BRADENTON - This weekend in Bradenton is a weekend for the arts. Indulge your creative senses with music and dance to the aesthetically pleasing sights of sculpture and paintings. Also make your way to the Manatee County fairgrounds for an eco-centered festival. Oh and don't forget the mermaids. Grab an acoustic instrument and jump in the conga line, it’s time for a Weekend Adventure in Bradenton!
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| The Chrysalis Launcher being installed |
The Village of the Arts will be a bustling few blocks this weekend with two special events in addition to the monthly Art Walk. The Chrysalis Launcher, a large sculpture by artist Catherine Woods, will join the growing collection of public art in the area with a dedication ceremony; music and dancers will float through the Village participating in the Dancing thru the Village event in conjunction with Realize Bradenton’s Music Slam.
The Chrysalis Launcher was commissioned by the Downtown Development Authority and is standing on the corner of 9th street west and 12th avenue. It is 15 feet tall and Ôaims’ colorful wings of art into the Village. The dedication ceremony starts at 5:30 pm on Friday. The dedication will be followed by a reception on 12th street west and 11th avenue. Students from Sugg Middle and Southeast High will provide live music for the reception.
On Saturday during the Art Walk, free performances and dance instruction are being offered to participants during the Dance thru the Village event and the Music Slam. The lineup includes The Elephant in the Room, The Standback Band, Gigi and the Cretins, Joyful Sounds, Jimbo and George, and an interactive drum jam. A wide variety of dance styles is promised. Joining the conga line weaving through the Village, bringing an acoustic instrument, and flash mobs are encouraged.
All of the events are free.
Art Walk/ Music Slam/ Chrysalis Launcher/ Dancing Thru the Village
Friday 5:30- 9:30 pm, Saturday 11 am- 4 pm
Village of the Arts
Bradenton
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If you didn’t get enough art in the Village Friday night and Saturday afternoon, head to the Palmetto Art Center Saturday night for the opening of Hocus-Pocus, a show running through March showcasing the work of Anna Maria Islander Helen Romeike-Wisniewski.
"Hocus-Pocus," is how Helen Romeike-Wisniewski describes her work. "Now you see it, now you don't."
Her exhibition spans six decades, exemplifying her journey to self-knowledge through painting. Romeike-Wisniewski received a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of South Florida in 1978. She has exhibited her work across the country; her work serves as an inspiration to both academic and local art circles familiar with its distinctive understandings, sensitivity and interpretations.
Saturday is opening night, but the exhibit can be viewed at the Art Center through March during regular gallery hours. The hours are Monday through Friday (excluding Wednesdays), noon to 2 pm.
Opening Exhibition Reception
Saturday, 5 pm- 8 pm
Palmetto Art Center
Palmetto
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Saturday morning, in Palmetto at the Manatee County Fairgrounds, the county is hosting the 2012 Florida-Friendly Family Festival. Fun activities, eco-workshops and entertainment for all ages are available. Interactive demonstrations, ideas, workshops and exhibits will highlight our environment and show ways families conserve resources in and around their homes.
The Master Gardeners will be holding a Trash to Treasure and plant sale and the Manatee County Utilities department will be hosting a shower head exchange. Bring your old shower head with you and exchange it for a newer water conserving model.
The festival is free and is suitable for all ages.
Florida Friendly Family Festival
Saturday 9 am- 2 pm
Manatee County Fairgrounds
Palmetto
Wanna Get out of town? How about a few mermaids? (from press release) The Bay Area Renaissance Festival at MOSI is known for bringing magical characters to life in the lanes of the village of Fittleworth. This year we are thrilled to welcome the beautiful and mystical live mermaids known as Merbellas. Children and adults alike are fascinated and mesmerized watching the mermaids dive, twirl and roll through the water.
Raven Pippenger began Merbellas in 2009 to bring to life her life-long hobby of mermaiding. She is a native of the Bay Area and began performing at the tender age of three. Joined by Meshpa Toombs of Tampa, Raven and Meshpa design and construct their intricately detailed costumes, from jewelry to tails, donning them to swim in a custom built "lagoon".
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The "lagoon" is actually a 1,000 gallon tank drilled from a single block of acrylic. The empty tank weighs 1,700 pounds, but when filled weighs five tons. The tank has three inch solid walls to support the weight of the water.
In 2011, Merbellas joined with 20 Penny Circus and added Tyler Sutter and Carl Skenes, both from Orlando, to narrate the folklore of mermaids. Together with Raven and Meshpa, this foursome brings almost 50 years of combined performance experience. The Merbella clan and Raven are well known in the Mermaid community and have been featured in several publications, including the world's only magazine devoted to the subject of Mermaids.
Every Saturday and Sunday through April 1st the Merbellas can be seen swimming and diving at 11:00, 12:30, 2:00, 3:30 and 5:00, exclusively at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival.
The Bay Area Renaissance Festival is a first-class experience whose 34th season begins on Saturday, February 18 and ends on April 1, 2012. The Festival is open weekends, with a special day for schools and senior on Festival Friday, March 23, 2012. The Festival is open from 10a.m. - 6p.m., rain or shine with a special St. Patrick’s Day Blowout on Saturday, March 17th from 5pm-10pm. Admission at the gate: Adults $18.95; Children 5-12 $10.95; four and under are free! Discount tickets are available at participating Circle K and Walgreens stores and at MOSI or online at www.BayAreaRenaissanceFest.com. Parking is free.
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