Not Them! – Jaws on the Floor! from Alex Purifoy on Vimeo.
When the Orlando Weekly dedicates an entire story to your innate ability to bring the house and party, then you can be rest assured that you’ve got a good thing going. Not Them, a local hip hop group from Orlando, can claim just that. With Purifoy behind the camera of this video, the boys shine, and showcase not only their talent, but their goofiness and ability for fun.
Alex Purifoy is a Genius. If you haven’t heard of him, then …

By Jon Bergquist

Blank Space, Orlando’s newest art gallery first opened it’s doors in October and instantly became the crème de la crème of the 3rd Thursday art walk, a monthly event where local artists display their works downtown in nontraditional galleries. The reason for this is the performance group DRIP premieres a new show there every 3rd Thursday. Their performances could be described as an interruptive dance number drenched in paint and sprinkled with a dash of razzel dazzle. Fans of Cirque du Soleil and Blue Man Group will enjoy …

By Jon Bergquist

On November 15th vandals spray painted swastikas and hateful words upon The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Central Florida. In addition to other gay owned establishments in the area. As a response the Orlando chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will be hosting a charity fundraiser event this Sunday, December 13th called Get Your Paint On. Attendees will be able to add their own personal touch to a new mural. As an added bonus there is a fair chance attendees may also be featured …

By Jon Bergquist

Looking for something more Scandinavian to do this weekend than listening to ABBA while eating Swedish meatballs at IKEA? Then you’re in luck! This Saturday, December 12th, The Museum of Seminole County History will be holding their annual St. Lucia Day Festival. St. Lucia lived from 283 C.E. – 304 C.E and is the patron saint of the blind. She was sentenced to death for refusing to marry a pagan and her eyes were gouged out. There is an entire holiday dedicated to her, which is celebrated throughout …

By Jon Bergquist

As it turns out, Orlando was the birthplace of a very significant piece of literary Americana. Jack Kerouac, one of the founding fathers of the Beat Generation (beatniks) and major source of inspiration to Hunter S. Thompson, wrote the novel The Dharma Bums in small house in College Park, while living with his mother in 1957. This was also the time period when the critical acclaim of On the Road thrust him into the spotlight. It was here in Orlando, where Kerouac began to experience fame. However, due …

Macabre Vignettes II 11.06.09

By Jon Bergquist
The Orlando Film Festival is currently taking place downtown at the new Plaza Cinema Cafe. Today and tomorrow are the final days of this festival, but you still have time to catch some great films. I personally recommend viewing Enigma + 2:22 tonight at 6:50pm. Programming for this festival includes submissions from all over the world, but Steven Shea’s short film 2:22 was filmed right here in Orlando by the Orlando based production company Abyssmal Entertainment. 2:22 has been receiving some pretty glowing reviews and when it premiered …

By Jon Bergquist
Hey everybody, it looks like I’m the newest columnist for Smile For Camera. I’ll be posting informative periodicals regarding Orlando’s local art community. We actually have a lot of really cool art happenings that don’t always get the exposure they deserve hopefully these posts will help spread the word. The 5th Annual Orlando Puppet Festival, which is currently in progress, is something I highly recommend. Don’t dismiss the festival as something just for kids, although the festival includes events for children and families there are always shows for …

Urban Artists and huge fan of the color pink, Buff Monster’s work gets noticed. To this day I have a buff monster sticker on my laptop, that I actually moved from the outside to the keyboard because I got tired of telling people “No, I do not have boobs on my laptop.” The Artist will be dropping his 8” Dunny, which makes its east coast debut today.
From the Artist himself last week: “Yes, next week Kidrobot will be releasing the 8″ Dunny that I designed. It retails for $75, they …

This weekend is Art Walk on Miami’s Lincoln Road. Read the article for instructions on how to score yourself an invite that gets you free drinks and hors oeuvres inside the artist’s studios.
There are over 40 Artists on display and ArtCenter prides itself on showcasing undiscovered talent that hasn’t had a chance to feature their work yet.
Artwalks are the perfect way to expose yourself to South Florida arts and culture on the cheap, and often feature artists that go on to generate buzz on a national level.
Read the full Article …