When one dwells on the masterpieces of the great artists (and surely, don't we all ponder on this at least two or three times daily?), often the works that spring to mind are the paintings. Picassos, Chagalls, Manets, all beautifully wrought and now the property of the ages -- or more accurately, the property of museums and collectors with scads of cash. Rarely, though, does one contemplate the little napkin doodles these artists must have done while sitting in a café somewhere, starving and acting tortured. When it comes to names like those mentioned above, though, even the smallest works on paper can have artistic significance years later. And it is in this spirit that the Norton Museum of Art (1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach) brings us "The Permanent Collection: European Works on Paper." The exhibition, which runs through November 30, features 15 small-scale works by all of the previously named artists as well as several others. Opening at the same time is "Jacques Callot: Selected Prints from the Permanent Collection," which features 32 works on paper by the early 17th-century French artist. Call 561-832-5196, or visit www.norton.org.
FRI 9/03
Unless somebody big breezes through town, the Factory (2674 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale) tends to cater largely to either 16-year-old girls wearing tank tops with phrases like "Cruel" on them or 38-year-old metal fans who do IT support during the day. Every once in a while, though, something comes through and blows your skirt right up over your head. The Blowtorch Collective, a local revolving-door group of DJs, presents its first concert at 8:30 p.m. For your listening pleasure, the Heatseekers, AC Cobra, the Getback, and Orlando blues rockers the Stud Dogs and the Hex Tremors lightly toss a big ol' beer-drenched, bruise-inducing sonic salad. After the show, the 'Torch DJs spin old-school hip-hop, indie rock, and metal. Tickets cost $4, and the show is for fans 18 and older. Call 954-564-ROCK.
SAT 9/04
Well, it's getting to be the snowbird time of year, when suddenly cars with out-of-state plates inundate the highways and Canadians speaking French (oops, excuse us... we meant "Freedomese") fill the beaches with their milky-white skin and Speedos. And so, it is time for native Floridians to pay it forward by fleeing northward -- after all, in other parts of this land, ski season hits its stride even as you read this. Best to pick up all the latest gear before you go, though, as sports shops in ski towns are known for merrily price-gouging the tourists. Instead of signing away your soul for a pair of skis, head to the Southeast Winter Sports Show, which takes place from Friday through Sunday at the Broward County Convention Center (1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale). From 3 to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Sunday, you'll gaze upon more than $1 million worth of ski, snowboard, and in-line skate merchandise, much of it on sale for up to 70 percent off. While you're stocking up, get a few pointers from legendary skiing greats Glen Plake and Jeremy Nobis. Now you're ready to take on that jag-off ski instructor in a one-on-one race down the double-black-diamond K-12! Admission is $5. Call 954-765-5900.
SUN 9/05
It's Sunday, and can you think of anything better to do than hang out with your family? Of course not! The Boca Raton Museum of Art (501 Plaza Real, Mizner Park, Boca Raton) offers a Latin-themed Family Day at 1 p.m. Grupo Folklorico Latino presents dances, music, and costumes of Central America, and the Keili Kids perform a selection of Latin American songs. Instructors from the museum also help kids create arts and crafts, and the whole family can view the film Botero: Champs Elysees. This event is free with museum admission, which is free for children 12 and younger. Call 561-392-2500.
MON 9/06
For serious hikers, the end of the trail is always a bittersweet time. You've conquered the trail and seen all there is to see, but now the whole experience is over. What these folks need is a longer trail! At this week's meeting of the Florida Trail Association at 7:30 p.m. at Okeeheelee Nature Center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach), veteran hiker Gordon Johnson presents a multimedia show on the development of the Florida National Scenic Trail, which covers 1,300 miles as it crisscrosses the state from Big Cypress National Preserve in the south to Gulf Islands National Seashore in the north. Admission is free. Call 561-684-1168.
TUE 9/07
As any good disciplinarian knows, the oppressive South Florida heat makes for wonderful corporal punishment conditions. Anyone who has visited a fetish club in Fort Lauderdale realizes that people take their nipple clamps, ball gags, and hot-pink whips very seriously. If you're a sadist or a masochist or just enjoy a good-natured slap on the backside with a wooden paddle, then you might want to check out the monthly meeting of the South Florida Bondage Club. The club, which meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Fort Lauderdale Eagle (1951 NW Ninth Ave., Fort Lauderdale), offers a short "business" session followed by a bondage demonstration and organized play time. You have to wait until the end of the night for "open" play time, though -- unless you want to be punished and locked in the dungeon with Mr. Diaper Fetish. Meetings start at 8 p.m. Call 954-462-7224.
WED 9/08
Documentary filmmakers Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen spent countless hours in courtrooms and prisons across the country conducting interviews with six former death row prisoners who were all discovered to be innocent of the crimes for which they were incarcerated. The Broward Center (201 SW Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale) presents the result of their interviews, a play called The Exonerated. Narrated by Lynn Redgrave and Montel Williams, The Exonerated relays in honest detail the story of America's botched justice system. These subjects range from Gary Gauger, a farmer who was accused of murdering his parents and whose hypothetical description of what he might have done was used against him as a confession, to Delbert Tibbs, a black political activist charged with rape and murder even though he didn't match the description given by one of the victims. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets cost $50. Call 954-462-0222.
