This Year's New Art Basel Travel Trend: Palm Beach Prelude

LAKE WORTH, Fla., Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This year, travelers to Art Basel in Miami Beach seeking a new kind of art experience will first stop in nearby Palm Beach County to kick off the South Florida arts season at what insiders are calling "Palm Beach Prelude." In the days before Art Basel, art lovers will see massive outdoor murals being created by both up-and-coming and world-famous street artists from around the world; interact with emerging artists and important gallerists; and experience art and culture at a thoughtful pace in the visually stunning and culturally dense Palm Beaches, Florida's Cultural Capital^®.

A sampling of exhibitions, performances and events that await art enthusiasts and collectors at Palm Beach Prelude:

Feel the fusion of heavy metal and visual art at RaWk ? The Art of Jason Newsted.
Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, Lake Worth
Before Grammy Award-winning artist and former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted exhibits his talked-about art in Miami, this Palm Beach County resident will open a specially curated exhibition at the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. Collectors and music-lovers will get the opportunity to hear him perform and get a jump on acquiring his amazing art starting December 1. This experience, part of the Cultural Council's 40th Anniversary season, will feature live performances by Jason Newsted and The Chophouse Band during the exhibition run. Exhibition: Dec. 1 ? Feb. 3; Concerts: Dec. 1 and Jan. 12.

Watch artists create giant outdoor murals at the 2017 CANVAS Outdoor Museum^TM Show.
Downtown Lake Worth
Muralists and street artists from around the globe transform the city's streets into an outdoor museum of large-scale murals and installations. Blank building walls will be reimagined with colossal murals, and monumental shipping containers, art installations and interactive sculptures will be showcased in high-profile locations within walking distance of the Downtown corridor. Visitors will see artists creating the murals Nov. 26-Dec. 2, and later enjoy touring the completed murals.

Explore Downtown West Palm Beach.
Don't miss the existing 2015-16 CANVAS murals in Downtown West Palm Beach, where art is part of everyday life?and the murals are magnets for selfie-lovers. West Palm Beach Arts & Entertainment District is a vibrant setting for Holidays in Paradise, Downtown West Palm Beach, anchored by a giant sand-sculpture Christmas tree (of course!) at the waterside.

Experience the new CityPlace Culture Lab for art and sound installation.
CityPlace/West Palm Beach Arts & Entertainment District
CityPlace, West Palm Beach's downtown shopping, dining and entertainment district, is undergoing a transformation and will reemerge as one of the area's premier cultural destinations marked by the unveiling of Culture Lab on Saturday, Dec. 2. The former Macy's storefront-turned-new cultural arts center will house rotating exhibitions and art activations kicking off with celebrated Irish artist Michael Craig-Martin's Palm Beach Parade on the exterior walls. This marks his largest public art installation and first in the United States. Inside, artist Stephen Vitiello will reveal his one-of-a-kind sound installation, You Are the Magic, an interactive, multi-channel sound art experience. The Palm Beach Symphony will complement the opening day experience with a special concert in the plaza. 

Relax and enjoy theater in luxurious ease at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.
Downtown West Palm Beach
This major cultural center, walkable to restaurants and nightlife in delightful West Palm Beach, welcomes audiences with a theatrical experience in a stunning venue. Upcoming performances include Little Shop of Horrors, Dec. 1-17, Vadym Kholodenko, 2013 Cliburn Competition Gold Medalist pianist Dec. 4 at 2 p.m., Julie Budd in Remembering Mr. Sinatra Dec. 5 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Orpheus Chamber Orchestra featuring Truls Mørk, Cello Dec. 5 at 8 p.m., Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Special Guest Catherine Russell on Dec. 7 at 8 p.m., and Ballet Palm Beach's new interpretation of The Nutcracker on Dec. 1, 2 and 3.

Catch the world premiere of Billy and Me at Palm Beach Dramaworks
Downtown West Palm Beach
Walkable to the downtown culinary scene, murals and waterfront, Palm Beach Dramaworks presents original productions, and Wall Street Journal theater critic Terry Teachout, author of the acclaimed Satchmo at the Waldorf, has chosen this venue for the world premiere of his new play Billy and Me starting December 8. The play speculates on the tempestuous friendship between playwrights Tennessee Williams and William Inge. Palm Beach Dramaworks Producing Artistic Director William Hayes directs the premiere.

CityPlace, Downtown West Palm Beach and the Palm Beach Arts & Entertainment District are walkable to the Hilton West Palm Beach, a work of art in itself whose façade is covered in a trompe-l'oeil mural and whose public spaces are adorned with new works of art (tours are available). Eaton Fine Art's new pieces in the Galley restaurant are especially interesting. Stop by for live music on Friday night, starting at 7 p.m. in Galley, the hotel's signature restaurant. Tip: the Saturday poolside brunch is not to be missed. 

Experience brilliant color works, and ponder thoughtful photos from space.
The Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach
BRILLIANT: Recent Acquisitions highlights new acquisitions that emphasize a bold and dramatic use of color. Vivid and intense colors saturate the compositions of the works on paper and glass including artworks by Dale Chihuly, Arturo Herrera, Michael Craig-Martin and other contemporary artists. Earth Works: Mapping the Anthropocene is a timely exhibition that depicts how humans are directly and indirectly impacting the planet through 22 works by transdisciplinary artist Justin Brice Guariglia who flew seven times with NASA as part of Operation IceBridge, a survey mission of Greenland to study how melting glaciers affect sea level rise. Guariglia's photographic works blur the line between photography and painting to illustrate Greenland's melting and deteriorating glacial ice sheets and sea ice in stunning detail. Other images were influenced by the impact of agriculture and mining on the Earth's surface.

Interact with emerging artists at the West Palm Beach Arts Festival.
Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach
On December 2 and 3, the Second Annual West Palm Beach Arts Festival presented by the Armory Art Center will feature local, regional and national artists working in ceramics, drawing, fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, photography, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media and paint. In addition to live music, demonstrations, food trucks and activities for all ages, the artists will interact with the public through art demos and booth chats.

Soak in paintings and monumental sculptures in a wild tropical garden.
Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, West Palm Beach
In addition to the monumental installations and vast variety of tropical fauna of the serene Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, on display December 9 ? February 4 is British artist Gordon Cheung's remarkable body of paintings and prints known collectively as Breaking Tulips in the exhibition Gordon Cheung: New Order "Vanitas." These works draw inspiration from the floral masterpieces of 17th century Dutch and Flemish painters. The artist will speak about his work at a special "Artist Talk" on Saturday, Dec. 9, at 11 a.m.

Immerse yourself in decorative arts and have a proper tea at a historic Palm Beach estate.
Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, Palm Beach
Historic Whitehall, the Beaux-Arts home of Henry Morrison Flagler, holds wonders for fans of decorative arts. Stop in for a tour through the beautifully preserved estate, enjoy a Gilded-Age-style afternoon tea at the Café des Beaux-Arts, and experience Christmas at Whitehall decorations including a 16-foot tall Christmas tree in the Grand Hall adorned with traditional Gilded Age style ornaments. The tree lighting takes place on December 3.  Holiday Evening tours are offered by the glow of the original light fixtures. During your visit, enjoy Flagler's fall exhibition, Knights of the Air: Aviator Heroes of World War I, the first museum exhibit devoted to the image of the World War I pilot-hero, organized by the Flagler Museum in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of America's entry into World War I in 1917.

Learn how to navigate Art Basel, from an expert.
The Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach
During the December 1 lecture, Navigating Art Basel, Sofia Vollmer Maduro shares tips on how to navigate the fairs successfully and enjoyably. Maduro, a Cambridge University scholar, is a curator, lecturer and mentor to emerging artists, a trustee of the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY, and a founding member of the curatorial committee of the PhotoLondon Fair.  Bonus: The Society of the Four Arts has a wonderful botanical and sculpture garden tucked away behind a beautiful gate that is open to the public. 

Additional offerings at The Society of the Four Arts include the exhibition A Man For All Seasons: The Art of Winston Churchill Dec. 2-Jan. 14, the live HD recording of The Bolshoi Ballet: The Taming of the Shrew on Dec. 9, HD recording of The National Theatre Live: Peter Pan on Dec. 10, live HD recording of Metropolitan Opera: Der Rosenkavalier on Dec. 16 with Renée Fleming and El?na Garan?a.

Attend the opening of Andrew Brischler: Lonely Planet at Gavlak Gallery.
Palm Beach
Dec. 2, 4?6 p.m.
Gavlak Gallery in Palm Beach presents a solo exhibition of new work by New York-based artist Andrew Brischler who creates bold, energetic works on paper and panel using almost exclusively colored pencil. The Palm Beach show focuses entirely on typography. In addition to his solo exhibition, Brischler is curating an exhibition in the gallery featuring established and emerging artists.

Tour outdoor kinetic sculptures and Albert Paley works in a beachside town.
Boynton Beach Arts District and Downtown Boynton Beach
Stroll through Downtown Boynton Beach and experience its famous permanent kinetic artworks, as well as the Albert on the Avenue outdoor exhibit of six massive sculptures by internationally renowned sculptor Albert Paley on Dec.  1-4. Explore an easy-to-walk, self-guided 30-minute tour along E. Ocean Avenue in the city's Cultural District. 

Visit four concurrent exhibitions at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
Downtown Boca Raton
The buzzed-about Boca Raton Museum of Art is presenting four compelling shows concurrently. They include Alex Katz: Small Paintings, Contemporary Photography Forum featuring works by Paul Kneale, Daniel Gordon, and Florian Aichen-Maier, Regarding George Ohr: Contemporary Ceramics in the Spirit of the Mad Potter, and Deep Line Drawings by Carlos Luna. The exhibitions are augmented by lectures and tours. The museum is very near to the architecturally important Boca Raton Resort & Club. This historic property is abundant in tropical fauna, seaside dining, relaxing vistas and spa experiences, where guests are surrounded with important sculptures and artwork available for acquisition from on-site Baker-Sponder Gallery. 

Photos can be found at tinyurl.com/PalmBeachPrelude2017. For more information about these and additional experiences during Palm Beach Prelude, please visit palmbeachprelude.com. To plan a personalized cultural itinerary, connect with the Cultural Concierge at palmbeachculture.com/concierge. 

About the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County
The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County is the official support agency for arts and culture in The Palm Beaches, serving non-profit organizations, artists and arts districts. The Cultural Council administers $4.5 million in grants annually, supports arts and cultural education, provides capacity-building training and advocates for arts funding and arts-friendly policies in Palm Beach County, Florida's Cultural Capital^®. The Council promotes Palm Beach County's cultural experiences to visitors and residents through multi-platform marketing and public information programs, including its one-of-a-kind Cultural Concierge service.

The Cultural Council presents exhibitions featuring Palm Beach County artists and provides additional programming at its headquarters in the historic Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. Building, an iconic Streamline Moderne former movie theater in Downtown Lake Worth. Also at the Cultural Council headquarters are the Roe Green Uniquely Palm Beach Store featuring products by Palm Beach County artists and the Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Visitor Information Center, a VISIT FLORIDA designated Florida Certified Tourism Information Center. For a complete calendar of cultural activities in The Palm Beaches, visit palmbeachculture.com.    

CONTACT
Judith Czelusniak
[email protected] 
(561) 471-1602

SOURCE Cultural Council of Palm Beach County