Broward-Palm Beach Fall Arts Preview

"The Magical World of M.C. Escher," January 20 through April 11 at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

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Below, New Times offers up a glimpse of the upcoming arts season with previews from our reviewers.
 
"Off the Needle"
Now through October 10 at the Bear and Bird Boutique + Gallery, 4566 N. University Drive, Lauderhill. Call 954-748-0181, or visit tatescomics.com.
​You've spent hours in the chair listening to the buzz of the drill, but have you ever wondered about the artistic accomplishments of your trusted tattooist, the talents that go beyond the obnoxious guy who just had to manifest his love for Mary Jane via neck ink? Tattoo artists go "off the needle" for the Bear and Bird Boutique + Gallery exhibit of the same name. If you have gotten tattooed in the tricounty area, there's a good chance one of the "Off the Needle" exhibitors will be your artist. Work from more than 25 local inkmen and -women who are employed in shops around Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach counties will be on display, like JR Linton from Hellcat Tattoo, Kreepy Jaksin from Kreepy Tiki Tattoos, and Lea Vendetta from Altered State Tattoo. Erica K. Landau

"George Segal: Street Scenes"
Now through December 6 at the Norton Museum  of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. Call 561-832-5196, or visit Norton.org.
​George Segal's life-sized human sculptures can be found in public spaces around the country. They've sat on park benches, stood next to each other mimicking conversation, and waited in line at New Jersey public transit ticket booths. They remain perfectly still in a bustling city. Made of stark white plaster and showing minimal detail, the figures connote a ghostly melancholy that hint at the anonymity and isolationism associated with city life. "George Segal: Street Scenes," currently housed at the Norton Museum of Art, is the first exhibit to showcase the New York City artist's examination of the urban landscape. The figures are positioned in front of graffiti-covered walls, movie signs, and cafés, offering a lesson in populism and an examination of the way people live or interact.  In one of the works, Diner, a man sits alone at the café counter drinking coffee while a waitress fidgets with the coffee machine. Portraying a "quiet moment rippling with silent tensions," the individuals, who are the only people in the restaurant, are near each other yet remain completely disconnected. In Cinema, a worker hangs the titles of movies under a bright orange sign that reads "Cinema"; while juxtaposing our notions of glamour and the everyday, the piece chooses to highlight the roles of the oft-overlooked labor that powers a city. Erica K. Landau

"New York, New York: The 20th Century"
October 3 through December 27 at the Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. Call 561-832-5196, or visit norton.org.
​While George Segal's "Street Scenes" addresses the melancholy and ironic isolationism of city life, "New York, New York: The 20th Century" bubbles with human interaction. Intended to serve as a counterpoint to Segal's exhibit, "New York, New York" features colorful, vibrant paintings that offer a look into various eras of the city's dynamic history. A 1919 painting by Jerome Myers titled Concert in the Park, New York employs an impressionistic, dreamy style that, while maintaining an accurate historical rendering of that particular day, captures the spirit of music gatherings in what seems to be Central Park. Another, Andreas Feininger's Midtown Manhattan From Weehawken, New Jersey, is a more abstract though no less lively representation of the social hour in which sophisticated men and women schmooze over cocktails. The exhibit features photographs as well, such as William Gropper's 1959 work Art Opening, which captures a busy bridge in front of the city skyline, calling the viewer's attention to the infrastructure that keeps us connected. Other artists featured include Reginald Marsh and Jim MacMillan's poignant photo of the World Trade Center taken on September 12, 2001. Erica K. Landau

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"Give Peace a Chance: John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-In for Peace"
October 5-11 at the Old School Square Cultural  Center, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.  Call 561-243-7922, or visit oldschool.org.
​Picketing, boycotts, sit-ins, marching; protests can take many forms, though most, with the exception of the bumper sticker, involve some sort of action-oriented defiance. But in 1969, Yoko Ono and John Lennon proved yet another advantage of being famous. While the rest of us risk contending with pepper spray and rubber bullets, Lennon taught us that if you're a Beatle, you don't have to get out of bed to protest. Knowing their marriage would garner a lot of publicity, the couple invited the media along for their Amsterdam honeymoon. Everyone expected them to have sex for the cameras, but instead it turned into the famous weeklong "Bed-In" for peace, which was followed by another in Montreal a few months later. Photographer Gerry Deiter, on assignment for Life magazine at the time, was the only photographer to document all eight days of the Montreal Bed-In. However, when the story and photos never ran, Deiter stored the negatives away for the next 35 years. After September 11, he felt compelled to reintroduce the world to Lennon and Ono's message of peace.  Old School Square Cultural Center celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Bed-In with the traveling, award-winning Deiter exhibit "Give Peace a Chance: John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Bed-In for Peace." The exhibit includes 30 large-format photographs by Deiter as well as contributor interviews, music, memorabilia, screenings of Give Peace a Song, Hard Day's Night, and Let It Be, and a birthday bash October 9 for what would have been Lennon's 69th birthday. Erica K. Landau

Guillermo Kuitca -- Two Exhibits
October 9 through January 17 at the Miami Art Museum, 101 W. Flagler St., Miami. Call 305-375-3000, or visit miamiartmuseum.org.
Catch the most comprehensive survey of Guillermo Kuitca's work ever assembled under two roofs in North America. Spanning nearly 30 years of the Argentine superstar's oeuvre, "Guillermo Kuitca: Everything, Paintings, and Works on Paper, 1980 -- 2008" and "Guillermo Kuitca: Everything (else)" will be displayed both at MAM and at the Freedom Tower, respectively. Kuitca explores the intersection of public and private spaces through works ranging from early paintings of theatrical scenes to complex abstractions that reference maps and architectural plans. Carlos Suarez De Jesus

"The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama"
October 9 through January 10 at the Frost Art Museum, 10975 S.W. 17th St., Miami. Call 305-348-2890, or visit thefrost.fiu.edu.
Since winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, Tenzin Gyatso, better-known as the 14th Dalai Lama, has arguably become the most famous spiritual leader in popular culture. He has been featured in numerous films such as Seven Years in Tibet and Kundun, not to mention becoming a favorite subject for many artists. The Frost Art Museum reminds us of the principles he embodies during "The Missing Peace: Artists Consider the Dalai Lama," an exhibit including works from more than 80 artists from across the planet, each offering his or her personal interpretation of the holy man himself upon the altar of creativity. Organized by the Committee of 100 for Tibet and the Dalai Lama Foundation, the sprawling, multimedia show seeks to engage viewers in exploring art as a catalyst for peace while meditating on their roles as global citizens. Carlos Suarez De Jesus

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"Styled for the Road:  The Art of Automobile Design, 1908-1948"
October 15 through March 14 at the Wolfsonian at Florida International University, 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. Call 305-531-1001, or visit wolfsonian.org.
​Nothing symbolized New America in the Roaring '20s more than the automobile. The sleek designs, power, and affordability introduced the middle class to the possibilities of the open road. Independence was, in a way, democratized. "Styled for the Road: The Art of Automobile Design, 1908-1948" explores the role of designers and artists in directing the development of automobiles, roadways, and related advertising materials. More than 80 designs, some presented publicly for the first time, demonstrate the evolution in the automobile blueprint and its impact on American culture. In addition, the hosting museum, the Wolfsonian at Florida International University, will offer lectures by contemporary automotive designers like BMW's Chris Bangle, a "Cocktails Among the Motor Cars" event that will display exotic cars in various stages of reconstruction and provide a glimpse into the world of forensic automobile restoration, and various other workshops and cocktail hours. The opening reception is planned for Thursday, October 15, and the exhibit runs through March 14. Erica K. Landau

Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
October 23 through November 11 at Cinema Paradiso, 503 S.E. Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-525-3456, or visit fliff.com.
For one month every year, Fort Lauderdale becomes a veritable hub for filmmakers, film geeks, and those with a penchant for cultural events. The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, now in its 24th year, continues the tradition of quality cinema and rockin' afterparties with features like Black Dynamite, a satirical re-creation of blaxploitation films; Queen to Play, starring Kevin Kline as an American ex-pat who becomes his housekeeper's chess instructor; and the Who's rock musical Quadrophenia, which pits mods and rockers against each other in 1960s England -- kind of sounds like a night at Fort Lauderdale hot-rod central the Poor House. Hit the afterparty for Black Dynamite at Bova Prime, where director Scott Sanders and cowriter and starring actor Michael Jai White will commemorate the film, or meander through the vintage and modern motorcycle showcase before the Quadrophenia viewing. The festival opens October 23 with the romantic comedy TiMER, in which romantic trysts potentially go the way of the dodo as wrist implants allow people to calculate when they will meet their soul mates. Erica K. Landau

"William Kentridge: Five Themes"
November 7 through January 17 at the Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. Call 561-832-5196, or visit norton.org.
​South African contemporary artist William Kentridge made Time's list of 100 Most Influential People this year. But being listed among such heavy hitters as Hillary Clinton and the Twitter Guys wasn't the most impressive part. So who wrote up Kentridge's portion on Time's list? None other than Lou Reed. Lou fucking Reed. One of the greatest visionaries and greatest megalomaniacs of the century. Lou Reed hates everyone. It would behoove the Norton Museum to capitalize on this point to entice Reed's disciples, most of whom have probably never heard of Kentridge, to check out "Five Themes," a large-scale exhibition of Kentridge's provocative and politically charged life's work. Making only four stops in the United States before embarking on a worldwide tour, "Five Themes" is structured around five important ideas or topics that have engaged the artist throughout his career, such as apartheid and imperialism. Animated films, charcoal drawings, prints, theater models, sculptures, and books comprise the exhibit, which infuses the serious aforementioned themes with dreamy, enigmatic elements and an amusing touch of self-awareness, resulting in an oeuvre that is magnetic, thought-provoking, and powerful. "William Kentridge: Five Themes" opens November 7 and runs through January 17. Erica K. Landau 

The Voysey Inheritance
November 8 through December 18 at the Caldwell Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Call 561-241-7432, or visit caldwelltheatre.com.
In what may have been the most prescient theatrical adaptation in years, playwright David Mamet revived the 1905 work The Voysey Inheritance in 2005, four years before Bernie Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 federal offenses. The play, a fusion of Wall Street-style financial drama and Jane Austen-era decorum, involves the son of British financier Edward Voysey, who learns that the family business is a Ponzi scheme.
The revelation fails to ruffle the debonair suits of the rest of the Voysey men, but Edward, cursed with a conscience, faces a moral dilemma: come clean and betray the family, a serious violation of Victorian propriety, or keep quiet and try to pacify duped investors while maintaining the family's status. Although the play is more than 100 years old (though Mamet revised it for the modern stage), its lessons on the ethical complexities of society and social expectations are just as relevant. Erica K. Landau

Miami Book Fair International
November 8-15 in downtown Miami. Call 305-237-3258, or visit miamibookfair.com.
The nation's oldest and largest collection of authors in the country returns to the streets of downtown Miami in a weeklong bonanza for bibliophiles of all stripes. Margaret Atwood, Al Gore, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Allegra Huston, Dennis Lehane, Jill McCorkle, Ana Menendez, Ralph Nader, Elizabeth Nunez, Todd Oldham, and Jeannette Walls are just a few of the more than 300 authors from the U.S. and abroad who will gather at the Miami Dade College's Wolfson Campus to read from their works in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Creole. Carlos Suarez De Jesus

Why Torture Is  Wrong, and the People Who Love Them
November 19 through December 13 at the Mosaic Theater, 12200 W. Broward Blvd., Plantation. Call 954-577-8243, or visit mosaictheatre.com.
In this age of paranoia, Americans could use some laughs at their own expense and at subjects considered too serious for chuckles. Christopher Durang's Why Torture Is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them aims its provocative satire at the current American psyche, which sees color-coded terror levels as par for the course and torture as a primary means of interrogation to keep the homeland secure. However, all this homeland security comes at the cost of, well, homeland security, conveyed through the hilarious, though at times unsettling, delusions of the play's star, Felicity.
Torture begins in a hotel room where Felicity wakes up to find she is married. This marks the beginning of a crisis: Is her new husband (who is Irish) a drunk, or a terrorist? Is her father's butterfly-collecting hobby a cover for his involvement in a secret government plot? Follow Felicity on a wild, crazy set of events that includes a pornography-making minister, a gun-toting, squirrel-incinerating father, and a woman with underwear mishaps. Erica K. Landau 

Art Basel
December 3-6 at various Miami locations. Visit artbasel.com.
Billed as the most prestigious art show on the planet, Art Basel is a citywide installation boasting everything from museum-caliber works at the Miami Beach Convention Center to fresh graffiti on urban walls and cheeky ephemeral projects tucked into every available nook and cranny in Wynwood. At the Convention Center, more than 250 top-drawer art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa will exhibit 20th- and 21st-century artworks by more than 2,000 artists.
Art Basel also includes special exhibition sections featuring rising young galleries, performance art, public art projects, and video art. Inoculate yourself against Baselphrenia and make sure to visit Wynwood's gallery scene boasting local talent, late-night bashes, and the ubiquitous Grolsch- or Bacardi-sponsored open bar. Don't forget to check out Miami's museums, most of which are turning out their best shows of the year. Carlos Suarez De Jesus

"The Magical World of M.C. Escher"
January 20 through April 11 at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, 801 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton. Call 561-392-2503, or visit bocamuseum.org.
​Mind-bending puzzles and painstakingly trippy constructions have secured M.C. Escher as a household name. Posters of Relativity -- the print that animated baby genius Stewie Griffin once referred to as "Crazy Stairs" -- are as ubiquitous among the college set as Jim Belushi's College. So it's no surprise that parodies of his work are endless, from scenes in A Nightmare on Elm Street to The Simpsons Movie.
And that's only one print. Other widely familiar pieces include Reptiles, in which a line of lizards emerge from a pattern only to circle back and reenter the puzzle; Eye, featuring an eyeball that reflects a skull; and Drawing Hands, that piece of paper with two hands that emerge to draw each other. These will all be on view for "The Magical World of M.C. Escher" exhibit, along with more than 140 of the artist's other works, including drawings, watercolors, prints, wood blocks, studio furniture, and memorabilia. Erica K. Landau

"Avedon Fashion 1944-2000"
February 9 through May 9 at the Norton Museum of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. Call 561-832-5196, or visit norton.org.
It's difficult to comprehend that only 55 years ago, women of color were not allowed, or at best not recruited, to grace the pages of fashion staple Harper's Bazaar. Richard Avedon changed all that. Reaching for beauty across cultural spectrums and past traditional subjects, the famed photographer used his clout to challenge the industry and revolutionize it. If editors didn't like it, like the time he pushed to photograph Asian model China Machado for Bazaar, he threatened to quit. The photo is now legendary. Thus, Avedon helped usher in the idea of the new 20th-century woman to post-war America. Photographs from the majority of his 60-year career at publications such as Vogue, the New Yorker, and Harper's Bazaar will be on display for "Avedon Fashion 1944-2000." The exhibition will include edition and vintage prints, contact sheets, original magazines, and scholarship on the evolution and impact of his oeuvre. Erica K. Landau 

South Beach Wine & Food Festival
February 25-28. Call 877-762-3933, or visit sobe-fest.com.
The South Beach Wine & Food Festival draws the most innovative, interesting, and experimental chefs, winemakers, sommeliers, and cocktail artists working in the field today, including Nobu, Ming Tsai, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, Anthony Bourdain, Tyler Florence, and Rachael Ray. The BubbleQ barbecue, Best of the Best, and the Grand Tasting Village are a few of the more popular events during the weekend. Tickets go on sale October 26. Carlos Suarez De Jesus

The Miami International Film Festival
March 5-14 at various locations in Miami. Call 305-237-3456, or visit miamifilmfestival.com.
Delivering the world of cinema to our doorstep, the festival has presented films from more than 50 countries, including 125 East Coast, U.S., and world premieres; scores of Oscar winners and nominees; and many international prizewinners in recent years. Carlos Suarez De Jesus

"Elvis at 21"
April 20 through June 13 at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, 801 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton. Call 561-392-2503, or visit bocamuseum.org.
​The debate between Elvis fans and Beatles fans over which rock god/gods were more important or influential has been waging for half a century. Luckily for each camp, South Florida will be the destination for exhibits celebrating both (see "Give Peace a Chance"). For Elvis fans, check out Boca Raton Museum of Art's "Elvis at 21." The exhibit includes 40 large-format photographs by Alfred Wertheimer, who was hired to shoot the star before he became the rock 'n' roll king. The photographs capture an intimacy with the artist in spots across America. For instance, one photo shows Elvis sitting at a lunch counter... alone... undisturbed by paparazzi, groupies, impersonators, and the other obsessive types who are attached to his legacy. The exhibit runs through June 13. Erica K. Landau