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ArtBits

Italy confident of proof on `looted' art from Met Museum
ROME -- Italy's government has sufficient proof to compel the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to return some key artifacts officials say were looted, the culture minister said. Italy now knows what the museum considers "adequate" documentation and can meet those standards for a sixth-century B.C. painted Greek vase, known as the Eurphronios Krater, and the ancient Greek Morgantina silver collection. Italian authorities increasingly are trying to crack down on antiquities trafficking and recover artifacts they contend were stolen or illegally exported from Italy and sold to European and U.S. museums.

End of an Era: Suzanne Delehanty's 11-year run at the Miami Art Museum comes to a close
MIAMI -- On Jan. 1, Suzanne Delehanty, the only director the Miami Art Museum has ever known, will retire. In her nearly 11-year tenure, Delehanty has established a permanent collection, witnessed the explosion of the Miami art scene and fought for and won a new multimillion-dollar facility at Bicentennial Park.

Cole Porter Birthplace to Undergo Renovations, Become Museum
PERU, IN -- Composer Cole Porter's 20-room, 150-year-old birthplace in Peru, Indiana, will undergo serious renovations toward the goal of reopening as a museum and bed and breakfast inn..The Porter home is currently owned by the Ole Olsen Memorial Theater Group, which plans to repair its foundation, reconstruct the four porches, replace wiring and plumbing and install new heating and air-conditioning equipment.

Military Bases to Experience the Magic of Orlando Opera
On-Tour
ORLANDO, FL—Orlando Opera joins forces with the National Endowment for the Arts in the “Great American Voices Military Base Tour: Unforgettable Melodies from Opera & Broadway.” The tour is a national initiative celebrating the best of American arts by bringing professional performances of opera and musical theater to military installations nationwide. On May 10th & 11th, 2006, Orlando Opera’s Resident Artists and pianist will be at Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Georgia, providing concerts and educational programs for military families in schools on post. A highlight of the week will be a full evening performance for military personnel and their families in the ballroom at Club Stewart. Later that week, Orlando Opera’s artistic, and education staff travel to the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, for a performance of Opera Extravaganza! for the military personnel and their families at NAS Jacksonville.

UCF Masters Students Create Digital Films to Complement the Orlando Museum of Art's Exhibition
ORLANDO, FL -- In preparation for The Art of the Motorcycle, the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA), in partnership with the University of Central Florida's (UCF's) Cultural Heritage Alliance in the School of Film and Digital Media, is collecting and posting personal motorcycle stories at http://sfdm.ucf.edu/~motorcyclestories. Taking it a step further, UCF graduate students in the School of Film and Digital Media are bringing these stories to life in short digital films that will be highlighted at the OMA from January 22-July 23, 2006. The documentary, "RUBS: Rich Urban Bikers," explores the nature of the motorcycle enthusiast and different views of what it is to be a biker. Bikers answer in their own words, "Am I hardcore, or am I a weekend warrior?" in footage shot in Daytona, New Smyrna, Sanford and Orlando, Florida; Edwardsburg, Michigan; and South Bend, Indiana.

Gold Coast Jazz Society Mourns Loss of Music Director
FT. LAUDERDALE -- The Gold Coast Jazz Society mourns the loss of Simon Salz, Music Director of the Gold Coast Jazz Society Band. Mr. Salz died unexpectedly on Tuesday, Nov. 29th during a brief battle with cancer. He served as the musical director of the Gold Coast Jazz Society Band, a repertoire jazz band that was formed in 1994 by Mr. Salz and the late Lee Amlie, Artistic Director of the Gold Coast Jazz Society. Simon organized many of the concerts for the Gold Coast Jazz Society and led the Gold Coast Jazz Society Band in numerous community and educational performances throughout South Florida.

New Exhibition Space Available in Wynwood
MIAMI -- 2628 Artlab is a newly renovated space in the Wynwood Art District created to function as a exhibition venue. Mainly for visual art, it may also be used for film screenings, performances and special events. The new space downstairs will provide independent curators, dealers, artists and galleries from outside Miami with the opportunity to exhibit their projects in this booming art district. The aim is to foster culturally significant projects while providing the art community with a space to exhibit on a per project basis. 2628 Artlab is located at 2628 NW 2nd Avenue. The space measures approximately 1100 square feet, 14 foot ceilings and lineal feet.

Karakas Appointed to Board Term with Southeastern College Art Conference
FORT MYERS, FL -- The Southeastern College Art Conference appointed Florida Gulf Coast University art program leader and assistant professor Scott Karakas to serve a two-year term as Florida’s representative on the Board of Directors at the 2005 annual meeting at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Founded in 1942, the Southeastern College Art Conference is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote the visual arts in higher education. SECAC facilitates cooperation and fosters on-going dialog about pertinent creative, scholarly and educational issues between teachers and administrators in universities, colleges, community colleges, professional art schools, and museums.