Free!

Spring 2009
As the local arts agency for Tallahassee and Leon
County, the Council on Culture & Arts works on behalf
of the community to support the area’s diverse range
of cultural events and traditions. Through innovative
partnerships with community and educational groups,
COCA seeks to enrich and improve the lives of citizens
and visitors alike. Our professional staff and board of
directors serve as a community resource to advocate for
and support arts and culture in Florida’s Capital Area.

COCA members include non-profit and commercial

galleries, museums, theaters, music groups, dance
companies, festivals, historic sites, film and video
companies, educational organizations, and individual
artists, as well as businesses and individuals interested
in supporting local cultural activities.

Council on Culture & Arts Staff

Executive Director Peggy Brady
Randi Atwood
Alex Loftus
Andrea Personett
Clint Riley
Amanda Karioth Thompson
Holly Thompson

Council on Culture & Arts Board of Directors
Chair Anne Mackenzie
Vice Chair Ken Winker
Treasurer/ Secretary Kay Stephenson
Past Chair Michael H. Sheridan
Exec. Comm. Margo H. Bindhardt
Member At-Large
Ramon Alexander
Valliere Richard Auzenne
Mickey Brady
Alfredo A. Cruz
Lydia A. McKinley-Floyd
Longineu Parsons
Mark Ravenscraft
Susan Stratton
Mike Vasilinda
Johanna Williams

Ex-officios John Marks, Mayor

Bob Rackleff, County
Commission
Marge Banocy-Payne,
TCC
Valencia E. Matthews,
FAMU
Donna H. McHugh, FSU Tallahassee’s new
Dick Fallon, Cultural
Ambassador Social Dining
Experience
Open for Lunch & Dinner
816 S. ML King Jr. Boulevard
Tallahassee, FL 32301
(850) 224-2500 office
(850) 224-2515 fax
cultural@cocanet.org
www.cocanet.org

Kleman Plaza • www.101mint.com • 850.391.1309

 CONTENTS
Cover story........................................... 6
More Than You Thought by Julie Hauserman
The Pulitzer-Prize-nominated Tallahasseean sings the praises of
her home town.

Feature Story.......................................... 8
Spring Fever by Andrea Personett
Arts events and cultural happenings reach a fever-pitch as
springtime pushes out the winter chill.

MoreThanYouThought.Com............10
Highlights from COCA’s online cultural calendar to help you
find fun stuff to do.

Feature Story........................................12
Groundbreaking Ventures: A Creative Capital
Four construction projects, in various stages of completion, are
helping to add to the cultural future of the city.

Out and About: Places To Go, Things

To Do!
Entertainment. ....................................... 17
Alternative.............................................. 18
Participating........................................... 19
Exploring …............................................ 20
Down the Road........................................ 21
For Kids................................................. 22
Shopping................................................ 24

Capital Culture Interview....................27

by Kati Schardl
The music maven and arts critic points her microphone at the
dynamic duo of architect David and planner Hilda Gilchrist.

Profiles in the Arts..............................29

Stephen J. Fox
A major career move from environmental consultant to
environmental artist has Steve Fox living his lifelong dream.

In Every Issue
Letter from the Publisher. ............................................................... 3
News of Note................................................................................... 4
COCA Notes................................................................................. 26

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 1

 Vol. 4 Spring 2009 Issue 1

Publisher Peggy Brady

Editor Randi Atwood
Creative Directors Nathan & Tony Archer
Lorem Ipsum Design Studio
Creative Assistant Cara Cruce
Lorem Ipsum Design Studio
Editorial Assistant Clint Riley
Advertising Manager Andrea Personett

Capital Culture Magazine is published quarterly by the

Council on Culture & Arts with support from the
Leon County Tourist Development Council. Capital
Culture Magazine is distributed free of charge to visitors
to and residents of Florida’s Big Bend Area.
Reproduction of Capital Culture Magazine in whole or
in part is permitted only with written permission from
the Council on Culture & Arts. Reproduction without
permission is strictly prohibited.
Editorial, art, and photography submissions to Capital
Culture Magazine are considered. Writer’s guidelines
are available at www.cocanet.org. However, the publisher
assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited
manuscripts or art. Capital Culture Magazine reserves the
right to publish any letters to the editor. Although COCA
makeseveryefforttopublishaccurateinformation,wemake
noguaranteeastotheaccuracy,completeness,ortimeliness
of the information in this magazine. All rights reserved.
Capital Culture Magazine is available in large print upon
request. This publication is available in electronic format
at COCA’s website at www.cocanet.org. The opinions
expressed in this magazine are those of the individual
contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the
Council on Culture & Arts, or Capital Culture Magazine’s
sponsors or advertisers.
SubscriptionstoCapital Culture Magazineareavailable
by joining the Council on Culture & Arts. Please visit
www.cocanet.org/about/join.html to download an
application or call (850) 224-2500.

For information about advertising in Capital Culture

MagazineandotherCOCApublicationandWebsites,contact
AndreaPersonettat850-224-2500orandrea@cocanet.org
CONTRIBUTORS
Copyright © 2009 Council on Culture & Arts Julie Hauserman is a longtime Florida writer who lives in
A COCA publication sponsored in part by the City of Tallahassee. She has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize: in
Tallahassee,Leon County,the State of Florida,Division 1991 for her stories about pollution in Florida’s Fenholloway River,
of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council, and the
National Endowment for the Arts. and in 2001 for her stories about arsenic leaking out of pressure-
treated lumber all over America. She won the Scripps Howard
National Journalism Awards’ top environmental prize for her work
on the arsenic stories. Hauserman was a Capitol bureau reporter
for the St. Petersburg Times in Tallahassee for seven years and has been a commentator
for Florida Public Radio’s Capitol Report, National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition-
Sunday, and Minnesota Public Radio’s The Splendid Table. Her essays are featured
in several Florida anthologies, including The Wild Heart of Florida, The Book of the
Everglades, and Between Two Rivers.

2 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine

 FROM THE PUBLISHER

The recent election has left me feeling full of hope, and not necessarily because of all of the Illustration by Lorem Ipsum Design Studio
results. Like everyone, I’m happy with some of those and unhappy with others. It’s because of the
massive participation and involvement, the spirit of community that is felt everywhere.
I recently attended a conference on Civic Tourism in the Blackstone Valley of Rhode Island. In many places, I was struck by the
pride the local residents have in their hometowns. I recognized that pride myself, because it’s what I feel for Tallahassee. We already
have an extraordinary community, and its cultural components are growing and improving all the time. Our museums continue to be
hosts to exhibits of art, science, and nature that visitors return for again and again. Our dance, music, and theatre companies continue
to offer award-winning productions throughout the whole year. New businesses, like the Fermentation Lounge, are opening to comple-
ment the growing activity in the Gaines Street area.
In these tough economic times, it’s easy to let fear stop all forward motion. It seems to make sense to put off big projects, to wait for
“a better time.” But the needs that drive these projects are increasing, not diminishing. These new facilities will bring in revenues, and
the economies of scale they will provide are just what the future requires, now more than ever.
The projects and people you see highlighted in this issue are part of making our future happen. They will be joining existing cultural
components and hand-in-hand will walk into the future prepared for whatever it holds.
Despite the difficult times, the future of arts and culture in our community is bright – don’t let anyone tell you differently.

See you out and about,

Peggy Brady

Kati Schardl is assistant features editor and arts writer for the Tallahassee Democrat. She is a true-blue North Florida
native – born in Panama City and raised in Marianna. She came to the big city of Tallahassee to attend FSU and earned
a social work degree before yielding to the scruffy allure of journalism (long hours! low pay! daily screaming deadline
panic!) and joining the staff of the original Florida Flambeau. Kati was a backup singer for and founding member of
legendary (some might say “infamous”) local band Coldwater Army. Her employment history includes several stints
as a lifeguard, five happy but feet-numbing years in service to the public’s musical needs at Vinyl Fever, and twelve
years working as the office manager and chief research assistant/go-fer for the St. Petersburg Times capital bureau, where the legendary
(some might say “infamous”) Lucy Morgan tried in vain to mold her into an investigative reporter. In 2006, Kati was awarded an
NEA Fellowship that enabled her to spend ten days in Los Angeles seeing plays, critiquing them and having her fellow Fellows rip her
critiques to tiny bits in writing workshops. It was one of the highlights of her career to date. She lives in Midtown West and loves its
eclectic funkitude as well as its proximity to her favorite cultural hotspots. She is a mighty fine cook, if she does say so herself.

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 3

NEWS OF NOTE

The Boys’ Choir of

Tallahassee and Florida
A&M University’s
Marching 100 were
honored to perform as part of
the inauguration festivities for
President Obama in January.
The Marching 100 played in
the inaugural parade, while the
Boys’ Choir was invited to sing
at the Florida Inaugural
Ball, the NAACP
Inaugural Ball, Walter
Reid Army Medical
Center, and several
other places.

4 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine

 NEWS OF NOTE
On November 8, Theatre A La Carte’s production of the musical Nine

won first place in the Florida Community Theatre Festival at the 2008

Florida Theatre Conference, the first time a group from Tallahassee has

won. Theatre A La Carte will now be able to participate in the regional

competition at the Southeast Theatre Conference.

another Great Year
Seven Days of Opening Nights, Florida
State’s annual festival of the fine and
performing arts, went on the road for
its spectacular 2009 season since the
university’s Ruby Diamond Auditorium
is undergoing renovation (see feature
story on page 12. With musical acts
that taken together form a celebration
of American roots music (including The
Blind Boys of Alabama & Mavis Staples,
Shawn Colvin, Dr. John & the Lower
911, and the Neville Brothers), plus a
tragic-comedy meld of Shakespeare and
The Simpsons, flamenco dance, an indie
film, Pulitzer-Prize winning authors, and
more, Seven Days 2009 delivered on its
promise of an eclectic, pulse-pounding
mix of events. One last special guest
is waiting in the wings—on April 16th,
author and commentator David Sedaris at
the University Center Club Ballroom on
the Florida State University campus.
Congratulations
Tallahassee artist Debbie Clark is one
of 200 artists chosen to be part of the
Glory of Horses Mural. This and other
mural projects will be displayed around
the world to help create awareness for
the need for equine retirement care and
to provide assistance for horses after
natural disasters, as well as relief from
inhumane treatment. Michele Beaudin,
also an artist in Tallahassee, was awarded
first prize at the Mexico Beach Wine and
Art Festival late last year for Lost in the
Vortex, a photograph printed on canvas.
Her work was also part of the Gadsden
Art Center’s exhibition in November.
New Ventures
Creative People Consulting, a new
business venture by Tallahassee artists
Melinda Patrick Cowen (aka Gitana de
la Rosa in the dance scene) and Todd
Woodward, teaches software classes for
individuals and small businesses. The duo
also offers classes in arts-related areas to
help web designers, photographers and
graphic designers gain an edge on their
competition.
The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra
has announced that its first CD, with
highlights from the 2007-08 season,
is available for purchase. Call the TSO
offices at 224-0461 for details.
Tallahassee’s own Cheryl
Hines (an alumnus of Young
Actors Theatre) will star in the
new sitcom In the Motherhood
premiering this month. Cheryl has
been a series regular on HBO’s
critically acclaimed Curb Your
Enthusiasm, and was nominated
for a Best Supporting Actress
Emmy®. She starred opposite
Peter Gallagher in the cable
feature A Tale of Two Wives, a
romantic revenge comedy, and
also delivered a hilarious turn
in Along Came Polly, playing
Jennifer Aniston’s snooty boss.

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 5

FEATURE
FEATURE STORY
Tallahassee Ballet
I
n this leafy green place we call home, music wafts
into the fat oak branches. Paint fumes curl out
of studio windows. If you are quiet, you can hear
people singing, and the rhythmic pounding of
dancing feet.
Tallahassee doesn’t have the reputation of being an artsy
town, but it is. Everybody knows this town is chock full
of politicians, lobbyists and bureaucrats. Less evident at
first glance is the other Tallahassee: a place crawling with
musicians, painters, sculptors, dancers, photographers,
choreographers, filmmakers, actors, and writers.
You might go to a coffee shop and find yourself sitting
two tables down from a Pulitzer Prize winner or the woman
who wrote the guest column you read last week in The New
York Times. You might hear someone order at a drive through
window and recognize the voice as one you’ve heard on
National Public Radio.
The man picked in a nationwide search to write the
6 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine
by Julie Hauserman
latest sequel to The Godfather, Mark Winegardner, lives in
Tallahassee. So does the icon of the 1970s funk movement,
George Clinton, founder of Parliament Funkadelic. He
tours all over the world, but he lives and creates here.
You might stop in to see a jazz saxophone player from one
of the universities play for free, and the next summer you’ll
notice he’s touring with the Count Basie Orchestra. Soul
singer Patti LaBelle came here for a concert, asked for a
volunteer to come up and sing on stage, and left with a new
backup singer from Tallahassee.
You might catch the great American jazz pianist, Marcus
Roberts, playing in Tallahassee the night before he plays in
Carnegie Hall. Roberts studied music at Florida State in the
1980s before he joined up with New Orleans jazz master
Wynton Marsalis. Roberts lives here now. He’s teaching at
Florida State.
It is hard to say what draws artists to such an out-of-the
way small city. The universities are the initial magnet. But
 FEATURE STORY
something else keeps artists coming
Theatre A La Carte
back here. Even after they’ve left for
the big cities, they often come back.
We even have a name for it: The
Tallahassee Boomerang.
It is possible to live here and never
witness the arts scene at all. Football
tailgaters and political fundraisers
can more than occupy the average
attention span. Some people only see
Tallahassee as a historical footnote:
the place where America couldn’t pick
its president.
The secret is that good art and
culture is here in force for those willing
to make the effort. It’s still cheap and
there’s always plenty of parking.
I’m thinking about the astounding
diversity of arts here: Ladysmith
Black Mambazo, the South African
band, giving a concert in an old
A&P that’s been converted into The in Tallahassee. Chinese percussionists. hop. Or at the literary readings at 621
Moon nightclub. The Wu-Tang Clan Russian Cossack dancers. Scottish Gallery and the Warehouse. Or at
rap group playing to a standing- Highland games. Whirling Dervishes, recitals at Florida State and FAMU.
room only crowd in a battered- Tibetan Monks, Japanese psychedelic On sweltering summer nights,
looking club by the railroad tracks. rock. African dancers. people pack a metal
A Balinese gamelan concert at FSU. The Halloween Howl warehouse in an old
The Urban Bush Women dancers, an in the cypress swamp. “There is railroad yard to watch
innovative troupe fresh from New Homegrown short the homegrown and
York, who came to settle for a while films. The Tallahassee more to do wickedly bawdy satire
Symphony Orchestra. of the Mickee Faust
Traveling Broadway
shows. Experimental
here than you Club while fanning
themselves with folded-
theatre. Dozens of
recitals by emerging
can possibly up programs.
These are audiences
classical masters. Opera. willing to make the
The sweet sound of
fit into your effort, to ferret out
the Boys’ Choir of the happenings, just
Tallahassee. Hundreds
schedule.” to experience art and
of rocking shows by culture. Maybe it is that
fabulous homegrown goodwill that makes us
bands who stay here because…. want to create here. Or maybe the
because why? summer heat makes us too lazy to go
I think creative people stay in anywhere else.
Tallahassee because it is a friendly In any case, the city’s richer for it. I
arts scene. It’s not competitive. We can guarantee you that there is more
want one another to succeed: You can to do here than you can possibly fit
see it when artists visit one another’s into your schedule. For any city, that’s
African Caribbean Dance Theatre
studios at the First Friday gallery art a good thing.

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 7

FEATURE STORY
A
rts events and cultural happenings reach a fever-
pitch as springtime pushes out the winter chill.
There’s no better time than right now to get out
and enjoy Tallahassee’s wealth of art, tradition
and beauty. . .
March and April let us shake off the winter doldrums with
a group of familiar and well-loved events, as well as fresh,
exciting offerings. Those who live here anxiously await their
favorites and look forward to the new. For our visitors, of
course, it’s all a thrill!
OPEN MARKET
For fourteen years, white canopies have graced the walkways
of downtown Tallahassee’s Ponce de Leon Park each Saturday
from March through November. There, at the Downtown
Marketplace, celebrated local artists—from musicians to
authors and poets, from photographers to craftsmen of all
kinds—exhibit and sell their diverse and original creations.
8 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine
by Andrea Personett
Local growers also share their works of art, including
homegrown produce, organic items, fresh bread and other
baked goods, and exquisite cut flowers.
Open each Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm, the Downtown
Marketplace is different each and every one of its 40 weeks,
sometimes playing host to special art shows, sometimes featuring
hands-on activities for the children, and sometimes providing
sneak previews of upcoming cultural events.
CHAIN, CHAIN, CHAIN
Join artists and art patrons alike on April 18th-19th for the 9th
Annual Chain of Parks Art Festival, presented by LeMoyne
Center for the Visual Arts. Situated in two of downtown
Tallahassee’s loveliest parks, just three blocks from the state
capital, the exclusive Chain of Parks Art Festival is one of North
Florida’s premier cultural events.
The art festival provides a venue for artists from across
the country to showcase their work, and gives individuals the
opportunity to purchase unique, quality artwork. Perfect for avid
 FEATURE STORY
art lovers or for people who just want to
spend an enjoyable day in the springtime
sunshine, this festival, which benefits
LeMoyne’s education programs, has
become an integral part of the community.

I’VE GOT YOU UNDER

MY SKIN
The Mary Brogan Museum of Art
and Science in Kleman Plaza presents
OUR BODY: the Universe Within,
an exhilarating, once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to encounter firsthand the
complexity of the human body.  Visitors
may spend hours contemplating what
only doctors and scientists are usually
allowed to see.  The breathtaking exhibit
literally goes “under the skin” to reveal
the mysteries of the human anatomy
through a riveting presentation of actual
human specimens.
The exhibit features nine bodies and
over 70 anatomical displays preserved
to expose the inner workings of human
anatomy.  Open through May 25, 2009,
visitors are introduced to the body as
a whole, then taken through each of
the body’s major systems to learn their
functions and understand how each system
relates to the others.  The exhibit reveals the
beauty of the human body in a thrilling new
way that keeps viewers of all ages engaged.

ARTISTS CAN COLOR

THE SKY RED…
….because they know it’s
blue. Those of us who aren’t
artists must color things the
way they really are or people
might think we’re stupid.
– Jules Feiffer,
US cartoonist & satirist
Don’t miss the Council on Culture &
Arts’ own contribution to Tallahassee’s
spring fever. Creative Tallahassee is an
annual juried fine art exhibition showcasing
the talented artists of the Big Bend area,
featuring both novice and professional
artists from the Big Bend area.
“I love Creative Tallahassee
because the artists often use this show
to debut something different they’ve
been working on—a new style or a new
medium,” says Clint Riley, COCA’s Art
in Public Places Director.
The exhibit opens with a public
reception and awards ceremony at City Hall
Gallery on Friday evening, March 27th at
6:30pm. The exhibition will run through
May 7th, Mondays through Fridays from
8am to 5:30pm.
Now when there’s a spring in your step and
a whistle on your lips, take time and savor all
that Tallahassee has to offer!

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 9

ARTS CALENDAR
COCA’s MoreThanYouThought.com is a free, on-line interactive community events calendar. Everyone is invited to post their events
(art-related and otherwise) to the calendar for no charge. Here is a small sampling of the events posted for Spring 2009...
(Note: All events are subject to change without notice. Check www.MoreThanYouThought.com, or contact the individual organizations listed for updated information.)
ART & EXHIBITS
In March, the 621 Gallery reveals
the narrative elements of pop-art,
deconstruction, and contemporary
invention with Spit it Out! In April, the
gallery presents Metamorphosis, an
exhibition revealing the metaphorical
context of images and objects through
psychological reactions and association.
And in May, 621 presents It Came From
Left Field, an exhibition exploring the
use of the absurd and American existence
through the lens of comic culture.
For information about any of these
exhibitions, call 224-6163.
The paintings of Will Luck, a nationally
acclaimed, award-winning visual artist
known for his sometimes-whimsical,
sometimes-sweet, and occasionally edgy
images, are on display at the Artport
Gallery at the Tallahassee Regional
Airport from March 15 through May 4,
as part of the City of Tallahassee’s Arts
in Public Places Program. Call COCA at
224-2500 for more information.
THEATRE & FILM
FAMU Essential Theatre presents Blue,
a comedy with music, centering on how a
domineering and miserable matriarch, for
10 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine
whom materialism and her youngest son Take the entire family to travel down
are the sole bright spots in her sad life, the Yellow Brick Road and beyond
is caught up in a family secret exposed. with Dorothy, Toto, and friends in this
At the Charles Winter Wood Theatre on lavish production of The Wizard of Oz,
the FAMU campus, March 25 to 29. Call featuring breathtaking special effects,
561-2425 for tickets. Recommended for dazzling choreography and classic
children ages 13 and up. songs. Presented on April 27 as part
Dominique Lemieux © 2007 Cirque du Soleil Inc.
Take a tale of dancing sailors, mistaken of the 2008-09 Broadway Series at the
identities, mismatched lovers and general Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center.
mayhem, and add a score filled with Cole Call 222-0400 for tickets or order online
Porter’s most beautiful and hummable at www.ticketmaster.com.
songs, and the result is a hilarious piece
of Americana. Don’t miss Theatre TCC’s Cirque Du Soleil
production of Anything Goes, at the – Saltimbanco
Turner Auditorium on the TCC campus explores the urban
April 2-4 and 9-11. For tickets call 644- experience in all
its myriad forms: the
6500 or order online at theatre.fsu.edu.
people who live there,
The New Horizons: Original Works their idiosyncrasies
Festival is back for a third year. and likenesses,
families and groups, the
Experience six original plays written
hustle and bustle of the
by the School of Theatre at FSU’s street and the towering
MFA professional writing students and heights of skyscrapers.
directed by MFA directing students Between whirlwind and
and faculty. The Festival includes the lull, prowess and poetry,
opportunity for the audience to become Saltimbanco takes spectators
on an allegorical and
part of the creative process. The legends acrobatic journey into the
of tomorrow start at the Lab Theatre on heart of the city. May 13-17
the FSU campus April 2-5 and 8-12. For at the Tallahassee-Leon
tickets call 644-6500 or order online County Civic Center.
at theatre.fsu.edu. May contain adult Call 222-0400 for tickets or
order online at
content and language.
www.ticketmaster.com.
 ARTS CALENDAR
DANCE
In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, the
FSU Irish Fiddlers and the Tallahassee
Irish Step Dancers will perform at
Tallahassee Community College in the
Student Union Ballroom. Join the fun
with traditional Irish music of reels, jugs
and songs that move the feet and stir
the soul. On March 17 at 12 noon. For
further information, call 201-9604.
The FSU Department of Dance presents
MFA Dance Concert, featuring Kimberly
Holt and Jana Tripp on March 27 and
28, at the Nancy Smith Fichter Dance
Theatre on the FSU campus. Call 644-
6500 for tickets, or go to www.tickets.
fsu.edu to order online.
Dance for Spring: Tallahassee Ballet
Rocks! is a new work blending ballet
technique with rock music, reflecting Jazz at the Gray is back! The April 15 concert on the plaza at the Museum of Florida
a unique cultural element and style -
History features the All Star Faculty Jazz Ensemble from the University of North Florida,
dynamic and energetic dance infused
with a shot of adrenaline. Presented by and Tiempo Libre, based in Miami. The audience may purchase food catered by a local
the Tallahassee Ballet at the Nancy
Smith Fichter Dance Theatre on the FSU restaurant and drinks at a cash bar. Early ticket purchase is recommended; call 245-6396
Campus, April 30 to May 3. For tickets or go to www.museumoffloridahistory.com. Photo Credit: Trudy Hamilton
call 644-6500 or order online at theatre.
fsu.edu.
blues on the outdoor stage, from of Beethoven, featuring his singular
Dixieland and acoustic jazz to Delta violin concerto performed by Augustin
MUSIC Blues and Zydeco at the Tallahassee Jazz Hadelich, young winner of the prestigious
and Blues Festival. This is a rare chance International Violin Competition of
FSU Opera presents A Midsummer
for families to enjoy this great music Indianapolis. Don’t miss an explosive
Night’s Dream, with music by Benjamin
together, in the fresh air, under the trees ending to an excellent season on April 25
Britten and set to a libretto adapted by the
of the sun-dappled Tallahassee Museum. at the Bradfordville First Baptist Church.
composer and Peter Pears from William
For information, call 576-1636 x144. For tickets, call 224-0461.
Shakespeare’s play. Shows are March 26
through 29 at Opperman Music Hall on On April 19 at Bradfordville First
the FSU campus. For ticket information, Baptist Church, join the Tallahassee
call 645-7949 or visit www.music.fsu. Community Chorus as it concludes its FESTIVALS
edu/tickets. 21st season with Franz Joseph Haydn’s
The Creation. This beautiful piece is The Seventh Annual Florida Wine
On April 2 and 3, hear the University Festival celebration of fine wine, fine
written for full orchestra and chorus
Symphony, conducted by Alexander food, and friends will take place on March
as well as three soloists and will be
Jiménez, perform pieces by Zwilich, 20 and 21 on Kleman Plaza and inside
performed in English. For tickets call
at Opperman Music Hall on the FSU the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and
644-6500 or order online at theatre.fsu.
campus. Presented by the FSU College of Science. This year’s festival celebrates
edu, or from Beethoven & Company at
Music. For ticket information, call 645- the Brogan Museum’s 10th Anniversary.
894-8700.
7949 or visit www.music.fsu.edu/tickets. For more information call 513-0700.
The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra
On April 4 and 5, The Tallahassee
presents its final concert of the season,
Museum serves up hot jazz and cool
Majesty and Triumph, a double dose

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 11

FEATURE STORY

Under the Oaks
It is hard to imagine a more beautiful setting for an event or
meeting in Tallahassee, daytime or evening, than the Goodwood
Museum and Gardens. Sheltered by hundred-year-old oak trees,
this estate was assembled in the 1830s, became a cotton and
corn plantation, and is one of the finest antebellum plantation
houses ever built in the southeast. In 1972, it became one of
the first properties in Florida listed on the National Register of
Historic Places.
or meeting. But leave your horse at home! Yes, the earliest
carriage house was intended for buggies and hunting wagons,
with stable wings for the horses, but with the advent of the
“horseless carriage,” the main carriage house building became
a garage. Staff was also housed there, and by the mid-1920s it
had two bathrooms, a shower, and a bathtub. Hurricane Kate
demolished the building in 1985, but some of the original
materials and fixtures were saved.
A charming mix of old and new, the Carriage House features
4,200 square feet of meeting space plus an additional 6,000

Start your visit at what is the heart of all homes, the Old
Kitchen, where you will find the Visitors’ Center. The Main
House now functions as a museum with plenty of rooms to roam.
The Jubilee Cottage (once a party hall), the Old Kitchen, and the
Laundry Cottage are all now meeting spaces open to the public.
In addition the Rough House, which used to be the pool cabana,
is now a restaurant.
The latest restoration, the Carriage House, is now one
of the most unusual settings you will ever find for an event

12 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine

 FEATURE STORY
square feet of exterior bricked terrace complete with the original
salvaged brick pavers. There are now modern conveniences
like restrooms, a warming kitchen, a bridal suite for weddings,
and facilities for the latest in audio/visual systems and wireless
Internet, all cleverly incorporated into the original design.
Combined with the ambiance of Goodwood’s historic setting and
heirloom gardens, the new space is proving extremely popular,
with bookings coming in from all over the world. Whether
you visit as a participant of a conference, book your wedding
or anniversary, or just stroll through the grounds as a visitor,
Goodwood will welcome you with that famous southern charm.

Music in the Air

FSU has a pretty famous football program, but it also has one
of the finest colleges of music in the nation. That college is
celebrating its 100th anniversary. In order to provide the best
opportunities for audiences to appreciate the musicians and for
the musicians to have the best facilities to perform in, the largest
performance hall on the FSU Campus is undergoing a makeover.
What is now actually an auditorium was named after a 1905
graduate of Florida State College and a longtime benefactor of
the university, “Miss Ruby” Diamond. Soon it will live up to
her name and be a sparkling addition to FSU’s performing arts
facilities.
“The extensive renovation planned for Ruby Diamond will
dramatically enhance both sound and sight lines, resulting in the
transformation of a typical 1950s auditorium into a first-class,
large performance venue,” says Don Gibson, dean of the College
of Music. “Both performers and audience members will enjoy a
dramatically enhanced experience, and our students will, for the
first time, have a concert and opera facility capable of supporting
their best performances.”
The Auditorium is intended to re-open in 2010 as a finely
tuned Concert Hall. In the meantime, most of the College of
Music’s events are being held at its other venues: Opperman
Music Hall, Dohnanyi Recital Hall, and Lindsay Recital
Hall. The Ruby Diamond lobby renovation will incorporate
some existing offices to create a generous open space, plus
new rooms for pre-function events, and places for people
to sit comfortably. In all, the expanded lobby will be able to
accommodate as many as 700 people. The John S and James L.
Knight Foundation have made a generous contribution to this Images courtesy of Gilchrist Ross Crowe Architects PA
end, so the next time you enter the new Ruby Diamond you will
enter through the beautiful Knight Lobby.
(continued on page 14)

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 13

FEATURE STORY

theatre. It will also be available to rent for meetings, banquets,

An Artspace project Dance Place, which will be similar
to the Arts Exchange is currently under construction in
Washington, D.C.
So that’s how they do that!
Harmonies fine tuned, dances choreographed, actors creating
characters, musicians composing new masterpieces—all as
you watch. Home to internationally traveled Boys’ Choir
of Tallahassee and 30-year-old Tallahassee Ballet, the Arts
Exchange will be filled on a daily basis with the more than 20
active performing arts groups who will be creating their next play
or concert in the multiple rehearsal spaces on site. Musicians
and other events. The large rehearsal and meeting spaces along
with the black box theatre can provide a one-site unique location
for small to mid-size conferences and conventions.
The Arts Exchange is in the heart of the Gaines Street
District, equidistant from the campuses of FSU and FAMU,
as well as Tallahassee’s downtown area and Capitol Complex.
Gaines Street is the entrance to the city for visitors coming
from the Tallahassee Regional Airport, particularly for those
traveling to the Capitol Complex. For those who want to have
a more permanent connection to the Arts Exchange, another
component of this project is to provide housing that’s affordable
– space to both live and work - for qualifying artists and creative
professionals. You might even meet some of the visiting actors,
dancers, singers and writers who are special guest artists for
universities and local arts groups, staying in the guest quarters of
the housing development.
The Arts Exchange is entering the architectural design phase
and ground breaking is planned for sometime in late 2010.
Leading the project are the Council on Culture and Arts (COCA)
and Artspace Projects, Inc. of Minneapolis, MN, the nation’s
leading non-profit arts developer.
For more information or to make a donation
to the Arts Exchange, please visit www.the-
arts-exchange.com.

will come and go and maybe even stop a while to play for the
gathering crowds. Actors, waiting for their scenes to be run in
rehearsal, might provide some improvisation for the crowd as
they wait. Not only will visitors be surrounded by performing
artists but restaurants, shops, galleries, music clubs, a
coffeehouse, and a wine bar are all part of the vision for the retail
component of the Arts Exchange project.
The Arts Exchange will be that place you always look for when
are visiting a city. Here you will want to spend hours shopping
for one-of-a-kinds, dining in unique settings, having a cup of
coffee while an author reads from his or her latest book, or just
enjoying the artful atmosphere. Right next door, visitors can
head for more art into the Railroad Square Art Park where they’ll
see visual artists at work in their studios and galleries, offering
more one-of-a-kind pieces of artwork to take home. Back at the
Arts Exchange, a black box theatre space is abuzz, hosting small
performances of all kinds from comedy to musical to dinner

14 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine

 FEATURE STORY

Curtain Rising
The Florida Center or Performing Arts
and Education is a long-time dream
of many Tallahasseeans. Where the
Arts Exchange will give performing
artists a place to create their work, the
performing arts center will provide
the larger format performance spaces,
perfect for the symphony, opera, and
ballet, as well as Broadway and other
traveling shows, rock concerts, comedy,
and just about everything in between.
Right now, Tallahassee’s university
partners have been providing the spaces
for these kinds of events, along with the
Civic Center. Even with the addition
of the new concert hall at FSU, the
universities are programming their
spaces to meet their growing needs for
student performances, and will no longer
provide for the kinds of events presented
in a performing arts center.
The center will be located at
the corner of Gaines and Bronough
Streets, near the gateway to the Gaines
Street District. Just recently the
Florida Center held a “Demolition
Celebration” as the Johns Building
began to be torn down as the first step
in preparation of the site. Looking to
the future, the work must start now.
Over a thousand residents have signed
up to make that happen, so that in the
future visitors will be entertained by
the best of the best, adding to their
impression of our capital culture.
The staff and board of the Florida Center were joined by Tallahassee Mayor John
Marks, City Commissioner Debbie Lightsey, County Commissioners John Dailey,
For further updates and Ed DePuy, and Bryan Desloge, and Florida Representative Curtis Richardson.
information about joining, These attendees made ceremonial “thumps” with golden hammers before heavy
visit www.theflcenter.org. equipment began to tear down the buildings.

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 15

 Advertisement

VisitTallahassee.com
GET OUT AND SEE!
Spring is in the air, and many residents in our community are starting to make their week-
end pilgrimages to nearby beaches and theme parks. Before you pack up the towels and
sand buckets, you might want to consider a weekend getaway a little closer to home. Did
you know that the Tallahassee area is home to 63 recreational parks and over 306 miles of
hiking/biking and walking trails?

Quickly becoming known as one of Florida’s most eco-friendly cities, Tallahassee has
much to offer visitors and residents alike. You could easily fill the spring and summer week-
ends with great outdoor activities for any age and interest.

Suggestions...
1. Stroll through the magnolias and
azaleas at Maclay Gardens or Good-
wood Museum.
2. Spend the afternoon at the Tallahas-
see Museum watching the bears, panthers and alligators.

3. Enjoy a romantic picnic and kite flying at Tall Timbers Research Station.

4. Take a leisurely drive along the Big Bend Scenic Byway, which winds its way
along two-lane roads through rural communities and open countryside.

5. Plan an afternoon at Mission San Luis - Tallahassee’s best kept secret! You’ll
love the costumed interpreters and the historic buildings.
6. Spend an entire day at Wakulla Springs - swim, walk along the nature trails,
take the scenic river boat tour and have lunch in the lodge.
7. Explore downtown Tallahassee by walking to the various museums, memori-
als and historic sites. Make sure you take a lunch break outside at Andrew's.

8. Take up geocaching. If you don’t know what it is, check it out online at
VisitTallahassee.com.

9. Go kayaking down the St. Marks River. To make it more interesting, call The
Wilderness Way for a guided trip.

10. Try bird watching at the Ochlockonee River State Park - biologists have
marked trees where the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers live.

11. Take a hike along the Florida Trail that runs through the Apalachicola
National Forest down through the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.
12. Grab a rod and reel and take the kids fishing on Lake Talquin. When you’re
finished, stop by the Whippoorwhill for dinner.

For more information call or stop by the Tallahassee Visitors Center

Located at 106 E. Jefferson Street, Downtown
850.606.2305 or 800.628.2866
 ENTERTAINMENT
FSU Department of Dance

From classical to contemporary,

from downtown to midtown, on
campus or off, these concerts,
plays, musical theatre, film, and
dance events will entertain,
amuse, and inspire you. There’s
something new to do almost
every day of the year. Stick
with the arts, and you’ll never
be bored.

MUSIC Tallahassee Symphony Youth Mahogany Dance Theatre

The Artist Series Orchestras (TSYO) Florida A&M University, 561-2318,
224-9934, www.theartistseries.com 224-9232, www.tallahasseesymphony.org mahoganydancetheatre@hotmail.com
FAMU Music Department Voces Angelorum Orchesis Contemporary Dance Theatre
Florida A&M University, 599-3334 942-6075, www.vocestally.org Florida A&M University, 599-8678
Florida State Opera The Tallahassee Ballet
224-6917, box office 644-6500, www.tallaballet.com
FSU College of Music, 644-5248, box office
644-6500, www.music.fsu.edu/opera.htm
DANCE World Ballet Academy
African Music and Dance
FSU College of Music 508-2127, www.africanmusicanddance.org
228-2064, www.worldballetinc.com
Florida State University, 24-hour concert line
644-4774, box office 645-7949, www.music.fsu.edu
Arabian Flair
Tallahassee Bach Parley 445-7462, www.arabianflair.com THEATRE & FILM
www.tallahasseebachparley.org Essence Dance Theatre Capital City Shakespeare
Florida A&M University, 412-7525, 386-6476, ccshakespeare@aol.com
Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center
505 West Pensacola Street, 487-1691, box office essencedance@aol.com The Comedy Zone
222-0400, www.tlccc.org FSU Department of Dance 401 E. Tennessee, St. 575-4242,
644-1023, dance.fsu.edu www.comedyzonetally.com
The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra
season tickets 224-0461, individual concert tickets Kollage Dance Troupe Dysfunction Junction Improv Troupe
644-6500, www.tallahasseesymphony.org Florida State University, 645-1385, kdtfl.tripod.com www.dj-improv.com

(continued on page 18)

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 17

ENTERTAINMENT, cont.

Alternative
Tired of the tried & true? Expand your horizons with independent music, experimental
theatre, avant-garde art, or offbeat poetry readings. Expect to be surprised and delighted
when you venture off the beaten path to the world of the alternative.

Denotes First Friday participant (see page 17 or back cover for more information)
Tallahassee Little Theatre

FAMU Essential Theatre 621 Gallery FSU Oglesby Gallery

Florida A&M University, Charles Winter Wood 621 Industrial Drive, 224-6163, www.621gallery. com. FSU Oglesby Student Union, 644-3898,
Theatre, 599-3430, box office 561-2846, Hours: W-F 11 am-2 pm, Sa-Su 12-4 pm www.union.fsu.edu/artcenter. Hours: M-F 8 am-10 pm,
www.essentialtheatre.us Anhinga Press Poetry Readings Sa-Su 12-10 pm
FSU Film School 442-1408, www.anhinga.org Maggie Allesee National Center for
Florida State University, 644-7728, filmschool.fsu.edu American Legion Hall Choreography (MANCC)
FSU Student Life Cinema 229 Lake Ella Drive, recorded event information 645-2449, www.mancc.org
Student Life Building, FSU Campus, 113 S. 222-3382 Mickee Faust Club
Wildwood Drive, 644-4455, movies.fsu.edu Apalachee Blues Society 623 McDonnell Drive, 224-3089, www.mickeefaust.com
IMAX Theatre at the Challenger Learning 222-1181, www.apalacheebluessociety.com The Moon
Center Atlantis Club & Grill 1105 E. Lafayette St., 878-6900, www.moonevents.com.
200 S. Duval Street, 645-STAR, www.challengertlh.com 2712 Mahan Drive, 224-9711 Box office hours: Tu-F 12-6 pm
The Laughing Stock Back Talk Poetry Troupe Railroad Square Art Park
Florida’s Musically Correct Political Cabaret, 459-7399, www.blackonblackrhyme.com 567 Industrial Drive, 224-1308,
841-4063, jestkdn@aol.com Bannerman’s www.railroadsquare.com
The School of Theatre at Florida State 6800 Thomasville Road, 668-8800. Hours: M-Th Tallahassee Little Theatre Coffeehouse Series
Florida State University, Fine Arts Building, 11am-midnight, F-Sa 11 am- 2am, Su 12 noon-7 pm 1861 Thomasville Road, offices 224-4597, box office
644-6500, theatre.fsu.edu Bradfordville Blues Club 224-8474, www.tallahasseelittletheatre.org
Tallahassee Film Society 7152 Moses Lane, 906-0766, The Warehouse
386-4404, www.tallahasseefilms.com www.bradfordvilleblues.com 706 W. Gaines Street, 222-6188
Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center Cafe Cabernet Waterworks
505 West Pensacola Street, 487-1691, box office 1019 N. Monroe St., 224-6158, 1133 Thomasville Road, 224-1887. Hours: M-F
222-0400, www.tlccc.org. www.cafecabernet.com. Hours: M-Sa 5 pm-2 am 5 pm-2 am, Sa 8 pm-2 am, Su 9 pm-2 am
Tallahassee Little Theatre Club Downunder
1861 Thomasville Road, 224-4597, box office Oglesby Union, Florida State University, 644-6673,
224-8474, www.tallahasseelittletheatre.org www.cdu.unionproductions.org
Theatre A La Carte The Engine Room (formerly The Beta Bar)
385-6700, www.theatrealacarte.org 809 Railroad Avenue, 222-8090, Mickee Faust Club
www.engineroomsounds.com. Hours: M-Su 5 pm- 2 am.
Theatre TCC!
Tallahassee Community College, 444 Appleyard Fermentation Lounge
Drive, 201-8608, box office 644-6500, 113 All Saints Rd., 727-4033,
theatre.tcc.fl.edu www.thefermentationlounge.com. Hours: Tu-Th 5 pm –
12 am, F 5 pm – 2 am, Sa 4 pm – 2 am, Su 4–11 pm
Young Actors Theatre
609 Glenview Drive, 386-6602, Floyd’s Music Store
www.youngactorstheatre.com 666-1 West Tennessee St., 222-3506,
www.floydsmusicstore.com
FSU Big Bend Contemporary Gallery
629 Industrial Drive in Railroad Square,
www.bigbendcontemporary.com. Hours: F 6–9 pm,
Sa-Su 12 – 4 pm

Unless otherwise indicated, all area codes are 850. For other performing group, see page 19. This may not be a complete listing of
all organizations. To see if your organization is eligible to be listed, please contact magazine@cocanet.org.

18 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine

 PARTICIPATE

Write, Create, & Perform

While in Tallahassee, discover the artist or performer in yourself. Learn to paint, sculpt, bead, carve, or quilt. Tango the night away –
bring your own partner, or meet someone new. Want to make music? Here’s your chance to play in the string section or sing with the
tenors. You’d rather work backstage or write the script? There’s something for you in here, too.

CREATE ART In Step Studio Tallahassee Winds

Brush and Palette Studio
893-1960, www.brushandpalettestudiocom
FSU Museum Artists’ League
644-1299, www.billhumphries.com/
artistsleaguehome.html
Capital City Carvers
562-8460, carvers.mytalweb.com
Florida Society of Goldsmiths, NW Chapter
984-9938, www.fsgnw.com
Lafayette Park Arts & Crafts Center
891-3945, www.talgov.com/parks/commcenter/
lfartscrafts.cfm
LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts
222-7622, www.lemoyne.org
Oglesby Union Art Center
644-4737, union.fsu.edu/artcenter
Quilters Unlimited
www.quilttallahassee.com
Ribits Enchanted Cottage
671-5859, www.ribitsenchantedcottage.com
Swamp Buddha Sumi-E
386-5041, aekoz@yahoo.com
Tallahassee Polymer Clay Art Guild
656-2887, www.polymerclayart.org
Tallahassee Senior Center for the Arts
891-4006, www.talgov.com
Tallahassee Watercolor Society
385-9517, www.tallahasseewatercolorsociety.com
Talleon Independent Artists
386-7176, www.tfn.net/Talleon
DANCE
African Caribbean Dance Theatre
539-4087, www.fadf.org
Arabian Flair, 445-7462
www.arabianflair.com
Argentine Tango Society of Tallahassee
222-2211, www.tangotallahassee.com
FSU Ballroom Dance Club
Florida State University, www.fsuballroomdance.com
421-5151, www.instepstudio.com
Killearn Performing Arts
443-7512 or 894-9364, www.killearnpa.com
Mountain Dew Cloggers
386-1263, www.clogforfun.com
Prophecy School of the Arts
222-8085, www.prophecyarts.net
The Tallahassee Ballet
224-6917, www.tallaballet.com
Tallahassee Community Friends of Old
Time Dance
421-1559, www.tallydancer.com
Tallahassee Irish Step Dancers
443-7512, www.killearnpa.com
Tallahassee Zydeco & Cajun Association
212-0431, zydeco-jan@comcast.net
Tribal Wallah Dance Troupe
459-0371, www.tribalwallah.net
USA Dance
562-1224, homepage.mac.com/mweininger/
tallusabda
Wildwood Ballet
891-1400, www.wildwoodpca.org
World Ballet Academy
228-2064, www.worldballetinc.com
MAKE MUSIC
Barbershop Harmony Society
562-3104, www.capitalchordsmen.org
Big Bend Community Orchestra
224-9934, www.bbcorch.org
Tallahassee Chapter, Nashville
Songwriters Association
509-3002, www.nashvillesongwriters.com
Tallahassee Civic Chorale
878-2711, www.civicchorale.org
Tallahassee Community Chorus
668-5394, www.tcchorus.org
Tallahassee Pipe Band
576-0708, www.saintandrewtallahassee.org
668-7109, tallahasseewinds.org
TCC Jazz Band
567-6336 or 201-8360
Tocamos, Railroad Square Art Park
562-3639, www.tocamos.com
Voces Angelorum
942-6075, www.vocestally.org
ACT UP
Curious Echo Radio Theater
228-2473, www.curiousecho.org
FSU Film School
644-7728, filmschool.fsu.edu
Mickee Faust Club
224-3089, www.mickeefaust.com
Quincy Music Theatre
Quincy, 875-9444, www.qmtonline.com
Tallahassee Irish Society
www.irishtallahassee.org
Tallahassee Little Theatre
www.tallahasseelittletheatre.org, 224-4597
Theatre A La Carte
385-6700, www.theatrealacarte.org
WRITE
Apalachee Press
942-5041, www.apalacheereview.org
Back Talk Poetry Troupe
459-7399, www.blackonblackrhyme.com
LeRoy Collins Public Library
606-2665, www.leoncountylibrary.org
Society of Children’s Book Writers &
Illustrators
656-3410, streetpmr@nettally.com
Tallahassee Contemporary Poets Society
1-888-248-3495, www.myspace.com/
tcpoetssociety
Tallahassee Writers’ Association
671-3731, www.twaonline.org

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 19

EXPLORE
Don’t just sit on the couch
watching reruns! Get up, get
out, and explore Tallahassee’s
incredible variety of art
galleries, museums, historic
sites, and more. You never
know what you’ll discover
– all you have to do is look.
Denotes First Friday participant
(see page 17 or back cover for more information)
621 Gallery
621 Industrial Drive, 224-6163, www.621gallery.com.
Hours: W-F 11 am-2 pm, Sa-Su 12-4 pm
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
3540 Thomasville Road, 487-4115, Ranger Station
487-4556, www.floridastateparks.org. Hours: Daily
8 am-sunset
Ars Magna @ the NHMFL, National High
Magnetic Field Laboratory at FSU
1800 E. Paul Dirac Drive, Innovation Park, 644-1933,
www.magnet.fsu.edu. Hours: M-F 9 am-5 pm
Art Galleries at Tallahassee
Community College
444 Appleyard Drive, 201-8713. Hours: M-F, 12 noon-4 pm
ArtPort Gallery
Tallahassee Regional Airport, 224-2500,
www.cocanet.org. Hours: Daily 8 am-11:30 pm
The Black Archives Capitol Complex at
the Historic Union Bank
219 Apalachee Pkwy., 561-2603,
www.taltrust.org/blkarchv.htm. Hours: M-F 9 am-4 pm
20 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine
Capitol Complex Galleries
245-6480, www.florida-arts.org
Character & Heritage Institute
450 St. Francis St., 224-0372,
www.TheCHinstitute.org. Hours: M – F 9 am–5 pm
City Hall Art Gallery
City Hall, 300 South Adams Street, 224-2500,
www.cocanet.org. Hours: M-F 8 am-5:30 pm
Downtown Marketplace
Ponce de Leon Park, Monroe Street at Park Avenue,
224-3252, www.tallahasseedowntown.com. Hours:
Sa 8 am – 2 pm, March-November
The Florida Historic Capitol and
Legislative Research Center
400 South Monroe Street, www.flhistoriccapitol.gov,
487-1902. Hours: M-F 9 am-4:30 pm, Sa 10 am-
4:30 pm, Su 12-4:30 pm
Foster Tanner Fine Arts Gallery
Florida A&M University, Foster Tanner Fine Arts
Building, 599-3161. Hours: M-F 10 am- noon, 1-4 pm
Goodwood Museum & Gardens
FSU International Center Art Gallery
107 South Wildwood Drive, FSU Campus,
645-4793, www.internationalcenter.fsu.edu. Hours:
M-F 8 am-5 pm
FSU Museum of Fine Arts
Florida State University, Fine Arts Building, 644-1254,
www.mofa.fsu.edu. Hours: M-F 9 am-4 pm, Sa-Su
1-4 pm, closed weekends during the summer
Goodwood Museum & Gardens
1600 Miccosukee Road, 877-4202,
www.goodwoodmuseum.org. Hours: Main House Tours
M-F 10 am-4 pm, Sa 10 am-2 pm; Garden M-F 9 am-
5 pm, Sa 10 am- 2 pm
John G. Riley Center / Museum of African
American History and Culture
419 E. Jefferson Street, 681-7881,
www.rileymuseum.org. Hours: M- F 10 am-4 pm
The Kirk Collection of Antique Radios
The Public Broadcast Center, 1600 Red Barber Plaza,
www.wfsu.org. Hours: M-F 9 am-5 pm

Knott House Museum
301 East Park Avenue, 922-2459, www.
museumoffloridahistory.com. Hours: W-F 1-4 pm,
Sa 10 am-4 pm; closed August
Lake Ella Art Gallery
1621 North Monroe St., 521-0091. Hours: Tu – Sa
11 am– 6 pm, Su 12–4 pm
LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts
125 N. Gadsden St., 222-8800, www.lemoyne.org.
Hours: Tu-Sa 10 am-5 pm
The Mary Brogan Museum of Art & Science
350 South Duval Street, 513-0700, www.thebrogan.org.
Hours: M-Sa 10 am-5 pm, Su 1-5 pm
Mildred and Claude Pepper Museum &
Library
636 W. Call Street, FSU Campus, 644-9311,
www.claudepepper.org/museum. Hours: M-F
9 am-5 pm
Mission San Luis
2021 W. Mission Road, 487-3711,
www.missionsanluis.org. Hours: T-Su 10 am-4 pm
Museum of Florida History
R.A. Gray Building, 500 S. Bronough Street,
245-6400, www. museumoffloridahistory.com.
Hours: M-F 9 am-4:30 pm, Sa 10 am-4:30 pm, Su
and holidays 12-4:30 pm.; extended hours the 3rd
Thursday of each month
Old Armory Gallery
Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N. Monroe St.,
891-4000, www.talgov.com. Hours: M - F 9 am – 9 pm
Tallahassee Automobile Museum
6800 Mahan Drive, 942-0137, www.tacm.com.
Hours: M-F 8 am-5 pm, Sa 10 am-5 pm,
Su noon-5 pm
Tallahassee Museum
3945 Museum Drive, 575-8684, 24-hour info line
576-1636, www.tallahasseemuseum.org. Hours:
M-Sa 9 am-5 pm, Su 12:30
Tallahassee Trust for Historic
Preservation
423 E. Virginia Street, 488-7100, www.taltrust.org.
Hours: M-F 9 am-4 pm
Tours in Tallahassee
561-0317 or 212-2063,
www.toursintallahassee.com
DOWN THE ROAD
Think you’ve seen and done it all in Tallahassee? Well, there’s another world
waiting just a few miles in every direction. Check out the arts in Quincy, Havana,
Monticello, Apalachicola, Bainbridge, and all the rest, right down the road.
Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts
527 N. Patterson Street, Valdosta, GA,
229-247-2787 (84 miles from Tallahassee),
www.turnercenter.org. Hours: M-Th 10 am-6 pm,
F-Sa 10 am – 4 pm, Su 1-4 pm
Bainbridge Little Theater
220 Troupe Street, Bainbridge, GA (42 miles from
Tallahassee), 229-246-8345,
www. bainbridgelittletheater.com
Dixie Theatre
21 Avenue E, Apalachicola (75 miles from
Tallahassee), 653-3200, www.dixietheatre.com
First Street Gallery
204 First Street NW, Havana (15 miles from
Tallahassee), 539-5220, www.firststreetartgallery.com.
Hours: F-Sa 10 am-5 pm, Su 12-5 pm
Gadsden Arts Center
13 North Madison, Quincy (25 miles from
Tallahassee), 875-4866, www.gadsdenarts.com.
Hours: Tu-Sa 10 am-5 pm, Su 1-5 pm
Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratories
Panacea, FL (30 miles from Tallahassee),
850-984-5297, www.gulfspecimen.org. Hours: M-F
9 am-5 pm, Sa 10 am-4 pm, Su 12 pm-4 pm
It’s a JEM Fine Art
307 North Main St., Havana (15 miles from
Tallahassee), 539-0335, wwwitsajem.com. Hours:
M-Sa 10 am-6 pm, Su 12-6 pm
Light N Up Artist Cooperative
208 NW 1st St., Hvana (15 miles from Tallahassee),
539-0006, www.lightnupartcoop.com
Monticello Opera House
185 W. Washington Street, Monticello (30 miles
from Tallahassee), 997-4242,
www.monticellofloridaoperahouse.com
Pebble Hill Plantation
U.S. Highway 319, Thomasville, GA (30 miles from
Tallahassee), 229- 226-2344, www.pebblehill.com.
Hours: Tu-Sa 10 am-5 pm, Su 1-5 pm
Quincy Music Theatre
118 East Washington St., Quincy (25 miles from
Tallahassee), 875-9444, www.qmtonline.com
San Marcos de Apalache Historic State Park
148 Old Fort Road, St. Marks
(20 miles from Tallahassee), 925-6216,
www.floridastateparks.org/sanmarcos.
Hours: Th-M 9 am-5 pm
Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
US 129 north of Live Oak (80 miles from
Tallahassee), 386-364-1683,
www.musicliveshere.com
Swamp Gravy
Cotton Hall, Colquitt, GA (64 miles from
Tallahassee), 229-758-5450, wwwswampgravy.com
Thomasville Cultural Center
600 E. Washington St., Thomasville, GA (35 miles
from Tallahassee), (229) 226-0588,
www.thomasvilleculturalcenter.com. Gallery hours:
M-F 9 am-5 pm, Sa-Su 1-5 pm
Thomasville Entertainment Foundation
Thomasville, GA (35 miles from Tallahassee),
229-226-7404, www.tefconcerts.com

Unless otherwise indicated, all area codes are 850. This may not be a complete listing of all organizations. To see if your organization is eligible to be listed, please contact magazine@cocanet.org.

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 21

CHILDREN

Tallahassee Museum

Give your kids a

break and get them

away from the video

games with these

fun and educational

activities. Dance

classes, theatre, music,

or art for vacations,

after school,

weekends, and more.

There are some great

birthday party ideas

here, as well.

- Classes and/or Private Lessons - Birthday Parties - Performances & Events to Attend - Summer Camp

African Caribbean Dance Theatre
539-4087, www.fadf.org
Boys’ Choir of Tallahassee
528-2403, www.boyschoirtlh.org
Bradfordville Fine Arts Academy
6494 Thomasville Road, 205-1821,
www.b-fbc.org
Brush and Palette Studio
1379 Timberlane Road, 893-1960,
www.brushandpalettestudio.com
Challenger Learning Center
200 S. Duval Street, 645-STAR,
www.challengertlh.com
Character & Heritage Institute
224-0372, www.TheCHinstitute.org
Community School of the Performing
Arts and Culture
614 Osceola Street, 574-2237
Florida Arts and Community Enrichment Lafayette Park Arts & Crafts Center
(F.A.C.E.) 403 Ingleside Drive, 891-3945, www. talgov.com/
644-8533, faceart@aol.com parks/commcenter/lfartscrafts.cfm
Gadsden Arts Center LeMoyne Art Foundation
13 North Madison, Quincy, 875-4866, 125 N. Gadsden St., 222-8800,
www.gadsdenarts.com www.lemoyne.org
Gordon’s String Music LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library
1903 N. Monroe Street, 386-7784 200 West Park Avenue, 606-2665,
Home Music Educators www.leoncountylibrary.org
656-7613, www.homemusiceducators.com The Mary Brogan Museum of Art &
Jim’s Pianos Science
2695-A Capital Circle N.E., 205-5467, 350 South Duval Street, 513-0700,
www.jimspianos.com www.thebrogan.org
Killearn Performing Arts Mason’s School of Music
4500 W. Shannon Lakes #20, 443-7512 or 19 North Calhoun Street, 412-0102,
894-9364, www.killearnpa.com www.masonsmusic.com
Knott House Museum Mission San Luis
301 East Park Avenue, 922-2459, 2021 W. Mission Road, 487-3711,
www.museumoffloridahistory.com www.missionsanluis.org

22 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine


Montgomery Schools of Dance
1369 E. Lafayette Street, 877-4874
Museum of Florida History, R.A. Gray
Building
500 S. Bronough Street, 245-6400,
www.museumoffloridahistory.com
Music Center
1221 E. Lafayette Street (next to The Moon),
942-0626
Musikgarten
Best Beginnings, 1415 Timberlane Road in Market
Square, 668-2119,
www.best-begin.com/musikgartensignup.html
Performing Arts Center of Tallahassee
562-1430, performingartscenteroftallahassee.com
Thomasville Road Academy of the Arts
3131 Thomasville Road, 422-7795 x210 or x216,
www.thomasvilleroad.org/academy.htm
Wildwood Ballet
891-1400, www.wildwoodpca.org
Wind & Grace
3620 Shamrock West, 894-2888,
www.windandgrace.homestead.com
World Ballet Academy
228-2064, www.worldballetinc.com
CHILDREN
Young Actors Theatre
609 Glenview Drive, 386-6602,
www.youngactorstheatre.com
Note: the preceding listings are for programs designed
especially for children. Many places in other sections, like
the “Get Up, Get Out, & Explore” section, are great for kids,
too. Unless otherwise indicated, all area codes are 850.
This may not be a complete listing of all organizations. To
see if your organization is eligible to be listed, please contact
magazine@cocanet.org.

Prophecy School of the Arts

222-8085, www.prophecyarts.net
Ribits Enchanted Cottage
215 Lake Ella Drive, 671-5859,
www.ribitsenchantedcottage.com
The School of Theatre at Florida State
Florida State University, Fine Arts Building,
644-6500, theatre.fsu.edu
Sharon Davis Schools of Dance
893-5900
Southern Academy of Ballet Arts
222-0174, www.sababallet.com
Stubbs Music Center
1260 Timberlane Road, 893-8754,
www.stubbs.org
The Tallahassee Ballet
224-6917, www.tallaballet.com
Tallahassee Girls’ Choir of C.H.O.I.C.E.
576-7501
Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center
505 West Pensacola Street, 487-1691, box office
222-0400, www.tlccc.org Reach Out
Tallahassee Museum
3945 Museum Drive, 575-8684,
www.tallahasseemuseum.org Place your ad here.
Tallahassee Symphony Youth
Orchestras (TSYO) Contact andrea@cocanet.org for
1345 Thomasville Road, 224-9232, information.
www.tallahasseesymphony.org
Tally Piano & Keyboard Studios
2933 Kerry Forest Parkway, 386-2425,
www.tallypiano.com

Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 23

SHOPPING

Cover your walls with fine art­, accentuate your wardrobe

with handmade jewelry, or put on some new dancing
shoes. Rent an obscure documentary or a musical
instrument, or buy what you need to create your own art.
And, of course, there’s no place better to find the perfect
gift than at one of these arts-related businesses.

FSU Big Bend Contemporary Gallery

Fine Art and Gifts
1123@Midtown
1123 Thomasville Road, 562-8696
Almost Exclusive
1460 Market St., Suite 2, 894-3925,
www.almostexclusive.com. Hours: M-Su, 11 am – 8 pm
Bali HI Trading Company
617 Industrial Drive in Railroad Square, 776-7175,
www.balihi.us. Hours: W-Sa 11 am-6 pm, Su 12-5 pm
Depot Agent Gallery
1034 Commercial Drive in Railroad Square,
363-3674, www.railroadsquare.com/glaser.html.
Hours: M-F 10 am – 3 pm, Sa 12 – 5 pm
Gadsden Arts Center Gift Shop
12 North Madison, Quincy (25 miles from
Tallahassee), 875-4866, www.gadsdenarts.com.
Hours: Tu-Sa 10am-5pm, Su 1-5pm
Glasshopper
The Gallery at Market Street, 1419 Market Street,
668-5007, www.glasshopperonline.com. Hours: M-F
10 am-5:30 pm, Sa 11 am-3 pm
Glassworks by Susan
1661 North Monroe St., 222-5095. Hours: Tu-F
10 am-6 pm, Sa 10 am-4 pm
Guinevere’s Gallery
3645 Hartsfield Road, 877-7650
Historically Florida: Florida’s History
Shops
Museum of Florida History, R.A. Gray Building,
245-6396, Old Capitol, 922-2432, The Capitol Plaza
Level, 487-2044, www.floridashistoryshops.com
Humidity Gallery
1355 Market Street, 222-0380,
www.humiditygallery.com. Hours: Tu – Sa 10
am–6 pm
Images of Tallahassee
1355 Market St., #A10-2, 894-5596,
www.russellgraceimages.com. Hours: M-F,
10 am-6 pm, Sa 10 am-4 pm
LeMoyne Gifts and Art Supplies
133 N. Gadsden St., 222-2234, www.lemoyne.org.
Hours: T-Sa 10 am-5 pm, Su 1-5 pm
Linda Clark Watercolor Studio & Gallery
676 Industrial Drive in Railroad Square, 386-3171,
www.LindaClarkWatercolor.com. Hours: Tu, Th, Sa
12 – 4 pm
M Gallery
2533 Greer Road, Suite 1, 531-9925,
mgallery_fl@yahoo.com. Hours: M-F 9 am-
5:30 pm, Sa 10 am- 2 pm
Pyramid Studios
1770 Thomasville Road, 513-1733,
www.pyramidinc.org. Hours: M-F 8 am-5 pm
Railroad Square Art Park
567 Industrial Drive, 224-1308,
www.railroadsquare.com
Sally Rude Antiques and Fine Art Gallery
1123Thomasville Rd., 222-4020,
www.trocadero.com/mctc. Hours: M-Sa 11 am- 6’ish
Signature Art Gallery
2779 Capital Circle NE, 297-2422, www.
signatureartgallery.com. Hours: M-F 10 am-5:30 pm,
Sa 10 am-2 pm

24 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine


Simply Artistic
602 McDonnell Drive in Railroad Square,
402-0073, www.simplyartistic.net. Hours: M – Sa
10 am – 6 pm
South of Soho Co-op Gallery
563 Industrial Drive in Railroad Square, 508-0871,
www.southofsohogallery.com. Hours: Sa 11 am-
5 pm
Southern Scenes Gallery & Frame
4500 Shannon Lakes Road, 504-0555,
www.southernscenesgallery.com. Hours: Tu–F
10 am–6 pm, Sa 10 am– 2 pm
Ten Thousand Villages
1415 Timberlane Road, Suite 322, 906-9010,
www.villagesoftallahassee.org. Hours: M-Sa,
10 am – 6 pm
Textures Handmade Market
825 Railroad Avenue, 329-6569,
www.textureshandmademarket.com. Hours: Tu-F 11
am – 6 pm, Sa 10 am – 4 pm
Turtle Island Trading Post
1707 N. Monroe St., 425-2490,
www.turtleislandtradingpost.com
Wild Women Art Gallery
567 Industrial Drive in Railroad Square, 224-1308,
ubewild@aol.com. Hours: M-F 11 am-2 pm
Music
Beethoven and Company
1415 Timberlane Road in Market Square,
894-8700, www.beethovenandcompany.com.
Hours: M-F 10 am – 6 pm, Sa 10 am-4 pm
Gordon’s String Music
1903 North Monroe Street, 386-7784. Hours:
M-F 10 am-6 pm, Sa 12-4 pm
Jim’s Pianos
2695-A Capital Circle N.E., 205-5467,
www.jimspianos.com. Hours: M-F 10 am–6 pm,
Sa 10 am – 5 pm
Music Masters
1114 N. Monroe St., 800-848-6158,
www.musicm.com. Hours: M-F 9 am-6 pm, Sa 10 am- 6 pm
Music Center
1221 E. Lafayette St., 942-0626. Hours: M-Sa
10 am-6 pm, Su 12 pm-5 pm
Music Xchange
221 East Third Ave., 681-7443,
www.themusicxchange.com. Hours: M-Sa 10 am- 6:30 pm
Stringfest
4352 Charles Samuel Drive, 222-7467,
www.stringfest.com. Hours: M-F 5-10 pm, Sa –Su
1-10 pm
Vinyl Fever
2256 W. Pensacola St., 580-2480,
www.vinylfever.com. Hours: M-Sa 10 am-9 pm,
Su 12-7pm
Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 25
SHOPPING
Handmade Jewelry Dance & Theatrical
Blue Abaco Trading Company Supplies
1690 Raymond Diehl Road, 325-2323,
www.blueabaco.com. Hours: M-Sa 10 am-6:30 pm,
Halimeda’s Oasis
2609 Glover Road, 421-5151,
Su 12-5 pm
www.halimedasoasis.com. Hours: M-F 6:30 pm-9:30
EtCeterocks Gallery pm or by appointment
1038 Commercial Drive, Railroad Square Art Park,
222-1630, www.et-ceterocks.com. Hours: Th-Sa,
Head Over Heels Dancewear
1621 N. Monroe Street, 224-5140. Hours: Tu-Sa
11:30 am-4:30 pm or by appointment
10 am - 6 pm
Quincie’s Art Jewelry
1325 Thomasville Road, 222-8411,
Magic & Fun Costume Shop
1787 W. Tennessee Street, 224-6244,
www.quinciehamby.com. Hours: Tu - F 11 am – 5
www.magicandfuncostumeshop.com. Hours: M-F 11
pm, closed Sa during summer
am-7 pm, Sa 11 am-5 pm
Books & Video
Historically Florida: Florida’s History Art Supplies
LeMoyne Gifts and Art Supplies
Shops
133 N. Gadsden St., 222-2234, www.lemoyne.org.
Museum of Florida History, R.A. Gray Building,
Hours: T-Sa 10 am-5 pm, Su 1-5 pm
245-6396, Old Capitol, 922-2432, The Capitol Plaza
Level, 487-2044, www.floridashistoryshops.com Utrecht Art Supplies
1350 East Tennessee Street, 877-0321,
Paperback Rack
www.utrecht.com. Hours: M-F 9 am-5 pm, Sa 10
1005 North Monroe St., 224-3455. Hours: M-Sa 9
am-6 pm, Su 12-5 pm
am-9 pm, Su 12 noon - 6 pm
Video 21
1449 E. Lafayette St., 878-3921. Hours: M-F 10 Denotes First Friday participant
am - 11 pm, Sa-Su 11 am - 11 pm
For other places to buy local art and souvenirs, see pages 18, 20 & 21. Unless otherwise indicated, all area codes are 850. This
may not be a complete listing of all organizations. To see if your organization is eligible to be listed, please contact
magazine@cocanet.org
Shop at the Hop!
On the first Friday of every month,
museums and galleries stay open from 6
pm until at least 9 pm with no admission
charge, often featuring openings,
receptions, and special events for the
public. Check the Tallahassee Democrat’s
Limelight or the COCA’s Web site
(www.FirstFridayTallahassee.com) for a
complete list of who’s open each month.
 NOTES
Recent COCA There’s No News Like Arts Exchange
Events Good News Update
On October COCA’s Executive Director Peggy On October 7, the Arts Exchange
27, along with project took a giant step forward. The
Brady was named a “Woman of
the United City of Tallahassee approved the option
Distinction” in the category of Arts,
Partners for agreement for the land on which to build
Culture and Humanities by the Girl
Human Services, the Arts Exchange, near the corner of
Scouts Council of the Apalachee Bend.
Kelly Otte, Executive Director
COCA co- of the United Partners for
Railroad Avenue and Gaines Street. This
Human Services & Peggy These awards recognize women in our
hosted Allegro, Brady, Executive Director of
two-year option has several milestones for
community who have distinguished
sponsored by COCA with Mike Pate of the
Artspace and COCA to meet, at the end
Knight Foundation. themselves through service and
the Knight of which the city has committed to either
leadership.
Foundation. donate or lease the property for $10.
This speed-networking event attracted
representatives of both arts and cultural
organizations and human services
organizations to share ideas to connect,
collaborate and combine vital and
limited resources. Congratulations to
LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts and
The Alzheimer’s Project, Inc., winners
of a Knight Foundation grant for $500
each to continue their good work in the
community.

On November 6, COCA held the first of

a new series of “Rush Hour Workshops.”
The workshop, Before the Fur Flies,
was led by Sharon Press, Director of
the Florida Dispute Resolution Center,
and taught arts and cultural participants
how to use conflict resolution in their
organizations.

You may have noticed the giant

blue sculpture in Doug Burnett
Park on Gaines Street. It’s part of
Drawing in Space: The Peninsula
Project, a seven-city exhibition
throughout the state of Florida by
award-winning sculptor John Henry,
who is known throughout the world
for his large-scale steel sculpture.
COCA organized the Tallahassee
arm of this exhibit, which will be on
display through May.

26 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine

D
avid and Hilda Gilchrist made a
promise to each other to share a creative experience
every day. As designers involved in some of the
community’s high-profile cultural building and
design projects, they offer that same promise to area
arts supporters.
David is a principal in the firm of Gilchrist Ross Crowe Architects. His
handiwork includes the Montgomery Hall renovation for FSU’s School
of Dance and the university’s Johnston Dining Hall renovation. His
current projects include the expansion of Ruby Diamond Auditorium,
the FAMU student commons renovation and the Arts Exchange project
spearheaded by the Council on Culture & Arts.
Hilda is a landscape architect with the city’s Public Works
Engineering Department whose recent work includes the MLK
Greenway design concept, Governor’s Square Boulevard and the Gaines
Street Revitalization project.
In 1984, the couple moved to Tallahassee from Gainesville, leaving
positions in one of the biggest planning and engineering firms in the
world.
They share an aesthetic that’s as eclectic as their backgrounds. David
is a fourth-generation Florida Cracker from Lake County, the son of a
Capital Culture Magazine www.morethanyouthought.com Spring 2009 | 27
genteel Southern belle and a English-educated father. Hilda was born in
Cuba and moved to South Florida at the age of nine with her mother after
the Bay of Pigs incident.
They met in Gainesville while working for the same firm and
celebrated their their 30th wedding anniversary in February. Hilda is five
days older than David (a fact he likes to remind her of playfully), and both
celebrated their 56th birthdays in the fall.
You’ll see them around town at wine-tastings, art openings and other
cultural events. And you’ll also find them on the dance floor wherever
there’s a milonga, or gathering of Argentine tango enthusiasts.
One soft fall evening at their Betton Hills home, the dynamic
designing duo sat down to talk about Tallahassee’s unique cultural
identity, their design philosophy and the tricky business of juggling the
overlap of hunting season and tango season.
KS: What vision do you bring to the table for the cultural building
projects you’re working on now?
DG: We’re not high-end, publish-us-in-a-magazine type of people. We
want to give good design, solid design, practical design, something the
clients can appreciate years later.
HG: My true love is very regional and broad in scope and scale, so it’s
more about land planning and accommodating what we need in the most
sensitive way on the landscape. That’s what I like about working for the
city – I can work on regional projects and higher impact projects, things
that will make a difference in an entire street-scape.
DG: We are generalists. We look at the bigger picture.
KS: That’s a perfect viewpoint to bring to such projects as Gaines
Street Revitalization, the Arts Exchange and Ruby Diamond.
DG: Exactly! A lot of times, even my partners at work view my opinion as
somewhat pessimistic, but I have a viewpoint that’s practical and do-able.
(continued on page 28)
INTERVIEW
With COCA and the Arts Exchange, we’re
defining what it can be and everybody is being
very energetic about it. You need to establish
the infrastructure and that takes money.
Before you start designing and coming up
with images that are really zippy and nice, you
need to think about how this is going to move
forward, given the economic constraints.
KS: What are some of the elements
that factor into the timeline of the Arts
Exchange project?
DG: There’s the 50-unit housing element,
and COCA has to generate some retail
elements as well, so that it’s a self-sustaining
entity. You want pedestrian activity and retail
has to have frontage along the major (traffic)
corridor. They want to get the Boys’ Choir of
Tallahassee in there, the Tallahassee Ballet,
a black box theater. Integrating this whole
mixed-use model is novel. You’re looking at
building a sort of urban village.
You don’t want to make things overly
slick. Anytime you create something, you
should leave some room for accidents. Don’t
over-plan or overdo. Just leave a blank space
and it will fill itself in. By not forcing a solution
in that community, you give it room to adapt.
KS: How would you describe Tallahassee’s said the dance he really wanted to learn was There’s a wonderful (Argentine tango)
architectural style? the Argentine tango. They didn’t teach that at community here. There are people from
the studio where we were taking lessons, so he Croatia, Germany, Greece, Cuba, Venezuela,
DG: We think Tallahassee has its own unique
researched it on the Internet and we got a CD Russia. It’s the most cultural kind of thing we
architecture – we borrow style and continue to
and did “10 Easy Lessons.” participate in.
borrow it.
We loved it! We started playing the KS: I understand it poses some planning
HG: Or we conserve what we already have. We music all the time. We’d wake up in the problems at certain times of the year for
don’t like to see the new. Look at Chicago – morning and drink our coffee to it, and we you, David.
they don’t want anything unless it’s going to started practicing. Then the Argentine Tango
really make a statement. That’s a different edge Society of Tallahassee sort of appeared out DG: Well, hunting season and tango season
they’re exploring. We’re more conservative. of nowhere, and we went to a tango festival in do overlap. There’s a spring tango festival
New Orleans. It was fabulous! People came in March, which is right in the middle of my
DG: We’ve got existing buildings that are
from all over the country. It’s a very high spring turkey season. I spend a lot of my time
95 percent of what we want. Those are the
cultural experience. We’d see people in their up in South Georgia during hunting season,
buildings we’re going to be renovating and
seventies from New York, really connecting when I’m not out dancing with Hilda.
rehabbing. I wouldn’t call it recycling so much
and enjoying each other and dancing all night, I’ll drive across the state line to go
as re-creating.
and we thought, “All right!” hunting and I’m probably the only guy in
KS: OK, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. South Georgia who’s listening to tango music.
Let’s talk tango! DG: The Argentine tango is a very intimate I go to a gas station to gas up and get a bag of
dance. As a couple, you move together on boiled peanuts and one of those cheap orange
HG: We started dancing in 2002. I had gotten the same axis. In American tango, you moved
David to take some dancing lessons and we sodas (you gotta have that) and I leave the
around each other doing figures, and it’s more music playing, and everybody comes out and
weren’t crazy about them. David used to play detached.
the drums, and he heard some Argentine hears it and says, “What the heck is that??”
music and the rhythms grabbed him and he HG: So, we’ve been dancing ever since. Then I switch it over to my country station.

28 | Spring 2009 www.morethanyouthought.com Capital Culture Magazine

 PROFILES IN THE ARTS

F
or most of his life, Steve Fox worked in the
environmental field. With degrees in Fisheries Biology
and Environmental Planning, he was the director of
environmental permitting for the State of Florida, and a partner
in an international environmental and engineering consulting
firm. In 1997, he retired to pursue a lifelong dream to work in
art, constructing art furniture and sculptural objects.
Since then, he has completed commissions for hall tables,
coffee tables, end tables, desks, beds, jewelry boxes, and cutlery
chests. His work is in collections all over Florida and Georgia,
and as far away as Germany. In fact, two of his furniture pieces
were shown in the John Travolta film The Punisher (and one of
them was even purchased by the film company).
Fox’s most recent work
has shifted to non-functional
wall sculptures of steel and
wood (he prefers cherry
because of its rich color,
but also uses walnut, oak,
Chinaberry, and holly) that
incorporates maps and aerial
photography of Florida
landscapes – the same tools
he used as an environmental
regulator.
“As an artist rather
than an environmental
consultant, I have luxury
of appreciating the shapes
and colors on the aerial
photographs, not just as
the physical features,” he
explains.
Fox is also actively
involved in the community,
working on the Obama
campaign, sitting on the board of the local chapter of Florida
Craftsmen, and serving on the committee that created the Arts
Exchange. “My participation in the committee was a singular
honor. Since my family and I came to Tallahassee in 1972, the
city has grown into a fine place to live. Projects like the Arts
Exchange will make a good place better.”

Stephen J. Fox
Capital Culture’s profiled artists are selected from the many visual, performing, literary, and media artists featured on
COCA’s online Artist Directory. Listings in the Artist Directory are free, with enhanced listings available for COCA
members. Visit the Directory online at www.cocanet.org.