As many of you know, I am now the Senior Art Designer at Florida Atlantic University Libraries. And as I say at all the luncheons I attend… FAU Libraries’ is where we are re-inventing the library experience! And boy do I mean it! From March 6 through 11, FAU Libraries at the Boca Raton campus will host Kultur Festival 2010. Kultur Fest 2010 is the only festival of its kind in South Florida. This second annual celebration of Jewish culture includes six days of concerts, presentations, lectures, song, dance, film and book arts. Festival events will showcase holdings in Florida Atlantic University Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives through the talents of guest artists, distinguished scholars and critically acclaimed musicians, including the Klezmer Company Orchestra (KCO), the library’s professional ensemble-in-residence. Conductor and Festival Director Aaron Kula and KCO perform the festival’s main event JudeoJazzistico in concert for the first time with the KlezKatz vocal trio. KCO performs a unique style of “ethnic orchestral jazz.” I describe it as a…. Klezmer-Kool-Hot-Jazz-Orchestra fusion style of music that I absolutely love, and you must experience! There is even an event for children called Klez4Kids where a narrator will read from the from a children’s book while members of the KCO perform. My son Thor will be there, dancing up a storm!

This festival is a BLAST! I hope that you can come out and enjoy the festivities. For more information you can view the on-line brochure at: http://www.library.fau.edu/news/kultur.htm and for tickets and information, you can visit: http://fauevents.com/kulturfest.html

I hope to see you at one of the extraordinary events!

-Patricia

Kids In Distress Benefit

It’s that time of year again. For the second year in a row, I am helping organize the RIFF RAFF’s Annual Kids in Distress Rock & Roll Benefit. RIFF RAFF is the rock & roll cover band my fiancée plays bass for (his name is Bob, but in the music world he is known as Gorilla!). I am organizing the silent art auction to help them out. If anyone has any “music-theme”, framed artwork you would like to donated to the event, please let me know  (email me at pmccart1@fau.edu) to arrange pick up. If you would like to attend, the benefit show is Saturday, November 14th, 9 p.m. at Diamond Strikes Lounge (at the bowling alley), just south of Copan’s on Federal Highway in Pompano. For the benefit, RIFF RAFF donates their night’s pay. In addition, 100% of all money donated and 100% of raffle and silent auction money goes directly to Kids in Distress, not just “proceeds”.  For more information, visit www.kidsindistress.org, or http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/4548437 for band information and directions.