Official uVu Blog

More Than Jaws

SHARK, an exhibition at the Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale, Nova Southeastern University takes visitors on a journey through over 70 artists' perspectives on these fascinating creatures from predator to victim to pop culture icon. The exhibition has been organized by the Museum of Art and curated by acclaimed marine artist and author, Richard Ellis. It is being presented in association with Nova Southeastern University's Oceanographic Center.

On view May 12, 2012 through Jan. 6, 2013, the multi-media exhibition features drawings, paintings, photography, sculptures and videos by artists from all over the world.

"Sharks have long fascinated man; some ancient societies even revered them as gods. In my art, I pay homage to their graceful beauty," said Ellis. "This exhibition delves into a variety of issues in an examination of the human impact on sharks. It explores the shark as a predator and its portrayal in culture, the importance of shark conservation, the biology of the myriad of shark species, and the thrill of shark encounters."

"SHARK is a stunning and timely exhibition about how the shark has entered the public imagination and how artists, over the decades, have portrayed one of the most fascinating, vulnerable, and misunderstood marine animals on the planet," said Irvin Lippman, executive director of the Museum of Art.

 

Richard Ellis: Curator
Sara Brenes: The Shark Whisperer

Moon over Miami? Probably Not But Don't Worry

3 Minutes with Juliet Eilperin

uVu begins a new feature, 3 Minutes With, and we kick it off with one of our favorite pundits.

Long time viewers of Washington Week will remember Juliet Eilperin as a frequent guest on that program, but her work for the Washington Post on the environmental beat opened the door on a chance to write a book on sharks.  "Demon Fish" is the result and we had a chance to sit down with Ms. Eilperin before she spoke at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art.

 

Meet a New Star Gazer

The newly named Star Gazers will relaunch in October and feature some new hosts, including Dean Regas, Outreach Astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory.

In this clip, Dean shows no fear that Comet Elenin, projected to make a close approach to earth in October 2011, will "preempt" the relaunch of the series.

 

 

camera obscura

Edgar Mitchell traveled to the Moon aboard Apollo 14. After that 1971 journey, Mitchell took home a movie camera from the mission. He recently tried to auction it, but the space agency sued. Mitchell's lawyer says the camera was a gift, and in any event, NASA waited too long to ask for it back.

Here you can read a transcript of his interview on NPR regarding this.  We had a chance to meet Edgar Mitchell last year and discuss among other things, his path to Apollo and his development of the study he calle Noetic Sciences.

 

Star Gazer Lunar Eclipse 2010

A time lapsed version of the Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse of 2010 as seem from South Florida, courtesy of the WPBT2/Star Gazer team.

 

 

WHO IS JOHN F.?

And did he smuggle a piece of Andy Warhol art onto the moon?  Help solve a mystery

Roots of Noetic Science

I finally received the new Dan Brown novel for the holidays and hadn't even reached the Prologue  before having the first "oh wow" moment.

Brown used his standard format and began with his typical disclaimer, acknowledging that all the organizations mentioned in the book are real.  I was surprised to see the reference to the Institute for Noetic Sciences. 

I had no doubt that the Institute was real, having met the founder just a few weeks earlier, interviewing him in his South Florida home.

 You can see the interview with former astronaut Edgar Mitchell on uVu if you'd like to have some additional insight on Noetic Science and the work of the Institute.

Watch the video here

Miami Today Profile - Benjamin Leon

 Since a young boy Benjamín León, Jr., had a knack for business. He started off washing dishes and working in factories, and then sold tires and programmed computers. After climbing up the ranks in other jobs, he joined his father to run Miami’s first pre-paid medical center Clínica Cubana. In 1970, the father-son team founded Clínica Asociación Cubana, which grew into a multi-million dollar operation. 

After the entity was sold, Mr. León was already formulating the vision for Leon Medical Centers, selling many of his holdings to fund this new business venture. More than a decade later, the risk has paid off as the company has grown into a leading health care provider for Medicare recipients with more than 33,000 enrolled. 

With two new centers recently opening its doors, for a total of seven top-notch medical facilities, the focus now is on continuing to provide cost-efficient, quality care despite the potential cuts HMOs face under the proposed health care reform. 

Changing Seas: Behind-the-Scenes

The crew of Changing Seas, a twelve-part public television series produced by WPBT2 in Miami, Florida, went out to sea on Dec 8th, 2009 to shoot underwater scenes of seagrasses. uVu followed Senior Producer Mark Baker, and videographer Jeremy Nicholson. An interview was conducted with Marine Biologist from University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences.

Afterwards, the crew met with Pamela Sweeney, Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves Manager, Jenny Baez, Environmental Specialist II and BJ Fisher, Park Services Specialist.