Indulge in the Young at Art

Our mama always hoped we were the child prodigy in the family. She pushed us from dance classes to piano lessons to soccer practice, hoping one activity would help us escape a lifetime of mediocrity and push us into the star-spangled heights of greatness. We proved to be simply average at all of those things, but somehow we came out of it with an undying respect for the true geniuses among us. After all, they were at home or in school or on the field, putting in the real work, while we were out buying clothes that would help our poser selves look the part. As average adults, we still hold the wunderkinder among us in high esteem and plan to celebrate them during this year’s youngARTS Week.

Produced by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA) in an effort to scope out budding artistes, this celebration pegged actor/dancer/singer Vanessa Williams and violinist Jennifer Koh as stars in ’89 and ’94, respectively, and couldn’t have been more right. All this week, theater, jazz, dance, photography, writing, and chamber music ingénues will show off their gifts at locations including the Van Dyke Café (846 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach) and the Lowe Art Museum (1301 Stanford Dr., Coral Gables), ending with An Affair of the Arts’ Performance and Gala at the Fontainebleau (4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach) next Saturday, January 17. Tickets are free and open to the public but must be reserved by calling 305-674-1040. Visit www.youngarts.org for a complete listing of performances.
Jan. 13-17, 2009