Daytona Beach Symphony - Society and Guild

The Daytona Beach Symphony Society  is about to start its 65th season! Though Daytona does not have its own symphony orchestra, the Symphony Guild and Symphony Society manage to wow, entertain, and delight Daytona Beach residents every year with world-class acts.

This season will kick off on November 11 with Siberian Virtuosi – an ensemble of 11 brilliant violinists bringing you a thrilling evening. Throughout the season you can also experience the Prague Philharmonia, The Vienna Boys’ Choir, Bamberg Symphony, Theatro Lyrica, and much more. Every last performance featured by the Daytona Beach Symphony Society is of outstanding and high-class nature. Truly fabulous cultural experiences! Get your tickets here .

Thanks to tireless efforts of the Symphony Guild, the greater Daytona Beach area can enjoy these incredible performances every year! The Guild’s work includes advocacy for the Symphony Society, and of course fundraising. In addition, the membership dues make a program possible for 2,500 school children to see the performances each year at no cost to them. Many of the 6 to 18 year-old students are at risk, and at least 40% percent live below the poverty line. Here they can experience top-notch musical performances, which would not be possible without the Guild’s program. 

In May of this year, the Symphony Guild elected a new president, Gerri Wright-Gibson, with whom the new guild season will kick off on Monday, October 3 at 10am at the St. James Episcopal Church in Ormond Beach.

Meetings are every first Monday of the month, October through May. Being a member comes with some terrific benefits! You get to meet and socialize with interesting and fun people. As a guild member, you can receive a 35% discount on season tickets to the Symphony Society performances. And you receive invitations to the Daytona Beach Symphony Guild’s cultural excursions and outings, unique parties, dinners, luncheons, and a newsletter. You can be on one of 13 committees! Most importantly, you can be an advocate for Daytona Beach’s premier source of music, dance, and performance: The Daytona Beach Symphony Society.

If you would like to join, the annual fee is $40. You can email Joan Fenton, who is in charge of memberships, and she will advise you how to proceed. Email Joan

Creative Florida Living

Janet Sells 

Halifax Historical Museum – A Local Gem!

History Comes Alive on Beach Street!

Since 1986 the Halifax Historical Museum has been housed in the 105 year old former Merchant's Bank Building located in the heart of the downtown historical district of Daytona Beach. Housed in the former 1910 Merchants Bank building, the two-story interior walls are decorated with hand-painted murals depicting area scenes, and highlighted by Beaux Arts styling of stained glass windows and lighting. The building is a destination in itself!

The museum and its impressive collections are one of the best kept secrets in the North Central Florida area. The museum's permanent exhibits outline the history of the greater Daytona Beach area known as Halifax Country with artifacts dating from 5,000 B.C.E.

Some of these exhibits include history of the local Native Americans - the Timucuans, the Spanish and British colonial eras, early pioneer families, beach/road auto racing, World War I & II, and vintage toys and clothing for children. 

A 20-minute movie is shown continuously throughout the day covering 130,000 years of local history!

The museum also offers a research facility with old city directories and documents as well as an extensive photographic and postcard collection.

A current exhibit, which will run through mid-November of this year, is of Paul Rebmann, Wildlife Photographer, featuring wild animals and local fauna in East Volusia County. 

 

When you visit the museum, you can get a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants along Beach Street, grab a cup of coffee at Sweet Marlay’s or a glass of wine at Wine Me. The museum is right next door to our city’s iconic Cinematique, where you can stop in for a movie in a café setting!  And these are just a few suggestions to make an afternoon or evening out of your Halifax Historical Museum visit!

Museum hours are Tuesday - Friday: 10:30 am - 4:30 pm and Saturday: 10 am - 4:00 pm - 252 S Beach St, Daytona Beach

Admission is $5 Adults, $1 Children 12 & under! Thursdays - Admission is by donation.

Saturdays - Adults $5 - Children 12 & under are free!

Parking in the Palmetto Avenue Parking lot.The museum is wheelchair accessible.

 

Creative Florida Living 

Janet Sells! 

The Hub on Canal

Things to do in the Summer
 In the spirit of finding fun, (mostly free) indoor events to escape the Florida heat!

The Hub, as it is called for short, is a real treasure in our coastal community. It has created spaces for artist studios and offers many different art workshops and classes. Moreover, there are also fabulous events at the Hub. So while it is hot and humid, and outdoor activities may not quite as inviting, check out the Hub! It is easily accessed from all the Greater Daytona Beach Area cities.

The Hub officially opened on March 1, 2012.  Since then, they have welcomed 2,000 visitors who have stopped by to take tours, marvel at the transformation of the building from office space to studio space, linger to chat with the artists and buy art!

All 22 studio spaces are leased to 36 artists representing a multitude of mediums, from painters to ceramic artists, videographers to jewelers, fiber artists to sculptors, as well as a few non-visual artists - a writer, an architect, and a musician.  Wall space, also leased, contributes to the overall vibrancy of this cultural mecca.

 What Does the Hub Offer?

Monthly Exhibits: The Hub features monthly art exhibitions on the first Saturday of each month. Go for an opening reception! Next opening is “Odds And Ends” Artist Josh Rosen, June 6-30, 2015.  Opening reception June 6, 4-8pm.

Events: The Hub puts on all manner of events. This month visit for First Saturday on June 6, Canal Street 10:00 am-5:00 pm. Go for the fun and discover a world of arts from one end of Canal to the other. There will be live music under the palms at Christmas Park.

Classes: The Hub offers a variety of classes for all ages and skill levels.  Categories include Art, Children's Classes, Dance, Languages, Music, Writing, and Yoga. Prices for classes and workshops are very reasonable.

Check out the Hub on Canal yourself. You can support the Hub by becoming a member and also receive member benefits. The Hub is located at 132 Canal Street in New Smyrna Beach. It is open every day. Find out more here The Hub on Canal

 

Creative Florida Living

Janet's Real Estate Site

Museum of Arts and Sciences

Soon it will be too hot to do anything fun outside. If you live here all year round, or if you are considering relocating to the gorgeous Central Florida Coast, read on for one of many cultural activities that are offered in our area!

Florida History, Americana, a children’s museum, a planetarium, art and science exhibitions, a visible storage space, and much more are offered at the Museum of Arts and Sciences (MOAS). Located on South Nova Road in Daytona Beach, MOAS’s group of buildings is a treasure trove of cultural gems. 

Hours and Admission: The museum is open Monday – Saturday from 10am-5pm, and Sundays from 11am-5pm. Admission is $12.95 for adults, 10.95 for seniors, and $6.95 for children. Or you can become a member and get in free anytime!

Free First Tuesdays - The first Tuesday of each month, MOAS offers free admission (planetarium not included) to Volusia County Residents with proof of residency!

The Museum’s new, state-of-the-art Planetarium

One Planetarium show is included with the purchase of your Museum admission ticket.

Additional Planetarium shows or Planetarium shows without Museum admission are $5.00 for Adults and $3.00 for Children. 

The planetarium offers a large variety of shows between 20-40 minutes long (Find out more here). Laser shows accompanied by music, spectacular sky views enjoyed in comfortable chairs, live and interactive shows that are both educational and entertaining – this Planetarium is truly spectacular!

Children’s Museum

The Charles and Linda Williams Children's Museum is the only hands-on science center between Jacksonville and Orlando. The 9,300 sq. ft. addition to MOAS opened November, 2008.The Children’s Museum houses interactive exhibits that demonstrate various principles of science - including a raceway where kids can build their own vehicles, doctor and radiologist exhibits, tennis ball launcher, video light microscope, make believe pizza parlor and more!

 

Our annual Summer Learning Institute offers children’s camps from in June and July. They focus on art, science and history, with many integrated learning experiences for students. All classes are taught by education professionals with many years of teaching experience.Click here for more information

So you see, MOAS has something for everyone. Make sure to sign up for their newsletter so you are informed of the newest exhibits, displays, and events! To find out more about the incredible Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art, which is the newest addition to MOAS, click here. 

Creative Florida Living 

janet's Real Estate Site