Saturday, June 28, 2008



























· Boca Raton Museum of Art, 801 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton 33486. 561/392-2500. The city's largest cultural organization, with over 3,000 members, has been presenting classes, field trips, exhibitions and workshops for nearly 40 years. The non-profit museum is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.; closed on Mondays. Admission: $3 for adults, $2 for seniors, $1 for students with valid identification, and free for children under 12. The Boca Raton Art Museum exhibits changing displays from various forms of art media. There is a permanent collection of major 19th- and 20th- century artworks by European and American masters as well as many contemporary pieces. Artists works include painters Degas, Matisse and Picasso. Central American and West African collections feature stone carvings, pottery, and textiles. Visit their History of Photography Collection and Outdoor Sculpture Garden.


· Located on Glades Road, not far from the Art Museum (and its original location) is The Countess Henrietta De Hoernle Art School. Every week more than 80 classes for the beginner to the professional are offered in various forms of media such as drawing, pastels, watercolor, oil, acrylic, mixed media, ceramics, clay and stone sculpture, collage, and jewelry. The school, located in Old Floresta, nestled in a beautiful, park-like setting, with intimate class sizes and a professional, renowned facility, is continuing to expand.

· Children's Museum at Singing Pines, 498 Crawford Boulevard, Boca Raton 33432. 561/368-6875. Exhibits and tours for schools are available at this non-profit community project. This museum is located in the city's oldest unaltered structure, a 1911 wood house made from timber found on the beach. Inside are changing hands-on educational exhibits. Special events include Kids Fest in April, Cracker House Crazy Days in August, and Breakfast with Santa in December. Hours: Tuesdays to Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Admission: $2.


· F.E.C. Railway Station, 747 S. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, FL; (561) 395-6766. Train station and restored train cars are open to public most Wednesdays, maintained by the Boca Raton Historical Society.


· Nathan D. Rosen Museum Gallery, Adolph and Rose Levis JCC, Richard & Carole Siemens Jewish Campus, 9801 Donna Klein Boulevard, Boca Raton 33428. 561/852-3237. The Nathan D. Rosen Museum Gallery brings exciting and exceptional art to the Boca Raton community. Artists from around the world, a Jewish book fair and traveling exhibits of Judaica are among the vast array of artistry featured. The Museum is located in West Boca Raton, off U.S. 441 between Glades and Palmetto Park roads.


· Boca Ballet Theatre Company, Kingsbridge Square, 5620B N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton 33487. 561/995-0709.


· Boca Pops, 100 N.E. First Avenue, Boca Raton 33432. 561/391-7677. South Florida's premier pops orchestra has delighted audiences for many years. The 10-concert season runs from November to April, with performances held at the 2,400-seat Florida Atlantic University Auditorium. Individual tickets are available at the FAU box office (561/367-3737). Founded by Music Director and Conductor Bob Lappin in 1991.


· Caldwell Theatre Company, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton 33487. 561/241-7432. Florida's fourth state theater company performs musicals, comedies and dramas in an intimate, 305-seat venue. Acclaimed for its cutting-edge productions, the company is in its 20th year. October-to-May season. For ticket information, call 561/930-6400. There are other local and nearby theaters with live performances


· Florida Atlantic University Auditorium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton 33431. 561/367-3808. Concerts are given frequently and are popular with local residents.


· Harid Conservatory, 2285 Potomac Road, Boca Raton 33431. 561/997-2677. The Harid Conservatory was established in 1987 to provide professional training at the highest level to gifted young dancers and musicians. Students come from around the world to study at Harid, which is recognized internationally for the quality of its music and dance programs. With a performance calendar that features nearly 100 events during the academic year, Harid offers South Florida audiences orchestra concerts, student and faculty music recitals and more.


· Boca Raton Historical Society. By the early 1900s Boca Raton was a tiny agricultural community, and many planters specialized in pineapple cultivation, the brainchild of a young Japanese student from New York. Joseph Sakai, with promises of land and the approval of the United States Commissioner of Immigration, traveled to Japan to recruit farmers for his Florida project. They named their community Yamato, an ancient name for Japan. One of those early immigrants from Japan was George Sukeji Morikami, who donated the land , the Town of Boca Raton was created by Florida chapter 10348.

No comments: