Young@Heart

One of the most moving documentaries I’ve seen in a long time aired on January 12th on Independent Lens (a weekly PBS series). Young@Heart, by filmmaker Stephen Walker, is at once a heartbreaking and heartwarming look at the Young@Heart Chorus. The chorus is comprised of New England senior citizens with an average age hovering around 80. Their set list includes songs from artists such as Sonic Youth, James Brown, Coldplay and The Clash and these retirees deliver unexpected music with an equally unexpected perspective. In the film, we follow the chorus through weeks of grueling rehearsals and watch as they try to master new material while working through health challenges and the loss of loved ones. Though it tugs on your tear ducts, this film is about the joy of music and its ability to sustain us, regardless of our age. Check out clips from the film on PBS’s Independent Lens website. The film is also available for rental.

Plein Air Art Exhibition at ArtPort Gallery

COCA’s Stunning New Show at Artport Gallery Beginning Jan. 20th

The Council on Culture & Arts is pleased to present a new exhibition in the Artport Gallery. Featuring the works of Keith B. McCulloch, Natalia Andreeva and Lorraine Clark, the exhibition showcases a special technique of painting called plein air, which approaches painting on location outdoors with little or no editing back in the studio.

Plein air painting delivers a unique style because the artist records the day’s changing light with an essential spontaneity. Some paintings may look unfinished, some may be studies for reinterpretation back in the studio, and some may stand on their own as bright descriptions of the moment captured.

Keith B. McCulloch considers plein air painting to be a note-taking exercise. He likes to paint the effects of light. But because the sun moves so quickly, a scene can change dramatically in a few hours or less. He finds the challenge of plein air painting to be finding the right harmony of tones that honestly portray what he sees and feels. Keith teaches Oil painting at Lemoyne Center for the Visual Arts.

Natalia Andreeva emerged as an artist from the fertile artistic climate of Siberia, after graduating from its most prestigious art college. Her studies of European art there—as well as the subsequent influence of eastern philosophy—have resulted in Natalia’s balance of spontaneous expression and classical realism. She also teaches oil painting at Lemoyne.

Lorraine Clark began her adventures with watercolor as an adult and is an active member of the Tallahassee Watercolor Society, as well as coordinator for Plein Air Tallahassee. She finds that doing watercolor enriches her life and becomes a genuine expression of her true self.

The three-artist show will continue in the Artport Gallery at Tallahassee Regional Airport through mid-March.

The exhibition is curated by the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) and is part of the City of Tallahassee’s Art in Public Places program. For further information on this exhibition, upcoming exhibitions, or the Art in Public Places program, contact Amanda Thompson at (850) 224-2500 or online at www.cocanet.org. To learn about other exhibitions and arts and culture programs, visit www.morethanyouthought.com and sign up to receive COCA’s weekly email blast at www.cocanet.org.

Style, Range and Beauty

COCA's New Three- Artist Show at City Hall Art Gallery Begins Jan. 13th

The Paintings of Randy and Debra Brienen and the Photographs of William Banks are remarkable in their scope and interpretation of regional subjects in the newest exhibition at Tallahassee’s City Hall Gallery.

The exhibition celebrates both the aesthetics and contrasting styles of the three featured artists. Randy Brienen works in acrylic and uses vibrant colors and bold textures to create his impressionistic and abstract paintings.

Debra Breinen also works in acrylic. Her paintings express an innate joy and happiness in living, and she has exhibited in many juried shows. Debra is a cancer survivor and donates a portion of each sale to the American Cancer Society.

The medium changes to photography for the third featured artist of the exhibition. William Banks’ subjects range from lotus blossoms to old rural highways. His genius comes from his passion for chronicling moments that resonate with people, as well as his ability to capture texture, color and the heart of each subject.

The three-artist show will continue on the second floor of City Hall through mid-March. City Hall Gallery is open from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm daily. Convenient parking is available at Kleman Plaza.

The exhibition is curated by the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA) and is part of the City of Tallahassee’s Art in Public Places program. For further information on this exhibition, upcoming exhibitions, or the Art in Public Places program, contact Amanda Thompson at (850) 224-2500 or online at www.cocanet.org. To learn about other exhibitions and arts and culture programs, visit www.morethanyouthought.com and sign up to receive COCA’s weekly email blast at www.cocanet.org.

Time to Renew

Don't Forget to Join or Renew Your COCA Annual Membership (Now through September 30, 2010)

Whether you are an individual artist, cultural organization, business, or student, professional educator, business, please consider joining or renewing as a member of COCA, your local arts agency. The fees from these memberships assist us in maintaining a strong local arts agency with a commitment to serving you as resource, advocate, and partner in keeping the culture and heritage of the Capital area as a vital part of our quality of life. Individual memberships are $35 for practicing artists and $50 for organizations and businesses. Further details and membership forms can be downloaded here or call Clint Riley at (850) 224-2500.

COCA's Only a Matter of Time Workshop

Only A Matter Of Time: The Basics of Time Management (Registration Deadline: January 25, 2010)

Date of Workshop: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 5:00-6:30 pm in the upstairs COCA conference room (816 S. M.L. King Jr. Blvd.). General Public: $10. COCA Members: Free

Register here.

Time is the ONLY resource given to everyone in equal measure. Everyone in the world has the exact same 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 52 weeks a year, and almost of all us feel we can't get everything done. But the real problem isn't just running out of time. We allow too many interruptions and distractions to hijack our valuable time, leaving us with less time to devote to the things that are truly important.

This workshop will:

Explain the four-quadrant time management system that helps you identify the things that are important rather than the things that are just "urgent"

Provide you with a 30-minute weekly organizing process that will empower you to plan your week and actually accomplish your goals

Help you strike a balance among the various roles you play in life and the various responsibilities that go along with each one

Give you a method for dealing with unexpected challenges, opportunities, reasons and excuses for not doing what you planned to do

About the workshop leader: Randi Atwood, Associate Director, oversees programs, publications, and information technology for COCA. She also occasionally teaches theatre courses at Tallahassee Community College and Florida State University. She holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Theatre Management and has been an independent theatrical director, Equity stage manager, grant writer, and website designer. It's no wonder Randi's an expert in time management.

Mike Pate's Still Sticking Around-Thank Heavens

He has been a friend to this community in many, many ways. Through his association with the Knight Foundation, but also through his wise counsel to leaders in local government and leaders of non-profit organizations.

But with the new changes at the Knight Foundation, Mike Pate will no longer be "local staff" for the their initiatives. The changes at the Foundation are not negative in any way, except that one. And, I have been assured that Mike will not leave Tallahassee and intends to make this his home in perpetuity.

But, it's a good opportunity to say thank you. A BIG thank you. Quietly perhaps because his help has often been quiet, seeking no credit for his own work. In writing, definitely, because this tool we use to communicate has been an integral piece of his world. Genuinely, because he is nothing if not genuine.

I do not plan to miss him, because I need his advice and am grateful he will be still be here.

It is just a good time to take the time to say thanks. So, thanks, Mike, from COCA, from all of us you have touched with important funding, often leading others to do the same.

And, thanks Mike for being the go-to guy for sage counsel and a sharp, witty comeback. And, just thanks for making Tallahassee a better place.