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A Well-Received Collage Exhibit Remains Open Through March at the Women's Resource Center
SARASOTA - The opening reception in early February for "Putting the Pieces Together" was unusually well attended. Many in the crowd commented on how interesting and appealing the work was. Part of the proceeds from the pieces that sold will go to the programs at the Resource Center in Sarasota. Those who still want to see these bold collage paintings, by seven local artists, can do so through March 27. It is important to call ahead for gallery hours, at 366-1700.

WPI Moves Central Florida Theater Forward
ORLANDO – Women Playwrights’ Initiative (WPI) is one of only three associate theaters at PlayFest 2007 – the Harriett Lake Festival of New Plays. WPI’s readings of Gulf View Drive by Arlene Hutton were Feb 25 and Feb 27 at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Chris Jorie directed, and Hutton, a New York City-based playwright, was in town for talkbacks after both readings. WPI’s reading at PlayFest comes right before Gulf View Drive opens Off-Broadway on March 17 at the 78th Street Theatre Lab, therefore making WPI part of the development of a play before it opens Off-Broadway. It plays in rotating repertory through April 29. As part of the WOWW! campaign (Wave of Women Writers), works by women playwrights are now playing or are upcoming at PlayFest 2007!, Rollins College Second Stage (Fred Stone Theatre), Orlando Repertory Theatre, Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, Starlight Theater, and UCF Conservatory Theatre.

Boca Raton Museum of Art Announces Winners of 21st Annual Juried Art Festival
Boca Raton- More than 50,000 art lovers attended the 21st Annual Outdoor Juried Art Festival at Mizner Park in mid-February. The 2-day event sponsored by the Boca Raton Museum of Art showcased the works of 250 artists from around the country. One artist was presented with the Best in Show Award, and 10 others were Merit Award winners. Each winner was awarded a monetary prize during the festival, which was juried by Richard Frank, the Museum's former Curator of Education. Following are the 2007 winners:

BEST IN SHOW
Thomas Wargin, Menonomee Falls, WI - Sculpture

MERIT AWARDS
Tom Radca of Port Washington, OH -- Sculpture
Jim Parmentier of Mars Hill, NC - Ceramics/Pottery
Fortune Sitole of Venice, CA - Mixed Media
Nicario Jimenez of Naples, FL - Mixed Media
Sondra Wampler of Agoura Hills, CA - Photography
Ann London of Port Washington, OH - Painting/Drawing
Ailyn Hoey of Bellow Falls, VT - Mixed Media
Greg Barnes of Charlotte, NC - Painting
Jim Martin of Santa Barbara, CA - Sculpture
John Poignand of Chatham, MA -- Mixed Media

The Art School Names Annette Symonds as Recipient of the Hoffman Scholarship Award
Boca Raton - The Art School of the Boca Raton Museum of Art announces that Annette Symonds is the recipient of the coveted 2006-07 Milton and Florence Hoffman Sculpture Scholarship Award. Ms. Symonds is being recognized for her outstanding soap stone sculpture entitled La Nuit (The Night), which depicts a woman in a state of pure ecstasy. George Bolge, executive director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art, was this year's juror for the scholarship. The award recipient has been sculpting for more than 40 years and has been a student at The Art School for the last few years.

BankAtlantic Named Title Sponsor for 18th Annual ArtServe Encore Awards
ArtServe is pleased to announce BankAtlantic as Title Sponsor for the 18th Annual ArtServe Encore Awards! For the fifth year, BankAtlantic is lending their support in honoring those who have helped shape the direction and vision of the arts and cultural community of South Florida. “We are pleased to once again sponsor the ArtServe Encore Awards,” said Jarett Levan, President and CEO of BankAtlantic. “At BankAtlantic, we take pride in our community. And we are thrilled to support a program that honors those who make our community a better place to live and work.”

Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival Proudly Announces Launch of the Hispanic Theater Initiative
Orlando - In an effort to provide quality theater experiences to non-English speaking audiences, the Shakespeare Festival will feature select upcoming performances to the Hispanic audience via a special electronic caption display system. Thanks to the generosity of Dora Toro of La Prensa, this caption display system has been purchased and will be placed above the stage. Throughout the production, the unit will be plugged into a closed caption video source and will decode and display the captioning on a bright, high-visibility, 4-line LED display. It is capable of including extended characters for Spanish and many other languages. The unit performs real-time captioning and its large format closed captions are easily read from a distance in all lighting conditions. Display characters are available in various colors and in heights from 0.7 to 4.0 inches. It is a complete turnkey system.

The Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival Celebrates Growth and Success with New Name Change on the Horizon!
Orlando - With growth and success come celebration and positive change, and the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival is proud to follow suit. Beginning June 1st, 2007, OSF’s new name will become: Orlando Shakespeare Theater In Partnership with UCF or, “Orlando Shakes” for short. Audiences have always referred to the Shakespeare Festival under a variety of short titles – Shakespeare, OSF, The Festival, etc. Going forward, Orlando Shakes will be the consistent name for audiences, staff and volunteers to use when they wish to use a shorter moniker. The new website of www.orlandoshakes.org will become active on June 1st and the current website of www.shakespearefest.org will remain as an alias.

Amin and Julie Khoury Make Generous Contribution To Kravis Center’s Encore Campaign
The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce the receipt of a $1 million gift to the Center’s Encore Capital Campaign from Amin and Julie Khoury. In making the announcement at the Kravis Center’s 15th Anniversary Celebration Gala Benefit on Feb. 10, Kravis Center Chairman Alexander W. Dreyfoos thanked the couple on behalf of fellow board members. Mr. Dreyfoos graciously accepted the $1 million gift that brings the Khourys’ total financial commitment to the Kravis Center’s Encore Campaign to $1.1 million.

Fundraiser Organized by Friends of Caldwell Volunteers Raised Over $7,000
Boca Raton - What do you get when you put together 11 musical theater pros along with a professional piano accompanist performing for a group of over 250 guests in a knockout venue? Caldwell Theatre Company’s kickoff of its second annual Luncheon/Lecture Series was an incomparable hit, with its very own Broadway Babies 2 musical review of Broadway standards by Steven Sondheim, Harold Arlen, Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Stephen Schwartz, just to name a few of musical theater’s greatest songwriters represented. Broadway Babies 2 raised over $7,000 for Caldwell’s general operating account.