Florida Arts News

National Endowment for the Arts Awards Grant Funds to Florida Organizations

2012-04-26T04:00:00Z

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced this week that the NEA plans to award 16 grants totaling $1,398,600 to Florida to organizations in the second round of fiscal year 2012 funding.

These grants support exemplary projects in arts education, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literature, local arts agencies, media arts, museums, music, opera, presenting, theater, musical theater, and visual arts, and provide support to state arts agencies and regional arts organizations. Through these projects, the public will have increasing opportunities to engage with the arts, whether it's in a school, in the media, or in their community, making our cities, towns, and neighborhoods more vibrant places to live.

Chairman Landesman said, The arts should be a part of everyday life. Whether it's seeing a performance, visiting a gallery, participating in an art class, or simply taking a walk around a neighborhood enhanced by public art, these grants are ensuring that across the nation, the public is able to experience how art works.

Sandy Shaughnessy, Director of the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs added, These NEA grants will help build a strong and vibrant Florida. Arts and culture make important contributions to our states economy, to tourism and job creation, and education for learners of all types and ages. It is exciting to see these Florida organizations partner with the NEA to achieve such important ends.

To view a complete list of grant recipients, visit the NEAs State Grants Listing for Florida.

Florida Artists Hall of Fame Nominations Due July 2

2012-04-25T04:00:00Z

The Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture are accepting nominations for the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. The postmark deadline for nominations is July 2, 2012. To submit a nomination, complete the PDF nomination form and mail it to the Division of Cultural Affairs. Instructions are provided on the PDF form.

Established by the Florida Legislature in 1986, the Florida Artists Hall of Fame recognizes persons, living or deceased, who have made significant contributions to the arts in Florida either as performing or practicing artists in individual disciplines.

The artist may be a native of the state or one who adopted Florida as home. Recipients of this award demonstrate the diversity of artistic accomplishment that comprises the rich cultural tapestry of this state. Previous inductees include Zora Neale Hurston, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Ernest Hemingway and Ray Charles.

Inductions to the Florida Artists Hall of Fame are made each March during the Florida Heritage Awards. Inductees receive a commemorative bronze sculpture commissioned by the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The sculpture, La Florida, was created by Enzo Torcoletti, an artist residing in St. Augustine.

For more information, contact Ken Crawford at ken.crawford@dos.myflorida.com or call 850.245.6395.

Secretary Detzner Announces Opening of New Museum of Florida History Exhibit: Ships, Sailors and Shipwrecks of Civil War Florida

2012-04-24T04:00:00Z

TALLAHASSEE Secretary of State Ken Detzner today announced the opening of a new exhibit at the Museum of Florida History that explores Floridas maritime and naval history during the Civil War. The exhibit, called Ships, Sailors and Shipwrecks of Civil War Florida, opens on May 1, 2012 and extends through August 5, 2012.

Floridas maritime and naval history during the Civil War is often overlooked, but our state was the location of numerous naval events during the Civil War era, said Secretary Detzner. I encourage anyone with a love of history and historic ships to visit the Museum of Florida History and see this exhibit.

The Museum of Florida Historys traveling exhibit, The Maple Leaf, will be a major component of the new exhibit, but significant enhancements have been added to create an extensive portrait of Floridas water-based history in the Civil War. The Maple Leaf was a Union army transport ship which was sunk after striking a Confederate torpedo mine. After it sank, the ship lay in the St. Johns River until 1984, when it was rediscovered and partially excavated by Dr. Keith Holland and the St. Johns Archaeological Expeditions, Inc., along with archaeologists from East Carolina University. The ships contents, encased by the rivers muddy bottom, provide a time capsule of this period and offer a glimpse into previously undocumented aspects of the war and its effects on northeastern Florida.

Additional components of the exhibit include a video about the Maple Leaf and recovered artifacts from the vessel. The objects are on loan from the Department of States Division of Historical Resources. Additional artifacts include a rare naval sword carried by an officer on the CSS Florida, which is on loan from the Smithsonian Institution. Visitors can also view a film about the privateer vessel Jefferson Davis, illustrations of Florida scenes from Harpers Weekly newspaper, a map of 50 Civil War shipwrecks in Florida and an interactive kiosk about the ships.

Ships, Sailors and Shipwrecks of Civil War Florida will help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. To learn more about the states role in the Civil War, visitors may visit the museums permanent exhibit called Florida in the Civil War, request a copy of The Florida Civil War Heritage Trail guidebook or attend programs developed in conjunction with the exhibit. Additionally, on May 17, 2012, Dr. Keith Holland will speak at the Museum about his experiences in locating the Maple Leaf.

About the Museum of Florida History

Opened in 1977, the Museum of Florida History, managed by the Florida Department of States Division of Cultural Affairs, collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets evidence of past and present cultures in Florida and promotes knowledge and appreciation of this heritage. As the state history museum, it focuses on artifacts and eras unique to Florida's development and on roles that Floridians have played in national and global events. Through exhibits, educational programs, research and collections, the museum reflects the ways that people have shaped and reacted to their cultural and natural environments. The museum is located in the R. A. Gray Building at 500 South Bronough Street in Tallahassee, Florida. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. To 4:30 p.m.; Sunday and holidays, noon to 4:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit the museums website at www.museumoffloridahistory.com.

Secretary Detzner Announces History Fair State Contest

2012-04-18T04:00:00Z

TALLAHASSEE Secretary of State Ken Detzner today announced that the Florida History Fair state contest will be held on Monday, April 30, 2012. More than 1,000 middle and high school students who won at the county level will compete in Tallahassee for state-level honors. Winners of the state competition will go on to represent Florida at the National History Day contest in College Park, Maryland in June.

Im proud of all the students who share their knowledge and creative talents during the history fair through historical papers, websites, exhibits, documentaries and performances, said Secretary Detzner. The participation of these students will help them strengthen their critical thinking, research, reading and personal skills. Attendees of the history fair are also sure to learn more about our history.

Coordinated by the Department of States Museum of Florida History, the annual state contest will be held on the campus of Tallahassee Community College at 444 Appleyard Drive in Tallahassee. Working in three-person teams, approximately 200 volunteer judges will evaluate 592 entries to determine the winners. The public is invited to view exhibits, historical papers and web sites on campus in the Lifetime Sports Complex on Monday, April 30, between 3:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. The awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Tallahassee Antique Car Museum at 6800 Mahan Drive.

Florida joins 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Department of Defense Schools in Europe and several international schools in Southeast Asia as affiliates of the National History Day (NHD) Program. The 201112 theme, Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, was selected by the NHD staff. Students must choose a topic relating to the theme and research it using primary and secondary sources. In 201011, 44,435 students in grades 6 to 12 participated in 31 counties in Florida. Students from 32 Florida counties will participate in this years competition.

The history fair program is sponsored by the Florida Department of States Division of Cultural Affairs, Museum of Florida History, the Friends of the Museums of Florida History, and 30 organizations, businesses and individuals. For a complete listing of sponsors, please go to www.floridahistoryfair.com.

About the Museum of Florida History

Opened in 1977, the Museum of Florida History, managed by the Florida Department of States Division of Cultural Affairs, collects, preserves, exhibits, and interprets evidence of past and present cultures in Florida and promotes knowledge and appreciation of this heritage. As the state history museum, it focuses on artifacts and eras unique to Florida's development and on roles that Floridians have played in national and global events. Through exhibits, educational programs, research and collections, the museum reflects the ways that people have shaped and reacted to their cultural and natural environments. The museum is located in the R. A. Gray Building at 500 South Bronough Street in Tallahassee, Florida. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday and holidays, noon to 4:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit the museums website at www.museumoffloridahistory.com.

History Fair Event Information

Florida History Fair: Exhibit, Historical Paper and Website Viewing
When:            Monday, April 30, 2012, between 3:30 p.m. & 5:00 p.m.
Where:           Tallahassee Community College
                      444 Appleyard Drive, Tallahassee, Florida

Florida History Fair: Awards Ceremony
When:            Tuesday, May 1, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Where:           Tallahassee Antique Car Museum
                      6800 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, Florida