Nominees for People’s Choice announced

Starting Monday, South Floridians can vote for one of six small and emerging arts organizations vying for $20,000 as the winner of the 2014 Knight Arts Challenge People’s Choice Award.

To vote, the public can text a nominee’s code to 22333 in the United States or 747-444-3548 toll-free, through 11:59 p.m. Nov. 17. The effort is part of the Knight Arts Challenge, which funds projects that bring South Florida together through the arts.

The nominees are:

▪ FATVillage Arts District: The Fort Lauderdale-based nonprofit provides artists and curators the opportunity to create and exhibit large-scale experimental works and wants to expand programming, have daily hours and become a greater cultural hub. (Text VOTE1 to 22333.)

▪ HICCUP: The Hialeah-based artist collective wants to engage the community through pop-up interventions. (Text VOTE2 to 22333.)

▪ Ife-Ile: The Afro-Cuban dance troupe wants to expand its annual dance festival and produce Entre Cielo y Tierra, a choreography by company director Neri Torres based on the Cuban exodus of the Mariel boatlift and its cultural implications in the U.S. (Text VOTE3 to 22333.)

▪ Key West Art and Historical Society: The arts and cultural group is expanding its educational programming in Monroe County schools and the community. (Text VOTE4 to 22333.)

▪ Swampspace: The alternative exhibition space showcases local artists and musicians in Miami’s Design District and wants to expand its programming to include more ambitious projects. (Text VOTE5 to 22333.)

▪ Mexican American Council: The South Dade-based group wants to preserve Mexican culture by launching a mariachi school for local children. (Text VOTE6 to 22333.)

More information on the projects and videos will be posted at knightarts.org/peopleschoice.

BOOK FESTIVAL

Lisa Bloom, author of Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It, kicks off two fall book fairs: 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the David Posnack Jewish Community Center’s 27th Annual Jewish Book Festival and 7:30 p.m. Monday at the 34th annual Alper JCC Berrin Family Book Festival.

The Alper JCC festival runs through Dec. 10 and includes Soner Cagaptay (The Rise of Turkey: The Twenty-First Century’s First Muslim Power); Gail Sheehy (Daring: My Passages); Ari Shavit (My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel); Allen Salkin (From Scratch: Inside the Food Network); and Joshua Safran (Free Spirit: Growing Up on the Road and Off the Grid). For a full schedule, venues and ticket information, visit www.alperjcc.org.

Salkin and Safran will also appear at the Posnack festival, which runs through Feb. 25. Among the other authors appearing is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind, who will discuss his memoir Life Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism with his wife Cornelia on Saturday. For a full schedule, venues and tickets information, visit www.dpjcc.org.

CARBONELL WINNERS

South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center presents An Evening of Broadway Songs and the Carbonell Winners at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday as part of the center’s Cabaret Series.

Several winners of Carbonell Awards from recent years will perform the Broadway music that garnered them their awards or nominations. The evening will be hosted by Carbonell Award-winning director David Arisco, who has been the artistic director of Actors’ Playhouse for 26 years.

Artists in the production include Caryl Fantel, musical director for the annual Carbonell Award ceremonies at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, who will serve as music director for this production; Margot Moreland, winner of four Carbonells for her acting in Ruthless, Tomfoolery, Heartbeats and Annie; Reggie Whitehead, three-time Carbonell winner in acting in The Full Monty and Smokey Joe’s Café and in choreography for Zombie Prom; Angie Radosh, who won in acting for Exit the King, Stuff and Cabaret; Irene Adjan, three-time winner in acting for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Blood Brothers and Funny Girl; and Jim Ballard, two-time Carbonell winner in acting for Urinetown and The Adding Machine.

Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 day of show and can be purchased by calling 786-573-5300 or online at SMDCAC.org. A portion of the proceeds will support Carbonell scholarships awarded to graduating high school seniors to pursue a degree in theater or journalism. The center is at 10950 SW 211th St., Cutler Bay.

OUTSIDE THE BOX

From 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, the National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts) launches Outside the Box, a new series that will feature free performances by YoungArts alumni.

Outside the Box kicks off with Grammy Award-nominated musician Dave Eggar (1987 winner in Music and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) joined by Michele de la Reza (1987 winner in Dance), Kate Davis (2009 winner in Jazz and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts), Ernest Baker (2009 winner in Dance and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts), Jake Goldbas (2007 winner in Jazz), Andrew Nemr (1997 winner in Dance), Brittanie Brown (2007 winner in Dance and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) and Allysen Hooks (2006 winner in Dance). They will present a family-friendly preview of their upcoming Festival Miami show.

Each event in this series takes place on the YoungArts Plaza, outside the Jewel Box on the organization’s Miami campus, 2100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. RSVP to OTB@youngarts.org.

VISUAL ARTS

▪ Last week, world-renowned artist Julian Schnabel began working on the façade of the Sales and Design Gallery for Brickell Flatiron, a slender glass high-rise slated to soar more than 700 feet above the Brickell skyline. Schnabel’s public work is a large-scale painting set on broken ceramic plates, his signature method. The New York-based artist was also commissioned to design the building’s lobby and public spaces, which will be integrated with his original artwork and furnishings. For more information, visit www.brickellflatiron.com.

▪ Internationally known Miami artist Christy Gast opened her latest solo exhibition at Gallery Diet in Wynwood with works created on a cross-country road trip this summer. Byways is on view at 174 NW 23rd St., Miami, through Nov. 22. For more information, call 305-571-2288 or visit www.gallerydiet.com.

▪ Thursday is becoming Miami’s go-to art night with tours of galleries and al fresco graffiti in Wynwood, special events at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, and now, late-nights at the Wolfsonian-FIU. The South Beach museum, 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, will stay open every Thursday until 9 p.m.; 305-531-1001 or www.wolfsonian.org.

▪ Locust Projects presents its annual fundraiser, “Smash & Grab,” from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at 3852 N. Miami Ave., Miami. The event brings contemporary artists and collectors together to support the organization’s exhibitions and programming. The artwork raffle tickets are sold out, but admission-only tickets ($50) are still available at www.locustprojects.org. Contact 305-576-8570 or info@locustprojects.org for more information.

This story was originally published October 17, 2014 at 8:26 PM with the headline "Nominees for People’s Choice announced."