State Representative David Richardson awarding Carol Hoffman-Guzman
In 2000, Carol Hoffman-Guzman founded the Arts at St Johns with a noble mission statement that served as a beacon lighting the way to relevant and engaging programming.
Late last spring, Hoffman-Guzman finally ceded the directorship to move on down the metaphorical highway. Recently, she was again called to return to her creative progeny. Hoffman-Guzman quickly realized not only was it a resumption of her original post but it also occurred with renewed creative energy, purpose and drive. This would culminate in an ambitious and highly topical program addressing diversity to include a 2015 spring season’s vision running in segments over several months.
I asked if she felt a shift in her approach coming back (as Acting Director) with a rested eye.
“Yes, I’m really trying to go back to the mission statement," says Hoffman-Guzman. "I came back because I knew the organization and liked our mission - promoting younger artists, addressing social issues and helping the community. I’ve been in Miami over thirty years, and been in the art world twice as long and I know a lot of people. I’ve started a creative team from the community to plan our seasons. Arts at St Johns is always interested in creating not just a performance space to do a gig, but to communicate with the mission statement.”
(Heads-up all you wildly inventive artists out there who have not identified St John’s as a possible venue as yet)
Paraphrasing the mission statement for Arts at St Johns: to encourage, present and provide all forms of art emphasizing the diverse traditions of South Florida communities and the art forms that blend cultures, races, beliefs, ethnicities; to bring social, spiritual and personal transformation and reconciliation. Local artists are offered an opportunity to design programs, lectures and workshops to express social concern.
These are no idle words, Arts at St Johns does not present musty, re-treaded thoughts and ideas. A fresh and thought-provoking program presents throughout the year.
I wanted to know more about some of this returning directors more ambitious programming for 2015.
"In the spring we have a theme for four months called Convivencia Miami (meaning together with co-existence). There was a period in Spanish history where Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in relative harmony for two to three hundred years. (700-1100A.D.) The rest of Europe was in the Dark Ages but Spain was working together on art and science.”
Nestor Zurita & Felipe Lamoglia in a tribute concert for the late Steve Lacy.(July 26th)
Arts at St Johns plan to meld the music, art, cuisine, scholars, literature, etc., and gather religious leaders of various groups to reflect on the Convivencia period in Spain and Portugal, to view as a model for “intercultural understanding, cross-fertilization and tolerance in South Florida” within the Convivencia Miami 2015 programming.
“Miami is a confluence where different cultures can bolster each other and uplift our creativity,” says the director. "(We’re planning to have) a scholar from Canada, religious leaders from the various communities in town, a jazz performance with Orthodox Jews and Muslims performing together, (another mixed group with a hip-hop genre), an art show loosely based on thoughts of coexistence.....taking the idea to today.”
The director believes that "we’d be acting like Colonialists if we expect (from various cultures) nothing but old music or art. I am waiting to be surprised by what kind of music comes out.”
She says they’ve juxtaposed genres "you would not anticipate: hip-hop and belly dancing, for example, and people loved it. Miami is a tossed salad where everything doesn’t blend together......in Miami we have too much division and maintain many little groups; we need to come together more.”
Let me note here that St Johns has already had donations made especially for Convivencia as well as co-sponsors and an application for a Humanities grant. Hoffman-Guzman is running on all cylinders and her presence is guaranteed to get your own creative juices running. They have a commitment of a group willing to match funds until October, so let’s get our communal shoulders to the wheel and see just how high this very interesting thought bubble rises.
David Kingsley as Joseph
Arts at St Johns is based at St John’s Methodist Church in Miami Beach. Hoffman-Guzman recently was presented an award at the Betsy Hotel by State Representative David Richardson. She was lauded for creating a model of arts programming that capitalizes on the capacity of arts to bring people together from wide-ranging backgrounds in order to promote interpersonal harmony and community building.
I asked if this close participation was in any way limiting? Her response was that there were no limitations by "what the church allows," but she did admit that the facility itself had some (physical) limitations. "We’d love to collaborate with outside groups and have worked often with the Botanical Garden, the Miami Women’s Group, the Betsy Hotel, and will be working with the Jewish Community Center.”
Her hope for the future of Arts at St Johns would be that they use the forum for local artists to "come in with ideas. "
She looks even further down the road.
“..having an Arts at St. John warehouse, while continuing to work with the church (because it) is open-minded, open to LBGT community (for instance). This is a melding of my love of arts, anthropology and social justice; issues that are fun for me, even at the beginning when we were working without a budget.”
Hoffman-Guzman also oversees a writing critique group for women called Writing Women’s Voices every Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. to noon at the church. Both attendance and topics are free in both monetary and subject concerns. All types of literary expression are welcome.
Call 305-613-2325 for information about this group.
artsatstjohns.com/th_event/writing-womens-voices-a-writing-critique-group-for-women/
Next at Arts at St Johns:
- Sunday, August 24th, 11 a.m.: “Joe and the Bros”: A musical revue about the biblical Joseph, with favorite songs from Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Featuring David Kingery and friends.
- Look for the Fall Harvest Festival (going back to pagan times) to celebrate a harvest that the gods have made possible. Expect a special concert and their glorious pumpkin patch rising out of the morning mist. An all-culture holiday event in December follows, focusing on music.
Arts at St Johns
4760 Pine Tree Drive
Miami Beach, FL 33140
artsatstjohns.com
