Artburst • 20th June 2023

Musical journeys part of Coral Gables CAP Summer Concert Series

The Sinta Quartet is, from left, Danny Hawthorne-Foss, Joe Girard, Zach Stern and Dan Graser. The saxophonists are changing the way the musical instrument is marginalized. The foursome performs Thursday, Aug. 3, as part of the Community Arts Program Summer Concert Series. (Photo courtesy of Community Arts Program) In the second installment of the Community Arts Program Summer Concert Series on Thursday, June 22, audiences will certainly hear the musicianship of Mark Kowoser, the principal celli

Miami New Times • 30th May 2023

Stonewall National Museum Is More Than Its Namesake's Legacy

When police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York's Greenwich Village and ignited nationwide protests and the gay rights movement in 1969, many of the words that now form the abbreviation LGBTQIA+ hadn't yet been adopted by the community it has come to represent. Robert Kesten, director at Stonewall National Museum Archives & Library (SNMAL) in Fort Lauderdale, is betting there will be more letters added to the abbreviation — all of the letters in the alphabet even — in the coming years, as peopl

Miami New Times • 23rd May 2023

This Miami Beach Bar Wants Bands to Play in Its Sandbox

Beyond the coin-operated punching bag machine at the back of Miami Beach's Sand Bar + Kitchen, there's a courtyard that functions as a mellow waiting room for the Sandbox, an all-black room with a stage. The space has all the performance potential of a black box theater and a sprinkle of punk-rock attitude.The unassuming North Beach sports bar gives little indication that there's live music booming behind its back door. However, walk through it, and you'll stumble upon the courtyard with table t

Miami New Times • 18th May 2023

Konpa and Mountains, Two Haitian-American Films, Will Premiere at Tribeca Festival

Miami filmmakers are bringing slices of Little Haiti to New York's Tribeca Festival . Al'Ikens Plancher's short filmand Monica Sorelle's feature-length filmwere chosen to premiere at the esteemed independent film event next month.centers on a Haitian construction worker and his son who are both struggling with internal conflicts — the father about his involvement in erasing his neighborhood's culture and his son's struggles to find his identity between two cultures."It was scary for a little whi

Miami New Times • 3rd May 2023

Paperwater Fuses Club Culture with the Duo's Haitian and Liberian Roots

Eddy Samy and Daygee Kwia, the DJ duo behind Miami electronic outfit Paperwater , first met on the football field at Miami Sunset Senior High. The two played the same position and were naturally pitted against each other. However, their rivalry dissolved once Samy started listening to the beats Kwia produced and played for his friends in the lunchroom."We'd always kind of like, judge the beats, kind ofstyle," Samy says."A roast table — it was a roast table," Kwia clarifies."Yeah, it was a roast

Miami New Times • 26th April 2023

Stillblue Goes Black and White for New Single "Paint Me Funny"

Miami indie-folk band Stillblue is back with a new single, "Paint Me Funny," set for release on April 28. But the quintet's once vibrantly hued social media pages have been bled of all their color — even the band's signature warm blue — in preparation for the drop and the EP that will follow.According to drummer Diego Gamez, the drastic change signals a sonic shift for the band."It's kind of like a palate cleanser," he says. "We haven't stripped ourselves of everything, but we are introducing pe

Artburst • 24th April 2023

WHITE ELEPHANT GROUP'S 'WEG WEEKEND' IS ANYTHING BUT A FILM FESTIVAL

WHITE ELEPHANT GROUP’S ‘WEG WEEKEND’ IS ANYTHING BUT A FILM FESTIVAL A behind-the-scenes picture of the film ‘El Reggaetonero’ which will be screened during WEG Weekend. A themed “El Reggaetonero” party will also take place during the event. Pictured is actor Cesar Pichardo alongside Daniela Marie Fernandez (left), and Daniela Rafa (right). (Photo Courtesy of White Elephant Group) When local filmmakers Eddy Moon, Ronald Baez, and Kevin Ondarza founded White Elephant Group (WEG) 10 years ago, t

Artburst • 19th April 2023

ILLUMINARTS AND HUED SONGS TAKES AUDIENCES ‘THROUGH THE STORM’ AT VIZCAYA

ILLUMINARTS AND HUED SONGS TAKES AUDIENCES ‘THROUGH THE STORM’ AT VIZCAYA Dr. Dorothy Jenkins Fields, Chief Sandrell Rivers, and Betty Mae Tiger Jumper are monumental women who have shaped South Florida, and as part of a collaboration between Miami-based nonprofits Illuminarts and Hued Songs, and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, they each received a special tribute. Hosted in March 2023, “Through the Storm: Women Walking in Greatness” was a three-night performance featuring a combination of narrati

Miami New Times • 18th April 2023

Where to Celebrate 4/20 in Miami

Up in Smoke at Coral Gables Art Cinema The sun won't be the only thing baking in Miami on April 20. Check out these pot-themed events across South Florida featuring everything from DJ sets to yoga to picnicking.Enjoy this laid-back picnic celebrating Earth Day and 4/20 focused on plant-based medicine and spiritual cleansing. The event features DJ sets by Duality and Rolle, a rolling competition, and a healing fire dance by Lizuli Dragon. The winner of the rolling competition will be awarded a 4

Artburst • 12th April 2023

'Stories from the Womb' poets address challenges facing women, especially those in prison

‘Stories from the Womb’ poets address challenges facing women, especially those in prison Miami Norland Senior High School’s Spoken Word Team “Freedom Writers” perform at Spoken Soul Festival in 2018. This year the theme is “Stories from the Womb” at the Arsht Center on Friday, April 21. (Photo Courtesy of Moment77) Miami’s Spoken Soul Festival turns 15 this year, and co-director Annette Gonzalez Silveria says she expects it to be the most engaging production yet. “It’s very much a full-blown

Artburst • 30th March 2023

The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum’s ‘Art Doctor’ Will See You Now

The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum’s ‘Art Doctor’ Will See You Now The Wolfsonian-FIU “Into the Stacks: The Art Doctor Is In” goes deep into what it takes to maintain a collection of more than 200,000 objects at the Miami Beach museum. (Photo courtesy of The Wolfsonian-FIU) From diligently rolling a nearly century-old 20-foot canvas painting, to freezing and digitizing self-destructing celluloid film, The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum’s collections manager and conservator, Silvia Manrique, likens her work to t

WLRN • 23rd March 2023

The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum's 'Art Doctor' will see you now

From diligently rolling a nearly century-old 20-foot canvas painting, to freezing and digitizing self-destructing celluloid film, The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum’s collections manager and conservator, Silvia Manrique, likens her work to that of a doctor, but when asked to describe her latest projects, it’s clear she’s giving these fragments of the past more than a typical check-up. “Even though the museum is small, the collection is big, and the efforts we go through to keep it safe are big too,” say

Miami New Times • 3rd November 2022

Harvey Fierstein's Memoir Offers a Glimpse Into the American Icon's Life

Tony Award-winning actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein has long been an American cultural icon. The 70 year old has graced the stage as Edna Turnblad in the Broadway production ofand Albin in the 2010 revival of. He's also appeared in Blockbuster films likeandand has lent his voice to the character of Yao in Disney'sIn his memoir,, Fierstein looks back at his upbringing in 1950s Brooklyn and his place in the downtown New York City scene. He also chronicles his storied life as an award-winning

Miami New Times • 6th October 2022

Pocket of Lollipops Drops Eerie Music Video for "Skulls and Muscle Tones"

More than a year after the release of its sonically encircling seventh album Tiburon , Pocket of Lollipops has dropped a new music video for the track "Skulls and Muscle Tones."A longtime staple in the Miami music scene, the duo, composed of Tony Kapel and Maitejosune Urrechaga, has earned a reputation across South Florida, flooding everything from gallery openings to dive bars with bass-driven riffs and stoney vocals since 2008.The band's 2021 album release was bittersweet. Pandemic restriction

Miami New Times • 19th August 2022

Meet Kim Donovan, South Florida’s Stage Mom

The Stage Mom Mini Fest doesn't sound like the head-banging extravaganza local bands might brag about playing.But those familiar with Kim Donovan's Stage Mom podcast know better.A Broward native, Donovan has been interviewing fledgling acts across South Florida since early January, including Opposition Dolls, Young Fiction, Dirty Rivals, and the Polar Boys. During each episode, she sits with a local band to talk about their origins and influences, along with special segments, including one she c

Miami New Times • 5th July 2022

Indie-Folk Group Stillblue Isn't Slowing Down

Tightly packed onto a futon and spilling over onto rolling chairs in their Hialeah practice space, the members of Stillblue look like siblings. The seating arrangement is an attempt to squeeze into the frame of a video call, but the familial vibe isn't coincidental. For drummer and most recent addition Diego Gamez, the atmosphere is what drew him in."It showed me a completely different side of life," Gamez says. "I was able to play with people I was still meeting and learning about, and they wer

PantherNOW • 5th March 2019

University teaches students to "Stop The Bleed"

Tragedies such as the Parkland shooting leave a school’s administration and its students wondering what they can do to prepare themselves if they should face a similar catastrophe. On Thursday, Feb. 27 the University’s Assistant Director of the Department Emergency Management, Bridget Pelaez, hosted an event in room 150 of the Graham Center titled “Stop the Bleed,” and aimed at teaching students life-saving skills to prepare them in the event of a disaster. Pelaez stressed the importance of id

PantherNOW • 31st October 2019

Lack of Space, Non-Existent Electives Among Top Issues Engineering Students Face

Students, faculty members, and staff of the University’s College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) all gathered together for a town hall meeting on the afternoon of Oct. 25 in the Engineering Center’s newly renovated Panther Pit to hear students voice their concerns on a number of issues. On the panel answering students’ questions were CEC Dean John L. Volakis, Associate Dean of undergraduate education Mark Allen Weiss, Associate Dean for academic affairs Anthony J. McGordon, and University Vi

PantherNOW • 23rd March 2019

New student-led political parties run in SGA Elections

University student-led political parties, PantherUp and Future Is You, start fresh in this year’s Student Government Association elections. This is the first year the PantherUp party participates in an election. The party’s focus for their first year is to improve the learning experience for FIU engineering students by improving classrooms in the Engineering Center and Modesto Maidique Campus’s Parking Garage 6. PantherUp will work to gain funding to buy new whiteboards, monitors, cables and d

PantherNOW • 27th January 2019

Entrepreneur alumna to speak at student leadership summit

On Saturday, Feb. 2, the University will be holding its annual Student Leadership Summit. The Summit is open to all FIU students and will feature a number of faculty, administrators, as well as alumni, who will be sharing information on topics revolving around eight leadership competencies. Ana M. Gomez, a member of the Summit’s organization committee and Graduate Assistant at FIU’s Center for Leadership and Service, promises students access to a wide variety of information at the Summit. “We