Cultural Council of PB County Sets 2017-18 Season of CULTURE & COCKTAILS

Rena Blades, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, today announced the 2017-2018 season of the popular series CULTURE & COCKTAILS.

From November 2017 through April 2018, five fascinating Conversations will be held at The Colony Hotel Pavilion, located at 155 Hammon Avenue in Palm Beach.

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November 6

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

A Conversation about the Birth & Growth of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Cultural Council, two of our founders and earliest supporters will share behind-the-scene stories and amusing anecdotes about how it all began.

+ Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Entrepreneur, Inventor, Photographer and Cultural Philanthropist

+ George T. Elmore, Founder & President of Hardrives, Inc. & Former Board Chair of the Cultural Council

Interviewed by Bill Bone, Trial Lawyer & Partner at Larmoyeux & Bone, P.L.

January 8

HEAVY PERSPECTIVES

From Metallica to Modern Art

A Conversation with Musician & Artist Jason Newsted

The talented bass guitarist was in the heavy metal band Metallica from 1986 to 2001, and played with them again when the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. He also played with Ozzy Osbourne, Voivod and the self-titled Newsted, for which he provided lead vocals as well as bass. Beginning in 2006, he went "from making crazy and colorful music to crazy and colorful art," and had his first gallery show in San Francisco in 2010.

Interviewed by Leslie Streeter, Pop Culture Reporter for the Palm Beach Post

February 5

BEHIND THE EMBASSY DOOR

A Conversation with Edward Elson, U.S. Ambassador to Denmark (1993-1998)

In 2001, an article in the Palm Beach Daily News declared, "Since he served for six years as the U.S. ambassador to Denmark and helped create National Public Radio two decades earlier, it's hardly a surprise that Edward Elson is a rich source of wild and woolly political tales." A member of the Council of American Ambassadors, he has served on the boards for numerous businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Interviewed by Dr. David Breneman, President & CEO of The Society of Four Arts

March 5

SHINING BRIGHT

The Eternal Allure of Silver

A Conversation with Michael James, Owner & Founder of The Silver Fund

The Silver Fund is the largest dealer worldwide in estate Georg Jensen silver, having sold more than $40-million since 1996 to private clients around the world. It has helped to build multiple large collections and exhibits at exclusive art and antique fairs in the US including New York, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco, as well as in London, Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy.

Interviewed by Daphne Nikolopoulos, Author & Editor-in-Chief of Palm Beach Illustrated

April 2

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU

A Conversation with:

+ Daniel Biaggi, General Director of Palm Beach Opera

+ BetH Clark, CEO of the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches

CULTURE & COCKTAILS will end the season with our traditional musical finale, featuring both conversations with cultural leaders and stirring live performances by some extraordinary singers.

Moderated by Sharon McDaniel, Programming associate of the Kravis Center's Regional Arts Series and former music critic for The Palm Beach Post

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Admission to each CULTURE & COCKTAILS event is $65 for advance RSVPs, $85 at the door, and FREE for members of the Cultural Council ($250 level and above). All proceeds go to support artist programs of the nonprofit Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. For membership information, please contact Debbie Calabria at (561) 472-3330.

Each event will run from 5 to 7 pm, with registration and cocktails from 5 to 5:45 p.m., and the "Conversation" from 5:45 to 7 pm, including audience Q&A. The Colony will serve complimentary beverages and an array of specially prepared hors d'oeuvres before each CULTURE & COCKTAILS conversation.

People interested in attending CULTURE & COCKTAILS can RSVP before each event by calling the Cultural Council at (561) 472-3330.

The Cultural Council is the official support agency for arts and culture in The Palm Beaches, serving non-profit organizations, individual artists and arts districts. The Cultural Council administers $4.5 million in grants annually, supports arts and cultural education, provides capacity-building training and advocates for arts funding and arts-friendly policies in Palm Beach County, Florida's Cultural Capital. The Council promotes Palm Beach County's cultural experiences to visitors and residents through multi-platform marketing and public information programs, including its one-of-a-kind Cultural Concierge service.

The Cultural Council presents exhibitions featuring Palm Beach County artists and provides additional programming at its headquarters in the historic Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. Building, an iconic Streamline Moderne former movie theater in Downtown Lake Worth. Also at the Cultural Council headquarters are the Roe Green Uniquely Palm Beach Store featuring products by Palm Beach County artists and the Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Visitor Information Center, a VISIT FLORIDA designated Florida Certified Tourism Information Center.

The Cultural Council galleries, visitor information center and store are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For a complete calendar of cultural activities in The Palm Beaches, connect with the Council at palmbeachculture.com or (561) 471-2901. To plan a personalized cultural itinerary, connect with the Cultural Concierge at palmbeachculture.com/concierge. To learn about the benefits of individual, business, artist or musician membership to the Council, contact dcalabria@palmbeachculture.com.

Note: Topics and speakers are subject to change depending upon the availability of scheduled participants.

CULTURE & COCKTAILS is generously sponsored by The Roe Green Foundation, Roe Green, Founder and The Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation. Additional support for the series is provided by the Palm Beach Daily News, First Republic Bank, and PR-BS, a Boca-based public relations firm.

Pictured: Jason Newsted. Photo by William Meredith - WCM Photography.