ART ABOUT TOWN.
Be Still My Eyes.
The show must go on! Just with a few tweaks and six feet apart. Nothing we can't handle in order to set our eyes on the awe-inspiring exhibits and shows taking place in Orlando. Here are just a few highlights and what you can expect.

BOMBSHELL: Masquerading Warfare
September 17 through October 11, 2020 | CityArts

Ben Van Beusekom is an avant-garde fashion designer, couturier, and painter.  The first thing observers notice about his art is that it evokes a sense of fantasy.  His fashion finds a bold life by pushing the limits of what conventionally is worn or carried.  With a focus on color and texture, he constructs chic, lavish garments and --uniquely -- gas masks, using only the finest gemstones, beads, Swarovski crystals, sequins, and fabrics.  Each is personally applied, hand-stitched, and intricately sewn with an extreme attention to detail.

Van Beusekom has been commissioned by Bloomingdale’s and The Forbes Company/Taubman Centers for curated exhibitions, and has debuted his couture fashions for L’Oréal on the runway in New York City.  Bombshell is his first solo show of couture gas masks to be on-view September 17 through October 11, 2020, at CityArts in Downtown Orlando.

Global Peace Film Festival
September 21 through October 4, 2020 | Virtual Viewing

Beginning on the International Day of Peace, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020, a selection of more than 20 feature films will be available for screening for just $5 each. These films highlight themes such as civil rights, environmental justice, ethics, human rights, immigration, LGBTQ+, music, social justice, voting, wellness and wildlife. For an even greater value, a White Dove pass, which provides access to all films, is available for $100, a savings of $15.

Many of the films will be available worldwide throughout the festival, while a few films are only available in the U.S. and North America, and two are available only in Florida. Check the individual film details in the film guide for more information on geographic restrictions and windows of availability.

A separate selection of short films will be available for free to viewers around the world at PeaceFilmFest.org/online-film-festival.

Peace Art Exhibit, presenting works of art from students at Orange County Public Schools, will also be viewed online.

JEFRË: Points of Connection
October 3 through January 3, 2021 | Orlando Museum of Art

JEFRË: Points of Connection will be the public artist’s first solo museum exhibition featuring large-scale multimedia sculptures and installations that have become the hallmark of his artistic practice. Experimenting with new materials and technologies, JEFRË activates public spaces in ways that transform the urban landscape and bring people together to enjoy a common experience.

The exhibition presents a series of site-specific installations and sculptures constructed at a human scale. Maquettes of monumental public works introduce the audience to the artist’s past projects, alongside a series of sculptures which exemplify his current studio practice. Visitors will journey through the exhibition, guided by the stanzas of JEFRË’s poem Heart to Heart, as they interact with immersive installations, which explore the artist's immigrant identity and his history with heart disease and - through the integration of technology - illuminate our common humanity across age, gender, ethnicity and nationality.

Bright Young Things
October 2 through October 24, 2020 | Secret Location in Downtown Orlando

Named after a notorious group of Bohemians in London in the 1920s, “Bright Young Things” is a one-of-a-kind immersive experience, where audiences can come again and again to experience the different storylines of our characters. Actors lead a limited number of audience members on a journey through unexpected spaces in Downtown Orlando. You choose your storyline from four options, The Entertainers, The Smugglers, The Lovers, and The Agents. You will then step into another universe: a modern society where the Prohibition Act of the ‘Roaring 20s’ had never been repealed.

Please note, the entire show takes place outdoors and in well ventilated spaces with limited audience size. Audience members will be asked to wear masks and to distance from actors and other groups for the entire performance.

Art is life. Life is art.