Official uVu Blog

Miami Today Profile- Jack Lowell

Longtime Miamian Jack Lowell has long been the face of downtown’s Metropolitan Miami development, whose signature project – the Wells Fargo Center – is nearly complete. But on Oct. 1 he also became the public face of the Beacon Council, the county’s official economic development agency.

 

He takes the reins at what could be exciting times for the agency, which raises its budget through a portion of the county’s business tax and through private companies’ membership fees. It’s looking at refreshing the more than decade old One Community One Goal study, which in the mid-90s brought together countless individuals and businesses to chart the path for Miami’s economy.
It’s also looking to put on the first Miami International Air Show in 2012, the Western hemisphere’s version of Le Bourget and the Farnborough Air Show, held biennially outside Paris and London, respectively. The show, Beacon Council President and CEO Frank Nero has said, could attract hundreds of companies and tens of thousands of industry attendees from around the world, generating nearly $100 million in economic impact for the county.
But Mr. Lowell also has his own initiatives he’d like to bring during his year as chair.
“My third goal is, given the nature of this community, to try and get various organizations in the community to coordinate their legislative agendas so we can be more effective particularly in Tallahassee,” he said, “that means getting groups like the convention and visitors bureau, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the county, the Beacon Council to kind of coordinate agendas and talk to each other and then work with the delegation to try and come up with legislative priorities that actually can get enacted.”
Mr. Lowell discussed the intricacies of the agency, and why he’s bullish on the future of downtown Miami, in Flagler Real Estate Services’ Coral Gables office with Miami Today staff write Zachary S. Fagenson.

Arts Inspire...Canvases to Life

Engaging students from Broward County Magnet ElementarySchools (Bethune Elementary, Deerfield Park Elementary and Walker Elementary) Lu Welters, Director of the Jubilee Dance Theatre and Jonathan Green, a visual artist, encourage an understanding of his work through visual arts and dance interpretation.

 

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts and the School Board of Broward County work together to create enriching,curriculum based arts workshops.  The workshop and student Showcase took place at the Broward Center for Performing Arts on Monday November 8, 2010.

 

Sweat Records

    Lauren Reskin is just one of the many young and inspiring artists living in Miami. Just a few years ago Lauren opened up her very own record store dedicated to the Indie rock lovers of south Miami. Her store “Sweat Records,” located in little Haiti, is filled with a collection of CD’s and Vinyl records for the local DJ, T-shirts and accessories such as handbags, and also includes a small vegan friendly café.

Sweat Records also hosts live music showcases such as “rock a little quieter,” which features acoustic performances, a comedy night every second Tuesday of the month, and numerous fun workshops.

Sweat Records isn’t Lauren’s only accomplishment she also writes a weekly column called “Meatless in Miami,” enjoys yoga, DJ, and cooking delicious vegan food. Lauren’s plans for the future are to keep Sweat Records open to the local music lovers of Miami and to one day open her very own diner that will feature her own vegan recipes.

By Amber Arechavala

Miami Today Newsmaker - Mike Eidson

On the cusp of the its fifth anniversary, longtime Miamian Lewis “Mike” Eidson took the helm of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Art’s private-sector board, which in recent years has gone from being perceived, he said, as a liability to an asset.
For the past three years he’s served as chair-elect of the board under immediate past Chair J. Ricky Arriola.

 

During that time, the center brought in a new CEO, opened Barton G.’s Prelude restaurant and revamped its culinary offerings. It’s also paid off big chunks of debt thanks to Adrienne Arsht’s $30 million gift and started programs like Rock Odyssey, which brought 25,000 Miami-Dade fifth graders to the center to see performances.
And though many now lavish praise on downtown’s main cultural hub, Mr. Eidson didn’t seem at all complacent.
His biggest goals for his three-year tenure are to grow the center’s endowment, which now sits with $10 million, to see the center export home grown talent and to possibly bring dramatic theater to an offsite facility run by the Arsht Center.
“One of the things that I believe that the center should do is theater and when I mean theater I mean non-musicals, classical theater, Shakespeare, A Street Car Name Desire, that sort of thing,” he said. “I think if you look at all the performing arts center, the great performing arts centers, they have a drama capacity.”
And like other great performing arts centers around the country Mr. Eidson said he’d like to find more people in the community to buy into the center’s long-term success and potential economic impact on downtown Miami.
He was interviewed in the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House by Miami Today staff writer Zachary S. Fagenson

Politics as Usual

Three days after the general election, National Public Radio's Political Editor Ken Rudin analyzed both national and state election results when he addressed the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches on  Nov. 5.  Rudin directs all political coverage for NPR and is author of the "Political Junkie" blog on NPR.org -- an interactive daily feature focused on all political news nationwide.

 

 

Love in Bloom

As the 25th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival begins to wind down, one of the major highlights was the appearance by Claire Bloom to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.

After a screening of her first feature film, Charlie Chaplin's 1952 classic, "Limelight," Ms. Bloom sat down for a Q & A about her career in film (and stage and TV).

 

Discover New Music at the Miami Music Festival!

Have you ever caught yourself searching endlessly for new music to add to your library?  Do you want to discover new artists and tunes? Well, Miami has a treat for you.  The Miami Music Festival will be in town from Thursday, November 11 through Sunday, November 14.  The event will showcase all genres of music from hip-hop to jazz and will feature acts from all around the world including emerging local artists.

There will be a special showcase on Saturday, November 13 at Flavour in Coconut Grove from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.  This showcase will be hosted by Jessy Schuster, host of Pulse, a WPBT2’s original production.  New artists such as Mosiah, Honorebel, Mixed Culture, Jahfe and Fully Loaded Band will perform.

All access tickets to the festival are only $25 and can be purchased in advance.  For locations, times and ticket information, visit miamimusicfestival.org.  Isn’t it time you discovered that new tune you have been searching for?

 

 

NWSA Dean of Dance Honored

Daniel Lewis, founder and dean of the dance division in Miami’s New World School of the Arts (NWSA), received his third Lifetime Achievement Award. Bestowed by the National Dance Education Organization, in Tucson, Arizona, this distinguished accolade recognizes Lewis’ significant contribution in the field of dance during a career that spans for more than four decades.

“Receiving an award from your peers has to be one of the most rewarding honors you can get. Although my focus is on dance, I am committed to making sure every child has a chance to find his or her voice in the art.  I have spent over 44 years in dance education and have seen many changes.  Being recognized as someone who has taken part in children being successful is the best thank you one can receive,” said Lewis upon his acceptance.

Click on this link to view Lewis’ award acceptance video

Internationally recognized as a dancer, educator, choreographer, and author, Daniel was integral in the development of New World School of the Arts’ eight-year professional dance program which began in 1987, bringing more than thirty years of experience in the field, and an unparalleled awareness of modern dance to South Florida. In 1988 Lewis formed Miami Dance Futures, which produced the successful Miami Balanchine Conference, the Dance history Scholars’ Conference, the National High School dance Festival and the Modern Dance Sampler.

Two on the Aisle

A couple of production ar opening this week at local theatres, from the Mosaic, in Plantation we have "Collected Stories" written by Pulitzer prize winner Donald Marguiles, you can meet the cast in this clip from uVu

 

Also, last year's hit musical, "Vices: A Love Story" returns to the Caldwell Theatre Company in Boca Raton, this restaging has some new cast members and a few new wrinkles