Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

	Photo by David Vance

People fall into two categories this time of year—those who think in terms of endings and those who think in terms of new beginnings.

I've always fallen into the former category. After the rush and yearly climax of Christmas, I fall into a bit of a funk for about a week. I get nostalgic—melancholy, even—about the past, unable to believe that another year has flown by in a heartbeat.

But let's face it, this past year was rough. We made it through the most horrendous hurricane season in history, the ever-climbing summer gas prices and all kinds of other craziness. This year was one for the books, and it's a book I'm happy to close.

There are some wonderful things to do before the year ends, however, and after the hustle and bustle of the past month, you could use a treat. Most of the following events end New Year's weekend, so hurry and get'em while you can.

Six Artsy Things To Do Before the End of the Year

Kimberly Daniel and Patti Gardner in Ladies and Not So Gentle Women at New Theatre

See Ladies and Not So Gentle Women at New Theatre in Coral Gables, a world premiere play with music. On New Year's Eve, you get the performance and a dessert reception with the cast. www.new-theatre.org

Check out the Avant Garde Masters Collection at the Opera Gallery in Bal Harbour Shops. See the work of pop icons Wesselmann and Warhol and the abstract paintings of Basquit and De Kooning at the Opera Gallery, an internationally renowned art gallery with an ongoing exhibition of original painting and sculpture by 19th century, modern and contemporary masters featuring Chagall, Botero, Matta, Buffet, Lam and Arman. Open
Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. www.operagallery.com

	Cast members of Lost in Yonkers at Coconut Grove Playhouse

Get Lost in Yonkers, either at the Coconut Grove Playhouse through December 25 or at Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale, December 27-January 1. Neil Simon's tale of two young boys, their crusty grandma and flighty aunt in the 1940s nabbed him tons of awards, including the Tony for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize. www.cgplayhouse.org

Combine your love of the ocean with your love of dance with Oceandance, the annual event at Hollywood Beach. This year the Urban Ballet Theatre of New York will perform among the waves on Friday, December 30, 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. and Saturday, December 31, 9:30 p.m. to midnight. The event is free and features a fireworks display. www.hollywoodfl.org

Include art in your New Year's resolutions. Think about how to make the arts a bigger part of your life in 2006. You could resolve to attend one more cultural event a month, treat yourself to a subscription to a theatre or membership to a museum, or better yet, volunteer for an organization or upcoming cultural event. You'll meet new people, help support the arts and have fun. Who said resolutions were hard to keep?

Shameless Plug Time
This is the sixth issue of MiamiArtZine.com. We began with a handful of subscribers and in barely three months, we've grown to more than 3,000 subscribers who get an e-mail of each biweekly issue. Many more people log onto our website to read our stories. In conjunction with our seventh issue, which comes out January 5, we are finally having our launch party. We'd planned one several times, but always had to reschedule because of hurricanes and holidays. We're thrilled that the party will be part of the first big event of 2006, Art Miami—we're even listed on their calendar of events. This is gratifying because while we have always strived to report the arts in Miami, this milestone makes us a part of the arts in Miami. And that's a terrific place to be.