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best of the artists series

By Bonnet House Blog, Exhibitions, News No Comments

5th Annual Best of the Artists Series
Opens June 16, 2011 at 6pm

Bonnet House Museum & Gardens in collaboration with St. Lawrence Gallery present the 5th Annual Best of the Artists Series featuring works from 16 Bonnet House Fine Artists.  The first of five exhibitions opens Thursday, June 16 at 6:00pm with a free wine and cheese reception. The five exhibitions will once again feature works of various media including watercolor, oil, acrylic and photography and a percentage of all art sale proceeds will benefit Bonnet House and its programs. The exhibitions are scheduled to run from June 16 through November 3 with the final exhibition featuring the Best of the Artists from the four previous shows. All five exhibitions are free and open to the public and will include raffle, a wine & cheese reception and beautiful art. The receptions for each show will begin at 6:00pm on the first night of each exhibition as well as the closing night of the final exhibition.

 The exhibitions schedule is as follows:

First Exhibition: Thursday, June 16 – Wednesday, July 13

Second Exhibition:  Thursday, July 14 – Wednesday, August 10

Third Exhibition: Thursday, August 11 – Wednesday, September 7

Fourth Exhibition: Thursday, September 8 – Wednesday October 5

Fifth Exhibition: Thursday, October 6 – Thursday, November 3. This show will include favorite pieces voted on by all the attendees from the previous four shows.

Best of the Artists Closing Reception: Thursday, November 3 at 6pm. Best of the Artists Series winners will be announced.

St. Lawrence Gallery is located at 3556 N. Ocean Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale two lights north of Oakland Park Blvd. on the east side. For more information, please contact Monica Estevezat (954) 563-5393 ext. 127 or St. Lawrence Gallery at (954) 566-8011 or visit www.bonnethouse.org or www.stlawrencegallery.com.

Impressions of florida 2011

By Bonnet House Blog, Events, Exhibitions, News No Comments

42 Artists Selected For 10th Annual Impressions of Florida Exhibition at Bonnet House Museum & Gardens

Forty-two Florida-based artists will flock to historic Bonnet House Museum & Gardens on Saturday, March 6, 2010 to participate in the 10th Annual Impressions of Florida eventa juried art exhibition and fundraiser presented by LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels, benefiting the historic estate. Impressions of Florida is a well-respected, annual exhibition of artistic talent, reflecting Florida’s architectural, natural and cultural heritage.

The forty-two artists chosen to participate in the exhibition hail from all over Florida and work in a wide variety of media and styles. One of the inspirations for the 10th Annual Impressions of Florida artists was Bonnet House and its surrounding lush landscape.  The artists were able to work on the grounds of Bonnet House, and visitors to Bonnet House had the opportunity to see the artists at work.

Irvin Lippman, this year’s juror, selected 51 works out of over 150 submissions. Irvin Lippman is the Executive Director of the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale. Bonnet House is fortunate to have Mr. Lippman as this year’s juror of the 10th Annual Impressions of Florida.  This is Mr. Lippman’s second stint as juror for the exhibit.

This year’s theme will be inspired by the cool casualness of Tommy Bahama while cocktails and the menu will feature Rangpur limes—the signature ingredient of the house cocktail served by Bonnet House’s former owners, artists Frederic and Evelyn Bartlett. Renée Quinn and Arthur Crispino are co-chairing this year’s event. Highlights of the evening will include fine food, wine and spirits with live entertainment throughout the house presented by 360˚ Catering and Southern Wine & Spirits.

Additional highlights include an Edible Art Competition featuring six of Fort Lauderdale’s best chefs serving up creative desserts in a head to head competition to create a Bonnet House Signature Dessert.  Recipes and winners will be revealed in a special Go Riverwalk Magazine feature in April 2010. Tickets for the opening of Impressions of Florida are $200 for VIP admission at 6:00pm and $150 for general admission at 6:30 p.m.  Attendance is by reservation only by visiting us online at www.bonnethouse.org/exhibits&events or by calling (954) 563-5393, ext. 163.

Learn the art of pastels, acrylics and watercolor

By Bonnet House Blog, Classes & Workshops No Comments

Learn the art of painting at Bonnet House Museum & Gardens this season. Two six-week and one four-week workshop will be offered beginning in January.  The watercolor workshop begins January 12 and runs every Wednesday through February 16 from 9:30am – 12:30pm with Karen Eskesen.  The pastel workshop with Lorrie B. Turner begins Thursday, January 13 and runs every Thursday through February 3 also from 9:30am – 12:30pm. Nia Nakis will be teaching the outdoor acrylic workshop on Fridays from January 14 through February 18, 9:30am-12:30pm.

“The main house emulates a sense of charm and the surrounding grounds are home to a variety of tropical plants and wildlife native to Florida” states Bonnet House Fine Artist and watercolorist, Karen Eskesen who returns once again to teach her very popular outdoor painting class.

Class space is limited to 15 students and the cost for each workshops is $108 for members and $120 for non-members.  For registration or more information, please contact Susan Parker at (954) 563-5393 ext. 122 or [email protected].

Om Shanti Shanti

By Bonnet House Blog, Classes & Workshops No Comments

Nice cool weather is just around the corner and we’re inviting  you to close your eyes, stretch your muscles, and inhale deeply in the peaceful environment of the Bonnet House’s tropical gardens. Reflect and relax with chirping birds and scented flowers during Yoga in the Gardens in the Bonnet House’s outdoor gardens. ahhhhh….

A weekly class will be held at The Bonnet House on Wednesday mornings from 8:00 -9:00 a.m.  Classes are ongoing throughout the year and will be held rain or shine (we have a protective tent to prevent slipping and sliding on your mat!) Registration is not required and drop-ins are encouraged. Cost is $15 members of The Bonnet House & $17 for non-members.

The classes involve yoga breathing, postures, and meditation exercises in the hatha tradition. Classes are appropriate for all levels from beginners to experienced yoga practitioners, and are suitable for all ages and degrees of flexibility. The class instructors, Shyam and Mohini, co-directors of Yoga Warehouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale, lead the class.  Yoga Warehouse is an affiliated Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, established in 1998. Shyam and Mohini are both experienced instructors and teach at the renowned the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the Bahamas.

Participants should wear loose, comfortable clothing, bring a portable mat, and a water bottle. For more information call 954-563-5393 ext. 137/email [email protected].

4th Annual Orchid Fair right around the corner

By Bonnet House Blog, Events No Comments

The Fourth Annual Bonnet House Orchid Fair will bring a burst of color to the historic Bonnet House Fruit Grove on December 4th and 5th from 10am to 5pm with brilliant blooms in a natural setting! Over 30 local vendors will participate in this unique plant sale featuring a colorful collection of flora as well as plant accessories, garden art and supplies. Lectures and demonstrations by orchid growing experts will be presented as well.

Orchids, or Orchidaceae, are the largest of plant families and grow on six continents. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s orchids are native to the tropical and sub-tropical regions. Bonnet House is the home of over 1,500 plants, many collected by Evelyn Bartlett who moved to preserve her beloved Bonnet House as an historic site and cultural center in 1983. This spectacular collection is still displayed at Bonnet House in orchid houses Mrs. Bartlett had designed.

The Bonnet House Orchid Fair features thousands of blooms throughout the estate’s grounds and offers many innovative displays, interesting talks and tours of the gardens. Beautiful displays donated by the vendors will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. All of the proceeds will benefit Bonnet House and its programs.

The event will take place Saturday and Sunday, December 4th and 5th from 10am to 5pm with talks in the grove at 12pm and 2pm both days. The entry fee is $5 for the fair and grounds and $15 for the fair, grounds and self-guided tour through the historic main house.

The Event Features:
Orchid Supplies – Vendors to provide all you need to plant and grow orchids.
Garden Art – Attractive and unusual orchid and/or garden related items from several vendors.
Lectures – Four educational lectures and how-to demonstrations each day at noon and 2:00pm
Orchid Displays & Silent Auction – Various orchid displays created by the participating vendors will be available for auction.
Food and Wine – Food and wine will be onsite during the entire event.
Self-guided Tours of the House and Grounds – Stroll through the grounds and house at your leisure and experience the charm and beauty of the Bonnet House estate.
Rest Areas – Where you can sit and relax in the shade.
The Bonnet House Gift Shop – Near the main house, offers a unique choice of snacks and bottled juices, Giclee reproductions of selected pieces of the Bartletts’ original art work, as well as a variety of interesting books, jewelry and array of gift items.
Lots of Free Parking – The entrance to the parking lot is on North Birch Road off of Sunrise Boulevard between A1A and the Intracoastal Waterway.

"Impressions of Florida" fundraiser in the works

By Bonnet House Blog, Events No Comments

LXR Luxury Resorts and Bonnet House Museum & Gardens announce the opening date of “Impressions of Florida,” the annual juried art exhibition and fundraiser to benefit the public programs of Bonnet House. The opening date is Friday, February 11, 2011 and the exhibition is set to open with a private showing for V.I.P. guests at 5:00pm. V.I.P. guests will be treated to champagne and hors d’oeuvres, preview the exhibition, and partake in a rare viewing of the exclusive private living quarters of Evelyn and Frederic Bartlett, Bonnet House’s former owners. The reception opens to members of the public at 6:00 p.m. Lois Schmatz, Pat Smith and Dev Motwani are co-chairing this year’s Impressions of Florida opening.

The juried art exhibit, presented by LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels, showcases artists from throughout the state and the artists’ personal interpretations of “Florida.” All guests and participating artists are invited to cast votes for their favorite artist in the exhibition. The artist receiving the highest number of votes will receive the People’s Choice Award, awarded that evening. All of the artwork in the Impressions of Florida competition will be available for sale with 50% of the proceeds benefiting Bonnet House Museum & Gardens. The Impressions of Florida exhibition will be on display from February 11 through April 10, 2011 during Bonnet House regular tour hours.

Additional highlights of the evening will include fine food, fine wine and live entertainment throughout the house presented by 360˚ Catering. Invitations for Impressions of Florida will be mailed in December. If you would like to add your name to the mailing list or would like to enter your work to be considered, please call (954) 563-5393 ext. 163 or click here.

View images of last year’s event by clicking here.

Time For Some Music!

By Bonnet House Blog, Events No Comments

Bonnet House Museum & Gardens kicks off its 15th season of the Young Artist Music on Thursday, January 27 at 7pm with a performance by Palm Beach Opera. The season continues on February 24th with Florida Grand Opera’s rising stars. On March 24th we have University of Miami’s Frost Opera Theater and for our fourth and final performance on April 7th we have Florida Atlantic University’s Latin Vocal Ensemble.

We are delighted to offer the Fort Lauderdale community what we consider to be the ‘best deal in town’. Canapés and wine are served to our guests from 7:00-7:30 p.m.  The one hour performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and immediately following the performances dessert and coffee will be served.  For $30 – $35 per performance or $100 – $120 for the series for Bonnet House members and $35 – $40 per performance and $120 – $140 for the series for non-members everyone can enjoy an evening under the stars like no other. The Art Institute Culinary School has provided the wonderful canapés and desserts for the past 13 years and the honors graphic design class at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale designs our posters each year. Southern Wine & Spirits supplies the wine.

What started as community outreach has become one of our most treasured programs. We are looking forward to this very special 15th anniversary series.

To purchase tix please call 954.563.5393 ext. 124