Submitted by Kay Renz
Old Town Untapped returns this October with a jam-packed schedule and lots of treats for art-lovers of all kinds! On the first Friday of each month, Old Town Pompano Beach becomes the epicenter for art, food, and live music. As always, the popular event features a live band, DJ, food trucks, arts & crafts vendors, and gallery tours at Bailey Contemporary Arts Center (BaCA). But now, there are even more experiences on tap including previews of special events, participatory workshops, and the opportunity to meet the “Artist of the Month” from BaCA’s new Artist in Residence program. This October event will also be the unveiling of a celebratory new mural inside BaCA. Old Town Untapped is free and open to the public. Join us October 7, 2022, from 6-10 p.m. Learn more at www.pompanobeacharts.org.
Mural Unveiling:
Be the first to see the vibrant new mural in the stairwell of BaCA! In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the site (the former Bailey Hotel, now BaCA), the city commissioned a vibrant mural featuring overlapping narratives with a broad historic timeline, telling stories of the past and present. This stunning new creation by artist ‘Andrew Reid SHE’d’ will span approximately 343 square feet and the design will encourage visitors to visit the Center’s second floor, which is the home to the new Artists in Residence.
Live band: Funkin’ Grateful
Funkin’ Grateful, based in South Florida, is made up of music veterans from throughout the jam band world. This rockin’ band provides unique and improvisational interpretations of the music of the Grateful Dead, blended with other funky dance-oriented cover songs, bringing a high energy performance to every stage. Members hail from The Heavy Pets, Unlimited Devotion, Fusik and The Ricca Project, and include Joe Falconeri (bass), Al Zilinsky (guitar and vocals), Jesse Ricca (guitar and vocals), Jim Wuest (keyboard and vocals) and Jamie Newitt (drums and vocals). Guest sit- ins are not uncommon, so look out for your favorite jammers!
Solo Exhibition Opening: Apparition: Postcards from Eye See You by J. Frederic May
This provocative collection of images showcases the extraordinary scope of artist and photographer J. Fredric May, who is legally blind and subject to vivid visual hallucinations, which allows him to explore the familiar through a unique and haunting prism. Turning a tragic event into the inspiration for an experimental new artform, this artist invites viewers to see the world through his eyes. After suffering a stroke during heart surgery, his award-winning career as a photojournalist and commercial photographer was over, but his ability to create advanced to another realm.
BaCA AiR Featured Artist: Leonardo Montoya
Leonardo Montoya is an internationally recognized artist known for portraying the uniqueness of people so viewers can relate, accept, and embrace diversity. Empowering the characters he paints, he highlights each person’s beauty and singularity, giving a voice to those daily life warriors that are often overlooked. Born in Colombia, Montoya recently returned from the UAE where he enjoyed a residency in RAK, Emirates with the Al Qasimi Foundation. For his BaCA residency he looks to expand the size of his artworks and propel his career to a new level.
Dance: Baila Pompano Preview by Poppin’ Events
Led by renowned Latin dancer and instructor Alex Bezianis, this lively preview will give you a taste of what’s to come in Pompano’s newest participatory dance series. Including salsa, bachata and other Latin dances, the program will be held quarterly at Pompano Beach Arts Center, starting October 21, 2022, with future events in February, May and September of 2023. Each event will include a one-hour dance class, a live eight-piece band, DJ and professional dance performers.
Artist’s Alley Activation: Mask Making Workshop by South Florida Day of the Dead
Create your own version of the beautiful and colorful masks that honor loved ones and keep the spirits close. El Día de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday on which families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives, acknowledging the symbiotic relationship between life and death, and engage for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration.
About the City of Pompano Beach Cultural Affairs Department
The mission of the Cultural Affairs Department is to provide cultural programming that includes visual arts, digital media, music, film, theater, dance and public art for the enjoyment and enrichment of residents and visitors to Pompano Beach, Broward County, and the greater South Florida area. The department programs and manages the City’s premiere cultural arts venues including the Pompano Beach Cultural Center, Ali Cultural Arts Center, Bailey Contemporary Arts Center, and the Blanche Ely House Museum. The department also oversees the City’s Public Art Program and the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts’ Our Town grant awarded to the Pompano Beach Crossroads place-making arts initiative.