Arts Talk

By Times staff

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 15, 2001

Watercolor artist makes his mark

South Pasadena watercolor artist Neil Adamson has received his medium's highest honor, signature membership in the American Watercolor Society. AWS signature membership, awarded to just 13 artists this year, entitles members to use the initials "AWS" after their signatures on their paintings. Notable members among its ranks include Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth. Bay area members include Jean Grastorf, St. Petersburg,Susanna Spann, Bradenton, and John Angelini, Hudson.Adamson's work will be on display at the annual AWS show at the Salmagundi Club Galleries, New York, through April 29. He will be honored at the group's annual banquet on April 27.

Fringe festival: art to the people

Improv comedy, performance art and grass roots theater are cornerstones of the 10th annual Orlando International Fringe Festival, which opens Friday and continues through April 29. More than 70 troupes perform in seven venues, all within a mile or two of Fringe Central in downtown Orlando.

The Fringe Festival is non-juried, which means any group that pays a fee can put on a show. According to a mission statement, "Fringe producers DO NOT decide for the community what is, or is not, "good art.' We believe the audience/community are capable and willing to decide for themselves what they would like to see. . . . We believe in giving artistic control back to the people. For too long, a small group of people have set the cultural climate for the masses. The Fringe Festival says, "No more.' This is your Fringe -- shape it as you will."

Tickets range from $1 to $8. (407) 648-0077; http://www.orlandofringe.com.

Orchestra's schedule for 2001-2002

Pianists Garrick Ohlsson (Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1) and Max Levinson (Barber's Piano Concerto) are among the soloists during the 2001-02 season of the Florida West Coast Symphony. Six of the seven masterworks programs by the Sarasota orchestra will be conducted by artistic director Leif Bjaland. A highlight will be the premiere of the complete orchestrated Miroirs, five pieces originally written for piano by Ravel. For a season brochure, call (941) 953-4252.

Dinner theater celebrates anniversary

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, Sarasota's Golden Apple Dinner Theatre will perform a concert version of its namesake, the 1954 Broadway musical The Golden Apple, which transplanted Homer's Odyssey and Iliad to Washington state. The performance is at 8 p.m. April 23, with dessert and coffee beforehand. Tickets: $15. (941) 366-5454.

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