On Display

Gallery of the Unknown Artist 

Currently, at Hollywood’s Gallery of the Unknown Artist, they have a show in conjunction with ArtFlorida entitled ArtFlorida Soln des Refuses Exhibition.  The Gallery is located at 116 South 20^th Avenue in Hollywood.  For more information go to www.gotua.com or call Ceci at 954-921-5551. 

ArtFlorida at ArtServe 

Beginning on Saturday, June 23^rd, the JM Family Enterprises Gallery at ArtServe is proud to present the ArtFlorida Competition and Exhibition with awards and refreshments.  For more information call 954-396-3213.  The ArtServe Gallery is located at 1350 East Sunrise in Fort Lauderdale. 

ArtsExpressions Opening 

On Friday, June 22^nd Fort Lauderdale’s own ArtExpressions gallery is going to be having a Grand Opening beginning at 7pm.  The ArtExpressions Gallery has now found a home at 1438 NE 26^th Street in Fort Lauderdale. For more information call them 954-527-7700.  

Mulry Fine Art has Junk Mail 

Ronald Lusk, a Boca Raton artist is the focus of the Mulry Fine Art collection right now with a collection entitled Junk Mail.  This is a recent abstract work that is on paper that will be available free to the public, until July 14^th.  Mulry Fine Art is located at 3300 South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach and can be found on the web at www.mulryfineart.com or by phone at 561-228-1006. 

Tigers at Norton 

Walton Ford (American, born 1960): Thanh Hoang, 1997. Watercolor, gouache, pencil and ink on paper, 60 ½ by 119 ½ inches. Courtesy of Paul Kasmin Gallery

Right now at The Norton Museum of Art they are featuring Walton Ford’s collection of watercolors entitled Tigers of Wrath.  The Norton is located at 1451 South Olive Avenue in West Palm Beach and can be found at www.norton.org or by phone at 561-832-5196.

Storks Has Cheryl Turner 

I remember meeting Orlando native Cheryl Turner about a year ago at a show at ArtServe which featured some charactures of women that were amazingly similar to the cast of The L Word.  Amazed, I talked with her for a little while and she told me about the fact that all of the women are literally friends of her.  Well, she is now the featured Artist of the Month at Wilton Manor’s very own Storks Bakery and Café.  This collection has women in bar scenes that are from her fantasies and Cheryl can identify with these scenes and the characters and is intrigued by the sexual energy of the role of bartenders and their perspectives.  She glamorizes them while depicting the sexual attraction between the Barkeeps and the swanky patrons.  In her day, these local watering holes were the centers of gay life and she would observe the connections and lack there of, between patrons and employees.  Storks Bakery and Café is located at 2525 NE 15^th Ave in Wilton Manors and the show is produced by ArtsUnited and they can be found at www.artsunitedoneline.org or by calling 954-530-2723. 

Brooke Trace Gallery 

Opening June 22^nd, The Brooke Trace Gallery will present an exhibit featuring a collection of modern masters including Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Peter Max, and Pablo Picasso.  The Opening will feature entertainment as well as a Silent Auction.  There is a $5 Suggested Donation with proceedes going to benefit The Abandon Pet Rescue.  The Gallery is located at 1098 NE 4^th Street in Oakland Park.  For more information www.gallerycaf.com or call them at 954-667-0660. 

Bass Museum Has Celia Cruz 

Currently, at The Bass Museum they are featuring a Smithsonian organized show entitled ¡Azūcar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz.  The touring show will feature items such as her outlandish wigs and costumes as well as music and concert footage by the Latina legend and will be on display through August 19^th.  The Bass Museum is located at 2121 Park Avenue in Collins Park, Miami Beach.  For more information go to www.bassmuseum.org or call them at 305-674-5475. 

Celia Cruz
Portrait with Afro Hairstyle, 1960s
Photo by Hererra Studios; courtesy of Omer Pardillo-Cid

A Day Without Sunshine through June 30th

The Broward County Main Library will is hosting a collection of local gay artist’s work entitled, A Day Without Sunshine:  Anita Bryant’s Anti-Gay Crusade. Presented by The Stonewall Library and Archives, this exhibit revisits singer Anita Bryant’s “Save Our Children” campaign who thought that gays were immoral, corrupt, and evil.  Oh, did I forget to mention she was the Queen of Florida Orange Juice at the time?  Yeah, one Queen I can live without!  This event is free to the public and the Library is located at 100 South Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale and the Stonewall Library and Archives can be reached at www.stonewall-library.org or at 954-763-8565. 

Greg Lindeblom At Stonewall, through June 25^th

The month of June is set aside for photographer and artist Greg Lindeblom and his solo exhibit at The Stonewall Library and Archives in Fort Lauderdale.  There will be an Opening Reception through June 25^th at 6:30pm and you can meet and hang out with the artist and others within the arts community of Fort Lauderdale.  Born in Canada, Greg has traveled extensively and has been allowed to capture images from many different cultures and geographies and his work contains three primary themes:  architecture, nature, and the male form.  The Stonewall Library and Archives is located at 1717 North Andrews Avenue and can also be reached at www.artsunitedonline.org. 

Journey to India, through June 30^th

Currently, at The Hip and Humble Home Showroom they are hosting a show entitled Gartel India:  The Exotic Journey which will feature digital media and collage by Laurence Gartel who has documented his travels across India after the Tsunami disaster of 2005.  This show will run through June 30^th and the gallery is located at 251 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton and can be reached at 561-549-0345. 

National Archives Photographs, through July 14^th

Right now at The Sunrise Civic Center Art Gallery they have a current display of National Archives pictures.  The show, entitled, Picturin the Century:  One Hundred Years of Photography from the National Archives is directly from The Smithsonian Institution contains more than 100 color and black-and-white photographs that are not only momentous but simple and ordinary moments throughout the 20^th century.  It runs through July 14^th and is located at 10610 Oakland Park Blvd in Sunrise.  For more information go to www.sunrisefl.gov/2civccc_art.html.   

Cuz Ya Are Blanche

We all  know the line from What Ever Happened to Baby Jane in which the invalidish Joan Crawford says, “I can’t help it if I’m in a wheelchair” to which the legendary Bette Davis goes, “But ya ARRRRRRE Blanche, ya ARRRRRRRE in a wheelchair.”  Yes, we are gay—why not celebrate it outside of the bars?  Well, this will just make your mother cringe (unless you have one like Deb Navatni on Queer as Folk) and is just perfect for Gay Pride Month.  Barry Friedman Ltd has a clustered disco ball chandelier!  Not only that they have a cupboard with changing pixilated exterior—just because you are sooo gay!  For more information go to www.barryfriedmanltd.com. 

Broward Art Guild Goes Open 

The Broward Art Guild will be hosting an Open Themed show on Friday, June 29th and is available in any media.  The intake for this show is on Sunday, June 24th from 12pm to 4pm and the prospectus is available at The Broward Art Guild or online at www.browardartguild.org.  Members and Non-Members are welcome to submit.

Local Theatre Gigs

Shout! 

Tickets are now on sale for Shout!  The Mod Musical.  This will take place at the Parker Playhouse and tickets are available at or call 954-462-0222.  The Parker Playhouse is located at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale.

City Theatre’s 12 Summer Shorts 

Currently, at the Carnival Center’s Studio Theatre and the Broward Center’s Amaturo Theatre, they are hosting The 12^th Summer Shorts, which is a showcase going on through mid July with such plays as The Sons of Mickey, 96 Stiches, Foul Territory, The Wizard of Oz.  For tickets and further information go to www.carnivalcenter.org or call 305-949-6722 or for the Broward Centre go to www.browardcenter.org or call them at 954-462-0222.  

The Taffetas, Through July 29^th 

The Stage Door Theatre at 26^th Street is currently hosting a musical review called The Taffetas which is a musical journey through the fabulous Fifties.  This tribute is to the girl groups of the 1950’s and pays tribute to the sounds of The McGuire Sisters, Fontaine Sisters, and the Chordettes.  This makes nostalgia what it is today!  The Stage Door Theatre is located at 26^th Street across the street from Wilton Station in Wilton Manors.  For tickets go to www.stagedoortheatre.com or call them at 954-344-7765.

From Door to Door, Until July 1^st 

Currently, at The Stage Door Theatre is bringing us From Door to Door which tells the story of three generations of women in the same family which span 65 years from 1935 to the present.  It’s title is referenced to a phrase in the Hebrew prayer book that means “From generation to generation” and examines how we take what we get from our parents and then make choices about what we will and won’t and then finally pass on to our children.  The Stage Door can be contacted at 954-344-7765 or at www.stagedoortheatre.com. 

LipSync, June 8^th through 24^th 

Beginning June 8^th, LipSync will take the Hagan Park Community Center stage and will star Sandy, Allen, Eston Dunn, Lucia Gaglioni, Nick Rashid, and introduces Chuck Valanis, Andre Azercot, and Alfredo Breito.  Tickets are $25 and are available at Wilton Manor’s own Chic Optique at 2228 Wilton Drive and also by calling the Truck Theatre at 954-918-9414.  This performance is written by two local playwrights:  Eston Dunn and Mario Locicero and is performed by local talent before going off to Toronto in July!

If you happen to be lucky enough to make it to the Gay Mecca of Beachdom—Provincetown, this summer, then I’ve gathered a few things to do outside the bars and the beach.   

The Crown & Anchor will have Showgirls every Monday at 10pm as well as The Milkman Always Comes Twice starting June 19^th through September 4^th at 9pm every Tuesday.  For tickets go to www.golddustorphans.com.  The Post Office Cabaret is proud to have Varla Jean Merman Loves a Foreign Tongue from June 28^th through September 2^nd as well as Bruce Vilanch Presents a Sophisticated Evening with Jeff Stryker from July 2^nd through September 5^th.  For tickets or more information go to www.varlaonline.com or call 508-487-7404. 

Elizabeth Makes it to 81 

This weekend marked the 81^st birthday of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and was celebrated with The Trooping the Color parade with soldiers in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats marching with the best of pomp and pageantry.  Wearing a bright green coat and hat HRH inspected the troops in central London.  On hand were such dignitaries as former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, current Prime Minister Tony Blair, as well as Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.  This parade is a full-on display of time-honored British pageantry with more than 1,100 soldiers in full regalia marching to Buckingham Palace toward Trafalgar Square.  If it is estimated that 10% of the population is gay, that means 110, and in uniform…hmmmm.

New Theatre Gives Us Cymbeline 

The New Theatre of Coral Gables will be having 165 performances from June 7^th through May 4^th, 2008 and will feature four world premiere productions and will have their annual Shakespeare & Friends Festival.  Their first Shakespearean production will be Cymbeline a tragic-comedy followed by Julius Ceasar and Saint Joan.  For times and tickets and other information, go to www.new-theatre.org or call them at 305-443-5909. 

Hippiefest, August 2^nd 

Return to the flowery days of 1960 and embrace your inner flower power with the star-packed HippieFest 2007! This celebration of the `60s features some of the top names of the era together with high energy sounds to bring you back to the days of peace, love and happiness.  There is an auction online on premium tickets to see the likes of The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, The Zombies featuring Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent, Mountain featuring Leslie West & Corky Laing, Mitch Ryder, Badfinger featuring Joey Molland & Country Joe McDonald.  Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.com or at the Hard Rock Live Box Office at 1 Seminole Way in Hollywood. 

Florida Dance Festival 

Beginning Wednesday, June 20^th, the 29^th Florida Dance Festival will begin with 10 days of stage action that will welcome artist from Africa and Asia.  Some of the featured companies will be Guinea’s Sidiki Conde’ Tokounou Company which will dance up a storm in the DanceAble  Program as well as Taiwan’s Tsoying Dance Theatre will join forces with Miami’s New World Dance Theatre and show that we can blend styles.  Also joining together are Tampa’s Moving Current Dance Collective and Philadelphia’s Aiken/Hauser to present different takes on contemporary dance.  Performances begin June 30^th at 8pm at The Colony Theatre at 1040 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach as well as New World Dance Theatre, New World School of the Arts at 25 NE Second Street in Downtown Miami.  For tickets and further information go to www.floridadancefestival.com or call them at 305-547-1117.   

Miami Dancing Together 2007 

The Dance Division of the New World School of the Arts will do a joint venture and performances with the Dance Division of the Tsoying Senior High School in Kaohsiung Taiwan, called “Kaohsiung Miami Dancing Together 2007” will take place on June 20, 2007 as part of the Florida Dance Festival at the Colony Theater on Miami Beach, The program will then travel to Taiwan to do performances in Kaohsiung.  The Colony Theatre is located at 1040 Lincoln Road in Miami Beach and can be reached at www.floridadancefestival.com or by phone at 305-547-1117.  For more information about the dance troupe go to www.floridadanceassociation.org. 

Stovepipe Hat  

After 35 years, Louise Taper, an Abraham Lincoln fan’s dream is to come true, a collection is about to go public after being purchased for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, IL.  Within the collection are hundreds of documents, letters, and other items of his as well as Mary Todd, and his assassin, John Wilkes Booth.  The item bringing a lot of attention is one of Lincoln’s stovepipe hats, with two finger-sized spots where he would take on and off his hat.  What’s unique is the fact that the brim is stretched from stuffing legal papers around in it.   For more information about this collection go to XXX.com. 

Venus Flytrap 

The Gay 100 

In honor of Gay Pride Month, I decided this would be the perfect month to get your history—not so straight!  With Paul Russell’s The Gay 100:  A Ranking of the Most Influential Gay Men and Lesbians, Past and Present  he features 100 of history’s most famous gays and lesbians throughout history with brief bios and relevance to contributions to society.  Of course we know about Sappho and Socrates,  Gertrude Stein, Walt Whitman, Virginia Woolf, and Alexander the Great, but there are some surprising ones like: Susan B. Anthony, famed Roman Cesar Hadrian, Emily Dickenson, and Florence Nightingale.  This is a must have amongst all of us, especially if you have a collection of gay and lesbian books and is a great read if you like history and biographies, with most sections only a few pages long.

Purchase the gay 100 at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Gay-100-Ranking-Influential-Lesbians/dp/0758201001/ref=sr_1_1/002-4542739-6556006?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182271569&sr=1-1

Kelly’s a No Go 

Sadly, American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson has canceled her summer tour over many issues, including parting ways with manager and low ticket sales.  All this on the verge of the release of her third album My December.  She said, I promise you we’re going to get back out there as soon as is humanly possible to give you a show that will be even better.  Sadly, this included the tour date of August 30^th that was scheduled for the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise.

B.B. King’s Blues Festival, Tuesday, July 24^th 

On Tuesday, July 24^th, The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will host B.B. King’s Blues Festival which will feature not only B.B. King but a host of other celebrities such as Al Green, Etta James and her Roots Band.  Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.com or at their Box Office at 1 Seminole Way in Hollywood.  For more information go to www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com or for upcoming events and special entertainment sign up at www.hardrocklive.com. 

Ralphie May, June 21 through June 24^th 

NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” as well as a host of other shows comedian Ralphie May will take the Seminole Paradise Improv beginning June 21^st through June 24^th.  For tickets and reservations go to www.improvftl.com  or call 954-981-5653.  The Seminole Paradise Improv is located at 5700 Seminole Way in Hollywood. 

I Love Rock & Roll, June 30^th 

Infamous Rocker Chick and Lesbian Icon Joan Jett will take the stage at Dolphin Stadium on Saturday, June 30^th.  Expect to hear I Love Rock & Roll as well as her latest bi-ditty AC/DC that features hottie Carmen Electra dating both boys and girls—hot!  For tickets go to www.ticketmaster.com. 

The Police with Maroon 5, July 10^th 

Mary J, July 19^th 

Tickets just went on sale for the singer of one of my favorite songs from Waiting to Exhale, ”Ain’t Gonna Cry” Mary J. Blige will take the stage at the Hard Rock Casino on July 19^th.  Come spend a special breakthrough evening with the Queen of Soul.  Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.com or at their Box Office at 954-523-3309. 

Beyoncé, Sunday, July 22^nd 

On Sunday, July 22^nd, South Florida will be swept away by the iconic Beyoncé as she takes the stage at The Bank Atlantic Center.  Tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at 954-523-3309. 

Morrissey, Saturday, July 14^th 

On Saturday, July 14^th, satin crooner Morrissey will take the stage at Mizner Park Amphitheater.  Tickets are available at the Box Office at 561-966-3309 or at www.ticketmaster.com. 

Clay Aiken, August 18^th 

On August 18^th American Idol runner up and amazing showman Clay Aiken will take the stage at The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts at 8pm.  He will take the stage with a full Orchestra and will perform hits from his debut album Measure of a Man—which went Number One on Billboard’s 200 Chart and then Triple Platinum as well as This is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water that won the 2003 Billboard Music Award for Best Single.  For tickets, which go on sale Saturday, April 14th go to www.kravis.org.