Capital Culture Magazine: Winter 2008

Free! November/December 2007

Uniquely

Tallahassee An Insiders Guide to Creative Holiday Gift-Giving

Del Suggs Mike Sheridan and

Get Down to Business

Talk Back

A Tallahassee poet’s story PLUS... Book/CD Reviews, Arts & Cultural Directory, Calendar Listings...

...and MUCH more!

CONTENTS Vol. 2

November/December 2007

Issue 4

Official Publication of the

Publisher Editor Creative Director Editorial Assistants

Peggy Brady Randi Goldstein Tony Archer Aalyah Duncan Daniel Lyons

Capital Culture Magazine is published bi-monthly by the Council on Culture & Arts with support from the Leon CountyTourist Development Council and in cooperation with Tallahassee’s Family Forum Magazine. Capital Culture Magazine is distributed free of charge to visitors to and residents of Florida’s Big Bend Area.

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Capital Culture Interview: Past COCA Chairman Mike Sheridan Tallahassee music legend Del Suggs talks with his longtime pal about writing, Irish music, and the economics of the arts.

Gift Giving with a Creative Twist Don’t miss this exclusive guide to the best places to find distinctive and artful holiday gifts available only in Tallahassee.

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. 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. Subscriptions to Capital Culture Magazine are available by joining the Council on Culture & Arts. Please visit www. cocanet.org/about/join.html to download an application or call (850) 224-2500. Copyright © 2007 Council on Culture & Arts

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Adventures in the Arts: Black on Black Rhyme W.C. Blackmon discovers that standing up in front of an audience and performing his poetry is both harder and more satisfying than it looks.

Reviews Gerald R. Hoover’s Brotherhood of the Fin Whole Child Leon’s Catching Smiles

Free!

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November/December 2007

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Uniquely

Tallahassee An Insiders Guide to Creative Holiday Gift-Giving

Del Suggs Mike Sheridan and

Profiles in the Arts: Barbara Aleene Edwards Black & white photographs with a hand-colored touch make this teacher/artist unique.

Get Down to Business

Talk Back

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.

A Tallahassee poet’s story PLUS... Book/CD Reviews, Arts & Cultural Directory, Calendar Listings...

On the Cover:

...and MUCH more!

Handmade fused glass ornaments by local artists from the Color Wheel Gallery.

FROM THE PUBLISHER Thanks for Giving Every year at this time, COCA likes to take a moment to thank some people who are vital to our success: our volunteers. They are many. Citizen panelists spend hours reading grants and making funding recommendations. Art jurors evaluate endless slides to help choose our exhibits. Other volunteers generously lend a hand when we hold workshops, First Fridays, and special events. And of course, our tireless Board and Committee Members offer their time and expertise all year long. If you’ve ever thought about getting involved with a cultural organization, why not now? You don’t even need artistic talent – arts organizations need all sorts of skills. Whatever you can do, you will be welcomed. Can you help re-design a website? Swing a hammer? Balance a checkbook? Mow a lawn or make flowers grow? Negotiate a new lease with a landlord? Do you have some time to volunteer by giving tours, taking tickets, making calls, or stuffing envelopes? Arts groups need all these things and more. Give yourself and your cultural community a gift this holiday season by volunteering your time and making a difference to an organization you support. Check out the many local arts groups by visiting the Arts in the Community section of www.cocanet.org. If you need suggestions about where your particular skills might be most useful, drop us a line here at COCA. I think you’ll find your efforts returning much more than you give.

Illustration by Nathan Archer

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Peggy Brady

Regular Features 1 2 2

From the Publisher Contributors News of Note: An anniversary in Quincy, a new Director at 621,

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More Than You Thought: Don’t miss the special holiday events section! COCA Connection: All that’s new with COCA. Directory of Arts and Cultural Organizations and Businesses

a reality TV winner from FSU, and much more.

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NEWS OF NOTE Quincy Music Theatre celebrated its 25th Anniversary in October with the lighting of the Leaf Theatre’s fully renovated neon sign, which shone brightly on Washington Street for the first time since 1972.

CONTRIBUTORS W. C. Blackmon, who was renamed “Vision” by his poetry troupe, was born in Tampa, but has called Tallahassee home since the age of seven. He attained his AA Degree at TCC and attended FSU before leaving school to work as a cafeteria manager/owner, speechwriter, and coordinator/fundraiser for a nonprofit organization. He currently works for the Florida Department of Education, and is working towards getting his first full-length novel published. His career goal is to be a successful author in both the fantasy and realistic fiction genres. Vision is a bachelor, and thus spends most of his free time writing, singing, working out, and perfecting his poetry.

Daniel Lyons was born in Ft. Lauderdale and grew up in the Broward County area. He moved to Tallahassee to attend Florida State, and plans to finish his degree in English this year. Dan has contributed writing to Satellite Magazine and spent two years as a DJ at V-89 and is currently Capital Culture Magazine’s Editorial Intern. On the weekends you can find him either digging around the used record bins or paddling through one of the area’s beautiful waterways. And whichever sports season it is, you’ll find him in the stands rooting on the Noles.

Del Suggs is a singer/songwriter and guitarist. He is based in Tallahassee, but appears in concert at colleges, universities and festivals across the United States and the Caribbean. Del is a voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the Grammy Awards people). His music receives airplay on community and public radio stations from Massachusetts to California to the Virgin Islands, and public television has featured him in two ninety-minute concert specials. Del is widely known for his public service and benefit concerts. He performs over twenty shows each year to support various human service, environmental, educational, and civil rights organizations. In 1989, 1991 and again in 1993, he was recognized for his service by a nomination for the Harry Chapin Award for Contributions to Humanity. His other awards and accolades are too numerous to list.

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NEWS OF NOTE Welcome

621 Gallery welcomes Denise Drury as its new Executive Director. Denise had been the gallery’s Assistant Director since August 2006, and was a member of the Board of Directors prior to that. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Arts Administration from FSU, and has previously worked with Gadsden Arts Center, the Tallahassee Senior Center, and Tallahassee Museum. Two new galleries made their debuts in Railroad Square Art Park in September. Humidity Gallery features work from artisans and fine crafters from Tallahassee, the Big Bend, the Gulf Coast, and the Southeast region. Humidity Gallery is located at the back the square, and will be open Wednesday through Sunday, 11:30 am -5 pm, and First Fridays. Simply Artistic highlights the work of talented local photographers including resident artist Mike Nowak. Simply Artistic is located at the very front of the square, and is open Monday to Saturday, 11 am – 6 pm, and Sunday 1-5 pm.

The independent Word Traffic Books opened its doors in September on East Lafayette Street next to Lindy’s Chicken. Owners Van and Chelsea Fox are carrying new and used books and displaying the work of local artists on their walls. The store is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 8 pm, and Sundays 11 am – 5 pm.

Around Town

Congratulations

On October 5th, Julia Woodward was presented with the American Association of Community Theatres’ “Spotlight Award” in honor of significant contribution to community theatre through her support of Quincy Music Theatre and the Gadsden County arts community. Ms. Woodward is one of only fifty individuals nationally to have received this award since its inception in 2000.

Out of Town In September, Tallahassee’s own The Laughing Stock provided entertainment for the international annual convention for Cruise Holidays, Inc. The first show took place at the top of the Space Needle in Seattle, followed by multiple performances during a four-day cruise to British Columbia for the cruise and travel industry executives.

Recent FSU Film School graduate Will Bigham triumphed over 12,000 other entrants to win a $1 million development deal with DreamWorks Studio on the highly competitive reality TV show, On the Lot. Three of the finalists of On the Lot, which was produced by Mark Burnett and Steve Spielberg, were graduates of Florida State University Film School. Several arts-related organizations and businesses were honored in the “Best of Tallahassee 2007” readers’ poll in Tallahassee Magazine. Thomas Eads Fine Art was voted 2007 Best Art Gallery, Seven Days of Opening Nights was named 2007 Best Community Event, the IMAX Theatre at Challenger Learning Center was voted 2007 Best Local Attraction, and Sally Rude Antiques and Fine Art Gallery took the title of 2007 Best Antique Shop.

Two short films produced by Mickee Faust Films and Diane Wilkins Productions premiered at film festivals this fall. In September and October, Boot Scootin’ Beauty was shown at Washington D.C.’s International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the 12th Annual Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival, and the Fire Island Film and Video Festival. In October, Cremmate Muffy was shown at the 22nd Annual Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

COCA Board Member and Associate Professor at the FSU Film School Valliere Richard Auzenne’s newest film, Breaking the Silence: Torture Survivors Speak Out, premiered on October 2 at FSU’s Askew Student Life Center, with a panel discussion immediately following the showing. Breaking the Silence is based on interviews with more than 40 members of the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC).

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MIKE SHERIDAN A Vision of Leadership

Interview by Del Suggs

O

n the surface, Mike Sheridan and Del Suggs couldn’t be more different. Mike is a businessman, the founder and Chair of Fringe Benefits Management Company, a nationally recognized employee benefits business, and one of the largest employers in the Big Bend area. Del, on the other hand, is a singer/songwriter and guitarist who regularly appears in concert across the United States, and has five solo albums. What do they have in common? Community activism and involvement, and music. Mike has a long history of supporting the arts, serving on Boards of Council on Culture & Arts, the University Musical Associates, Tallahassee Irish Society, and others. Del has served on the Boards of the Tallahassee Museum, the National Association for Campus Activities, and the Florida Flambeau Foundation, and is widely known for his public service concerts. These longtime pals served together on the Economic Development, Tourism, and Quality of Life Task Force of the Tallahassee Cultural Plan. They sat down to talk about writing, Irish music, and their mutual interest in and commitment to the economic benefits of the arts.

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DS: Well, I had hoped that we could meet over a nice Irish brew somewhere. MS: We wouldn’t have accomplished much. DS: But it would have been fun! How did you first get involved in the arts? MS: I started out playing the guitar in high school in Miami. I played at parties and things like that. Then a buddy of mine who was not a musician said,“You guys are really good. People would actually pay to hear you.”So we put together a group called the Wild Rovers, because that was our favorite song. We started playing down there, and when I moved here, another guy moved at the same time, and so we kept on playing. DS: Did you ever think about being a professional musician? MS: Well, I’ve been paid. I guess that qualifies me as a professional. But I didn’t choose it for two reasons. One, I couldn’t make any money, and two, I didn’t have enough talent. You’ve made a living out of it, but I haven’t been so successful.

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INTERVIEW DS: I’ve been fortunate. There aren’t too many people who get a chance to do that. MS: Talent helps, and you’ve got it. DS: Well, yeah, but there’s an awful lot of luck involved, too. MS: But I do think it’s very important to realize that artists are professionals, and not view them as people who ought to give their services away for free. They need to make a living, and when they make money, they re-invest it back in the economy. DS: True. I think to some extent artists have marginalized themselves, because we tend to have this concept of the romantic artist, the struggling artist, and that seems sort of glorified. But I say, it might seem glamorous to be a starving artist, but it’s not a very comfortable way to live. MS: No! DS: You’ve been awfully successful in other ways, you know. You’ve been a mover and shaker in the Irish music scene in this town, which has just blossomed over the last several years. MS: It has. Well, we were the first people to ever play Irish music here. I had just moved up here from Miami and I wanted to see what was happening on St. Patrick’s Day. There was nothing.

DS: Nothing Irish. MS: Nothing Irish, right. So I walked into the Jax Liquor Bar on Thomasville Road, which doesn’t exist anymore, and asked, “How would you like to have authentic traditional Irish music for St. Patrick’s Day?” And they said yes! So I called up my buddies, and they came up from Miami and we made a weekend of it. That was 25 years ago. We just decided to retire this year. DS: I was there for your last gig, in fact. MS: That’s right, you were part of the event at Chez Pierre. DS: Well, what else have you done in the local arts scene? MS: I have written throughout my life. I’ve been published, even going back to high school. DS: Really? MS: In amateur things. I had a superb English teacher in high school, who actually went on to become Florida’s first national teacher of the year. I’ve written short stories. I’ve written a play that was published and produced at Tallahassee Little Theatre. And I’ve performed at Tallahassee Little Theatre going back over 20 years. I’m also working very, very slowly on an anthology of poetry that I’ve written.

The Wild Rovers performing at Chez Pierre on St. Patrick’s Day

DS: Isn’t it amazing how important writing is to every aspect of success? I think that the ability to write – to put words on paper – is fundamentally important to success in just about everything. MS: I fear certain things are disappearing. The kids now are text-messaging, and they don’t have to use grammar. But on the other hand, people are still buying and reading books. DS: I was in the same situation you were in. I had a wonderful high school English teacher. Every Monday we came in, sat down, and wrote an essay. So I learned to write. I write a monthly magazine column now, and I’ve actually had about 60 different articles in the field of student activities published in magazines. That’s something that most people don’t realize about me. I say it’s the fourth half of my life. Along with the many other things I do. MS: In my real career, the employee benefits field, I’m an investment manager for a huge 401K fund, and I write a column ten times a year for a newsletter that goes out to about 30,000 people. DS: I think it goes back to that basic need to communicate. That’s really what the arts are all about, communication. MS: Yes, that’s a good observation. (continued on next page)

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INTERVIEW DS: You and I first worked together on developing the City and County’s Cultural Plan. We served on the Economic Development and Tourism Committee, and helped write that part of the plan. That was a great joy – a real treat to work with you and Kay Stephenson, and to help pull that together. It was a very exciting time. MS: Right. When I first became the Chairman of COCA, we had just been charged with implementing the Cultural Plan. DS: Well, I wanted to talk to you about your term on the COCA board, and the fact that you’re now leaving after serving as chair. How do you feel about stepping aside, passing the baton? MS: I’m delighted – I think volunteer organizations should have turnover. I originally said that I’d stay on as Chair for three years. Time enough to implement the parts of the plan that we could, and to assist other authorities with their parts of the plan. Time enough to put the infrastructure in place for ongoing things, like First Fridays, the web site, and all the rest. And so I said I’d be Chair for three years, and then try to recruit my replacement. But I plan to stay on the board as Immediate Past Chair. DS: It’s amazing to see how the arts have just continued to grow in this town and you’ve been a big part of that. You don’t just talk about this stuff. You actually have made a financial commitment to support the arts. MS: Oh yes, I believe that I’m a benefactor or patron of most arts or cultural organizations in town. I try to write checks and buy tickets and encourage other people to do the same thing. I noticed something in the Tallahassee Democrat not long ago. It referred to Jacksonville as a river town, and then the next day, in an unrelated article, it referred to Tallahassee as a culture town.

Mike Sheridan as Alfie Doolittle in Tallahassee Little Theatre’s production of My Fair Lady.

DS: I like that! MS: It’s good. Maybe we’re getting someplace. DS: We certainly are. I’ve got a recording session this afternoon to do vocal tracks on a new CD by Tammerlin, a band from Jacksonville. They’re working on their third CD recorded in Tallahassee. They come all the way from Jacksonville to record with Pete Winter at Winterstone Productions, because of the facility, because of the ears on the engineer and the producer that they work with there. MS: Wow. That’s great. DS: So I think you’re absolutely correct. We really are getting there. MS: I think anybody who looks at the Limelight or morethanyouthought.com can see that there’s always something going on. We have a concentration of

culture that I don’t believe exists in any other city – or many other cities – in the United States that only have a quarter of a million people. And it’s accessible. It’s easy most of the time to find some parking. It’s affordable, and it’s good. DS: My theory is that we’re basically spoiled in Tallahassee. There’s just so much great talent here that we don’t truly appreciate it. I’ve heard people complain about having to pay a $10 or $15 cover charge to go see somebody like Pierce Pettis play at the Warehouse. And I say, well, people are paying $25 to see him in Charlotte the weekend before. MS: Tonight I’m going to a jazz concert with Wynton Marsalis and Marcus Roberts at Ruby Diamond. You can’t get better jazz than that anyplace in the United States. DS: Exactly. I remember seeing Marcus Roberts and his trio play in front of the R.A. Gray Building, and (continued on pg. 17)

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Advertisement

A From: ein Randi Goldst

re you dreading the

thought of once again trying to find unusual and meaningful gifts this holiday season? If you shudder at the thought of the crowds, chaos and long lines, you’re not alone.

This year, try something different. Forget the familiar,

predictable sameness and opt for something interesting and artful – a uniquely “made in Tallahassee” gift that you can’t find anywhere else in the world. These holiday shopping events, sponsored by your local cultural community, bring endless gift ideas: Glasshopper Galle ry shines with beau paintings, photography, prints, tiful gi handmade clothing, jewelry, pottery, glass, and more. You’re sure to find something to please even the quirkiest people you know.

tal Editor, Capi azine Culture Mag

t s i w T e v i t a e r C a Gift Giving with And remember, these are just some of the special holiday events. Check out the listings on pages 18-20 for many more creative places to hunt for treasure this season or any time.

Ornamental Shopping: Opening November 10 Color Wheel Gallery, 616 N. Bronough St., 222-6873, www.thecolorwheelgallery.com.

The Color Wheel Gallery is celebrating its first holiday season by featuring original handmade Christmas ornaments and decorations. A variety of local artists are creating unique ornaments especially for this Christmas sale. Has your tree ever featured a mosaic ornament? Or one made from fused glass? Don’t let fear of high prices prevent you from taking a look – many of these one-of-a-kind ornaments have pricetags of $10 or less. Color Wheel will also be featuring watercolor holiday cards, decorations, and reasonably priced small artworks suitable for gift-giving. This holiday show begins November 10, with a special one-day Christmas Sidewalk Sale one December 1.

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ifts.

HOLIDAY GUIDE A Winter’s Tale: November 23 – December 29 LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts, 125 N. Gadsden Street, 222-8800, www.lemoyne.org.

If you’ve never been to LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts’ Annual Holiday Show, you’re missing a treat. Every year the gallery decorates 67 trees in different themes with ornaments, lights, and other holiday decorations, all of them for sale. LeMoyne’s selection is mostly handmade by artisans, many of them local artists.“We try to cater to more than just Christmas,”says Executive Director Allison McCarthy,“There’s something for every religion.”So if you’re looking for a handmade menorah, now you know where to find it. This year’s holiday show, the gallery’s 43rd, is subtitled Journey Through Five Decades at LeMoyne. Each of the five galleries will represent a decade, from the 60s through the current day, with themed decorations, and panels describing the events of each era.

Art and Antiques: November 29 – December 1 FSU Museum of Fine Arts, 644-1254, www.mofa.fsu.edu.

Every year for three days of the holiday season, the FSU Museum of Fine Arts is transformed into a cheerful bazaar— a most amazing and colorful marketplace of unique handmade fine crafts, antiques of every description, fine art prints, exotic apparel (such as imported kimono), and unusual inventions by

contemporary artists. The Art & Antiques Fair began in the ’80s as an afternoon tea and trunk show of fine crafts made by area artists. The current event embraces antique dealers and booksellers as well as regional artists with national reputations for the unique nature and excellence of their creations.

Go to Market: December 1 – 2 Tallahassee Museum’s Market Days, North Florida Fairgrounds, 575-8684, www.marketdays.org.

The granddaddy of all holiday sales in the Big Bend area, the 42nd Annual Market Days is a perfect place to find unique and well-made gifts for the holiday season. Nearly 300 artists display and sell original and handmade creations, making it one of the largest arts and crafts shows in the Southeast. Held at the North Florida Fairgrounds, Market Days is also an annual and vital fundraising event for the Tallahassee Museum. Shoppers can browse six large buildings, as well as the outdoor plazas and medians, filled with original art, jewelry, specialty foods, furniture, woodworking, photography, and much more.

All That’s Small: Opening December 3

Signature Art Gallery, 2779 Capital Circle NE, 297-2422, www.signatureartgallery.com.

Signature Art Gallery represents more than 30 regional, national and international artists. This season, Signature’s local artists have worked to create a selection of small paintings for the

Handmade fused glass from Color Wheel Gallery Holiday Small Works Show. For example, Joe Claborn, known for his small paintings of local birds, flowers, fruits, and vegetables, is creating Christmas miniatures as tiny as three-and-a-half inches square. Signature also has John Penrod’s unusual turned wood pots. Penrod uses local woods like grapefruit, palm, and Norfolk Pine to create his tiny masterpieces – some as small as five inches high. The small paintings generally start at about $150, and if you shop carefully, you may even find a bargain as low as $65. The Holiday Small Works Show opens for December’s First Friday Gallery Hop, with a reception where customers can meet the artists. (continued on pg. 17)

You’re never at a loss for unique gifts when holiday shopping at the FSU Art and Antiques Fair.

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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 December 2007 & January 2008...

(Note: All events are subject to change without notice. Check www.MoreThanYouThought. com, or contact the individual organizations listed for updated information.)

Special Holiday-Themed Events Young Hilary's fourth grade life is dictated by her friends' choices until she meets her unusual neighbor, Sara Kate, in the School of Theatre at Florida State’s production of Afternoon of the Elves. At the Fallon Theatre in the Fine Arts Building, November 29 to December 2. Call 644-6500 for tickets, or go to www.tickets.fsu. edu to order online. Stop by the Knott House Museum’s Holiday Open House on December 1 and enjoy the vintage ornaments that decorate the historic site along with special tours, refreshments, and music. For more information call 922-2459. On December 2, spend time with friends, family, and Santa on the relaxed and enchanting grounds of Goodwood Museum and Gardens. Spend the afternoon with games, arts and crafts, and exhibits at the Making Spirits Bright Family Fun Day, and experience the charm and innocence of Christmas long ago. Also at Goodwood, take an elegant candlelight tour of the main house on December 7. The lights of hundreds of candles, decorations, and music will surely put you in the holiday spirit. Call 877-4202 for more information.

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Camellia Christmas is an annual old fashioned holiday kick-off at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. On December 7, the community is invited to come out for a candlelight stroll through the gardens, and enjoy the music of local performers along with hot apple cider and cookies served by the park staff and volunteers, plus a silent auction. Maclay House will also be open and decorated for the holidays. Call 487-4115 for information. Don’t miss the Tallahassee Ballet’s holiday tradition, The Nutcracker. This production will delight audiences of all ages from the moment the curtain rises on Clara and her magical journey to the Kingdom of Sweets. This year’s Nutcracker at Ruby Diamond Auditorium on December 15 promises to indulge spectators with special surprises tucked within this classic favorite. For the little ones, there is a special abbreviated Children’s Performance at 10:30 am. Call 644-6500 for tickets, or go to www.tickets.fsu.edu to order online. Celebrate the holidays with the sounding joy of the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and Children’s Chorus as they present Holiday Magic: Angels in the Snow, under the baton of Music Director Miriam

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CALENDAR Burns. December 8 at Ruby Diamond Auditorium. Call 644-6500 for tickets, or go to www.tickets.fsu.edu to order online. Honor the Spanish missions of Florida during a Commemorative Mass led by Bishop John Ricard at Mission San Luis on December 9. A public reception will follow the holiday service. For information, call 487-3711. Voces Angelorum (“Voices of Angels”) women’s vocal chamber choir will present a holiday concert with classical guitarist Kris Anderson. The program will feature medieval chants to contemporary Spanish lullabies. Free childcare is provided for this concert on December 16 at Grace Lutheran Church. Call 942-6075 for details. Join the Tallahassee Irish Step Dancers and students who study at Killearn Performing Arts for a retelling of the famous fairy tale, The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Anderson, set to Irish dance and music. This annual performance will be at Lawton Chiles High School Auditorium on December 23. Call 443-7512 for tickets. See the work more of dozens of Tallahassee’s future visual art stars at COCA’s Winter Festival Youth Art Exhibition, at City Hall Art Gallery from November 26 through December 28. Call 224-2500 for more information.

Art & Exhibits

Goodwood Museum and Gardens provides the perfect atmosphere for holiday spirit.

Guest curator Linda Van Beck presents A Sense of Habitat in the Phipps Gallery and Fleischmann Natural Science Building in recognition of the Tallahassee Museum’s 50th anniversary. A Sense of Habitat features artwork by local painters, sculptors, writers, and a photographer, each celebrating the species and habitats represented at the museum. Through January 6, 2008. For information, call 575-8684.

childhood traditions with the work of Tallahassee artist Kelly Boehmer, Matthew Hopson-Walker of California, and Mark McLeod of South Carolina. Then in January, 621 presents A Culture of Conflict. As today’s digital culture blurs the distinction between entertainment and reality, three artists address the effect of media on social interactions. For information, call 224-6163.

Celebrate the creative talent of 30 photographers living in the Tallahassee area with COCA’s juried fine art photography show, Photofest 2007, from November 16 to January 4 at the ArtPort Gallery at Tallahassee Regional Airport. For more information, call 224-2500. 621 Gallery is transformed into a labyrinth of hallucinations in December for Stories. The exhibit features insight into an array of

Music Hear Grammy Award winner and Professor of Trumpet Christopher Moore, with Valerie Trujillo on piano at Opperman Music Hall on January 18. Part of the FSU College of Music’s Faculty Solo Artist Series. For information call 644-9934. On January 19 at Ruby Diamond Auditorium, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra will present a Memorial Tribute concert for the late Maestro Nicholas and Janice Harsanyi. Featuring the music of Kodály, Brahms, Sessions, and Strauss, under the baton of Music Director Miriam Burns. Call 644-6500 for tickets, or go to www.tickets.fsu.edu to order online. The Tallahassee Community Chorus salutes our Armed Forces with their Unity Concert at Ruby Diamond Auditorium on January 23. Special guests include the choirs of Chiles, Leon, and Lincoln High Schools. Call 644-6500 for tickets, or go to www.tickets.fsu.edu to order online.

The Tallahassee Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.

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CALENDAR Holiday Music at the Historic Capitol

Has shopping exhausted you? Take a break and experience the beautiful sound of music echoing through the halls of Tallahassee’s most notable historic building. December 3 – 17, the Old Capitol site is decorated for the holidays and aglow with groups celebrating the season. For more information, call 487-1902.

Monday, December 3

Fairview Middle School 6th Grade Chorus - 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, December 5

Fairview Middle School 7th & 8th Grade Chorus – 12:00 p.m.

Friday, December 7

Griffin Middle School Chorus – 11:30 a.m.

Sunday, December 9

Tallahassee Girls Choir of C.H.O.I.C.E.

Tuesday, December 11

Deerlake Middle School Chorus - 11:30 a.m.

Wednesday, December 12

Holy Comforter Middle School Chorus – 12 p.m.

Friday, December 14

Cobb Middle School Chorus – 10:30 a.m. Raa Middle School Chorus - 11:30 a.m.

Monday, December 17

Nims Middle School Chorus – 12:00 p.m. (Note: these are the groups scheduled at the time of publication. Others may be added throughout the season.)

Lichgate on High Road’s “Enchanted Cottage” decorated for the holidays.

Theatre It’s“east meets west”in this touching story about finding love in the most unexpected places. Quincy Music Theatre presents the classic musical The King and I, November 30 to December 2 and December 7 to 9, 2007. Order tickets online at www.qmtonline.com or call 875-9444. Come see the magic, the mystery, the memory of Cats. This winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, is coming to the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center as part of the Broadway Series on December 6 and 7. Call 222-0400 for tickets. Directed by thirty-year Hollywood veteran (and now FSU Film School Professor) Chip Chalmers, Tallahassee Little Theatre’s Starbucks Coffeehouse series presents Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, December 7 through 16. This hilarious show is the story of five bridesmaids hiding in an upstairs room at a Knoxville society wedding. For information call 224-4597. It’s New York, 1952. Welcome to Broadway, the glamour and power capital of the universe, where J.J. Hunsecker rules all with his daily gossip column. Theatre A La Carte’s production of Sweet Smell of Success captures the gritty and jazzy feel of the classic film. See it January 11-13 or 18-20 at Tallahassee Little Theatre. Sweet Smell of Success will be presented as a concert production, featuring an on-stage orchestra. Call 224-8474 for tickets. Leapin' Lizards! Annie is coming to Tallahassee. The timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie is at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center as part of the Broadway Series on January 28 and 29. Call 222-0400 for tickets.

Sound like too much to do in one day? Spend the weekend. Shop a little...visit a few sites...live it up at night. Check out the Hot Deal Discount for Tallahassee hotels and attractions at www.visittallahassee.com 12 | November/December 2007

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Capital Culture Magazine

COCA Notes

CONNECTION

On the Radio

COCA’s Executive Director, Peggy Brady, joined City Commissioner Andrew Gillum and Wendy Holmes from Artspace Projects, Inc. on WFSU’s radio show Perspectives to discuss the Arts on Gaines project. The program is archived at www.wfsu. org/radio/archives/perspectives-archives_ 2007.html. Click the LISTEN NOW link for the September 13, 2007 show.

Special Thanks • COCA would like to thank Shred It (www.shredit.com) for providing in-kind shredding and recycling services to COCA for the last several years. (According to them, we’ve saved three trees this year alone!) • Special thanks to all the local businesses participating in the Tallahassee Collects show at City Hall Gallery. The exhibit recognizes these 18 local businesses that use artwork to cultivate a creative atmosphere in their workplace, while at the same time investing in our local artists:

Out and About • Peggy Brady directed the recent theatrical production of An Evening with Dick envisioned by local chef and co-owner of Chez Pierre, Eric Favier. This fundraiser for prostate cancer research raised $15,000 for the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital Foundation. • COCA’s Arts in Public Places Director, Leslie Puckett, participated in the juried art show 100% Pure Florida at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery in Melbourne. Her piece was one of 67 accepted out of 800 pieces submitted by Florida artists. • COCA’s Marketing Director, Tony Archer, was guest lecturer for two sections of “Success Strategies in Art & Design” in the Department of Art, and one section of “Culminations” in the School of Theatre, both part of FSU’s College of Visual Arts, Theatre, and Dance. • On October 9, 2007, Peggy Brady, along with Buddy Streit, co-hosted the Rising Stars Showcase at The Moon. Sponsored by the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Big Bend, the event spotlighted the excellence of Tallahassee youth in the performing arts. The evening featured performances by Young Actors Theatre, Tallahassee Girls Choir of C.H.O.I.C.E., Musikgarten, Tallahassee Youth Symphony Orchestra, F.A.C.E., and others.

Continuing Education • On September 21, 2007, COCA’s Access Advisory Committee presented “Does Everyone Feel Welcome,” a workshop for performing arts presenters about better accommodating all patrons, with an emphasis on patrons with disabilities. • COCA hosted a grantwriting workshop presented by Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs on September 26, 2007. Representatives of more than 40 arts organizations from Pensacola to Jacksonville attended to learn about how the Division’s new strategic plan, Culture Builds Florida’s Future, relates to the grant programs.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The Bank of Tallahassee Bob Rackleff Consulting Carroll and Company, CPAs DataMaxx Group Diane Wilkins Productions Earl Bacon Agency Herrle Communications Group Hill Spooner & Company, Inc. Law Office of Paula L. Walborsky, Esq. Mad Dog Design & Construction Company Marpan Management, Inc. National Federation of Independent Businesses Office of Dr. Cynthia Tie Office of Dr. Sally Karioth Oppenheim Research Peoples First Community Bank, Kerry Forest Branch Ron Sachs Communications Tucker/Hall Inc. Public Affairs and Public Relations

Coming in January...

The Show Must Go On • Bravo to FAMU’s Foster Tanner Fine Arts Gallery for stepping up to host the annual Leon County middle school arts show when the show’s regular venue fell through. Leslie Puckett and Amanda Thompson coordinated the exhibit with Gallery Director Harris Wiltsher and area art teachers. • Leslie Puckett consulted with Tallahassee/Leon County’s Community Animal Services Center to develop a permanent exhibition program for the lobby of the animal shelter. The exhibition space officially opened June 29, and features changing exhibits. A percentage of sales from this gallery will benefit the Animal Shelter Foundation.

Capital Culture Magazine

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The Music Issue!

November/December 2007 | 13

Thursday night, September seventh, at Amen-Ra Bookstore. I thought I was just going to see a poetry show, but found a whole lot more. These sisters and brothers were doing their thing on stage. They rocked spoken word so hard that I was shook for days. My mind was in a daze. The next thing I knew I was writing poetry page after page, and two weeks later, I was on stage.

Black on Black Rhyme I by W.C. Blackmon

didn’t know that my first time at a Black on Black Rhyme show would mean the unveiling of something deep and soulful within me. I was fortunate to get a seat up close to the stage my first time attending, and from the start, the energy level was unbelievable. The poet who opened the show, Keith Rodgers, possessed a singsong skip rhythm that mentally took hold of me, lifted me up, and took me on an upward-spiraling spiritual ride that I won’t soon forget. From the aroma of the burning incense, to the lights turned just so, the ambiance was set. The venue was packed. The audience members each had small oval “shakers” that they held aloft and shook instead of clapping their hands. The poems flowed into the microphone as words, but seemed to come out as a kind of kinetic energy blaze that simply put, rocked. For the rest of the show I was on the edge of my seat. Later, I learned some of the background on Black on Black Rhyme, which began right here in Tallahassee over nine years ago. The name was derived from the reality that is black-onblack crime. The desire was to create something not only positive, but enduring.

14 | November/December 2007

“Back before we had an actual venue, we would meet at someone’s house and do poetry,” explains Keith Rodgers, founder of Black on Black Rhyme. “We called these ‘lyrical drivebys’ or ‘poetic drive-bys.’”That was in 1998. Today, other chapters of Black on Black Rhyme are in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Atlanta, and Rochester, New York. This branching out is due to more than chance. The organization has some of the most talented poets around, and first made a splash at the National Poetry Slam in Chicago in 2002. Since then, Black on Black Rhyme members have been steadily making their presence known on the national scene. Paul D., an area poet who is also one half of the hip hop group THER.I.P.Y., spoke his way into first place in the 2005 Southern Fried Poetry Slam. This year, local poet Ali took first place at the 2007 Southern Fried Poetry Slam in Columbia, South Carolina. And Black on Black Rhyme poets and fans are anxiously awaiting 2008, when the Southern regional poetry championship will be held right here in Tallahassee. Two weeks after attending that first show I was on stage doing spoken word for the first time. Though I had never before performed spoken word, I had been writing for years. I was

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Capital Culture Magazine

e

ADVENTURES IN THE ARTS working on a novel where the main character happened to be a poet, so I had even written some poetry. But performing before a live audience is something altogether different. My knees were shaking, my hands were trembling, and with every moment, it seemed as if my thoughts were disassembling. One might wonder why was I so compelled to do something that was obviously so stressful. The truth is it would have been more stressful to me not to perform. The words and the wisdom in the form of rhyme called to me, and I could not help but answer the call. In obedience to that old wise saying, “to thine own self be true,” I do my best to listen to the poetry within and then speak it. The best part about being a poet and speaking poetry happens when the show is over – when someone you don’t know comes up to you, gives you a hug or shakes your hand, and says, “Thanks for doing that poem. It really touched me.” I find this so gratifying because touching an individual (or an entire crowd) in a positive way is what spoken word is all about. Through my words, energy, emotion, and truth, I have the opportunity to open up a

mind to an idea that is new or untried. Through the sharing of an experience, I can let people know that they are not alone. So despite the inner turmoil I felt, not just the first time, but the first ten times I performed, I can honestly say it was worth it. Back in March of this year, I was invited by Black on Black Rhyme to join the regular poetry troupe. I couldn’t help but feel honored by their welcoming me into the fold. It has now been just under a year since I’ve stepped on to the stage and been opened up to the world of spoken word. I have made, and hope to continue to make, great leaps in this art, but it hasn’t been an individual effort. By observing the expertise of my sisters and brothers of the Black on Black Rhyme family, and thanks to their positive encouragement, I have no doubt that I will become the spoken word artist I am supposed to be. So between now and when, if you see me around, Understand that you’re seeing a poet in the guise of a man. That’s no matter where I am at. And you better believe I’m back talking to the world in hopes that it will talk back.

“I was working on a novel where the main character happened to be a poet, so I had even written some poetry. But performing before a live audience is something

altogether different.”

Capital Culture Magazine

- W. C. Blackmon

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Interested?

Check out one of these programs in the Tallahassee area. Places to read your own work, have it critiqued, or just go hear some of the talented authors from your home town and beyond. Anhinga Press/Apalachee Review Reading Series, www.anhinga.org or www.apalacheereview.org. Hear poetry read by both local and national poets. Readings are held periodically, so check the websites or Limelight for times and places. Black on Black Rhyme, Amen-Ra Bookstore, 812 S. Macomb St., www. blackonblackrhyme.com Poetry readings open to public every Thursday beginning at 9 pm. Go and listen or perform your own work at the open mic. Cuppa Critique, annmorrow@comcast. net or [email protected]. The local gathering of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators meets on the third Thursday of every month from 7 -8:30 pm, and welcomes serious writers and illustrators of stories, poems, and non-fiction for children. Tallahassee Writers’ Association, www. twaonline.com. Take the opportunity to workshop your writing of all types at regular meetings every third Thursday evening at the American Legion Hall. Open to all published and unpublished writers from the Big Bend area. The Warehouse Reading Series, 706 W. Gaines St., 222-6188 Get inspiration for your own writing every Tuesday with FSU’s reading series. Come listen to FSU faculty, grad students, and visiting writers. (Note: this may not be a complete listing of all opportunities to read or hear original literary works, and COCA does not endorse any particular event or opportunity. For listings of many other types of local literary events, visit www.morethanyouthought.com.)

November/December 2007 | 15

REVIEWS Brotherhood of the Fin:

A Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer’s Story by Gerald R. Hoover 188 pages Wheatmark Publishing, Inc., June 2007 Available at: • Amazon.com and other major online booksellers • Or order a signed copy from thebrotherhoodofthefin.com

step back and writes about events in his life that made him pursue his calling. He describes the brutal training one must go through in order to become a rescue swimmer, training that nearly half the candidates fail to make it through. Hoover often mentions his fear of failure, and credits it as what drove him through the training and rescue missions. In contrast, at times in the book he comes off as overconfident. But he doesn’t apologize for it. In fact, he argues that this confidence is what is needed to be a rescue swimmer; on each mission, there can be nothing but success in mind. The book closes with his and others’ stories from Hurricane Katrina. It is startling to read what this great disaster was like from someone who was right in the middle of it. The rescue swimmers saved the lives of 33,500 people after Katrina – an impressive feat, considering that the program began in 1983 and only met the milestone of 4,000 people saved in 2001. Brotherhood of the Fin is full of the exciting stories of Hoover’s missions, as well as accounts told by fellow rescue swimmers, paramedics, and pilots in the Coast Guard. If you enjoy tales of adventure and bravery, go out and get this inspiring book from a local hero.

Daniel Lyons

Watching television in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, you may have seen how Gerald Hoover spent his career: jumping out of helicopters and saving lives. When Hoover retired in May of 2006 after 20 years in the service, he had more deployments from Coast Guard helicopters than any other rescue swimmer in the history of the program. And he lives here in Tallahassee. Hoover’s extended family is from the Big Bend and following his retirement, he decided to make this area his permanent home. His story draws you in from the start, as he is flown into the middle of a vicious storm to save a group of people caught on a small boat. Later he takes a

16 | November/December 2007

Catching Smiles Produced by Whole Child Leon Release Date: November, 2007 Genre: Children’s

to achieve the ongoing goal of being a community where everyone works together to make sure children thrive. Catching Smiles is one of the most distinctive results of the statewide project. It was created here in Leon County from the work of the Spiritual Action Committee, led by committee chair Laurie Dozier of Mad Dog Design & Construction, with committee members Kathy Weiss and Debra Lachter coordinating the effort. Catching Smiles is intended for parents to listen to with their children ages 0-5, but its appeal reaches far beyond those ages. The CD begins with the smooth voice of Velma Frye welcoming a new day with “The Sun Comes Up.”The memorable and magical Pam Laws adds“This Little Light of Mine”while Bill“Yazid”Johnson of Tocamos, Tallahassee’s Afro-Cuban drumming group, invites a sing-along with“Funga.”Relax and end the day with John Paul Walters’“Good Night, Good Earth”or Sammy Tedder’s“Evening Flute with Crickets.”The rest will have to be a surprise, but with local musicians donating eighteen tracks of music, you will find a little something for everyone. If you want to be one of the first to receive this very special CD, join the volunteers and learn more about Whole Child Leon at the release party scheduled to coincide with the Downtown Get Down on November 16. The generous musicians will be on hand to play more of their music, too . At the time of this printing, information on future distribution of the CD was not yet finalized, so if you miss the release party, call COCA at 224-2500 and we will send you in the right direction.

Peggy Brady

Through the generosity and talent of local musicians, Winterstone Productions, The Clothesline, and a committee of local volunteers, Catching Smiles, a CD “filled with music that makes kids feel good…” is being produced for Whole Child Leon, a partnership with the Lawton Chiles Foundation. Whole Child Leon, under the leadership of State Representative Loranne Ausley, is an incredible cross-section of Leon County residents who volunteer

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Capital Culture Magazine

CONTINUED Sheridan Interview

Holiday Guide

(continued from page 6)

(continued from page 9)

he was essentially warming up to go do a show at Carnegie Hall in New York City. MS: And last week I watched War, the World War II documentary by Ken Burns, and who was the musical director? Wynton Marsalis. DS: We’re just so fortunate to have such abundance here. What would you change about the local cultural scene or arts scene, if you could? MS: Well, I certainly would like to see us get a performing arts center. FSU with its burgeoning School of Music is filling up Ruby Diamond all the time, so I’d like to see the community get behind the performing arts center. I think that that effort is going to have to rely a lot more on private sector funding. The public sector funding can come, but they’re going to have to have huge commitments from the private sector first. I’d like to see it happen so I can attend all of these performances in my lifetime! DS: I remember when the Civic Center was first built, what a major struggle it was, and having to cut back the original performing arts center that was supposed to be a part of that structure. But I remember performing at the Civic Center for the first time, and thinking how amazing that was. A lot of people look at the numbers for the proposed performing arts center and say, “It’s going to cost us how much?” But that’s not the point. The point is the potential return on the investment. MS: It is an economic driver. And if the money we spend comes back to the city or the county in taxes and bed taxes, why not? DS: Right. I think that’s one of the things that people are often shortsighted on. They see the government making a financial

Capital Culture Magazine

commitment for something like that, and they think the money just disappears. But the money that builds the performing arts center goes into the pockets of the construction workers who are working on the site, and they spend it in the local stores. So the money doesn’t disappear, it just gets recycled. MS: If 2,000 people go to a show at a performing arts center, how many of them are going to go out to dinner? How many are going to come in from out of town? And stay at a hotel? DS: It’s such an incubator, and some people don’t realize the value of it. Well, we’re getting there. What’s thrilling to me is to see a lot of the things we brought to the table during the Cultural Plan – the Gaines Street art district, the film festival, housing for artists – it’s all coming to fruition, even as we speak. MS: Isn’t it fun to come up with an idea, and the next thing you know, a few years later, it’s real. It happens! DS: A lot of that is due in no small part to your leadership. MS: Well, I’m only part of it. But I keep driving at it. Because if the push is coming from a businessperson who has built businesses – bought, sold, developed, employed a lot of people, and understands those things – then it has some more credibility. And I think that’s been my role. DS:Well, you’ve done a great job with it. MS: Thank you. I’ve enjoyed it. I hope somebody remembers me ten or fifteen years from now, when I’m just an old guy, tottering around the community.

Just One More: December 8 Downtown Marketplace, 224-3252, www.tallahasseedowntown.com.

Did you miss the opportunity all summer to buy your presents at the Downtown Marketplace? Well have no fear. On December 8, just in time for your gift buying frenzy comes Just One More: A Holiday Invitational Arts Festival. This encore art festival celebrates the talent of more than 70 hand-selected artists and craftspeople. Named one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s top 20 events in the Southeast USA in 2003, Just One More gets bigger and better every year. While you’re shopping, you can also enjoy live entertainment, book signings, kids’art projects, and delicious foods.

12 Days of Shopping: December 10 – 21

Railroad Square Art Park, 224-1308, www.railroadsquare.com.

Starting December 10, the shops, studios and galleries of Railroad Square Art Park will abandon their normal Wednesday to Saturday schedule and stay open for twelve straight days of holiday shopping. This is the 3rd annual 12 Days of Shopping event at the Art Park, which features art, fine craft, home furnishings, knitting supplies, vintage goods, and more. Tana McLane, co-owner of the new Humidity Gallery thinks that there is something for everyone at Railroad Square.“This is where you’re going to find really original stuff, created locally or regionally,”says McLane.“Different shops and studios have different points of view. Some carry very accessible and affordable objects and wearables, and some carry high end fine crafts and art.” A daily list of who’s open will be published and available at the front entrance to the park. Or just“circle the Square”and discover hidden treasures within.

DS: Still playing Irish songs. MS: Exactly.

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November/December 2007 | 17

Arts & Cultural Organizations and Businesses Unless otherwise specified, all area codes are 850.

LEGEND

See www.cocanet.org for expanded listings Highlighted are COCA members Official First Friday participant live performances and events exhibitions/attractions opportunities to participate adult classes things to buy programs/classes for kids

DANCE

African Caribbean Dance Theatre 539-4087, www.fadf.org African Music and Dance, 508-2127, [email protected] Argentine Tango Society of Tallahassee 222-2211, www.tangotallahassee.com Community School of the Performing Arts and Culture, 574-2237 Corazon Dancers (305) 989-0739 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

18 | November/December 2007

Mountain Dew Cloggers 386-1263, www.clogforfun.com 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] Sharon Davis Schools of Dance 893-5900 Southern Academy of Ballet Arts 222-0174 The Tallahassee Ballet 224-6917, www.tallaballet.com Tallahassee Community Friends of Old Time Dance, 421-1587 or 421-1838, www.tallydancer.com Tallahassee Swing Band Dances 894-3789, [email protected] Tallahassee Zydeco & Cajun Association (TAZACA) 212-0431, [email protected] Tribal Wallah Dance Troupe 459-0371, www.tribalwallah.net USA Dance, 562-1224, homepage.mac.com/ mweininger/tallusabda Wildwood Ballet, (850) 894-0264, www.wildwoodpca.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

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The Black Archives 561-2603 Claude Pepper Museum 644-9311, www.claudepepper.org/museum The Florida Historic Capitol & Legislative Research Center 487-1902, www.flhistoriccapitol.gov Goodwood Museum & Gardens 877-4202, www.goodwoodmuseum.org 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 Mission San Luis 487-3711, www.missionsanluis.org Museum of Florida History 245-6400, museumoffloridahistory.com Pebble Hill Plantation (Thomasville, GA) 229-226-2344, www.pebblehill.com San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park (St. Marks, FL), 922-6007 Tallahassee Automobile Museum 942-0137, www.tacm.com Tallahassee Museum 575-8684, www.tallahasseemuseum.org 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 CyPress Publications 576-8820, cypress-starpublications.com Digital Pulp 297-1373, www.digitalpulp.org Fiction Collective Two (FC2) 644-2260, www.fc2.org Florida Literary Arts Coalition www.floridaarts.org

Capital Culture Magazine

DIRECTORY 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 Writers’ Association 671-3731, www.twaonline.org Word Traffic Books 422-WORD, wordtraffi[email protected]

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY

Center for Fine Arts Education 254-0123, www.cfaefl.org Downtown Marketplace 224-3252, www.tallahasseedowntown.com Florida Center for Performing Arts and Education, 893-2497, [email protected] Florida Arts and Community Enrichment (F.A.C.E.) 644-8533, [email protected] Pyramid Studios 513-1733, www.pyramidinc.org Seven Days of Opening Nights 644-7670, www.sevendaysfestival.org Tallafesta 878-5148, www.carnivaltallahassee.com Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center 487-1691, www.tlccc.org Thomasville Cultural Center (Thomasville, GA) 229-226-0588, thomasvilleculturalcenter.com Thomasville Entertainment Foundation (Thomasville, GA), 229-226-7404, www.tefconcerts.com Thomasville Road Academy of the Arts 422-7795, www.thomasvilleroad.org/academy.htm The Warehouse, 222-6188

MUSIC

Apalachee Blues Society 668-5863, www.apalacheebluessociety.com The Artist Series 224-9934, www.theartistseries.com Barbershop Harmony Society 562-3876, www.capitalchordsmen.org Beethoven and Company 894-8700, www.beethovenandcompany.com The Beta Bar 425-2697, www.thebetabar.com Big Bend Community Orchestra 893-4567, www.bbco.org Boys’ Choir of Tallahassee 528-2403, www.boyschoirtlh.org Bradfordville Blues Club 906-0766, www.bradfordvilleblues.com Bradfordville Fine Arts Academy 893-0893, www.b-fbc.org Classical Guitar Society of Tallahassee 521-0700 or 668-1643, istal.com/cgst/index.html Club Downunder 644-6673, union.fsu.edu/cdu FAMU Music Department 599-3334 Florida State Opera 644-5248, music.fsu.edu/opera.htm

Floyd’s Music Store 222-3506, www.floydsmusicstore.com FSU College of Music 644-4774, music.fsu.edu Gordon’s String Music 386-7784 Home Music Educators 656-7613, www.homemusiceducators.com Jim’s Pianos 205-5467, www.jimspianos.com Mason’s School of Music 412-0102, www.masonsmusic.com The Moon 878-6900, www.moonevents.com Music Center 942-0626 MusicMasters 224-6158, www.musicm.com Music Xchange 681-7443, www.themusicxchange.com Musikgarten 668-2119, www.best-begin.com/ musikgartensignup.html Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (Live Oak, FL) 904-364-1683, www.musicliveshere.com Stringfest 668-6896, www.stringfest.com Stubbs Music Center 893-8754, www.stubbs.org Tallahassee Chapter, Nashville Songwriters Association, 509-2695, www.nashvillesongwriters.com Tallahassee Civic Chorale 878-2711, www.civicchorale.org Tallahassee Community Chorus 668-5394, www.tcchorus.org Tallahassee Community College Jazz Band 567-6336 or 201-8360 Tallahassee Girls’ Choir of CHOICE 576-7501 Tallahassee Music Guild 893-9346 Tallahassee Pipe Band 576-0708, www.saintandrewtallahassee.org The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra 224-0461, www.tallahasseesymphony.org Tallahassee Symphony Youth Orchestras 224-9232, www.tallahasseesymphony.org Tallahassee Winds 668-7109, www.tallahasseewinds.org Tally Piano & Keyboard Studios 386-2425, www.tallypiano.com Tocamos 212-0325, www.tocamos.com Vinyl Fever 580-2480, www.vinylfever.com Voces Angelorum, 942-6075, www.voicesofangelstallahassee.org WFSU 487-3170, www.wfsu.org

THEATRE

Bainbridge Little Theater (Bainbridge, GA) 229-246-834, www.bainbridgelittletheater.com

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 Magic and Fun Costume Shop 224-6244 Mickee Faust Club 224-3089, www.mickeefaust.com Monticello Opera House (Monticello, FL) 997-4242, [email protected] Off Street Players 907-5743, [email protected] Quincy Music Theatre (Quincy, FL) 875-9444, www.qmtonline.com 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, tallahasseelittletheatre.org Theatre A La Carte 385-6700, www.theatrealacarte.org Theatre TCC! 201-8608, theatre.tcc.fl.edu Young Actors Theatre 386-6602, www.youngactorstheatre.com

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.turnercenter.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 Bali HI Trading Company 766-7175 Barbara Psimas Studios 894-1444, www.BarbaraPsimas.com Blue Abaco Trading Company 325-2323, www.blueabaco.com Bonifay Guild For The Arts (Bonifay, FL) 850-547-3530, www.bonifayguildforthearts.com Brush and Palette Studio 893-1960, brushandpalettestudio.com Capital City Carvers 562-8460, carvers.mytalweb.com (continued on page 20)

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November/December 2007 | 19

DIRECTORY (continued) Unless otherwise specified, all area codes are 850.

LEGEND

See www.cocanet.org for expanded listings Highlighted are COCA members Official First Friday participant live performances and events exhibitions/attractions opportunities to participate adult classes things to buy programs/classes for kids Capitol Complex Galleries 245-6480, www.florida-arts.org City Hall Art Gallery 224-2500, www.cocanet.org Color Wheel Gallery, 222-6873, www.thecolorwheelgallery.com Depot Agent Gallery 218-368-5924, james-glaser.com 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 Big Bend Contemporary Gallery www.bigbendcontemporary.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 FSU Museum of Fine Arts 644-1254, www.mofa.fsu.edu FSU Oglesby Gallery 644-3898, union.fsu.edu/artcenter Foster Tanner Fine Arts Gallery 599-3161 Gadsden Arts Center (Quincy, FL) 875-4866, www.gadsdenarts.com Glasshopper, 668-5007 www.glasshopperonline.com Glassworks by Susan 222-5095 Historically Florida: Florida’s History Shops 245-6396, www.floridashistoryshop.com Humidity Gallery 264-5810, [email protected] Images of Tallahassee 894-5596, www.russellgraceimages.com It’s A Jem Fine Art (Havana, FL) 539-0335, www.itsajem.com J. Clinard Studio 942-7036, [email protected] Lafayette Park Arts & Crafts Center 891-3945, www.talgov.com/parks/ commcenter/lfartscrafts.cfm LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts 222-8800, www.lemoyne.org

20 | November/December 2007

Light N Up Artist Cooperative (Havana, FL) 539-0006 M Gallery 531-9925, [email protected] The Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science 513-0700, www.thebrogan.org 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 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 Simply Artistic, Inc. 402-0073, www.SimplyArtistic.net South of Soho Co-op Gallery www.southofsohogallery.com Southern Scenes Gallery & Frame 504-0555, www.southernscenesgallery.com Swamp Buddha Sumi-e 386-5041, [email protected] Tallahassee Polymer Clay Art Guild 656-2887, www.polymerclayart.org Tallahassee Senior Center for the Arts 891-4000, www.talgov.com Tallahassee Watercolor Society 385-9517, www.tfn.net/Watercolor Talleon Independent Artists 386-7176, www.tfn.net/talleon Ten Thousand Villages 906-9010, www.villagesoftallahassee.org Thomas Eads Fine Art 224-1435, thomaseadsfineart.com Turtle Island Trading Post 425-2490, turtleislandtradingpost.com Uniquely Yours 878-7111 Utrecht Art Supplies 877-0321, www.utrecht.com Visitors Center Gift Shop & Gallery 413-9200, www.seetallahassee.com Wild Women Art Gallery 224-1308, [email protected]

As the local arts agency for Tallahassee and Leon County, the Council on Culture & Arts 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. Council on Culture & Arts Staff Executive Director Peggy Brady Tony Archer Randi Goldstein Leslie Puckett Clint Riley Amanda Karioth Thompson Holly Thompson Council on Culture & Arts Board of Directors Chair Anne Mackenzie Vice Chair Ken Winker Treasurer/ Secretary Kay Stephenson Past Chair Michael H. Sheridan Exec. Comm. Margo H. Bindhardt Member At-Large Valliere Richard Auzenne Mickey Brady Alfredo A. Cruz Lydia A. McKinley-Floyd Longineu Parsons 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 Dick Fallon, Cultural Ambassador

816 S. Boulevard Street Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850) 224-2500 office (850) 224-2515 fax [email protected] www.cocanet.org

www.morethanyouthought.com

Capital Culture Magazine

PROFILES IN THE ARTS Barbara Edwards’ work will make you look at least twice. Her hand-colored infrared photographs combine the realism of landscapes and architectural details with the unreality of exaggerated color. When she hand-colors her black and white photos with oils, she’s not restricted to the colors in the actual scene: she has the freedom to make anything any color she wants, and often does. Though Edwards frequently photographs her native Florida and has had exhibitions in Tallahassee, Gainesville, and St. Augustine, her influence is much greater. She has shown her work in Colorado, Las Vegas, New York, Los Angeles, and more. Edwards has also been teaching photography at Tallahassee Community College since 1984. “I love teaching,” she says. “It’s exciting to witness the flow of creative juices in my students and see what fabulous images they make.” Someday she plans to retire from teaching and devote long periods of time to her darkroom and her first love, traditional black and white photography. In the meantime, she is available locally for weddings and hand-colored children’s portraiture. To see more of Barbara Edwards’ work, visit her web site at www.barbaraedwardsphoto.com, or see her newest digital images at www.neoimages.net.

Self-portrait of Barbara Aleene Edwards. Taken at the artists’ studio, October 2007.

BARBARA Aleene aLEENE EDWARDS eDWARDS

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