Art-centric multi-disciplinary event supported by the National Endowment of the Arts
The Frank, the new art gallery at the Pembroke Pines City Center, presents The ACT Festival on Saturday, April 29 from noon to 3 p.m. at 601 City Center Way in Pembroke Pines. ACT stands for Activate-Celebrate-Transform.
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. The ACT Festival, an art-centric multi-disciplinary event to foster connections and promote community engagement, is free and open to the public. During The ACT Festival, the plaza at the Pembroke Pines City Center will become activated by local musicians, dancers and a spoken word performance. A 3D interactive chalk art piece, caricature portraits and other community engagement arts festivities will round out the event.
AXR The Alchemist, a multi-talented poet, artist, producer and songwriter will be the DJ for the Act Festival. AXR was commissioned, along with songwriter Alexander Star, to write an original song for the City of Pembroke Pines. Both will debut the song titled “Atmosphere” live at The ACT Festival.
“The ACT Festival is an opportunity for artists to reach out to the community as a vehicle for social engagement, all in an effort to create a more inclusive creative community,” said Jill Slaughter, Chief Curator at The Frank. “We are so grateful to have the support of the National Endowment of the Arts and be part of the important work that they do to promote the arts.”
Performances will be ongoing throughout the day and include spoken word artistRichard “Byrd” Wilson, AXR The Alchemist and Alexander Star, Barbershop Harmony Society, Pioneer Winter Collective and Koinonia Workshop Center and Village Choir.
The Frank art gallery will be open for tours during The ACT Festival. The inaugural exhibit What’s Wonderful- An Expansive Perspective, curated by Slaughter, looks at the broad interpretation of wonder, showcasing the work of 15 different artists, each with a singular vision of “what’s wonderful,” each delivering the unexpected, if not the inexplicable. The Frank’s three different exhibition spaces will showcase paintings, sculptures, and site-specific installations to prompt visitors to determine if “what’s wonderful” is a question or a statement. Contemporary American painter Marcus Jansen’s urban landscapes, featured in contrast to Ruben Ubiera’s “urban pop” work, a careful blend of graffiti art and surrealism, will be shown in the Main gallery. Artist Carrie Smith’s installation, “People of Pines,” will be showcased in the project room at the Front gallery. The 16 portraits of local residents, unmask the subject’s identity and state of mind. “People of Pines” includes a soundtrack of project participants responding to a series of “life questions”. The 3rd Space gallery wall, located on the second floor, will exhibit original work by Friends & Stars, Inc., an arts program expressly designed for an all-inclusive special needs population. This gallery wall is designated to exhibit work by non-arts organizations and student curators.
In the City Center Plaza, a custom designed ping-pong table created by The Urban Conga, a Tampa-based design firm will encourage community activity and social interaction through play. Also on the plaza is the new Gateway Sculpture, designed by Brooks + Scarpa Architects. The sculpture and landscape elements frame the pedestrian gateway, providing wayfinding and anchoring a sense of arrival.
Admission to The ACT Festival is free. Food and beverages are available for nominal prices. Admission to The Frank is free. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information about the ACT Festival and The Frank, call 954.392.2129 or email thefrank@ppines.com. Follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines.
About The Frank
The Frank is a two-story art gallery named after Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank C. Ortis for his decades-long commitment to the cultural arts. The Frank art gallery, located in the Pembroke Pines City Center, showcases multi-disciplinary inclusive exhibitions to foster connections, initiate cultural change and promote innovation. The gallery’s exhibition and learning space serves as a site of convergence for artists, performers, thought leaders and community members to create partnerships for social engagement, leveraging the power of the arts to create a sense of place. The Frank offers art as experience.
The Frank is located at 601 City Center Way Pembroke Pines, FL 33025. Stay connected and follow The Frank on Facebook and Instagram at The Frank Pembroke Pines. For more information, call 954.392.2129 or email: thefrank@ppines.com.
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission charges are subject to change during special events. Times and dates for special events will be announced.
Funding for this organization is provided in part by Broward County Cultural Division, Culture Builds Florida, Hello Sunny-Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center and Visitors Bureau and National Endowment for the Arts.
