traces the history and development of the game in Florida from its humble beginnings in the late 19th century to its phenomenal popularity today. The exhibit focuses on golf as an element of popular culture, including golf fashion and merchandise. (By the way, the History Shop has many items of interest to golf enthusiasts. Get your Father’s Day shopping done early!) Florida Swing isn’t just for looking at, either. Test your own skills on an interactive putting green using old hickory clubs and gutta percha balls, and swing for the distance in a specially designed swing-away driving cage. Video kiosks display action-packed graphics of golf’s favorite stars from the early days of Ben Hogan to the 21st century’s Tiger Woods. More than 100 rare artifacts on loan from the PGA round out this exciting exhibit.

On the Highway

If you aren’t familiar with the beautiful and historic paintings of the original Florida Highwaymen, there will never be a better time than this spring. Florida’s Highwaymen:

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COVER STORY Legendary Landscapes, at the Tallahassee Museum until May 20, is sure to fascinate visitors with bold colors, life-like landscapes, and sheer talent. The exhibit features 33 paintings never before displayed in this region, from the original nine Florida Highwaymen. Legendary Landscapes explores the stories of a group of young, untrained African-American landscape painters that emerged from the small Florida town of Fort Pierce in the late 1950s and 1960s. The paintings in the exhibition represent a fascinating story of a group of artists from the segregated South who overcame the odds that prevented them from working with traditional art galleries, and forced them to travel throughout the state selling their paintings out of the trunks of their cars. Telling the story of ingenuity and entrepreneurship, Florida’s Highwaymen exhibit unfolds the secrets of perseverance in the face of societal limitations. It’s not just the historic element that will interest visitors, though. “Part of the appeal of Legendary Landscapes is that it dramatically captures what Florida once was and how much it’s changed,” notes Russell Daws, Executive Director of the Tallahassee Museum. “Part of what we hope people will take away from this exhibit is an appreciation for the beauty of Florida’s landscapes, and a desire to preserve them as Florida continues to grow.”

artists from the Big Bend Area, Creative Tallahassee is great opportunity to see new artwork from familiar artists and discover artists new to the community. “I really enjoy this exhibition because local artists often take this opportunity to show something different that they have been working on – a new medium or new style,” notes Leslie Puckett, COCA’s Art in Public Places Director. Creative Tallahassee opens with a public reception and awards ceremony on Friday, April 13, and runs through May 22 at Tallahassee’s City Hall Art Gallery. Puckett says, “I always find myself inspired by something or someone in this exhibition.” So get out this spring and be inspired!

Out with the Old, In with the New

There’s no season like spring to get the creative juices flowing, and the School of Theatre at Florida State’s New Horizons: Original Works Festival may be just the ticket you need to spark your own creative side. Opening March 22 and running through April 1st in the Lab Theatre, New Horizons will debut six original works written by the Master of Fine Arts Professional Writing students and directed by the Master of Fine Arts Directing students. Fred Chappell, head of the MFA Directing Program, is excited by the chance to share the creative process with the community. “New Horizons gives students and faculty the opportunity to explore the development of new plays...,” says Chappell. “It affords our audiences the chance to share in a very exciting adventure, watching new plays evolve from inception to production.” Over the two-week festival period, three different program nights will be presented. Each night will feature a short play, a staged reading, and a talkback session. Visitors can purchase tickets for any one night, get a package deal to attend all three programs, or go all out: buy the all-access pass and attend every night.

Last But Not Least…

Don’t miss the Council on Culture & Arts’ own contribution to springtime in the Capital City. Creative Tallahassee is one of the most popular exhibits of the City of Tallahassee’s Art in Public Places season. Showcasing both novice and professional

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Nature and the Deers by Sanjit Datta from Creative Tallahassee 2006.

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Capital Culture Magazine

COCA’s MoreThanYouThought.com is a free, on-line interactive community events calendar. Everyone is invited to post their events (art-related and otherwise) to the calendar for no charge.

Here is a small sampling of the events posted in March and April 2007... (Note: All events are subject to change without notice. Check www.MoreThanYouThought. com, or contact the individual organizations listed for updated information.)

Theatre Start with My Emperor’s New Clothes from FAMU’s Essential Theatre from March 28 through April 1. Highly entertaining, this new version of the classic story is a colorful treat for audiences of all ages. Written by Larry Shue, this adaptation captures lessons in honesty, pretentiousness, and misplaced values. Call 561-2425 for tickets.

Ready for a daring evening of entertainment? Try The FULL Monty at Tallahassee Little Theatre, April 12 to 5 and 19 to 22. Six good buddies have a plan to get their lives back, and it requires them to triumph over their fears, their nerves and their clothing! This ten-time Tony Award nominee is musical comedy at its most heartwarming. Call 224-8474 or visit www.tallahasseelittletheatre.org.

If song and dance are your love, don’t miss the musical theatre classic, A Chorus Line, from TheatreTCC, at Turner Auditorium March 29 through 31, and April 5 through 7. That’s right – there’s no need to travel all the way to Broadway to see a revival of this brilliant combination of dance, song, and drama that follows the stories of theatre gypsies hoping for their big break. Call the Fine Arts Ticket Office at 644-6500.

If The Full Monty is a little too risqué for your little ones, consider The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe presented by Young Actors Theatre, March 2 through 11. When Lucy steps into the wardrobe, she crosses a forgotten portal into the magical world of Narnia, where dwarves, fauns and talking animals dwell, and where the White Witch has cast an icy spell. Call 386-6602.

Can a big girl with big dreams – and even bigger hair! – change the world . . . and still have time to win the boy she loves? From classic to new, the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center’s Broadway Series presents a national tour of Hairspray (the 2003 Tony Award-Winner for Best Musical), April 9 through 11. Tickets are on sale the Civic Center Box Office (850-222-0400 or 800-322-3602), Sam Goody in Tallahassee Mall, and at www.ticketmaster.com.

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MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT Theatre (cont.)

Dance

Another great family choice is Wind in the Willows at Quincy Music Theatre, April 13 to 15 and 20 to 22. The unforgettable characters from Kenneth Grahame’s beloved classic novel spring to life in this sparkling Broadway musical adaptation. Call 875-9444 or visit www. qmtonline.com.

For dance fans, FSU’s Department of Dance has events in both March and April. On March 23 and 24, catch the MFA Dance Concert. April 12 through 14 don’t miss the annual Evening of Dance, featuring Paul Taylor’s Esplanade as well as works by faculty and guest artists. Both events will be held at the newly-renovated Nancy Smith Fichter Dance Theatre in Montgomery Hall. Call the Fine Arts Ticket Office at 644-6500.

Music On March 11 in Opperman Music Hall, the Artist Series of Tallahassee will present the internationally famous Borodin String Quartet which celebrates its 60th Anniversary this season, making it the world’s longest-lived string quartet. Tickets are available at Beethoven & Company, MusicMasters, or by calling 224-9934. Not to be outdone by the adults, the Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestras will present seasonal concerts on March 4 and April 29, featuring the young musicians of five orchestras and four chamber groups. Families and children are encouraged to attend. Call 224-9232 for further information. The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra will be busy this spring. On March 17 at Ruby Diamond, the Symphony presents Barber, Beethoven and Brahms. The concert will feature nationally renowned soprano Carla Connors. On April 28, TSO presents Orchestral Brilliance, with special guest artist Jennifer Koh on violin. Call the Fine Arts Ticket Office at 644-6500. If you’ve never been to the opera, consider Florida State Opera’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni (March 29 through April 1 at Ruby Diamond Auditorium), based on the story of Don Juan. NonItalian-speakers can rest easy: Florida State Opera’s productions feature easy-to-read English “supertitles.” Call the Fine Arts Ticket Office at 644-6500.

Also this Spring... As the semester draws to a close, the FSU Museum of Fine Arts offers its most ambitious student exhibition of the season, showing the thesis work of MFA candidates and the final projects of BFA spring graduates. The exhibition runs from April 6-27, with a free public reception on Friday, April 6, from 7-9 pm.

Fall 2006 Graduate Artist Greg Kallide

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Capital Culture Magazine

ASK THE COCA-NUTS How can I get an artist to donate work for my charity auction fundraiser?











Signed, A Really Good Cause

Dear Good Cause, The first thing to realize is that artists are constantly asked to donate work to charity. Many of them do so, but few can accommodate the multiple requests they receive from worthy causes. A better tactic is to purchase a piece of art and donate it yourself. Keep in mind that the artist can only deduct the cost of the materials he or she uses – canvas and paint – but you can write off the full value of your purchase. That’s a win-win situation: you get the full charitable deduction, while at the same time supporting both your favorite cause and a local artist. If you do decide to seek donations directly from artists, there are a couple of ways to increase your likelihood of success. First, approach artists whose work you have already purchased. An artist, just like any other business owner, is much more likely to help out a customer than a stranger. Leslie Puckett, COCA’s Arts in Public Places Director, advises thinking about what you can give the artist in return for the donation. “Offer to split the selling price with the artist,” suggests Puckett. “Or if it is a ticketed event with refreshments or dinner, offer the artist a free ticket or two.” You should certainly list the artist’s contact information in the event program, on your web site, and in other publicity materials. But, warns Puckett, “Exposure alone isn’t enough to compensate the artist. Artists whose work is frequently sold at auctions below retail price can find their work becoming de-valued, which actually makes it harder for them to earn a living.” Another strategy to make donating more appealing is to allow the artist to set a minimum bid for his or her work.“Sometimes an event may not have the right crowd for a particular piece,” says Puckett. “It can create ill will if a thousand dollar painting ends up sold for fifty dollars for lack of a competitive bidding audience.” Last, make an effort to find an artist who already supports your cause. Your time and money are precious, and you want to contribute to groups you know and ideas you believe in. It isn’t surprising that artists feel similarly. Good luck with your event!

The COCA-Nuts Do you have a question about any aspect of the visual, performing, literary, media, or other arts? Ask the COCA-Nuts! If we don’t have the answer, we’ll find an expert who does. Send questions to: Council on Culture & Arts, 2222 Old St. Augustine Road, Tallahassee, FL 32301. Or e-mail to: [email protected].

Meet a COCA-Nut Leslie Puckett, Arts in Public Places Director In addition to curating, designing, and installing all exhibitions at COCA’s galleries, Leslie acts as a liaison between COCA and individual artists and visual arts organizations. Leslie holds a Master’s degree in Art Education/Studio Art from Florida State University. Until mid-2002 she was the Director of the 621 Art Gallery; prior to that, she was the Director of Education and Volunteer Coordinator at LeMoyne Art Foundation. A practicing artist and calligrapher, Leslie has exhibited in various invitational and juried exhibits in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Canada, New York, Atlanta, Albany, Thomasville, and St. Simons, GA.

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HIPS THAT JINGLEJANGLEJINGLE by Rhett DeVane

People who have mid-life crises have been known to buy flashy red convertibles, change lifestyles, and visit New Age health spas intent on purifying the soul and bank account. Not me; I took up belly dancing. Inspired by a feature article in the Tallahassee Democrat, I donned a pair of worn knit pants and a faded FSU T-shirt, and showed up at the local YMCA for my first Middle Eastern Dance class. How could I know it would turn into a healthy, alternative exercise obsession? “It’ll probably be a bunch of size zero, twenty-something’s in tights,”one friend cautioned.“I can’t imagine it. You certainly won’t catch me wiggling my wide load there.” I’ll try anything once. Twice, if I live through it and like it. The first time I stepped into the spacious YMCA aerobics

12 | March/April 2007

room, I felt at home. The over-thirty-and-forty-year-old women ruled the majority, and the instructor was a lively voluptuous young woman who could move each body part independently of the others. Never have I laughed so hard at myself, or enjoyed working out so much. By the time the hour and a half session ended, I had mastered hip lifts, hip drops, and performed a reasonable imitation of the instructor’s impressive shoulder shimmy. I shook my body so furiously, endorphins coursed through my veins and I had to ice my rear for an hour when I returned home. Never in my life had I felt so content to have an ample rear. Those slender girls had more trouble getting it all going. With the weighty power of inertia literally behind me, spatial boundaries ceased to exist. “You’re doing what?” an old college friend wheezed after I told him of my newest endeavor. Patiently, I waited for him to stop laughing. “I’m going to hang up now. You can call me back when you get yourself under control, okay?”

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ADVENTURES IN THE ARTS “You’re doing what?” an old college friend wheezed after I told him of my newest endeavor. “I’m sorry. I just got this visual of you swinging around in an I-Dreamof-Jeannie outfit. You have to send me a video of you doing this!” “Not until I’m better. And, I won’t be wearing that particular outfit. I favor the tribal wear. Thank you.” Each class not only brought new, more intricate moves, but provided insight into the culture of the areas from which each style originated. I learned to zahgreet – a highpitched keening used to praise and encourage the performers – and to recognize the subtle differences between Egyptian and Turkish forms of music and dance. By the end of the first month, a few essential accessories accompanied me to class in a bright red mini-duffle; a mint green hip scarf with three rows of dangling silver coins, a diaphanous chiffon veil, and, best of all, a pair of brass zills. Zills, the little “finger cymbals” Middle Eastern dancers play, nearly sent my two felines into therapy the first time I practiced at home. With the volume of a dance CD turned up, I clanged out an unpolished version of beladi, a distinctive dance rhythm. The cats screamed down the hall, dove beneath the bed, and didn’t emerge until several hours later. Either I have improved, or they have grown accustomed to this new form of human lunacy. Now, both sit nearby, ears flattened and eyes narrowed, as I do my best to keep up with the pace of the music, swivel, swing my arms, move my legs, and try not to fall flat on my face. A couple of months into the course, I had the opportunity to attend a hafla; a Middle Eastern

Capital Culture Magazine

dance party. Artists from across the Florida panhandle amassed for a day of dancing, eating, and socializing, and shopping. The Hafla took place in the intimate auditorium of the Fort Braden Community Center eleven miles west of Tallahassee. Dancers of various

ages milled around the hallways in brilliantly-hued costumes. Some wore the traditional harem pants and bejeweled tops. Others swept by in flowing tribal gauzy shirts and multitiered skirts topped with layers of hip continued on page 21

Interested?

Check out one of these programs in the Tallahassee area. At $8 a class or less, it’s definitely worth a try! FSU Center for Participant Education FSU Campus, Shores Building, Room 2 878-1651, [email protected] • Belly Dancing • Hawaiian/Hula/Latin Dancing

In Step Studio

2609 Glover Road 421-5151, www.instepstudio.com • Middle Eastern Dance: Beyond Basic • Intermediate/Advanced Middle Eastern Dance • Intermediate/Advanced Polynesian Dance

Killearn Performing Arts

4500 W. Shannon Lakes, #20, 284-2094, www.killearnpa.com or [email protected] • Hula/Tahitian Dance Class

We Moon Spirit

1816 Mahan Drive www.wemoonspirit.com • Let’s Belly Dance (Introduction) • Basic Tribal Fusion • American Tribal Style (ATS) Belly Dance Fundamentals - Level 1 & 2

Women’s Belly Dance Center in Railroad Square

629-H Industrial Drive in Railroad Square Art Park 264-6986 • Intro to Belly Dancing • Beginning Belly Dancing • Intermediate Belly Dancing

YMCA Apalachee Parkway 2001 Apalachee Parkway www.tallahasseeymca.org • Belly Dance

YMCA North

3215 N Monroe Street www.tallahasseeymca.org • Tahitian Aerobics • Beginning Middle Eastern Belly Dance • Beginning Polynesian Dance

YMCA Southwood

4021 Four Oaks Blvd. www.tallahasseeymca.org • Beginning Hawaiian Hula • Beginning Middle Eastern Dance

(Note: this may not be a complete listing of all belly dance classes, and COCA does not endorse any particular class or school. For listings of many other types of local dance classes, visit www.morethanyouthought.com.)

www.morethanyouthought.com

March/April 2007 | 13

CONNECTION SPOTLIGHT ON... Cultural Grant Programs You may have heard that the Council on Culture & Arts “gives grants.” But what does that mean, exactly? Well, first of all, COCA doesn’t really “give” the grants. The City and County designate money to support non-profit cultural programs that benefit local citizens, and COCA – the local arts agency – manages the process. Our forward-thinking Commissioners created the local system as a fair way to separate funding from politics long before the national trend. In January, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New York City would be shifting from a lobbying-based system to a peer-reviewed grant system. Tallahassee can take pride in being about a decade ahead of the Big Apple! Speaking of peer-review, that’s exactly how COCA’s system works. The grant guidelines were developed by an open task force that includes a broad spectrum of people from the community. Twice a year, panels of expert community volunteers review applications and make funding recommendations. These recommendations are sent to COCA’s board and then forwarded to the City and County for their budget process. (Interested in being a grant reviewer? Contact Holly Thompson at 224-2500 or [email protected].) For 2006-07, COCA’s process recommended 43 grants, ranging from $998.00 to $172,880.00, for a total of more than $1 million in funding. When you think of arts grants, the first thing that probably comes to mind is money to present cultural events. But you might be surprised to know the wide variety of projects that impact the community thanks to this grant funding. For instance: • Runaway with Words’ poetry workshops for at-risk teens; • Florida State Opera’s program that brings one-act operas into Leon County elementary and middle schools; • Mickee Faust Club’s Actual Lives program, which helps people with disabilities create theatrical presentations from their life stories; • Rossier Productions’“Operation Filmmaker,” which gives young people a hands-on experience of creating a documentary from concept to completion; • Tallahassee Ballet’s DanceChance program, which offers tuition-free ballet lessons and dancewear to underserved children; • Voces Angelorum’s collaboration with the Tallahassee Girls Choir of CHOICE; • and many others.

A complete list of 2006-2007 (and past) cultural grants can be seen at COCA’s web site.

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COCA Notes Space to Create

All A-Board

In November, COCA hosted a representative from Artspace, Inc. (www. artspaceusa.org), a national non-profit arts developer based in Minneapolis. Artspace creates, fosters and preserves affordable space for artists and arts organizations in all disciplines, cultures, and economic circumstances. This visit was a first step in establishing a potential partnership between Artspace and Tallahassee to create the Cultural Support Space envisioned in the Cultural Plan. Artspace will be returning in March for the next steps.

COCA is pleased to welcome five new board members for FY07: • Lydia McKinley-Floyd is the Dean of Florida A&M University’s College of Business and Industry. • Kay Stephenson is Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Datamaxx Group, Inc. (www. datamaxx.com), a leading technology company focused on the law enforcement, criminal justice, public safety, and homeland security marketplace. • Mike Vasilinda is the founder and head of Mike Vasilinda Productions (www.mvptv.tv), a full-service media production company. • Johanna Williams is a property manager of Marpan Management, Inc. and is the President-Elect of the Tallahassee Network of Young Professionals (www.networkyp.org). • Stacey Webb is the Assistant Chancellor of Community College and Workforce Education for the Florida Department of Education.

Exhibit Director Exhibits

COCA’s staff has been busy serving on a variety of panels and workshops at the local and state level. • Amanda Thompson, Education Coordinator, served as judge for Canopy Oaks Elementary School’s Art Contest, Raa Middle School’s Science Fair, and Raa’s Speech Contest. • Peggy Brady, Executive Director, served on the state-wide panel to select Theatre Fellowships in Playwriting; Randi Goldstein, Associate Director, served on the state-wide Challenge Grant Panel. • Peggy Brady and Tony Archer, Marketing Director, participated in the Network of Young Professional’s Annual Forum at the Mary Brogan Museum. They led break-out sessions on local arts issues, focusing on the Performing Arts Center and the Cultural Support Space. • Randi Goldstein co-led a workshop on “Grants for Writers” at the Other Words Conference, sponsored by the Florida Literary Arts Coalition.

COCA’s Art in Public Places Director, Leslie Puckett, was one of eight Tallahassee artists whose work was shown in Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, an exhibit at the Chipola Community College Art Gallery in Marianna. Leslie’s artwork incorporates poetry with mixed media materials.

Passing the Torch COCA recently assisted in the distribution of a large amount of art supplies and books from the estate of Marcus Sigo, a local artist. Supplies were donated to local arts teachers and non-profit arts education programs.

Out & About

Summer Fling Are you ready for summer? Well, how about Summer 2008? COCA is deep in preparations for a series of community-wide arts events

Special Thanks COCA would like to thank Metro Deli (www.metrodelis.com) for their in-kind support. Metro Deli donated box lunches for the most recent COCA Board meeting. Stop by Metro Deli at 1887 Capital Circle NE or 104 1/2 South Monroe Street, and have a lunch with them as a way of saying thanks for their community spirit.

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based around an exhibition of quilts from the renowned Quilters of Gee’s Bend. The summer will include several art exhibits, as well as companion events that include music, theatre, history, and more, all centering on quilts. Stay tuned for more information!

www.morethanyouthought.com

March/April 2007 | 15

CONVERSATIONS WITH... Mickee Faust is the evil cigar-chomping rat-twin separated at birth from that mouse in Orlando. Mickee Faust creator Terry Galloway is a passionate, pipe-smoking aggressively affectionate artist with a unique voice eloquent in many tongues.

Mickee Faust

Interview by Sam Atwood Mickee Faust’s stated goal is “world media domination.” Terry Galloway has dominated in the artistic world in a variety of media for more than four decades. She has won top honors from Public Radio International for her radio commentary, and has helped create award-winning short films. In 2005, her essay, “The Performance of Drowning,” was published in the anthology Sleepaway, alongside pieces by Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, and Ursula LeGuin. Mickee Faust rules the sewers of Faustlandia with an iron paw, and lusting for greater power still, ran for Governor of Florida in 2000. Terry Galloway has directed performances at the Kennedy Center, and written award-winning television programs. Mickee/Terry sat down with Sam Atwood, who in Faustlandia is known as the “Blind Rat with the Machete,” a slave minion forced to carry heavy objects, wear silly costumes, and generally make a fool of himself on- and off-stage. They can currently both be found in Railroad Square, working with veteran and first time writers and performers to create An Inconvenient Faust, an all-new original cabaret opening April 13th.

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SA: You founded the Mickee Faust Club nearly 20 years ago, but how did you get turned on to theatre in the first place? TG: When I was 5, I got cast as “Sparky the Little Elf” in a school show. (I thought of that name all by myself.) I got to make up my own lines. I wrote myself a huge part, and I loved it. SA: Was this before or after your hearing loss was diagnosed? TG: Before. It wasn’t diagnosed until I moved to Texas at around age ten, but I was already having problems hearing and experiencing hallucinations. SA: How did being deaf make it difficult to participate in theatre in middle and high school? TG: I had to learn to enunciate, and I worked hard at it. I had a great speech teacher who worked with me very physically, to teach me to feel what my body had to do to make certain sounds. SA: Did you go to college to study theatre? TG: Yes and no. It wasn’t a given that I would attend college. Even after I won a full-scholarship to the University of Texas for my poetry, my guidance counselor offered me a brochure entitled “Factory Work

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Makes Great Jobs for the Deaf.” When I got to UT, I initially went to the Theatre Department, but they said the only thing I could do was costuming. I spent most of my time in college with more open-minded people I found in the English and TV/Film Departments. SA: Did you stay in Austin after college? TG: Yes, I had a series of short-lived jobs. I worked as an illustrator, and an historical archeologist. I had an exhibit of my paintings and drawings at a gallery in Austin and made enough money to live for a year. I worked as an artist in the schools, and as a Santa Claus for an alternative mall. In 1976 I helped found Esther’s Follies. We wrote, acted, directed, and produced a new show every weekend for three years. I was also one of the founders of a little theatre called TransAct that went belly up after the first year. But it gave birth posthumously to a play called Greater Tuna. I got a fellowship to study theatre at Columbia University, and moved to New York, where I got some great reviews for my performance work at P.S. 122 and American Place Theatre. In 1983, I had a nervous breakdown (it was hard being deaf in New York). I fled back to Austin to recover. SA: So how did you get from Austin to Tallahassee? TG: In Austin, I met Donna Marie Nudd. We’ve been together since the day we met. When Donna accepted a teaching job at FSU in 1986, I followed her here. Donna and I co-founded the Mickee Faust Club in 1987. SA: What else were you doing at the time? TG: Well, I played a lot of soccer. In 1988, the head of P.S. 122 invited me to do my one-woman show, Out All Night and Lost My Shoes, at the first N.Y. International Festival for the Arts. Donna directed that production, and she and I toured all over the country and to many different parts of the world.

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In 1991, I won an NEA Fellowship in Theatre. Not long after that, three friends of mine, Holly Hughes, Tim Miller, and Karen Finley, were denied their fellowships because their work dealt with controversial issues – sex and homosexuality, of course. They were three of the “NEA Four” who sued Congress and won their funding. Then Congress got the last word by cutting NEA funding to individual artists completely. SA: You’ve worked in so many different media. Tell me about some of the people who inspire you. TG: I am always inspired by the people I work with, so you could put every single person in Faust on that list. And all the folks I worked with in Austin and in New York. I take my inspiration from Abraham Lincoln and Malcolm X. And I love Socrates and Euripides. I love Shakespeare and Edmond Rostand. Lucille Ball and Daffy Duck. The Simpsons and South Park. Sara Silverman and Eddy Izzard. I love Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. I love Federico Fellini, and the Farley Brothers. Victor Hugo and Virginia Woolf. I love Elizabeth Bishop and Elizabeth Allende, Louis L’Amour and Cormac McCarthy, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. I also find a lot of inspiration in my family – not just my mother who is so funny and charismatic, or my sisters who are the most shocking and compelling storytellers you will ever meet. But also from James Wilson, my great-grandfather eight times back who signed the Declaration of Independence, and another ancestor of mine, Alan de Galway, a constable of Scotland who signed the Magna Carta. Their names on those articles of belief argued for decency, respect, and freedom.

for Tallahassee? TG: Oh God, yes! You know the Knight Foundation initiative? The one premised on the whole creative class as the engine that drives local economies? If we want to jack up the economy of the city, we need a new performing space. We’ll be able to host hundreds of different kinds of events that we can’t have now because we don’t have the appropriate space for them. As for those guys who sneer about the cost…arts and entertainment bring in more revenue to the state of Florida than anything but tourism. So arts and entertainment are the big guns. They can literally make our little city richer. SA: What else needs to happen to make Tallahassee an even better place for the arts? TG: We need to define Tallahassee, and make choices to support that definition. People in Tallahassee need to believe that something extraordinary can come from a little place like this.

As well as producing the Mickee Faust Club’s spring cabaret, Terry is currently working on her memoir, Mean Little deaf Queer, and directing local people with disabilities in a video and performance project about emergency evacuation procedures. For more information, visit www.mickeefaust.com or e-mail [email protected].

SA: What do you like about working here in Tallahassee? TG: I like the coziness. I like the access to really smart people. I like being able to go to an artist’s opening and actually getting to talk to the artist. I like the canopy roads and the barbecue. SA: Do you think the Performing Arts Center and Gaines Street Development projects are good things

www.morethanyouthought.com

Terry Galloway in her one-woman show, Out All Night and Lost My Shoes.

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Goodwood Museum & Gardens 877-4202, www.goodwoodmuseum.org

Arts & Cultural Organizations and Businesses See www.cocanet.org for expanded listings Highlighted are COCA members | Denotes a First Friday participant

Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratories (Panacea, FL) 850-984-5297, www.gulfspecimen.org John G. Riley Center/Museum of African American History and Culture 681-7881, www.rileymuseum.org Kirk Collection www.wfsu.org Knott House Museum 922-2459, museumoffloridahistory.com Lichgate on High Road 383-6556

Dance African Caribbean Dance Theatre 539-4087, www.fadf.org Argentine Tango Society of Tallahassee 222-3449, www.tangotallahassee.com Community School of the Performing Arts and Culture, 574-2237 Corazon Dancers 212-1714 , www.fsucorazon.com Essence Dance Theatre 412-7525, [email protected] FSU Ballroom Dance Club www.fsuballroomdance.com FSU Department of Dance 644-1023, dance.fsu.edu Halimeda’s Oasis 421-5151, www.halimedasoasis.com Head Over Heels Dancewear 224-5140, www.head-over-heels.com In Step Studio 421-5151, www.instepstudio.com Killearn Performing Arts 443-7512 or 894-9364, www.killearnpa.com Kollage Dance Troupe 645-1385, kdtfl.tripod.com Maggie Allesee National Center For Choreography (MANCC) 645-2449, www.mancc.org Mahogany Dance Theatre 561-2318, [email protected] Montgomery Schools of Dance 877-4874 Mountain Dew Cloggers 386-1263, www.nettally.com/mountaindew Orchesis Contemporary Dance Theatre 599-8678 Performing Arts Center of Tallahassee 562-1430, performingartscenteroftallahassee.com Prophecy School of the Arts 222-8085, www.prophecyarts.net Rhythm Rushers Bahamian Junkanoo Group 412-7087, [email protected]

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Sharon Davis Schools of Dance 893-5900

Mission San Luis 487-3711, www.missionsanluis.org

Southern Academy of Ballet Arts 222-0174

Museum of Florida History 245-6400, museumoffloridahistory.com

The Tallahassee Ballet 224-6917, www.tallaballet.com

The Old Capitol 487-1902, www.museumoffloridahistory.com

TallahasseeCommunityFriendsofOldTimeDance 421-1587 or 421-1838, www.tallydancer.com

Pebble Hill Plantation (Thomasville, GA) 229-226-2344, www.pebblehill.com

Tallahassee Swing Band Dances 894-3789, [email protected]

San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park (St. Marks, FL), 922-6007

Tallahassee Zydeco & Cajun Association (TAZACA) 212-0431, [email protected]

Tallahassee Automobile Museum 942-0137, www.tacm.com

USA Dance 562-1224, homepage.mac.com/mweininger/ tallusabda

Tallahassee Museum 575-8684, www.tallahasseemuseum.org

Film & Video Diane Wilkins Productions 893-1441, www.dianewilkinsproductions.com FSU Film School 644-0453, filmschool.fsu.edu FSU Student Life Cinema 644-4455, movies.fsu.edu IMAX Theatre at the Challenger Learning Center 645-STAR, www.challengertlh.com Mike Vasilinda Productions 224-5420, www.mvptv.tv Rossier Productions, Inc. 224-0372, www.rossierprod.org Tallahassee Film Society 386-4404, www.tallahasseefilms.com Video 21, 878-3921

History/Heritage Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park 487-4115, www.floridastateparks.org The Black Archives 561-2603, www.famu.edu/acad/archives Claude Pepper Museum 644-9311, www.claudepepper.org/ museum

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Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation 488-7100, www.taltrust.org

Literary Anhinga Press 442-1408, www.anhinga.org Apalachee Press 942-5041, [email protected] Back Talk Poetry Troupe 459-7399, www.blackonblackrhyme.com Book Den 980-2989, www.book-den.com Digital Pulp 297-1373, www.digitalpulp.org Fiction Collective Two (FC2) 644-2260, www.fc2.org Florida Literary Arts Coalition www.floridarts.org LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library 606-2665, www.leoncountylibrary.org Paperback Rack 224-3455 Society of Childrens Book Writers & Illustrators 656-3410, [email protected] Tallahassee Contemporary Poets Society 1-888-248-3495, myspace.com/tcpoetssociety Tallahassee Writers’ Association 671-3731, www.twaonline.org

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Multi-disciplinary Caribbean Carnival International 878-5148, www.carnivaltallahassee.com Downtown Marketplace 224-3252, www.tallahasseedowntown.com Florida Center for Performing Arts and Education, 893-2497, [email protected]

Floyd’s Music Store 222-3506, www.floydsmusicstore.com

Tocamos 212-0325, www.tocamos.com

FSU College of Music 644-4774, www.music.fsu.edu

Vinyl Fever 580-2480, www.vinylfever.com

Gordon’s String Music 386-7784

Voces Angelorum 942-6075, www.voicesofangelstallahassee.org

Home Music Educators 656-7613, www.homemusiceducators.com

Florida Arts and Community Enrichment (F.A.C.E.) 644-8533, [email protected]

Jim’s Pianos 205-5467, www.jimspianos.com

Pyramid Studios 513-1733, www.pyramidinc.org

Mason’s School of Music 412-0102, www.masonsmusic.com

Seven Days of Opening Nights 644-7670, www.sevendaysfestival.org

The Moon 878-6900, www.moonevents.com

Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center 487-1691, www.tlccc.org

Music Center 942-0626

Thomasville Cultural Center (Thomasville, GA) 229-226-0588, www.tccarts.org Thomasville Entertainment Foundation (Thomasville, GA) 229-226-7404, www.tefconcerts.com Thomasville Road Academy of the Arts 422-7795, www.thomasvilleroad.org/academy.htm

MusicMasters 224-6158, www.musicm.com Music Xchange 681-7443, www.themusicxchange.com Musikgarten 668-2119, www.best-begin.com/ musikgartensignup.html

Theatre Bainbridge Little Theater (Bainbridge, GA) 229-246-834, www.bainbridgelittletheater.com The Brink 284-5753, [email protected] Capital City Shakespeare in the Park 386-6476, [email protected] Curious Echo Radio Theater 228-2473, www.curiousecho.org Dixie Theatre (Apalachicola, FL) 850-653-3200, www.dixietheatre.com FAMU Essential Theatre 599-3430, www.essentialtheatre.us In the Moment Players 383-1718, www.inthemomentplayers.com

Southern Blend 907-2034 or 385-7219, southernblend.com

Magic and Fun Costume Shop 224-6244

Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (Live Oak, FL) 904-364-1683, www.musicliveshere.com

Mickee Faust Club 224-3089, www.mickeefaust.com

Stringfest 668-6896, www.stringfest.com

Monticello Opera House (Monticello, FL) 997-4242, [email protected]

Stubbs Music Center 893-8754, www.stubbs.org

Off Street Players 907-5743, [email protected]

Tallahassee Bach Parley 942-6075, www.bachparley.org

Oncoming Traffic 445-8076, www.oncomingtraffic.net

Barbershop Harmony Society 562-3876, www.capitalchordsmen.org

Tallahassee Chapter, Nashville Songwriters Association 509-2695, www.nashvillesongwriters.com

Quincy Music Theatre (Quincy, FL) 875-9444, www.qmtonline.com

Beethoven and Company 894-8700, www.beethovenandcompany.com

Tallahassee Civic Chorale 878-2711, www.civicchorale.org

The Beta Bar 425-2697, www.thebetabar.com

Tallahassee Community Chorus 668-5394, www.tcchorus.org

Big Bend Community Orchestra 893-4567, www.bbco.org

Tallahassee Community College Jazz Band 567-6336 or 201-8360

Boys’ Choir of Tallahassee 528-2403, www.boyschoirtlh.org

Tallahassee Girls’ Choir of CHOICE 576-7501

Bradfordville Blues Club 906-0766, www.bradfordvilleblues.com

Tallahassee Music Guild 893-9346

Bradfordville Fine Arts Academy 893-0893, www.b-fbc.org

Tallahassee Pipe Band 576-0708, www.saintandrewtallahassee.org

Classical Guitar Society of Tallahassee 521-0700 or 668-1643, istal.com/cgst/index.html

The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra 224-0461, www.tallahasseesymphony.org

Club Downunder 644-6673, union.fsu.edu/cdu

Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestras 224-9232, www.tallahasseesymphony.org

FAMU Music Department 599-3334

Tallahassee Winds 668-7109, www.tallahasseewinds.org

Florida State Opera 644-5248, www.music.fsu.edu/opera.htm

Tally Piano & Keyboard Studios 386-2425, www.tallypiano.com

The Warehouse, 222-6188

Music Apalachee Blues Society 668-5863, www.apalacheebluessociety.com The Artist Series 224-9934, www.theartistseries.com Bannerman’s 668-8800

The School of Theatre at Florida State 644-6500, theatre.fsu.edu Swamp Gravy (Colquitt, GA) 229-758-5450, www.swampgravy.com Tallahassee Little Theatre 224-4597, www.tallahasseelittletheatre.org Theatre A La Carte 385-6700, www.theatrealacarte.org Theatre TCC! 201-8608, theatre.tcc.fl.edu Wind & Grace 894-2888, www.windandgrace.homestead.com Young Actors Theatre 386-6602, www.youngactorstheatre.com

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DIRECTORY Visual Arts 1123@Midtown 562, 8696 621 Gallery 224-6163, www.621gallery.com Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts (Valdosta, GA), 229-247-2787, www.lvac.org Artisans 395-7671, www.perditaross.com ArtisTree 893-2937, www.bigbendhospice.org Ars Magna @ The NHMFL 644-8053 Art Galleries at Tallahassee Community College 201-8713, www.tcc.fl.edu/dept/cohu/art/ artgallery.htm Artport Gallery 224-2500, www.cocanet.org Arts Learning Gallery 245-6480, www.florida-arts.org/ programs/learninggallery.htm Artsy Phartsy Chics 422-3946 ASH Gallery 510-5621, [email protected] Barbara Psimas Studios 894-1444, renaissancewomangallery.com Big Bend Contemporary Gallery www.bigbendcontemporary.com Blue Abaco Trading Company 325-2323, www.blueabaco.com Bonifay Guild For The Arts (Bonifay, FL) 850-547-3530, [email protected] Brush and Palette Studio 893-1960, brushandpalettestudio.com Capital City Carvers 562-8460, carvers.mytalweb.com Capitol Complex Galleries 245-6480, www.florida-arts.org City Hall Art Gallery 224-2500, www.cocanet.org Et Ceterocks Gallery www.et-ceterocks.com First Street Gallery (Havana, FL) 539-5220, www.firststreetartgallery.com Florida Society of Goldsmiths, NW Chapter www.fsgnw.com FSU International Center Art Gallery 645-4793, internationalcenter.fsu.edu FSU Museum of Fine Arts Artists’ League 644-1299, www.billhumphries.com/ artistsleaguehome.html

Foster Tanner Fine Arts Gallery 599-3161

Talleon Independent Artists 386-7176, www.tfn.net/talleon

Gadsden Arts Center (Quincy, FL) 875-4866, www.gadsdenarts.com

Ten Thousand Villages 906-9010, www.villagesoftallahassee.org

Glasshopper, 668-5007 www.glasshopperonline.com

Thomas Eads Fine Art 224-1435, thomaseadsfineart.com

Glassworks by Susan 222-5095

Turtle Island Trading Post 425-2490, turtleislandtradingpost.com

Historically Florida: Florida’s History Shops 245-6396, www.floridashistoryshop.com

Uniquely Yours 878-7111

Images of Tallahassee 894-5596, www.russellgraceimages.com

Utrecht Art Supplies 877-0321, www.utrecht.com

It’s A Jem Fine Art (Havana, FL) 539-0335, www.itsajem.com

Visitors Center Gift Shop & Gallery 413-9200, www.seetallahassee.com

James Glaser Studios 218-368-5924

White Cottage 222-3499, www.thomasdeans.com

Lafayette Park Arts & Crafts Center 891-3945, www.talgov.com/parks/ commcenter/lfartscrafts.cfm

Wild Women Art Gallery 224-1308, [email protected]

LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts 222-8800, www.lemoyne.org Light N Up Artist Cooperative (Havana, FL) 539-0006

Belly Dancing (cont.)

M Gallery 531-9925, [email protected]

scarves. In one corner, a henna artist offered body art. Nearby, a massage therapist worked on dancers on a portable massage chair. Along the back wall, the owners of In Step Studio worked multiple tables of hip scarves, drums, zills, jewelry, and CD’s, and hanging racks of harem pants, skirts, and veils. One table held silent auction items with proceeds to be donated to the community center. As I watched the routines – some dizzily fast, others sinuous and slow – I gained a new respect for the centuries-old dance. The music filtered throughout the small hall as the beat of the dumbec accompanied the dancers’ practiced movements. Sharing time with the Middle Eastern performers were several Polynesian and Spanish Flamenco dancers. After months into the course, I could actually complete one of In Step Studio’s owner, Nancy Redig’s, (known in dancing circles as Halimeda) choreographed dance numbers. As long as a more-knowledgeable dancer is in front of me, Wiggle Your Hips is a breeze. Mimicry is a form of flattery, after all.

The Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science 513-0700, www.thebrogan.org Muse · 3, 222-6873 Picture Frames Unlimited 422-0088 Oglesby Union Art Center 644-4737, union.fsu.edu/artcenter Quilters Unlimited www.quilttallahassee.com Quincie’s Art Jewelry 222-8411, www.quinciehamby.com Railroad Square Art Park 224-1308, www.railroadsquare.com Reaver Enterprises Fine Art Supplies 561-6285, home.earthlink.net/~trreaver Ribits Enchanted Cottage 671-5859, ribitsenchantedcottage.com Sally Rude Antiques and Fine Art Gallery 222-4020, www.trocadero.com/mctc Signature Art Gallery 297-2422, www.signatureartgallery.com South of Soho Co-op Gallery 907-3590, [email protected] Swamp Buddha Sumi-e 386-5041, [email protected] Tallahassee Polymer Clay Art Guild 656-2887, www.polymerclayart.org

FSU Museum of Fine Arts 644-1254, www.mofa.fsu.edu

Tallahassee Senior Center for the Arts 891-4000, www.talgov.com

FSU Oglesby Gallery 644-3898, union.fsu.edu/artcenter

Tallahassee Watercolor Society 385-9517, www.tfn.net/Watercolor

21 | March/April 2007

www.morethanyouthought.com

Capital Culture Magazine

Photo of John Lytle Wilson in front of one of his new robot paintings. Taken at his studio February 2007 by Tony Archer.

PROFILES IN THE ARTS

Once you’ve seen a painting by John Lytle Wilson, you’ll recognize his artwork every time. Often using huge canvases – sometimes eight feet tall – Wilson paints striking cartoon animals: giant fierce bunny rabbits, brightly colored kitties with sharp, pointy teeth, and monkeys and pigs with flames shooting out the eyes. His high-energy, bold creations seem in sharp contrast to his soft-spoken, laid back personal style. Wilson, 30, teaches at FSU and Valdosta State University, and is currently the Artist in Residence at 621 Gallery in Railroad Square Art Park. His work has become increasingly popular, and is permeating the local art scene. At the same time, his paintings are starting to be shown nationally, and two of his new robot paintings were recently featured in the science fiction issue of Idea Fixa, a Brazilian magazine. For April’s First Friday, Wilson will be showing at Pyramid Studios or you can see his work any time at Thomas Eads Fine Art. For more information, visit his web site at johnlytlewilson.blogspot.com.

John Lytle Wilson Capital Culture’s profiled artists are selected from the many visual, performing, literary, and media artists featured on COCA’s online Artist Directory. Listings in the Artist Directory are free, with enhanced listings available for COCA members. Visit the Directory online at www.cocanet.org.

ADIrrtIst ectory

Capital Culture Magazine

www.morethanyouthought.com

March/April 2007 | 22

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