Grandview Gardens Concierge

This Week at the Kravis Center: Les Misérables

Rick — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:04:05 +0000

From tonight (May 16) through May 26th, the Cameron Mackintosh revamped version of Les Misérables will be showing at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. The musical, based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel pitting the noble convict Jean Valjean against his relentless pursuer Inspector Javert, opened in 1985 in London and is the longest running musical in musical history. Click here to read an article about this production which was recently published in the Palm Beach Daily News.

Grandview Gardens is offering a last minute special offer for the remaining available rooms this weekend in conjunction with Les Misérables . $ 139 per room per night including breakfast, complimentary bicycles and wifi with a 2 night minimum stay or $ 159 for 1 night. The Kravis Center is 8 – 9 minutes walking distance from Grandview Gardens. If you want to book this special last minute deal online, just book at the regular rate and mention “Last Minute Special” in the notes section and we’ll reconfirm the reservation at the reduced rate. Call 561-833-9023 if you have questions or also to make reservations.

Fun in the Sun: Sunfest in West Palm Beach

Rick — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:24:23 +0000

THE big party in West Palm Beach begins tomorrow! Founded in 1982, SunFest is Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival. Held annually in downtown West Palm Beach during the first week in May, SunFest attracts more than 270,000 visitors. The 2012 Sunfest will be held from tomorrow, May 02nd through May 06th. National acts scheduled to perform this year include Counting Crows, Creed, Pitbull, The Fray, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Passion Pit, Paul Rodgers, Third Eye Blind, Girl Talk, Foreigner, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Herbie Hancock, Matisyahu, Coheed & Cambria, All American Rejects, NEEDTOBREATHE, SOJA, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Outlaws, Fab Four and more.

The BB&T Juried Fine Art & Craft show during Sunfest (from Friday evening) features the work of more than 165 national artists will be on display, including jewelry, painting, pottery & ceramics, photography, sculpture, wood, arts and crafts, and more. Artist demonstrations will be offered Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at the Artist Demonstration Booth.

The wildly popular Sunfest fireworks show closes the Festival with a bang on Sunday, May 6 at 9 p.m. If you want to see the fireworks show but don’t want to be at Sunfest on Sunday, the best place to watch the show is from the Palm Beach Lake Trail near White Hall (The Flagler Museum).

1 day passes cost $ 35; 2 day passes $ 52; 5 day passes cost $ 67

For more information regarding Sunfest schedules, events and ticketing, go to www.sunfest.com.

At the time of this blog post, Grandview Gardens had one room available on Saturday and Sunday only ($ 159 Saturday / $ $ 145 on Sunday including breakfast and bicycles). Give us a call at 561-833-9023 for more information. This is a great weekend to visit West Palm Beach!

The Palm Beach International Film Festival Starts this Thursday

Rick — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:52:51 +0000

The 17th Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) will take place from April 12‐19 and will feature 25 World Premieres, 14 U.S. Premieres and 2 North American Premieres. PBIFF will present features, documentaries and short films from the U.S. and around the world, including Netherlands, Spain, Argentina, Tanzania, Italy, France, England, Israel, Thailand, Guinea, Bissau, Portugal, Australia, Canada, Romania and Sweden, and will play host to filmmakers, producers, and actors to represent and discuss their films. Films will be shown throughout Palm Beach County, but mostly at Muvico CityPlace and the Cobb Theaters at downtown at the Gardens.

On April 12^th, opening night kicks off with Robot & Frank, directed by Jake Schreier and features and award winning cast including Academy Award nominee Frank Langella, James Marsden, Liv Tyler and Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon. Opening Night festivities will take place at Muvico Parisian at CityPlace, followed by a party on the luxurious rooftop of Two City Plaza.

Additional highlights of this year’s PBIFF include:

1. The ever popular Weekend of Shorts at the Lakeworth Playhouse (Fri/Sun), as well as the Voices of Local Films which will screen at Mizner Park Cultural Arts Centre on Sunday, April 15.

2. Sunday night, April 15, the festival will present an evening of music videos along with a reception at the famed DeBilzan Gallery inDelray Beach.

3. On Sunday, April 15, at 5pm at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Centre, there will be a Special Presentation of Violins in Wartime, featuring a performance by legendary violinist, Ida Haendel.

4. On Monday, April 16, PBIFF will present the World Premiere of Tiger Eyes, the first of iconic author Judy Blume’s novels to be brought to the big screen, directed by none other than her son, Lawrence Blume. Both director and the renowned author are attending.

The festival will also present the Lifetime Achievement Award to acress June Lockhart at the Silver Schreen Splash, a Sunday brunch event that will take place at The Lake Pavillion on the West Palm Beach Waterfront on April 15th. June Lockhart has appeared in many famous films such as the classic A Christmas Carol (at age 12), All This and Heaven Too with Bette Davis, Sergeant York with Gary Cooper and Adam Had Four Sons with Ingrid Bergman. Lockhart is best known for her starring roles in the iconic television series Lassie, for which she receive an Emmy, Lost in Space and Petticoat Junction.

A “pre-festival” event is already taking place tonight when Ethel Kennedy will be present for a special screening of “ETHEL”, an HBO Documentary Film by Rory Kennedy about her mother. The screening will take place at Muvico CityPlace at 7:30. Tickets can be purchased at Muvico.

For a complete schedule of events, films and ticket information, go to www.pbifilmfest.org.

15th Annual Grandview Heights Historic Home Tour – Celebrating 100 years in Grandview Heights!

Rick — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:08:54 +0000

The Grandview Heights Historic District in West Palm Beach will be hosting their 15^th annual historic home tour on Sunday, April 01st, between 3 – 7 pm. This home tour will mark the 100^th birthday of the oldest section ofGrandviewHeights, one of the oldest neighborhoods inWest Palm Beach. Located within walking distance to City Place and the downtown Clematis Street Historic District, the Grandview Heights Historic District has become one of the most desirable residential neighborhoods in West Palm Beach due to its superb location and eclectic, old southFlorida atmosphere. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places with the oldest section of the neighborhood having been established in 1912, this neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of historically significant architecture in the city, such as Spanish Mission, Mediterranean Revival, Florida Bungalow, Art Deco and Dutch Colonial Revival.

This year’s tour features 14 homes, the biggest ever, with various styles, such as craftsman bungalow, victorian italianate, spanish mission and Mediterranean revival in different stages of restoration. 11 of the homes have never been shown in the past, including one which dates back to 1912. Highlights of the tour this year include art exhibits by locally acclaimed artists at Grandview Gardens Bed & Breakfast, a complimentary street party including a full meal, wine, soft drinks and live entertainment by Samm, one of the areas most popular jazz singers.

Tickets can either be booked in advance for $ 25 (plus small booking fee) online at www.historichometours.com or by calling 659-6721. Tickets are $ 30 on the day of the tour and can be purchased in front of the Armory Art Center in Howard Park. Visit www.grandviewheights.net for more information.

At the time of this blog post, Grandview Gardens still had 1 room available for the weekend of the home tour. Call fast to reserve!

St. Patricks Day in West Palm Beach

Rick — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:23:41 +0000

Downtown West Palm Beach will be rocking for St. Patricks Day (Saturday, March 17). There will be multiple block parties, restaurant and bar parties, costume contests and lots of other festivities. Here is a short overview:

O’shea’s Irish Pub, St. Patty’s Day Block party, 531 Clematis St. – Starting from 10 a.m. until the wee hours, O’Shea’s will close the 500 block to
make room for its annual St. Patrick’s Day street-wide celebration. Festivities
will include live Irish music performed by the “Killbillies”; an Irish-themed
menu consisting of shepherd’s pie, corned beef and cabbage, and bangers and
mash; face painting; bagpipe performances; Irish dancing; and a parade
featuring… St. Patrick himself!
Roxy’s Pub, 4th Annual St. Patty’s Day Block Party, 309 Clematis St.
World of Beer, Green Beer & Live Music, 101 N. Clematis St.
WPB Antique & Flea Market, St. Patty’s Day Costume contest, 200 Banyan Blvd.

For a full listing of St. Patty’s Day fun in West Palm Beach, visit WPBGO.com

BIJOUX! A Contemporary Art Jewelry Sale at The Norton Museum

Rick — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:45:20 +0000

From March 01 – 04, The Norton Museum of Art presents BIJOUX!, a contemporary art jewelry fundraiser, offering the public the chance to purchase one-of-a-kind contemporary art jewelry pieces directly from their creators. At least two dozen of the more than 40 international artists represented at BIJOUX! are expected to attend the event, including seven artists from AIDA, The Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts. The show will be open to the public during regular Museum hours (and with regular admission). A discussion will be held at 3 p.m. on March 2 at the Museum with panelists Ela Bauer, Gloria Lieberman, Suzanne Ramljak, Davira Taragin and Donna Schneier as the moderator, and a workshop with Nirit Dekel is set for 11 a.m. on March 3rd. Limited seating available. Proceeds from BIJOUX! benefit the Norton’s exhibition and education programs.

The Peak of “The Season” has arrived in Palm Beach

Rick — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:48:49 +0000

President’s Day Weekend marks the halfway point of Palm Beach’s “Season”, which is the period between Christmas and Easter. Dating back to the time when Henry Flagler resided in Palm Beach, the weekend before George Washington’s birthday (February 22nd) has always been the peak of the Palm Beach Season. Mr. Flagler was patriotic and decided to honor the first president’s birthday with a ball at the Royal Poinciana Hotel. That ball became the most popular event of the season…and so later, when the US Congress decided to use that date to honor the birthdays of all presidents, the tradition continued in Palm Beach. The weather is perfect this year (79 degrees and sunny skies!) and there are many cultural events, charity balls, sporting events and private parties, offering something to do for everybody. The largest event currently is the 9th Annual Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show. The show, which features the collections of more than 180 renowned international dealers, attracts tens of thousands of private collectors, museum curators, investors and interior designers who are eager to search for treasures and purchase some of the most unique and coveted fine art, jewelry and antiques in the world.

A highlight of this year’s show will be the “Hope Designer Showcase,” curated by AD100 interior designer Scott Snyder. The exhibit will feature five room vignettes created by Snyder and other top interior designers, including Geoffrey Bradfield, Jim Aman +John Meeks, Bruce Bierman and Campion Platt. The designers will utilize fine art, furniture and decorative accessories from exhibitors in the show to create beautiful spaces that exemplify how antiques integrate into today’s lifestyles.

The 9th Annual Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antique Show runs through February 21st at the Palm Beach County Convention Center located at 650 Okeechobee Boulevard. There will be a private preview party tonight, February 17th. Hours of the show are Saturday, February 18, Sunday, February 19 and Monday, February 20 from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., and Tuesday, February 21 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 daily and $25 for a 4-day pass. However, we do have some passes here at Grandview Gardens, so if you want to go, drop by for a pass.

An Exciting Exhibition at The Society of the Four Arts – Palm Beach

Rick — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:50:07 +0000

Inside Tip: The Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach is showing an unusual, fun exhibit through April 15th. The exhibition is called “Recapturing the Real West: The Collections of William I. Koch” and explores western expansion in the 19th and 20th centuries. This unique exhibit features several rare and unusual artifacts, including the only existing photograph of Billy the Kid, an entire authentic saloon as well as stagecoaches, paintings and sculptures. Clothing, guns and photographs illustrate social concepts that shaped the era – such as the power of the brothel, and the attitudes that led to Native American displacement. This comprehensive private collection is rarely seen by the public eye and has been loaned to The Society of the Four Arts by William I. Koch. This is a “must see”!

Admission: $5 (free for members). The Esther B. O’Keeffe Gallery is open during season (December through April) Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, call (561) 655-7226.

American International Fine Art Fair in West Palm Beach

Rick — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:08:02 +0000

Hailed as the premier fine art, antique and jewelry fair in the United States, the 16th American International Fine Art Fair is taking place this week at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach through February 12th. Over 60 prestigious galleries and dealers from around the world will be exhibiting, representing disciplines of fine art from classical antiquity to contemporary, and the world’s finest collection of haute and period jewelry. The fair is fully vetted by leading museum curators and experts.

New to AIFAF this year, world-renowned Fabergé will present a special exhibition and lecture series – Fabergé: The Rebirth of an Icon- lecture by Geza von Habsburg. Paying homage to the legendary Imperial Eggs created by Peter Carl Fabergé for the Romanov family, and celebrating the Egg as a timeless universal symbol of life, Fabergé has designed a collection of one-of-a-kind High Jewelry Egg Pendants, Les Fameux de Fabergé. Each design illustrates a traditional Russian proverb, through complex, multi-layered concepts brought to life by the finest craftsmanship in the world today. The first of these creations launched in Paris during Couture Week, July 2011, marking the beginning of a series of twelve High Jewelry Egg Pendants, one for every month of the year. Each pendant, a wearable object of desire, involves a lengthy, exacting and in many cases pioneering fabrication process, pushing boundaries of both design and manufacture, and taking contemporary craftsmanship to a new level of sophistication.

Also exhibiting for the first time is Stern Pissarro Gallery from London, which has a unique position in the art world as the only gallery to specialise in Camille Pissarro and four generations of his descendants, covering 150 years of paintings, watercolours, drawings, pastels and numerous print techniques by this extraordinary family.

For information about the show’s opening hours and the highly anticipated lecture series, which are generally open and free to the public, click here.

17th Annual FOTOfusion begins Today in West Palm Beach

Rick — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:13:16 +0000

The 17th Annual FOTOfusion begins today and brings together 85 of the world’s top photography experts. The landmark international photography festival, which runs through Saturday, is not just for professionals. For example, professional photographer Ross Whitaker will help attendees avoid mistakes made by most amateurs when photographing families, including kids and grandkids. Whitaker is just one of the experts involved in some 130 classes, computer training sessions, lectures, panels and photo field trips throughout the event. Among other participants: James K. Colton, photography editor of Sports Illustrated; Dennis Dimick, executive editor for the environment at National Geographic magazine; and Arnold H. Drapkin, whose 10 year stint at Time magazine garnered more than 200 awards of excellence.

There will be gallery walks, book signings, portfolio reviews and history lessons. Julie Adair King, author of Digital Photography for Dummies, will conduct a community presentation on Friday focusing on how to get the best digital camera for your money.

Dan Burkholder, who developed a creative form of prints that involves platinum and palladium over gold leaf, will tell how the five year old iPhone already has evolved into a serious creative tool.

For a complete overview of the FOTOfusion program, including prices, click HERE.