cornell art museum - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T06:45:33Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/cornell+art+museumDelray Beach: Agreements near on new plans for Old School Square, city manager sayshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-agreements-near-on-new-plans-for-old-school-square-c2022-02-02T18:07:38.000Z2022-02-02T18:07:38.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong></p>
<p>Residents and art patrons waiting to hear about Delray Beach’s plans for its 4-acre Old School Square campus will have to wait until the Feb. 8 City Commission meeting. <br />At the Feb. 1 meeting, City Manager Terrence Moore told commissioners about the “efforts underway” for developing a plan for the Cornell Art Museum, creating a Delray Repertory Theater and restarting in-person arts classes. <br />“I’ve had several conversations with outside vendors, such as Live Nation, and will come back with interim agreements in a week,” Moore said.<br />Live Nation is an events promoter.<br />Commissioner Ryan Boylston asked, “Ever considered a relationship with the current OSS management as an interim solution?” <br />No, Moore said. “I made it clear that the city was open for all offers, but they never approached me,” he said of OSS managers.<br />Commissioner Juli Casale also spoke during the city manager’s presentation.<br />After voting Aug. 10 to end the lease, she left that meeting saying that if OSS turned over the necessary financial documents, she would reconsider her vote. <br />“But the OSS managers didn’t provide the required documents and two days later they sued the city,” Casale said at the Feb. 1 meeting.<br />The current operators of the campus, the Old School Square Center for the Arts, have been waging an emotional battle for the soul of Delray Beach. Commissioners, though, say they are accountable to taxpayers and must ensure that the money OSS gets can be documented.<br />The commission chamber was packed with OSS supporters after an email blast sent Jan. 30 by the OSS board chairwoman. It asked people to attend the meeting to tell commissioners how important the arts and cultural center is to their lives. Of the 19 public speakers, 17 talked about their love of the center.<br />“We’re not a management company, but a family,” said Melanie Johanson, curator of the Cornell Art Museum. She lives in New Orleans. “We work ourselves to the bone.”<br />At the end of the meeting, Mayor Shelly Petrolia expressed how painful the stand-off with OSS management has become because of the lawsuit and the nonprofit’s continuous public outreach.<br /> “This is not easy,” she said. “This is very, very difficult.”<br />The OSS managers pay the city $1 in rent annually for the campus. The six-month termination notice in the deal means their lease ends Feb. 9. <br />Since receiving the notice on Aug. 10, the OSS managers abruptly ended the arts classes on Sept. 30 and ended events in the Field House. <br />They blamed the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency for not releasing the rest of its money for the last budget year. OSS has received only the first-quarter payment of $187,500. <br />Along with the city, the OSS managers named several other individuals in their Aug. 12 lawsuit. Petrolia, Vice Mayor Shirley Johnson, Commissioner Casale, City Attorney Lynn Gelin, former Executive Director Shannon Eadon and ex-board chair Joy Howell were named. <br />Petrolia and Johnson joined Casale in voting to end the lease on the advice of Gelin. <br />The OSS managers tried for an early mediation session, but their motion was denied on Jan. 20.<br />Casale was dropped from the lawsuit on Jan. 25. Her attorney argued that sitting commissioners are immune to lawsuits for their votes taken while on the dais. He also demanded that if she wins, then the OSS managers would have to pay her attorney’s fees.<br />The OSS managers’ lawsuit has a calendar call on Feb. 9, when their jury trial request will receive a date.<br />The campus carries a deed restriction. <br />It must remain an arts and cultural center. If it does not, the property reverts to the Palm Beach County School District. <br />The campus has five entertainment venues: the Field House, the Crest Theatre, the Creative Arts School, the Cornell Art Museum and the Pavilion.</p></div>Delray Beach: Old School Square again challenges city’s authorityhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-old-school-square-again-challenges-city-s-authority2021-11-03T14:54:11.000Z2021-11-03T14:54:11.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;">Management company could be forced out by Thanksgiving</span></p>
<p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong></p>
<p>After shutting down all activities, the Old School Square Center for the Arts managers late last month announced a series of free, community concerts which is almost certain to test the strained relationship between the city and OSS. On Oct. 23, managers posted this note on the OSS website: “The City’s impulsive termination of our lease forced us to make some very difficult decisions with regards to our existing calendar of seasonal events and programs.” <br /> The website of the city’s most beloved cultural institution noted that there were no upcoming events, performances, museum exhibits or art school offerings.<br /> Six days later, OSS managers said on the website they would hold four free concerts by tribute bands in November and December. The concerts are an Eagles tribute Nov. 11, a Billy Joel one Nov. 18, Grammy hits Dec. 9, and a Tina Turner tribute Dec. 16.<br /> Yet, according to the lease termination notice the city sent to OSS, no new events can be scheduled without prior approval of the city, Mayor Shelly Petrolia said on Oct. 26.<br /> City commissioners voted 3-2 on Aug. 10 to terminate the lease, telling OSS managers to comply with long-standing requests for audits and other financial documents and giving 180 days’ notice. <br /> Since that vote, OSS managers have attempted to sway enough public support to get the commission to reconsider its vote. In yet another effort, managers announced a special art and cultural show titled “Heart of the Square,” opening Nov. 5 in the Cornell Art Museum.<br /> “Let our voices be heard,” the announcement’s cover page notes.<br /> Delray Beach taxpayers own the nearly 4-acre campus, in the heart of the Old School Square Historic Arts District, which is deed restricted. It must remain an arts and cultural center. If it doesn’t, the property reverts to the Palm Beach County School District. The campus has five entertainment venues: the Fieldhouse, the Crest Theatre, the Creative Arts School, the Cornell Art Museum and the Pavilion. <br /> OSS managers did not return numerous phone calls and email messages. <em>The Coastal Star</em> attempted to contact Emelie Konopka, who was OSS chairwoman during much of the dispute with the city; Holland Ryan, chief operating officer; Carli Brinkman, its outside publicist; and Marko Cerenko, its outside attorney.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Time running out for fixes</span><br /> On Oct. 8, the city sent a notice of default to Cerenko, giving the nonprofit 30 days to fix four problems. One was minor, to provide a list of events and programs for the remaining months of the lease.<br /> But one can’t be fixed easily. It involves finishing the Crest Theatre building renovations. Safety violations exist there, such as an unattached handrail on the main lobby staircase and the unfinished fire sprinkler system in the new kitchen.<br /> If they can’t be fixed in 30 days, then the city could issue a notice to vacate within 15 days, Gina Carter, city spokeswoman, wrote in an Oct. 21 email response to a <em>Coastal Star</em> question.<br /> As for whether the OSS managers can make the necessary repairs by Nov. 8, “that is a question for OSS Inc.,” she wrote. If the city then issues the notice to vacate, the OSS managers would have to be gone by Thanksgiving.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Cancellations stun groups</span><br /> Another uproar began on Sept. 29. <br /> That’s when show organizers received form letters from Ryan, canceling all events as of Sept. 30. The events were scheduled for the Fieldhouse or on the OSS grounds.<br /> This time, the OSS managers blamed the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency for withholding $375,000, six months of funding, for the last fiscal year. <br /> But what the OSS managers failed to say is that they have yet to provide financial documents required by the CRA before receiving any more taxpayer money. The CRA had extended the deadline several times. <br /> After receiving the email, the nonprofit Delray Beach Orchid Society reached out to city commissioners. They immediately contacted the city manager, who dispatched the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to rescue the event. <br /> “It’s our largest fundraiser,” said Michele Owens, president of the Delray Beach Orchid Society. “We couldn’t hold it last year [due to pandemic restrictions] and the prospect of not being able to hold it again — we would not be able to exist.”<br /> The orchid show was Oct. 23-24 in the Fieldhouse and drew one of the show’s biggest crowds. The society did receive back its $1,000 deposit from OSS. <br /> There was one glitch, Petrolia said. The society members counted on use of the refrigerator in the OSS kitchen. But the refrigerator doors had been taped closed, forcing the city to pull one of its refrigerators out of storage and move it to the Fieldhouse for the show.<br /> The city has also stepped in to allow the Delray Chapter of the Southern Handcraft Society to hold its 28th show Nov. 18-20 at the Fieldhouse. <br /> “I’m thrilled,” said President Pam Warren. “There’s not that many facilities that can accommodate us. With less than two months, most places were booked or too expensive.”<br /> The organization received its deposit back from OSS, Warren said, but she would not disclose the amount.<br /> Along with the orchid and handicraft shows, Delray Beach’s Parks and Recreation Department agreed to facilitate several other events after they were canceled by OSS. These include weddings, a bat mitzvah, a Pets of Broward Dog Day Afternoon, and a Roots and Wings educational event. <br /> The city and CRA will also continue their scheduled menorah lighting, Christmas Tree Village and Green Market.<br /> About the same time the events were canceled, the OSS managers also canceled their arts education classes for the remainder of the lease. Students typically pay about $200 for six-week sessions on photography, painting and drawing.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Craft beer festival fizzles</span><br /> OSS managers had touted a ninth annual Craft Beer Festival on its website as a money-raiser. The festival was to be held at Old School Square, but then was to move to Sunset Cove Amphitheater in suburban Boca Raton on Oct. 30.<br /> But it disappeared from the OSS website by Oct. 22.<br /> One likely reason is that OSS managers’ full liquor license, issued by Florida, is not transferrable to another site.<br /> Meanwhile, Delray Beach is moving forward, trying to find a new operator for the Old School Square venues. <br /> The city issued its “invitation to negotiate” on Oct. 18 with a mandatory pre-proposal session at 10 a.m. Nov. 5. Bids must be submitted by 5 p.m. Dec. 17.<br /> The current OSS managers won’t be bidding, Brinkman told other news outlets without explaining why.</p></div>Coastal Star: Cornell Art Museum’s reimagining has a fairy godmother to thankhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/coastal-star-cornell-art-museum-s-reimagining-has-a-fairy-godmoth2017-08-02T14:00:00.000Z2017-08-02T14:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960732078,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960732078,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960732078?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>Margaret Blume is donating almost $1 million for an interior renovation at the museum. <strong>Tim Stepien/ The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong><br /> <br /> When it comes to backing projects, philanthropist Margaret Blume subscribes to marine conservationist Jacques Cousteau’s theory: “People protect what they love.”<br /> Like Cousteau, Blume loves the ocean and marine life. She spent $500,000 in 2015 to finance the Rapa Nui Reef, an underwater garden east of the Deerfield Beach pier.<br /> Another passion for Blume is education and reading. Her $2 million donation made it possible for the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County to move into a new 12,000-square-foot training and outreach center in Boynton Beach in 2013.<br /> Earlier this year, Blume was the major donor for the “Windows on the Floating World: Tropical Wetland Garden” at Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach. “Windows” showcases a series of see-through walkways and permanent and changing aquatic plant displays.<br /> Blume’s current project reflects her love of art and culture. She is donating almost $1 million for an interior renovation of the Cornell Art Museum at Old School Square. The remodeling will better showcase the innovative, contemporary art that defines exhibits and honors the historic character of the 1913 building.<br /> “I want to enhance the use of this historic schoolhouse for the display and enjoyment of art,” Blume said. “With the Cornell Museum, less is more. It’s a little gem that is perfect for a short, but lovely cultural experience in the heart of Delray Beach.”<br /> Blume learned of the need for a renovation through her neighbor, artist and friend Brenda Zappitell, who is on the board of directors for Old School Square. While she doesn’t consider herself an artist, Blume admits she “dabbles” in abstract painting and has taken classes with Zappitell.<br /> The renovation will modify front and rear entrances to create a more welcoming appearance and to allow more space for exhibit load-in and load-out; maximize exhibit space with movable walls to allow for more configurations within each gallery; upgrade gallery lighting; add sleek, new window coverings; and redesign the museum store with new cabinets and fixtures. <br /> At the Cornell Museum, which exhibits nationally and internationally recognized contemporary artists who create innovative and provocative works of art, Blume said she liked what she found, and not just the artwork.<br /> “There is a spirit here,” she said. “Everyone is excited and full of hopes and dreams. That makes all the difference. It’s edgy and new here at this lovely gateway to Delray.”<br /> When considering projects, Blume said, “I want something local I can watch. You need to be involved, not give money and walk away.”<br /> What’s in it for her?<br /> “It’s really fun for me,” she said. “How lucky I am to be like a fairy godmother and then to see the gift and how it helps people. This gift will benefit in a quieter way than some of my others.”<br /> Blume, 60, grew up in Los Angeles. She has a degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and worked for a decade for her father, a real estate entrepreneur. She became a general contractor.<br /> Blume has lived in South Florida since 1991, when her husband’s job brought them here. “I came kicking and screaming,” she admits, but she has since fallen in love with the area and is especially taken with the clouds and the sky view. “The sky was never as crystal clear in California.” <br /> Recently, Blume said she has become enchanted by moonrises, as well.<br /> She and her husband, Robert, a retired physician, live in Boynton Beach. They have two grown children and the family enjoys traveling, something Blume has done extensively, even as a child.<br /> “Every year as a family we would go to Europe and my sister and I would share a suitcase,” she said. “We would get a VW bug and drive all over. I felt like I was in a fairy tale with all the castles and museums.”<br /> Blume believes in living in the moment, and, despite all her philanthropic endeavors, she wants to be remembered by her children for having lived a full and happy life.<br /> “Remember me on a snowmobile in the Grand Tetons going thrillingly fast and being as happy as anyone,” she said. <br /> <br /> <em>The Cornell Art Museum, 51 N Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, is closed until October for the renovation. The museum’s summer events continue and are relocated to the Crest Theatre galleries. Next up: Art Walks, from 6-9 p.m. on Aug. 4 and Sept. 1. Admission is free. Phone 243-7922 or visit <a href="http://www.OldSchoolSquare.org">www.OldSchoolSquare.org</a>.</em></p></div>