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Top Australian cave art site faces industrial expansion
SYDNEY - Their meaning is a mystery, their creators are long dead, and no one knows how many there are. The hundreds of thousands of engravings etched into boulders and cliffs on a remote desert peninsula in Australia form the world's largest collection of rock art. Now there are fears that the planned expansion of an industrial site could destroy many of the Aboriginal engravings. The petroglyphs, which depict human figures, abstract motifs and kangaroos, emus, and the extinct Tasmanian tiger, are scattered across the Burrup peninsula. They were carved in granite more than 20,000 years ago by generations of Aboriginal hunter-gatherers attracted to the area by plentiful game and the caves' shelter. The granite has ensured that the art is better preserved than carvings in soft sandstone found elsewhere in Australia. But the art shares the 12-mile peninsula with huge natural-gas plants and iron-ore shipment facilities. The expansion could destroy hundreds or thousands of carvings, conservationists say, and would be cultural vandalism akin to the destruction of Afghanistan's 1,600-year-old Bamiyan Buddhas.

BBC correspondent sends German museum a stolen painting
LONDON - A BBC correspondent has returned a 16th century painting he was given in the 1950s to a Berlin museum, after discovering it was stolen in World War II, the Commission for Looted Art in Europe said. An East German farmer gave veteran foreign affairs reporter Charles Wheeler the portrait of Eleonora of Toledo as a wedding present in 1952 while he worked in Berlin. The farmer told him he had got it from a Russian soldier. Wheeler had long believed it was a fake until he began researching the subject of missing art for a BBC radio programme last year.

Minneapolis Institute of Arts buys painting for $3 million
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minneapolis Institute of Arts says it has purchased the Louis XV-era painting "Comtesse d'Egmont Pignatelli in Spanish Costume" by Alexander Roslin for a little more than $3 million. The painting, bought from the New York gallery Wildenstein & Co. with museum funds, is the MIA's most expensive purchase since the museum spent about $5 million in 1998 to acquire Claude Lorrain's 1638 painting "Pastoral Landscape." While the purchase wasn't timed to coincide with the MIA's reopening after a $50 million expansion and renovation project, museum director William Griswold said he's delighted it will be on view for the June 11 public reopening. Griswold said that both the painting and its elaborate carved-wood frame are in "perfect condition."

Dali Museum to get new home
ST PETERSBURG - The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg welcomed a century of art work from Spain and announced plans to build a bigger and better museum. An exhibition called Picasso to Plensa highlights the diversity of 20th century Spanish art. "It's a great day for St. Petersburg," museum Director Dr. Charles Henri Hine said. "This is a real partnership between the private citizens who have helped manage the Dali and the city who have assured that we have a new place, a new home and a bright future." The state awarded $4 million for the project. Construction is set to begin January 1, with an opening planned for 2009.

Historical Museum Celebrates 66th Annual Meeting and Elects New Board of Trustees
MIAMI - The Historical Museum of Southern Florida elected its 2006-2007 Officers and Trustees during its 66th Annual Membership Meeting held at the downtown Miami museum on May 4. Elected officers include Chair Dennis Campbell of Clarke Silverglate Campbell; Vice Chair Dr. Edmund Parnes; Secretary Dr. Michael Rosenberg; Treasurer Carolina Rendeiro of Business Centers International; and Federal Public Defender Faith Mesnekoff as At Large Representative. Past Chair William Holly of Holly Real Estate recognized the Historical Museum’s major accomplishments over the last two years during his term, including: theturnaround leadership of President/CEO Robert McCammon; designation of the General Obligation Bond for Museum Park, a dedicated 4,000 square foot exhibitiongallery on Watson Island and the addition of new employees and staff retentions.

Pensacola Opera League Announces Volunteer of the year
PENSACOLA - The Pensacola Opera League held its annual meeting on Tuesday, May 2, 2006, at Global Grill, which was presided over by Cecil Carlton, President. Highlight of the evening was the recognition of the Volunteer of the Year by Vaughan Hedrick, last year's honoree. The new recipient is Diane Collins who distinguished herself in many activities including productions, fundraising events, office assistance and artistic talent.

Art and Culture Center of Hollywood’s Executive Director Joy Satterlee Receives 2006 Woman of the Year Award
HOLLYWOOD – Art and Culture Center of Hollywood Executive Director Joy A. Satterlee, APR, has been named the 2006 Woman of the Year in the Nonprofit Category by the Atlantic Chapter of Women in Communications (AWC). Satterlee, who was hired as the Art and Culture Center’s deputy director in 2002, became its executive director in April 2005. She oversees and directs all aspects of the $1.7 million, multi-disciplinary, nonprofit organization. The Miami native has nearly 25 years of managerial experience both in nonprofit and for profit organizations.

American Idol Influences Opera Competition With New Audience Voting Feature
ORLANDO – Audience members of the 14th annual Heinz Rehfuss Singing Actor Awards 2006 final competition will get to add their voice to the outcome of the competition. A new award called “Audience Favorite” determined by audience votes will be offered to one lucky singing-actor in addition to the previously established categories. The competition will be held Sunday, June 4, 2006 at 2 pm at the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts, and rewards young singers who have mastered the operatic skills of acting and singing. Preliminary auditions are held in Philadelphia, Orlando, and New York, from which 12 to 14 finalists are chosen to compete in Orlando.

WBTT (Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe) Announces New Venue for 2006-2007 Season
SARASOTA - The WBTT has been invited to become one of the performing partners as part of the Inaugural Season of the Historic Asolo Theatre on the grounds of the Ringling Museum of Art. It is therefore with great pleasure that WBTT announces that its coming season will find this highly praised performance group, the WBTT, in the newly restored Historic ASOLO Theater at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. The Troupe is delighted to be contributing to the rich tapestry of this beautiful theater which in the past has launched so many of Sarasota’s cultural institutions., and to have been given the opportunity to share this magnificent space with other cultural institutions in the area.

ORLANDO FRINGE FESTIVAL INCREASES NUMBERS ACROSS THE BOARD
ORLANDO– Musicians, comedians, actors and exhibitionists alike took the stage from May 18-29 for the most successful Orlando Fringe Festival ever. In its 15th year, the nation’s oldest Fringe Festival increased ticket sales by 48 percent over 2005. Additionally, the 2,000 artists making up the 57 performing groups took home 38 percent more money than last year, a close to $50,000 increase. Also, the festival sold 9,000 Fringe buttons—up 28 percent from 2005.