Mary Damiano Photo by David Vance

Mary Damiano’s Arts Scene

Last Chance (detail) by Greg Little

Stonewall Artist of the Month Returns
One of my favorite art events has just returned after being on hiatus for a few months. The Stonewall First Monday Artist Reception, which has been presented by ArtsUnited for several years, took a break while the Stonewall Library & Archives moved from its space at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Fort Lauderdale to its new digs at ArtServe, also in Fort Lauderdale. The event, which features an opening night reception for the artist whose work will be exhibited at the library all month, began fresh Monday, March 2 with the work of painter Greg Little. The turn-out was one of the biggest I’ve ever seen at a First Monday reception, and guests were treated to a fine exhibition. Little grew up painting the landscapes, people, and gardens around him in rural morthern Alabama. Largely self-taught, he has developed his natural abilities through the use of intuition and personal observation. “As a painter, I observe,” says Little. “My work is an attempt to capture a moment in time and a sense of place through the use of light, shadow, and color... The light in my paintings reminds us that even sitting still time is moving, life is changing and we are both witness and participant.” Little is a resident of Oakland Park and has exhibited his work throughout Florida. His work has received numerous awards including “Best of Show” in 2008 at United and Proud, and a Judge’s Recognition at ArtExplosion ‘09. The Stonewall Library & Archives is located at 1300 East Sunrise Blvd in Fort Lauderdale. The exhibition runs through March 31 and is free and open to the public.

Spam Allstars, who will perform in a free concert Friday March 13

Free Spam Allstars Concert
The Downtown Miami Concert Series presents the Spam Allstars for their next concert, Friday, March 13, 5-30-8 p.m. at the Bayfront Park Tina Hills Pavilion, 301 N. Biscayne Blvd., Miami. The concert is free. DJ Le Spam & the Spam Allstars blend improvisational electronic elements and turntables with Latin, funk, hip-hop and dub to create an electronic descarga. In 2008, Spam Allstars released their first world-wide CD on World Music Network. The band has five CDs and three vinyl releases on their own label: Spamusica Records. Their third album, Fuacata Live! was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2003. For more information about the concert, call 305-579-6675 or visit www.miamidda.com.

A Cuban Fusion
Miami’s troubadour, violinist and composer Alberto Triff takes traditional Cuban musical styles—boleros, son—and re-imagines them in an evening of hot jazz and cool guests. Catch this intriguing fusion in action when Tigertail Productions presents the Alberto Triff Trio with special guests Saturday, April 18, 8:30 p.m. at the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach. Triff has performed with Sting, Jack Bruce, Eddie Palmieri and Arnaldo Antunes. Trio members Daniel Ponce on congas has worked and recorded with Paquito d’Rivera, Laurie Anderson, Rolling Stones, Patti LaBelle and Herbie Hancock; and Alex Berti with Yo Yo Ma, Placido Domingo and Arturo Sandoval. This evening of hip, urban music includes guests Adrian Castro, with his unique Afro-Latino spoken word poetry; Rosa Inguanzo, actress/poet, as “Es (Linda) Cinfuentes”, and the mesmerizing singer-songwriter Roberto Poveda. For more information, visit www.tigertail.org.

Chief judge on “Top Chef” Tom Colicchio will appear at the Arsht Center

Top Chef Judge Comes to Miami
Love “Top Chef”? Here’s an event for you. “Top Chef” chief judge Tom Colicchio will star in the third installment the Arsht Center’s Celebrity Chef Series on Thursday, March 19 at the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall. Miami chef Jeff McInnis, Chef de Cuisine at the Ritz Carlton South Beach and a contestant on Season 5 of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” will serve as the host for the evening. The Celebrity Chef Series is presented by the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, in partnership with Johnson & Wales University. The show begins with an intimate interview about Chef Colicchio’s personal culinary journey conducted by McInnis. Following the interview, Colicchio will demonstrate, live on stage, how he prepares one of his own favorite dishes, taking the audience through the process step-by-step. The audience will then have an opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with Colicchio. A limited number of VIP tickets are available and include an opportunity to meet the chef and take a photograph with him as well as access to the best seats available and passes to the post-show VIP cocktail hour. One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Tom Colicchio has won five James Beard Awards. Colicchio has parlayed his cooking prowess into a career as an entrepreneur and is now the owner of the Craft group of restaurants, with venues in major cities such as New York City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. A limited number of VIP tickets are available and include an opportunity to meet the chef and take a photograph with him as well as access to the best seats available and passes to the post-show VIP cocktail hour. The Celebrity Chef Series will be presented Thursday, March 19, at 8 p.m., at the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall. Tickets are $25-$125; VIP tickets are $200

The artwork of Fort Lauderdale artist Mary Lou Seifker is now on display in the Lee Wagener Art Gallery of Terminal 2 at the Fort Lauderdale Airport

Art in the Airport
Broward County Cultural Division’s Public Art and Design Program announces an art exhibition at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, by artist Mary Lou Siefker. The artworks, titled “Journey Through Life with Paint”, is displayed in the newly opened Lee Wagener Art Gallery of Terminal 2, through April 30. Mary Lou Seifker has been a resident of Fort Lauderdale for more than three decades. She has taught painting and design at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton; and has worked as a docent in the education department at the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University. For the exhibition, “Journey Through Life with Paint”, Siefker says, “I was primarily painting landscapes when I began to explore the human form in my current series, Images, an ongoing body of work that I began in 1986. These ‘images,’ or ‘people shapes’ as I refer to them, are loosely figural in form, and emerge from the vibrant, teeming surfaces I create through the thick application of acrylic paint mixed with other media….My abstractions are emotional responses that come from within and are infused with universal themes dealing with human relationships, as well as education and mentoring.” The exhibition will be on display through April 30.

All That Jazz
WDNA 88.9FM is giving away two full scholarships to the 2009 Litchfield Jazz Camp. Through a month-long promotion, high school and college students throughout the entire Miami-Dade community will vie for their opportunity to win a free music scholarship to attend a one-week session at the annual Litchfield Jazz Camp, in Kent, Connecticut, July 26-31. The scholarship includes round trip airfare from Miami to Connecticut; transfers to and from the airport; camp tuition; room and board and meals. Secondary prizes include T-shirts, CDs, and more. All high school and college students are eligible to win the scholarships. Simply tune into 88.9FM through March 27, weekdays from 3-7 p.m. Two daily callers will be entered into the drawing for the free scholarship, and also receive jazz CDs and an 88.9FM Serious Jazz T-shirt. Students can also register by completing entry forms at participating sponsors such as Kendall Conservatory of Music, (7153 SW 117th Avenue, Miami) and Musicians Discount Center (19405 South Dixie Highway, Miami). Contest rules and details are also available at: www.wdna.org. The toll-free contest line number is 1-866-688-9362. WDNA 88.9FM is South Florida’s only source for prime time jazz, Latin jazz, and world beat music. The Litchfield Jazz Camp & Festival is an annual 4-week jazz camp in Kent, Connecticut directed by saxophone great Don Braden. Many distinguished jazz artists participate and teach at the camp, making it one of the most prestigious institutions in the country for cultivating future jazz masters. More information about the Litchfield Jazz Camp and Festival is available at: www.litchfieldjazzcamp.com.

Have a comment about what you’ve read? E-mail letters@miamiArtzine.com