April 14, 2006

The third annual Drive to Support the Arts has developed into a 10-day, county-wide promotion with two, FREE interactive fairs featuring numerous nonprofit cultural organizations presenting information about hot summer events, venues and children’s art camps. Besides attracting some of the best cultural organizations in the County, Drive to Support the Arts includes a series of Art Car events featuring decorated cars from across the U.S. At these numerous events, visitors will also learn how some of the county’s great cultural projects get funded through State of the Arts license plate sales.  

Get your engines ready and drive to one of the two fairs on Saturday, April 29 at Town Center (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) in Boca Raton or Downtown at the Gardens (11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) in Palm Beach Gardens. Visitors have the unusual opportunity to mingle with representatives from various Palm Beach County cultural organizations and chat about interesting programming that you can enjoy this summer.

In addition to learning about cultural activities and State of the Arts license plates, Drive to Support the Arts fair-goers will also enjoy:


Games
Performers
Live music
Children’s activities
Giveaways


Each fair features raffle giveaways that provide lucky attendees the chance to win great prizes such as free admission to select cultural venues. Each location also features two grand prizes:

Grand Prize One:
The Classic Limo ride, dinner and theater tickets

Grand Prize Two:
The Forty-Eight-Hour Vacation Two nights at the Marriott Boca Raton at Boca Center or the Marriott Palm Beach Gardens and admission to one of Palm Beach County’s wonderful museums or gardens.

Also, listen to WRMF 97.9 the week of April 24 for additional Drive to Support the Arts giveaways from cultural organizations.

Cultural organizations participating in Drive to Support the Arts:
Armory Art Center
Marshall Foundation
Ballet Florida
Miami City Ballet
Boca Raton Cultural Consortium
Old School Square
Boca Raton Museum of Art
Palm Beach Dramaworks
Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia
Palm Beach Opera
Caldwell Theatre
Palm Beach Zoo
Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park
Schoolhouse Children’s Museum
Delray Beach Historical Society
Shakespeare Festival
FAU School of the Arts
Society of the Four Arts
Flagler Museum
Sol Children’s Theatre
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
South Florida Science Museum
Lighthouse Centre for the Arts
Youth Orchestra of PBC
Loggerhead Marinelife Center

A special addition to this year’s Drive is a series of Art Car events. Art Cars are unusual rolling art works and about 20 will be displayed at Evening on the Avenue in Lake Worth Friday, May 5 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. on J Street between Lucerne and Lake Avenues. Artists and their road-worthy creations are arriving from across the nation to help raise awareness of Palm Beach County culture and meet you!  Bring the little ones too because the Armory Art Center is hosting a children’s activity area where kids can create cardboard miniature Art Cars. The Art Car rally will also stop at SunFest where they will be displayed between Datura and Evernia Streets, May 6-7, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Supporting arts and culture in Palm Beach County doesn’t mean you have to turn your car into a rolling exhibit -- just buy a license plate. Drive to Support the Arts helps promote State of the Arts license plates. Sales from the plates fund artistic projects in the County through Artist-In-Residency Grants, which the Palm Beach County Cultural Council administers. Since 2003, $180,000 has been awarded to help create various artistic projects throughout the County. In a unique partnership with the Palm Beach County Tax Collector, all tag renewal offices in the county will display special State of the Arts license plate applications.

“We’re truly taking Drive to Support the Arts to the people this year by hosting the fair in four locations throughout the County,” says Bill Nix, Palm Beach County Cultural Council Vice President, Marketing and Government Affairs. “The Council has also organized the first major Art Car events in Palm Beach County.”

Hosted by the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, Drive to Support the Arts provides information about cultural activities you can use all summer, perfect for that idle hot day, an afternoon outing or weekend getaway. Even though the lazy days of summer are upon us, culture is not quelled! Come to these great events and see how the cultural landscape really heats up in the summer:

Drive to Support the Arts is generously funded by Wachovia. Additional sponsorship provided by:

Palm Beach Post
Marriott Boca Raton at Boca Center
97.9 WRMF
Ragtops
WXEL
Limo Limo
SunFest
Boca Raton News
Marriott Palm Beach Gardens
Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce

Drive to Support the Arts Fairs
Saturday, April 29, 2006

Downtown at the Gardens (11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
PGA Boulevard and Alternate A1A
Piazza Grande, near Urban Outfitters
Palm Beach Gardens

Town Center at Boca Raton (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
6000 Glades Road
In front of Nordstrom

Art Car Rallies:

Friday, May 5, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Evening on the Avenue
J Street between Lucerne and Lake Avenues
Lake Worth

Saturday and Sunday, May 6-7, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
SunFest
Between Datura and Evernia Streets
West Palm Beach


For additional details logon to www.palmbeachculture.com.


For further information, please contact:

Larry Boytano
Public Relations Coordinator
Palm Beach County Cultural Council
1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 300
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Tel. (561) 471-1601
Fax (561) 687-9484
lboytano@pbccc.org
www.palmbeachculture.com


The Palm Beach County Cultural Council was founded in 1978 by Alexander W. Dreyfoos as the Palm Beach County Council of the Arts to develop, coordinate and promote the arts and cultural activities throughout Palm Beach County. It is officially recognized by the Board of County Commissioners as the County's advisory agency for cultural development and administers a portion of local tourist development funds under contract with county government. It is an independent nonprofit membership organization with 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status, Florida Registration number SC01489. All contributions are deductible to the full extent of the law.